Ally

Leaning my back against the stacks in the library, I blow out a deep breath. Reaching up, I run my fingers over my lips. They feel like fire ants are marching across them from Xavier’s kiss last night. I swear when I came into work today they were still puffy and tingling. Leaning my head back against the shelves, I close my eyes and recall everything that was said during dinner and when he dropped me home.....

Xavier’s arm wraps around my waist and I tense at the contact. His fingers trace small circles into my hip and I can’t help melting into his touch. It feels so right and it’s like I’m where I am supposed to be. I resist the urge to close my eyes at the sensation for two reasons - one we’re walking and I don’t want to trip over and two -  I still don’t know what this is or even what it means. I have never felt so shy and uncertain in my life and it scares the shit out of me.

What would happen if I let this man in? I’m not stupid, I know there are no certainties in life, but damn - having this temptation constantly in my face is starting to weaken my resolve to stay away from him. The way he was speaking to me while we were eating, wanting to crack me open so I could be his.... Damn I wish those words didn’t give me goosebumps and I sure as hell didn’t expect the flutter of hope in my heart.

Coming to a stop at Xavier’s truck, I come out of my head. I feel the weight of Xavier’s hand against my lower back and hate to admit that it feels good. Reaching forward, X opens the door for me and a smile curves my lips at the gesture. I don’t think anyone has ever opened doors or, waited for me to sit before them. It feels nice. I feel special.

Damn why does everything feel so good with him?

“Come on, Sweetness, let’s get you home.” X holds the door open and grasps me with his free hand so I don’t fall while trying to get into his truck. The bloody thing is huge but, I like it. It suits him. 

“Thank you.” I smile up at him while fastening my seatbelt. Before he closes the door, he throws another one of his winks at me and a smile curls the side of his lips. Like the last time he smiled at me, I watch a small dimple pop. Even though it’s hard to see through his five o’clock shadow, I know it’s there. I find for the millionth time today that I have to suppress a moan.

Trying my hardest to stay quiet, I suck my bottom lip into my mouth, look down and pick at my nails. I hear the door being pushed shut and closing my eyes, I take a deep breath in. My body comes alive as his fresh, clean intoxicating scent runs through every cell in my body.

Shit. Shit. Shit. I need to get it together.

When he slides into the truck, I open my eyes and stare at his profile.

“You’re a temptation I shouldn’t want,” I blurt out before slapping a hand over my mouth. I can’t believe I said that out loud.

Reaching over, he rests his warm hand on my thigh and I swear a tingling sensation sears through my skirt.

“Sweetness, you are the embodiment of temptation and I can’t wait for you to accept how mine you really are because when you do, we’re going to set the world on fire.”

I stare at him wide eyed, not sure exactly what to say. Do men actually talk like this or is Xavier a different kind of man who I’ve been completely blinded to. Everything he’s saying should scare the shit out of me or, even piss me off. But it doesn’t, it has the opposite affect and I’m not sure what I should do with that little revelation. I guess I’ll pin it in the corner of my brain to reassess later when I no longer have his smell invading every one of my senses or his deep voice wafting around me, causing my head to spin.

I glance through the passenger side window to get my bearings before turning back to face front and explain where I live. I’m not sure how I feel about him knowing where I live, but it’s late and I really don’t want to walk. I guess I’ll have to trust that he won’t abuse the power of knowing my address.

He eases the truck into the curb in front of my building, I release the seatbelt and reach forward to open my door but Xavier is already there. Damn, how the hell does he move so fast? I didn’t even hear him get out of the car. I note the flutter in my heart has returned.

“Thank you,” I whisper as he takes my hand and helps me to step out onto the path. I think he’ll now let go of my hand, but he doesn’t. Instead, he maneuvers me out of the way, shuts the door and I hear the beep of the locks engage. He turns and guides me to the front door of my building. We pause at the glass entry door. I’m not sure if I should ask him up, but I think better of it. I need distance so I can get my head on straight.

“Thank you for dinner, it was lovely.” I look up at him through my eyelashes, notice the hungry look in his eyes and my stomach does somersaults.

Wrapping his arms around my waist, he pulls me into his hard chest and I feel every hard ridge of muscle through his singlet shirt. He sucks in a deep breath when my hands land on his shoulders and I flex my fingers. My nails bite into the hard muscle causing him to growl low in his throat, it vibrates straight through me causing my nipples to harden and heat to pool low in my belly.

Holy shit, what is this man doing to me? His hand cups my jaw, drawing my face up to his. Without thinking, I close my eyes and lean into his touch.

“So fucking hot,” he growls.

Opening my eyes to lock with his, I see the moment his control snaps and his lips land on mine. I thought it would be hard, demanding, it’s anything but. It’s agonizingly slow and controlled to the point where I can’t help myself and run my tongue along the seam of his lips, craving a taste.

He opens his mouth on a growl and runs his tongue along mine. A slow moan escapes this time and it’s like fuel to a fire. I’m pushed up against the concrete wall of my building and X lifts my leg, locking my knee into place by his hip. His other hand grips my hair, tangling his fingers in the strands at the top of my head. In this position, he holds all the control. It should freak me out, but it doesn’t. Instead, I claw at his back, taking everything he wants to give me as he pushes forward. The hard ridge of his cock pushes against my aching clit and I moan again.

Xavier groans greedily, sucking down every noise I make. After a moment, he pulls back, his breathing heavy. I concentrate on catching my breath as he rests his forehead against mine.

“Fuck Sweetness, I need to stop. I’m about two seconds away from stripping you bare and taking what’s mine.” His voice is raspy and he breathes in short gasps.

My mind starts to spin at his words. Licking my lips, I see if I can still taste him and hum at the tingling sensation running through them.

“Inside now babe, before I change my mind.”

I nod and he eases my leg back to the ground where I struggle to regain my balance as my legs won’t stop shaking. Shit, he has literally kissed me legless. I always thought that was some fiction crap only written in romance novels.

Damn.......

Turning towards the glass door, I grab the keys from my bag. When X’s hand closes over mine, I realise how much I’m shaking.

“Let me Sweetness” putting the key in the lock he pops the lock and pushes the glass door open handing back my keys he leans down and pecks my lips before spinning me around and giving my ass a slap.

“See you tomorrow, Sweetness.”

I nod and take a few steps away. I turn at the sound of his voice and find him slouched against the still open door, lust flashing in his eyes. I grip the banister to the stairs, my entire body feels like it’s melting and if I don’t hang on, I’ll end up a puddle on the damn floor.

He straightens up and crosses his arms over his chest. “Next time you kiss me like that, babe, I don’t care where we are - I will have your ass naked and bent over the nearest flat surface, feeding my cock into you so hard and fast you’ll be begging for more.”

The click of the lock on the door echoes around the small entryway as he walks away. I suck in a shaky breath.

“Holy friggin shit,” I whisper as I watch him through the glass door, heading towards his truck.

“Ally!”

I snap out of my memories from last night when I notice Cynthia in front of me laughing.

“What?” I turn my face away, knowing I must resemble a tomato. I can feel the heat coming off me in waves from the memories.

“I’ve been calling your name for the last five minutes,” she huffs playfully.

“I’m sorry, I was caught up in my head.” I place the book I was holding onto the shelf behind me.

“I could tell. I wanted to let you know it’s three o’clock and time for lunch. Be warned, when you get back I’m going to insist you give me all the details to whatever has had you drifting in and out of your head today and causing those creamy white cheeks of yours to turn bright red.” Cynthia laughs when I duck my head, feeling embarrassed to be caught out.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” she reassures me.

I nod, not knowing what to say.

She smiles and heads back to the desk but not before I notice it’s the forced smile she has been giving me all day. I hate that she feels she needs to hide from me. I guess we all have our stories to tell and when she’s ready, I hope she’ll open up and tell me hers. I hope one day, I’ll feel confident enough to open up to her.

Sighing, I push the trolley back to the desk and grab my bag, Cynthia is reading some paperwork. She’s barely said anything today and I might not know her very well, but I do know it’s not normal.

“Do you want me to grab you anything on my way back?”

Cynthia doesn’t even glance up from the papers in front of her. “No thanks.” She shakes her head.

“You sure?”

“Yeah, I’m good thanks.” She still doesn’t look up from what she’s doing.

“Okay,” I mumble as I throw my bag over my shoulder and head for the door. I’m worried about her but I don’t know what to say. I’m sure if she wanted to talk, she’d say something.

I’m not paying attention as I push through the door and smack straight into a hard chest. A pair of hands steady me which is lucky, otherwise I would have ended up on my ass.

“Shit, I’m so sorry.” When I finally look up, I come face to face with a smiling Sean. He’s a regular here, he comes in a couple of times a week. I think he has a thing for Nina, a girl who comes in at the same times he does. I don’t think their being here at the same time is an accident. I see the way he watches her and I’m pretty sure she knows as well.

“I’m so sorry, Sean, I wasn’t paying attention.” I shake my head and laugh but when he opens his mouth to respond, a deep growl from behind cuts him off.

“You wanna get your hands off my woman?”

X’s deep voice slides over me and my traitorous body hums in approval. I wanna kick my own ass for the way it responds on just hearing his voice and then what he’s said dawns on me

“I’m not....” I’m start to say until Sean drops his hands and takes a step back.

I note the angry look of possessiveness in X’s eyes and think better of saying anything when he holds his hand up to stop me talking. What in the actual fuck! I swore to myself I would never allow anybody to treat me like a doormat again.

“Xavier, I’m not your fucking woman!” I slam my hands on my hips.

Without taking his eyes off Sean, he speaks in a low gravelly tone which has my nipples hardening.

Damn him!

“I thought I made myself quiet clear last night, Sweetness.” He lifts an eyebrow in question.

I open my mouth to tell him I hadn’t agreed to be his, even though I think it may be a wasted effort when Sean speaks first.

“Sorry man.” He turns to face X with his arms raised.

“Sean,” X says.

“X-man. Shit mate, I didn’t realise she was yours, but she ran into me and almost fell. I only reached out so she wouldn’t hurt herself.” He rubs the back of his neck, looking a little anxious.

“Bloody men,” I grumble.

Not caring about the pair of them as X walks over to shake Sean’s hand, I have no interest in what the hell they are saying and take it as my cue to leave.

“Ally!” X calls out but I don’t stop.

I pick up my pace and keep walking.

I hear his footsteps behind me and don’t say a word when he wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me into his side. Instead, I try not to melt into him as we keep heading towards the beach. I hear him breathe me in before he plants a kiss to the top of my head. A smile curves my lips at the action.

“It’s been a long day, Sweetness and I couldn’t wait to see you.”

“Xavier, you can’t just show up at my work and start beating your chest claiming I’m yours cause another man...”

“Like fuck, I can’t,” he growls. We reach the beach and he stops dead in his tracks pulling me to a stop with him. I tilt my head back to look into his face. “I’ve been craving your touch all day and the minute I get you in my sights, I find another fucker has his hands on you.”

“He’s a friend,” I defend but I’m not sure why.  

“I get that but your touch....” He pauses, blows out a deep breath and runs one hand through his hair. Bringing it down, he cups my cheek in the palm of his hand and I lean into the warmth of his touch. Locking eyes with him, it’s like he’s fighting for control but I see the moment he lets go and he leans down and brushes his lips over mine. I feel the warmth of his breath whisper over my cheek when he pulls back and starts speaking again. His voice has become deeper and my blood pumps faster through my veins as delicious tingles run up and down my spine 

“Your touch is like Braille and I’m a blind man reading everything for the first time and it’s just for me. Every time you touch me, it imprints on me even more. It’s like you’re writing our memories into my skin and I don’t want to share that with anyone.” He growls out the last part and I suck in a deep breath.

Oh, damn this man.

Releasing my breath, I stay quiet, not sure how I should respond. It seems to be a common problem I have when I’m around him. He just keeps knocking me for six and I’m not sure how much longer I can fight these feelings.

Closing my eyes, I tilt my face towards the sky and breath in the mixture of salt air and Xavier’s intoxicating scent, letting it simmer through me. I feel the light breeze move past me and swirl in my hair. I try to centre myself to this moment in time. I never want to forget the words he has just spoken to me. They were the most romantic words I’ve ever had said to me. I let them work through every cell in my body until they reach my heart and for the first time in what feels like forever, my heart doesn’t feel paper thin.

Feeling the lightest touch to my cheek, I open my eyes and I’m trapped in the ocean blue depths of his eyes. They shine as the sun bounces off them, so clear and full of emotion.

“You don’t know how gorgeous you are, do you?” His husky words throw me off kilter yet again.

I shake my head in response.

“Good.”

He slides his fingers over my cheek to my throat and I feel the weight of his hand as his thumb moves in slow circles over my pulse point. I shiver under the possessive hold. It’s not tight, just enough to know he’s in control. I melt into his touch.

Licking my lips, I watch as he tracks the movement with his eyes and the deep rumble of his low growl vibrates through me. My body is pressed hard against his.

“Why?” I gasp as heat pools low in my belly and my clit starts to ache. I squeeze my legs together to ease the ache, but it’s no use I’m lost to every feeling this man creates inside me.

“Because all you have to do is walk past a man and he can’t take his fucking eyes off you, babe.” He wraps his free arm around my waist and slides his hand to my ass, giving it a squeeze.

I bite back the moan which is desperate to escape and try to break the sudden tension that has settled thick in the air around us before I break every single rule I have ever made myself and climb his sinful body like a tree.

“Walk on the sand with me,” I whisper while looking up into his eyes.

Bending over, he brushes his lips over mine. I lick my lips to transfer his taste onto my tongue. He pulls back and nods. Releasing his hold from around my neck, he keeps his arm wrapped around my waist and we head down the concrete steps to the sand.