Opposites Attract (24 page)

His knees came between her thighs. The hairs on his legs tickled her. She tried to rub herself against him, but only succeeded in tormenting herself more as she couldn’t press to him completely.

Alexis never knew foreplay could be so erotic. Her past lovers had never taken so much time before the grand finale. When the cube melted, she was sure he’d come to her. Instead, he grabbed another and drew it from her breast to her thighs. Alexis squirmed, unable to hold still as he circled the nub hidden within her folds. Her body tensed at the cold onslaught. Her orgasm was close, but the cold kept it at bay, just out of reach.

When his mouth finally closed over her sex, warming the chilly flesh, it was one of the most exquisite sensations she’d ever felt. She started her climax almost instantly against his lips. He drew back, grinning up at her.

‘Not yet,’ he said.

‘Oh, yes, now,’ she said, her words hoarse and demanding. He stood up from the bed. Alexis panicked. He couldn’t leave her like this. ‘Ethan? Ethan!’

‘Shh,’ he hushed, chuckling. ‘I have to get a condom.’

By the time he finally moved on top of her, she was squirming for release. She tried to grab his hips with her legs, pulling him to her. ‘Ethan, I need to feel you inside me.’

He obliged, thrusting into her. It felt wonderful the way his cock filled her. Alexis circled her hips, pulling and releasing her hold on his back. Her arms strained against the binds. The friction built. She loved watching his body over hers – the flexing of his muscles as he rode her, the way his mouth fell open in pleasure. His fingers danced along her clit, keeping a firm kneading pressure on her sex.

His claim on her felt so good, she fought her release, clamping her muscles to make it last a little longer, just a bit more. It was no use. When Ethan’s hips rocked into her, thrusting deep, she let loose a groan. The climax hit hard, quaking her violently against him as she tensed and shook at the same time. He kept going, rocking into her, pulling and pushing himself until all she could do was ride out the pleasure he gave her.

When finally her body started to lose its rigid hold, he stopped rocking, coming with a shudder of his own. Almost instantly, her body let loose, falling weakly to the bed. Her legs slid off of his waist to the mattress, lying open as he finished. Weakly, he fell on her, still trembling as he kept his weight from crushing her.

‘Ah,’ Alexis said, unable to form a coherent word as she gasped for breath. She was sure she’d never come like that.

Ethan rolled to her side. He reached to untie her, but her arms stayed right where they were. She looked at his handsome face now that she could see him clearly in the soft light. ‘So, did I earn my place in the bed tonight?’

Alexis laughed softly. She was exhausted, could barely move. ‘I’d say so.’

‘Good,’ he said, kissing her mouth deeply. ‘Because I want to make love to you again.’

No one was in a great hurry to leave the mountains the next morning so they decided to stay another day. Susan and Ted had brought back laundry the night before so there were clean clothes. They didn’t keep the hotel rooms, not sure where they’d end up.

Susan found a bunch of brochures in the laundry mat and they ended up at the Royal Gorge Bridge. It was the world’s highest suspension bridge, hanging over a thousand feet in the air. Just looking down at the churning water of the Arkansas River made Alexis queasy. The bridge was a quarter of a mile across and they walked every inch of it. She stayed close to Ethan as they crossed, for once not caring if Ted and Susan saw her holding his hand. She could barely get herself to lift her camera when standing by the edge. Susan did it for her, taking her and Ethan’s picture together.

‘Mm, I kind of like holding you like this,’ Ethan said as they made their way back. He wrapped his arm around her waist as they followed Susan and Ted. Alexis lifted her camera and took a picture of them.

‘I kind of like you holding me like this,’ Alexis said. She pretended to adjust her camera as she secretly probed him to see how he felt about her. After last night, he had to have some sort of opinion on where they stood. Just thinking of ice cubes made her knees weak. ‘I forgot to tell you. Yesterday Susan mentioned something to me about us. She wanted to know what was going on.’

‘What did you tell her?’ Ethan’s face was blank.

Alexis felt as though her heart dropped in her chest. It wasn’t the exact outpouring of emotion she’d been hoping for. Actually, she would’ve settled for a reaction of any kind. He remained calm, his features unreadable.

‘That there was nothing to tell,’ she said at last. Alexis felt him stiffen and his arms fell away, not hugging her as close as he walked beside her. ‘Was that wrong?’

‘Not if it’s the truth.’ Then, pointing into the distance at a bird in flight, he changed the subject. ‘Check that out. That’ll make a great photograph.’

Alexis dutifully lifted her camera and took the picture. She stayed close to the middle of the bridge, not wanting to get too close to the edge. Ethan stayed by her side, making a few jokes and talking of non-important things as they walked back to the car.

They were surrounded by people wherever they went and so it was hard to soak up any of the local culture without fighting a crowd. Being a big tourism area, everything was expensive – food, gas, lodgings. By late afternoon, they changed their minds about staying in Colorado Springs for another night and headed south.

As they drove south, Susan leafed through the pile of brochures. ‘I was looking at these maps. I’m not so sure it’s wise to be driving down to New Mexico at night. A lady at the hotel told me the road heading south through the mountains is one of the most dangerous in the US.’

Alexis was tired and said nothing. She glanced at Ethan, feeling as if a rift had formed between them ever since she mentioned Susan suspecting them. Did he care? Was he embarrassed by her? She was always worried what everyone would think about her dating a tattoo man, but she never once considered that he’d be embarrassed to be seen with her. It hurt deeply.

‘What do you have in mind?’ Ted asked, slowing down to let a truck pass.

‘We could stay in La Veta. Then, in the morning, we can take a scenic drive down to Trinidad on the Highway of Legends.’

‘Whatever you decide is fine with me,’ Ethan said. He crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes. ‘I’m taking a nap.’

Susan reached along the edge of her seat and touched Alexis’s knee. When Alexis looked up, Susan mouthed, ‘What’s going on?’

Alexis shrugged. How could she answer? She was wondering the exact same thing herself.

The car was quiet as they drove into the evening. She was preoccupied and edgy and even the soft music Ted was playing on the stereo annoyed her. With Ethan seemingly displeased with her, the mountains lost some of their brilliance. Alexis wondered what had happened, but came to the only conclusion she could. He was upset that Susan and Ted had found out about them. Even the beautiful sunset, streaking its reds and purples along the distance couldn’t rouse a bit of interest in her. It was the most beautiful act of nature she’d ever witnessed and yet she couldn’t even bring herself to take out her camera.

The hotel at La Veta was the best one they’d stayed at so far and also looked to be the most expensive. Since they didn’t have reservations anywhere, they didn’t have much of a choice. It was either the resort or the car. The early evening was already chilly and no one felt like camping out in a car.

‘We’ll take whatever you have left,’ Ethan said to the clerk. She was dressed in a quilted vest of Southwestern design. Glasses hung from a chain around her neck and she carefully unfolded them and slipped them on her face. Humming softly, she looked at her register. ‘Yee, hmm, well let me just see what we have. Oh, well, hmm. Ah, yep. We only have one room.’

Ethan glanced at Ted. Alexis sat sideways on a wooden chair in the front lobby, watching him. She waited for a kind smile, a secretive wink, and got nothing.

‘It has two beds,’ the woman offered, smiling brightly.

Ted nodded at Ethan. He suppressed a yawn.

‘We’ll take it,’ Ethan said to the woman. Humming again she wrote down Ethan’s information as she filled out a little card. She pondered his driver’s licence, taking great care as she transcribed the numbers. Alexis sighed, leaning her head down on the back of the chair as she waited for the woman to finish. Before she would hand over the keys, she went through a long list of local attractions as if she’d memorised them off a list. Ethan politely thanked her, but his lips were tight when he said the words.

The room was huge, completely decorated with the same Southwestern influence the clerk had. The two queen-size beds had matching plaid comforters and mission-style headboards. Dried flowers in a plain glass vase sat between the beds on a nightstand.

‘It’s cute,’ Susan said. Ted set her bag down next to a bed. She looked helplessly at Alexis. ‘How do we want to handle the sleeping arrangements?’

‘I’ll take the floor,’ Ethan said, coming in. He set Alexis’s bag on the ground next to his. ‘You guys split up the beds however.’

‘You don’t have to do that,’ Alexis said.

‘Are you going to take the floor?’ he asked, smiling slightly. ‘It’s fine. I’ve slept in worse places.’

Even though Susan had been her roommate for many years, it was still awkward as they got ready for bed. Alexis borrowed Ethan’s sweats and wore one of her T-shirts. She didn’t feel comfortable in any of her nighties with Ted in the room. She knew Susan had the same problem because she wore a pair of workout pants and a tank.

‘Ethan,’ Susan said. Ethan sat on the bed next to Alexis watching television, not touching her. Alexis leaned forwards to study her friend. ‘I want a tattoo.’

Alexis stiffened. Susan wanted what? Usually they’d have discussed something like this before making an announcement.

Ethan chuckled. ‘I wondered if anyone on the trip was going to get some ink.’

‘You don’t mind?’ Susan asked.

‘Heck, no.’ Ethan chuckled.

‘Oh, then I want one too,’ Ted said. Everyone turned to look at Alexis.

Alexis shivered. ‘What?’

‘What do you say, Lexy?’ Susan asked.

Ethan’s face searched hers. Alexis shivered. ‘They’re so . . . permanent.’

‘Afraid of a little commitment?’ Ethan teased.

‘No,’ Alexis answered. ‘But I won’t be pressured into something I don’t want.’

‘You’re right.’ Ethan nodded. He moved to look at Susan. ‘So, wh – ?’

‘I want cherries on my hip,’ Alexis said, taking a deep breath and holding it. All three pairs of eyes came instantly back to her. Alexis covered her mouth with her hand. Her voice weak, she said, ‘Really small ones.’

Ethan got a funny look on his face. Slowly, he smiled at her. ‘OK. I’ll draw something up tomorrow. I want you all to think about it for a day before I do it.’

He said everyone, but Alexis was sure he meant mostly her. She nodded, feeling giddy. Susan and Ted launched into an instant discussion about designs. Ethan crawled onto the floor, lying down on the bed he’d made for himself out of extra blankets. Alexis automatically tossed him a pillow.

It felt strange being on the bed without Ethan next to her. Susan turned down the lights, but Alexis still heard them whispering for quite some time. She wished they’d go to sleep so she could crawl down to talk to Ethan.

Alexis fell into a fitful sleep, having a hard time getting comfortable.

‘Hey,’ she heard a whisper through her dreams. She fought to wake up, but it was too hard. She was too tired. ‘I think I’m in love you.’

Alexis blinked, partially paralysed as she tried to wake up. When she finally opened her eyes, everyone was asleep. It had only been a dream.

‘Dude, are you really a tattoo artist?’

Ethan looked up from the opened trunk. It was early morning and the air was crisp. But, despite the chill, the sun shone bright with the promise of a glorious day. He’d missed sleeping by Alexis the night before, had even been compelled to check on her a couple of times, though she’d been asleep. He’d nearly choked when she said she wanted a tattoo. It didn’t matter to him if people were tattooed or not. It was personal expression. But to hear her say it had done something to him. It was like her acceptance of who he was. The Alexis he’d picked up in New York would never have gotten ink.

Seeing a kid holding a skateboard against his leg, Ethan smiled. The slender deck was pretty banged up along the edges, attesting to its miles of use. The boy had black hair that was cut short at the back and flopped down over one eye. His pants were three sizes too big and his large black T-shirt had small holes along the seams.

‘Yeah, sure am,’ Ethan said. He turned back to the truck, shoving his bag towards the back.

‘Cool, dude, that’s cool,’ the kid said. He had to be around ten. Ethan smiled. He kicked around his feet for a while, saying nothing. ‘I want a tattoo, but my mom said no.’

Ethan nodded. He agreed with the mom. ‘Yeah, moms are tough.’

‘She’s all right. She let me dye my hair.’ The boy stood a while longer, not saying too much.

‘Cool deck, you do the graphics?’ Ethan asked, nodding to the skateboard as he closed the trunk. The kid held out the bottom of the board for Ethan to see. It was spray-painted green with a black skull. The lines were a little wobbly, but not bad for a ten-year-old.

‘It was orange but I didn’t like it. You skate?’

‘Used to. Only the boards were a lot fatter,’ Ethan said.

The boy grinned and held out his board. A mischievous smile crossed over his face. ‘Old school. Cool. Here. Try it.’

Ethan glanced around. It had been years since he’d been on a skateboard. He glanced towards the hotel, making sure no one was watching. If Alexis saw this he’d be sure to lose some cool points.