The Perfect Plans Series [Box Set] (69 page)

“Now that’s a show I would pay to see at the end of every work day.”

Jumping in surprise, I startle to find Alex leaning casually against the entryway to the kitchen, his eyes filled with both humor and equal parts desire.

I fumble a little, shyly embarrassed, before pulling down my mask of confidence. “How long have you been standing there, mister?” I ask with a playful smile.

“Long enough to absorb the sexy and incredibly adorable essence that is you, Miss Ryan. Well-captured for future reference,” he taps his temple to signify the memory capsule.

The man is like a dip in a too hot bath - scorching the skin as your body gives way to the delicious heat enveloping it. He’s simply a spectacular specimen. A shiver of delight runs through me as I take in the sheer masculinity he exudes. Add to that, the sudden erotic beat of the switched track and my recently donned mask seems to change to one of seductive bravery.

My skin prickles with desire as Beyonce’s
Drunk in Love
blares through the speakers; the sensual beat, combined with Alex’s sexy-as-shit stance, overtaking me.
How very fitting
, I note. I most certainly am
drunk in love
. So very drunk in love with this man. The lyrics, the wine, the unbound sexuality he’s emanating, are all fuelling my building desire. A suddenly bold and naughty desire.

Slowing taking a sip of wine, I lay the glass down before flashing him a mischievous smile, my eyes burning with the sheer magnitude of my lust. Making my way around the island, I sway to the sensual beat, lip-syncing the words that so effectively encompass my actions, ‘
I get filthy when that liquor get into me
’. Sashaying my hips erotically from side to side, I move towards him in a sensual dance, ‘
Why can’t I keep my fingers off it, baby? I want you…
” I finish, reaching him, sliding my fingers fleetingly along his hardening erection.

Watching his amused gaze metamorphose into a glaze of lust is intoxicating. Empowering. With a final teasing touch, I pull my hand away from his manhood, flashing him a tantalizing come-hither gesture as I back up towards the open French doors to the deck - my alluring beckoning enticed with a teasing lick of my lip before nipping it between my teeth.

With a sinful crooked pull of his lips, he follows without a word, igniting my passionate lure all the more. I’m on fire for him, wanting to simply rip his close off, yet my emboldened need for seduction overrules. Turning around, I continue my seductive swaying, sliding my hands along my body to the rhythm of the sexy song blaring from the deck speakers as I walk towards the pool. Its inviting misty fog of steam acts as my playful backdrop as I face him once more to tease with the lyrics, ‘
Baby, I want you, na na
’.

I caress my neck and chest, gliding my hands down to my ass, tempting him as I imagine his own touch. I’m enraptured by the sensual beat, my daring seductress stimulated by my consumed glass of wine, heightened even further by his evident building desire. It’s a thrilling feeling to be incited by his wanting gaze.

Making my way towards him, I grip the hem of his shirt, pulling it up and off him, his arms raised in assistance. Tossing it behind him, I trail my fingertips down his deliciously sculpted chest, feeling the power from his husky intake of breath as my hips goad him in the rhythmic dance, ‘
Drunk in love’.

Releasing a growl, he bends to capture my lips amid my persuading lyrical mimicking and I swiftly pull away, shaking my head ‘no’.

I slowly tread the stairs into the pool, a teasing smile on my lips. The warmth of the water against the cool late afternoon chill is exhilarating. It burns through my electrified flesh as I remove my bikini top, giggling with the music, flinging it towards him.

His eyes are a pool of latent hunger, taking in my strip tease, his gaze tracing my bikini top’s landing on the stone floor at his feet. At the wet drop of my bikini bottoms alongside my discarded top, his gaze darts back towards me, his lips parted beneath his burning sapphire-blue eyes. He looks ready to pounce.

I’m enraptured, spellbound by my affect on him, relishing in the warmth of the water cascading around my naked body as I continue swaying sensually to the music. I close my eyes, delighting in my body’s movements, like a snake charmer hypnotizing her cobra. I’m lost in my soliciting euphoria, inspired solely by him. For him.

The feel of his naked body suddenly behind me is electrifying and I shudder against his muscular form. Wrapping his arms around my waist, he pulls me tight against him. I moan, torn between wanting to turn to face him and the sensation of his hardened erection tantalizing my behind. The pulsing in my core wins the struggle and I succumb, gyrating against him with the rhythm as his greedy hands explore my flesh.

The slosh of the water around us adds a cold-heat cocktail to my perked nipples, and I quiver as he slides his palms erotically across the pebbled peaks. I love that signature touch of his. The way he tantalizes my nipples with a circular tease of his palm. I’m on fire for him.
Desperate
for him.

I spread my legs slightly in my circular grind, pushing my ass into his hardness jutting between my legs. His cock teases my core, sluicing between the cheeks of my ass; his body melting into my rhythm, grinding into me with slow, seductive sweeps of his hips. It feels incredible, our bodies flowing weightlessly in the steamy pool, floating in sheer ecstasy, swaying against each other in the fluid waves, luxuriating in our erotic dance.

Moving my damp hair aside to lick and kiss along my neck, his breaths come harder, faster from behind me, his hands sliding along my slick flesh.

Oh, how I want him...
I close my eyes, savoring the explosive effects of his tongue, lips, and hands on my skin.

Gripping my hips firmly, he wrenches me snuggly against him, grinding into me further, his forceful push and pull exaggerating the exhilarating position of his cock. The feel of his thickness brushing along my core, combined with the swills of water, releases our mutual moans.

I reach back for him, a silent signal of desperation. I need to get my hands on him, frantic to touch him, to feel him under my fingertips.

Turning me swiftly in his arms, I’m assailed with the incredible feel of his tongue brushing my lips, his sinfully erotic invasion of my mouth. It’s an assault of the senses, fueling the fire within me as I grab and pull at his slickened flesh, moaning into his kiss.

My want for him is mirrored in his own touch, his hands devouring me, working their way over every slickened inch of my body. Our crazed ardor is fluidly controlled; our eagerness evident, though restrained, as we lose ourselves in the sexual lyrics, the sensual beat, silently grinding into one another amid the dance of our tongues and hands.

Playfully, I pull my lips away to continue my tempting mimic of the lyrics, ‘
Then ride with my surfboard…
’ I sing to him, my eyes alight with seduction.

Releasing a growl, he walks us backwards, returning my playfulness with a teasing, lingering sweep of his lips against mine before taking me in another earth-shattering kiss.

I gasp into his mouth at the feel of the cool porcelain tiles against my back.

Pulling back, he offers his fuck-me grin before grabbing my ass to lift me against him, a husky groan leaving his parted lips as he settles tightly in the apex of my spread legs.

I’m captivated by his sensual gaze; instinctively wrapping my legs around his slick body, securing my arms around his neck.

Bracing me against the tiles, his devilish stare is molten. “Do you have any idea what you do to me?” he mutters through succulent kisses along my neck. “I should have come home even earlier,” he growls, inhaling a slow deep breath as though luxuriating in my scent.

Earlier?
The sudden remembrance of Liam’s visit instantly hits me, my body instinctively tightening from the unwelcome intruding thought. It doesn’t escape me that this amazing welcome home treat could have been either interrupted, or worse, nonexistent had Alex arrived just an hour earlier. Almost as depressing is the fact that I will actually have to
share
Liam’s surprise visit with Alex. I can’t exactly keep it from him. I’ve learned all too well that waiting is not exactly the best solution.

“Aby?” He leans back to look into my eyes, gently releasing his hold of me.

Damn
. I hate that he can read me so well. I keep my arms draped around his neck, flexing my fingers through his damp curls. I don’t even notice that I’m biting the corner of my lip until he reaches up and pulls at it with the pad of his thumb, that sexy eyebrow of his is urging me to start talking.

Double damn, I wasn’t planning on talking anytime soon.
Why am I so nervous to tell him about Liam’s visit? So, a friend stopped by. No biggie. Right?
Ugh
. Maybe it’s best to just spit it out. No. I should just ease into it.
Yes, that’s a better idea
.

“Aby, you’re ruining the mood here…Just tell me what’s on your mind,” his tone is clipped.

I don’t do well with ‘clipped’ - it’s a trigger for my verbal diarrhea. “Liam stopped by today…It was a lovely surprise visit,” I quickly blurt, overemphasized and high pitched.
Ugh. Ugh!
I’m such a dumbass.

Alex’s expression abruptly changes from playfulness to annoyance in mere seconds, his eyes boring into mine. Seconds feel like minutes as he absorbs what I’ve said, and based on his body language, he’s none too happy. Not surprisingly, he pulls my loose hold from around his neck, aimlessly tossing my arms down.

My hand darts directly to my mouth, fiddling nervously with my pursed lips as I await a reply. I cautiously watch him slowly, methodically, run his fingers through his damp hair, seemingly attempting to calm himself. Not sure if it’s working for him, but it sure as hell isn’t calming me.
This is not going to be good.

He says nothing before reaching for the side of the pool, bracing his weight effortlessly to jump out.

Good God
. It’s ridiculous how incredibly sculpted this man is, every muscle bulging and flexing in his efforts, the water sliding down his perfect body. I’m momentarily lost in the deliciousness of the visual, until he looks down at me briskly, turning to grab one of the conveniently folded towels set aside for periodic dips. The sternness with which he wraps it around his waist is the final little pinprick in
my
euphoric bubble, and I certainly didn’t miss the deflation of
his
between his legs.

Begrudgingly, I wade towards the steps, slowly emerging from the pool.

Alex tosses me a towel, which I manage to catch before he turns to head back inside, leaving me standing, dripping. Not the best move on his part. Yeah, I get it. He’s digesting the information about my surprise guest. But his flippant reaction is pushing a few of my own defensive buttons.

I purposely take my time drying off, refusing to run after him like some lovesick - and
guilty
- girlfriend. As I towel dry, I start weighing my options, gathering my defense, effectively getting a grip on my defensive leash.

Wait.
My
defense
? What the fuck?

Defensive leash snapped.

Discarding the towel, I grab my cover-up off the sun chair, wrapping it around me swiftly as I march inside the doors Alex disappeared into moments ago. I bow the tie around my waist like I’m donning a karate gi, ready to kick some ass, shutting off the music with the remote as I pass.

And
ass
is exactly what I get, perfectly displayed as I enter the bedroom to find Alex bent over, stepping into his gym pants - sans boxers. Not surprisingly, I’m momentarily thrown off my game.
Damn that body of his.

Adjusting the strings at the waist, he turns to face me. The look in his eyes is enough to sound the bell in a ring. Screw a quick kick, I’m ready to grab the proverbial gloves and go for a right hook. Unfortunately, he comes in with a left first.

“Did I tell you that Helena dropped by my trailer on the set today? It was a lovely surprise visit.”

And, I’m down. Cheek to the floor, the Ref’s countdown reverberating in my ears.
Who’s
the Ref in my head?
Whore-a the Explorer
herself, Helena Adelaide, her slithering hand banging down on the mat as she smiles at me.

Well, this was no knock out. I’m not down for the count. I know exactly what point Alex is trying to make. And it’s pathetically ridiculous. “Are you seriously suggesting that there is some similarity in a
hypothetical,
” I quote the air for dramatic effect, “…visit from your former phone-a-friend fuck-mate and a man that I spent over twelve years of my life with?”

“Do
you
realize your own statement justifies my point?” he spits back.

“What?” I screw up my face and shake my head. “Alex, Liam and I are
divorced
,” I slur the word for emphasis. “You know, D-I-V-O-R-C-E-D,” I spell it out just to be clear, “…as in no longer together. Done. Finito. We are just friends.”

“Yes, absolutely. As are Helena and I.”

“Oh!” I fist my hands at my sides. “Really? Is that what you call your
relationship
with Helena? A friendship?” I can’t help my huff of disgust. “Don’t even get me started on the whole labeling of that…that…”

“
That
,” he slings the word at me, “…is over. But it goes without saying that you would not appreciate her dropping by for a
lovely
little visit, now would you?”

“It’s not the same thing!”

“The hell it’s not.”

“Nice camouflage, Alex.” Now it’s his turn to look pissed off and confused, so I continue on to help him out, “You’re jealous of something - or should I say
someone
- that you have no reason to be jealous of.”

His clenching jaw pulls my attention, right before I note his flared nostrils. If he wasn’t pissed already, he certainly is now. “Don’t I?”

“No. You have absolutely no reason to feel jealous when it comes to Liam,” I throw back, my arms crossed in my defensive stance.
Obviously a visit from Liam is not anywhere near the same as one from Helena.