For King and Country (10 page)

I bit my lip, trying to hold back the questions I had about this arrangement. What would happen when he grew tired of me? What if I wanted out? And as if to help vanquish all those tumultuous thoughts, Alexander lowered until his cock pressed against my seam.

There were a million reasons to stop this now, but none of them felt as compelling as the want coursing through my body. “Yes.”

Alexander’s lips closed over mine, effectively ending the conversation. Without breaking the kiss, I felt his hips coaxing my legs back open. I parted for him and his cock nudged against my swollen sex, but he held it there. A gasp escaped me as he teased me with the promise of fulfillment, and his kiss deepened in response, his tongue invaded my mouth, capturing it and sucking more moans from me. All he had to do was thrust and he would be inside me, ending the delicious agony I felt and laying to rest all the questions that had nagged us moments before. But Alexander took his time, his hips moving in circles, his thick cock rubbing against my throbbing clit before he nudged the tip back inside of me.

“I want you inside me,” I whispered and Alexander’s head lifted so that our eyes met. He pushed slowly in, not breaking our gaze, and I arched against him into the exquisite fullness I desperately sought. My body made precious contact with his hard muscles, my nipples brushing against his cotton shirt and tightening to beads. His hand slid under my back, supporting me as he rocked me toward the precipice of fulfillment.

His gaze bore into me like a dare, and I couldn’t look away, even as the strings of my body tightened, winding taut as coiled wire.

“Say my name,” he commanded.

“Alexander,” I gasped, breathing hard as the tension seeped through my muscles and took control.

“Again,” he ordered as his hands slid to my hips, pinning me to him as his cock drove into me with relentless strokes.

“Alexander.” I cried his name as my orgasm splintered through me in violent waves that spasmed through my limbs, but my eyes stayed trained on him. He continued his thrusts, hard and fast, as he raced toward his own. Alexander’s hands clenched my hips, and his gaze smoldered into me as he came. He was in total control, but I could feel my own slipping away with each second his skin was on mine.

He wrapped his arms around me and collapsed onto the bed, holding me close to him. I was too stunned to move, so I focused on my breathing, trying to calm my racing heart. That didn’t seem possible with him still so near to me, and when he pressed a kiss to my forehead, an ache burst through my chest that had nothing to do with the fear or anger I felt during our earlier argument. With that one small gesture, he’d washed away all the rational questions I’d had about getting more involved with him. I only wanted to touch him again and see him come undone.

A
n hour later, I rolled out of bed, popping up on my tiptoes to stretch out the delicious ache in my muscles. Alexander watched from bed, his perfect body half-tangled in the sheets. The thought of his eyes traveling over my flesh sent a wicked thrill up the back of my neck, and I decided to put on a little show for him. Reaching for the wall, I bent down on the pretense of stretching, arching my back and thrusting up my hips. A low growl rumbled from Alexander and I couldn’t help feeling a trifle smug that I could elicit such a primal reaction in him. I sashayed toward the bathroom and stopped at the door, posing for him.

“I’m going to take a shower if you care to join me,” I offered.

Alexander’s eyebrows lifted, but he shook his head. “Tempting, but I’m going to order room service. Any requests?”

“I’m not picky.” But then I thought better of it. Sex like that should be commemorated. “Actually, get some champagne.”

“Your wish is my command.” He jumped up, still wearing his undershirt and nothing else, which did nothing to hide his powerful legs. He looked like something out of a Greek myth, carefully carved to perfection for the pleasure of women. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. I was as fixed on him as he had been on me moments ago.

Alexander strode over to me, a cocky smile tugging at his lips. His black hair had a just-fucked tousle that immediately recalled how it had felt to tangle my hands through it. He held out a hand as he reached me, and I took it cautiously, unsure what to expect. I was surprised when he drew me to him, wrapping an arm around my waist. He leaned to kiss me, and despite our half-clothed state, the kiss was tender with a touch of longing hidden in it. It took my breath away and I felt another tug in my chest, as though that invisible string was reeling me closer to him. Alexander broke away, and as our eyes met, I saw the same desire and confusion reflecting in his.

But then he smacked my bare ass and dropped his hold on me. “What would you say if I suggested you only wore that around me?”

“I’m not wearing anything,” I said, willingly stepping into his trick. I needed to break the tension hanging in the air between us as much as he did. I wasn’t supposed to feel like this—I wasn’t supposed to feel anything at all except mind-blowing orgasms. Things were moving too fast.

“Exactly.”

“You’re a bit of a fiend, aren’t you?”

“I’ll show you just how much,” he warned, lunging at me.

My heart raced, fueled by equal parts lust and turmoil, so I sidestepped him and wagged a finger. “You promised me food and champagne.”

I didn’t add that I knew if he got his hands on me I’d never get a shower or a snack. Or have a chance to think about the heady cocktail of emotions swirling through me. It would be easier to fall into his arms, where I could forget all the reasons that I was in over my head. Part of me wished he would grab me and fuck me until I forgot how irrational and reckless I was being. I couldn’t hide from the facts for long.

“Food and champagne.” Alexander held his hands out in surrender, but then he crossed them over his chest and looked me up and down. “But then I’m going to have my way with you.”

A shiver raced up my spine. “Promise?”

“I promise that you’re going to spend the rest of the afternoon screaming my name.”

My knees buckled a little at the thought and his hand shot out to steady me, his smug grin spreading to a full-blown smile. The effect was dazzling with his straight white teeth and movie star good looks, and I couldn’t help but think of those lips and the things they were capable of.

“You’re testing my resolve, poppet,” Alexander said.

I blinked and stared at him. I was testing his resolve? He had to know the effect he had on me. It was written all over my face—and my body.

“Standing there, biting your lip, with your hair down. I give you ten seconds to get out of here or I’m taking you back to bed.”

I squealed and scampered away, closing the bathroom door behind me. My heart pounded at Alexander’s promise and the remembrance of what he’d already done to me. Catching my reflection in my mirror, I studied it for a second. My breasts hung loose, still swollen with arousal, my nipples beading tightly at the thought of Alexander. But I refused to let my focus linger on my body. Instead, I counted to ten and forced my gaze up. My liner had smudged a little, giving my eyes a smoky touch. It was kind of sexy, especially in combination with my wavy, loose hair and kissed-pink lips. Between my legs I felt the slick proof that I wasn’t just dreaming. The girl in the mirror looked like a total sexpot. It wasn’t a side I’d ever seen in myself, but I had to admit I liked it.

The hotel bathroom was stocked with more than the average shampoo and conditioner. It was practically a small convenience store, and inside the medicine cabinet, I found a package of hair ties. I tugged my messy hair off my neck, piling it onto my head, wanting to keep the sexy, just-bedded look I was rocking.

But when I stepped into the hot shower, I felt lonely. Whatever had prompted Alexander to refuse to remove his shirt in bed also kept him from joining me in here. I thought about this as I ran soap across my body and washed between my legs. Of course, that’s why he didn’t want to shower with me, removing his shirt would have been unavoidable, which meant that it wasn’t just a measure of intimacy—he was hiding something. But what? Every bit of him that I’d seen up until now was stunning. His body literally left me breathless from my desire to touch him. I’d been too hurt at the time to see the harsh rejection for what it really was: fear. I understood body issues better than most though, and I knew better than to push it. Maybe in time, he wouldn’t feel the need to hide from me.

I found myself hoping he would. But I shook the thought from my head as I rinsed the last of the soap off my body and turned off the water. I didn’t need to get attached to Alexander. This was supposed to be casual. I had other things to worry about—like my new job and settling into life in London. There wasn’t time for me to get involved with someone, especially not someone as complicated as Alexander. We were both looking for a good time, and if we were going to make that happen, I had to set aside my curiosity.

Tying a soft robe around me, I discovered the room service had already arrived. Alexander lounged in his shirt and shorts in the living room, his feet propped on the coffee table. A cart, crammed with dishes and glasses and a bottle of champagne, was parked next to his chair.

“Did you order everything on the menu?” I asked.

“Personally, I worked up an appetite,” he said with a shrug, “but if you need to work on your own, I still want to screw you against that window.”

I held up a hand. “Stop. I’m famished but maybe after?”

Alexander’s eyes sparkled as he nodded. “You continue to surprise me, Clara Bishop. One minute you’re running away from me and the next—”

“You have my panties off in a lift?” I finished for him. “Be honest, this isn’t the first time a girl has dropped her knickers for you.”

“Well, no,” he admitted. “But you hardly
dropped
them. That reminds me that I need to buy you another pair.”

I waved off his offer nonchalantly even as heat pooled low in my belly at the memory. Where had he stashed my panties when he ripped them from me? From the wicked gleam in Alexander’s eyes, he was thinking about the same thing. I bee-lined to the room service cart in an attempt to stay focused. It wasn’t healthy to screw like bunnies without eating for hours. To my surprise, I lifted the silver lids to discover two hamburgers, French fries, and small but fancy bottles of ketchup.

“I hope it’s okay,” Alexander said, coming up behind me. He gripped my hips with his firm hands and peeked over my shoulder. “You aren’t a vegan or something? I haven’t mortally offended you?”

“It’s fine,” I said, twisting to face him. “I love meat.”

It took me a second to realize what I’d said, but from the close contact of his body, I could tell his cock got the message much faster.

“Tell me more,” he breathed.

“After we eat,” I said, ducking from his grasp and grabbing a plate. “I had no idea the Royal Family ate things like hamburgers.”

“Oh yes, usually it’s only crown roast and leg of lamb and mint jelly.” His words were covered in thick coating of bitter amusement. “Actually, my family dinners are terrible. Stiff. Too many courses. Too many forks. Someone’s always picking a fight, usually me. Maybe that’s why I skip so many of them.”

I’d just taken a bite of my burger but I had to do my best not to choke on it. Alexander was opening up to me. I swallowed hard on my food, suddenly more interested in learning about the mystery man in front of me than in what I was eating. “I can relate to that.”

“Ah yes. Your parents are web entrepreneurs,” he said. “Lots of dinners alone?”

I lifted an eyebrow in surprise. “Checking up on me?”

“I was interested, and if I have to spend my whole life in the public eye, I might as well enjoy the perks of my position.” He joined me on the couch. The whole thing felt so normal, except for the revelation he’d just sprung on me.

“Translation: it’s okay for you to spy on me.”

Alexander laughed. “It was not nearly so clandestine. You probably learned more about me on the internet than I did from MI5 files.”

“I have an MI5 file?”

“Not really. Hence why I didn’t learn much. I wanted to know how the pretty American girl wound up at a boring British graduation party,” he admitted.

“I’m not American. Not really.”

“That did catch my attention,” he admitted, taking a bite of his food and chewing it quickly. “You chose British citizenship. You could have chosen dual citizenship. Why?”

I hesitated at the question, uncertain how to answer. “There’s nothing for me in America.”

Nothing good
, I added silently.

“That sounds like a story.”

“How about you?” I asked, deflecting the attention back to him. It was better if my past stayed put. Neither of us gained anything from bringing it up.

“I’m an open book. You only have to go as far as the nearest tabloid to learn everything you need to know about me.”

I wasn’t buying that for a second. The gossip columns might make educated guesses about Alexander and his personal life, but as someone who’d spent a little bit of time with him in private, I knew they hadn’t even scratched the surface of what he was really like. And despite my firsthand experience with him, I knew I hadn’t either. The thought scared me as much as it excited me. “I doubt that. Tabloids seem to think rumors are facts, after all.”

“Yes, they do.” Alexander set his plate down and stood up, moving to look out the window. “What do you want to know, Clara?”

“What will you tell me?”

He flashed me a humorless smile before he turned back to stare out over London. “Nothing. I’ll tell you nothing you want to know. I’ll crack a joke or distract you with a kiss.”

The honesty of his answer struck me like a blow and I couldn’t respond. The pain in his voice was palpable. It lived and breathed as much as the sexy, broken man in front of me. But his directness couldn’t tell me the one thing I ached to know: what had broken him?

It was the only way to know if I could fix him.

“You’ll like me better if you believe the tabloid headlines,” he added after a long silence.

The air was so heavy between us now that I thought it might crack the room in half, separating us forever. I couldn’t let that happen. “Even the one that claimed you had an orgy at Brimstone last month?”

“Wouldn’t you rather believe that one was true?” he asked, and to my relief, he smiled. “It promises inhuman stamina.”

I already knew he had inhuman stamina. “I will admit I don’t like the idea of you screwing a whole room full of women.”

“Ahhh. The jealous type?”

I’d never been the jealous type, and I found it to be a big turn-off after my screwed up relationship with Daniel. But the thought of Alexander with another woman twisted my insides. I couldn’t exactly tell him that though. It sounded too crazy after the short amount of time we’d spent together, and I guessed Alexander had dealt with his fair share of crazy over the years. “How would you feel if I screwed a room full of men?”

His hand flew out, striking the window and making me flinch. “Touché, poppet. But I should warn you I’m not good at sharing.”

“No doubt that comes from never having to share much as a child.”

“More than I would have liked,” he said darkly, advancing toward me. His face was unreadable, cast in shadows. “While I’m fucking you, no one else will. Do you understand?”

My mouth fell open, but I shut it again. Setting down my plate, I stood so that we were on an equal level. “Is that an order?”

“You didn’t seem to mind my orders earlier.” His finger pushed between the layers of my robe and probed my stomach. “You liked being told what to do.”

“In bed,” I said, stepping away from him. I sensed a fight coming on and I couldn’t think clearly when he was touching me. “I don’t like being ordered around.”

“I wouldn’t dream of ordering you around
outside the bedroom
, Clara.” He tilted his head and studied me for a moment. “But asking you not to sleep with other men seems to be on point, no?”