CHAPTER TWELVE
“THIS IS GOING to get you so sexed up,” Maybe whispered to him as they followed the Underground Tour guide down the steps into the actual underground part of the tour.
He’d learned some things about Pioneer Square and the days when The Bootleggers’ Building—where Whiskey Sharp was—hosted all manner of rogues and rumrunners. Their tour guide was full of interesting facts and had a good way with the group.
But what Alexsei liked the most—aside from the whispered promise of sex—was the way Maybe’s face lit at all the—in her words—glorious cheese of touristy goodness.
She was so fierce and serious but this side of her delighted him. Whimsical. Overjoyed by the simplest of things.
“What sort of meal shall we have after this to complete our touristy date?” he asked, mainly so he could brush his lips against her temple and be rewarded with her shiver.
“When it comes to food, I keep my touristy stuff to ice cream and the like. But how about Salty’s? Quintessentially Seattle and the views and food are awesome.”
“I’ve never been.”
She cast a look over her shoulder at him and snuck a quick kiss. “Boy oh boy, stick with me, kid. I’ll teach you all sorts of new things.”
“It’s definitely part of your appeal,” he said, watching the way she moved.
He listened to the tour guide, snuck glances at Maybe’s boobs and let her take all the selfies she wanted, even making faces a few times because he’d become addicted to the sound of her laughter.
By the time they climbed back into the watery daylight and up to street level, he was ready for a late lunch and a beer.
And the want of her, always simmering in his belly, had come to a full boil. After food there would most definitely be fucking.
“I’ve changed my mind. I’m too hungry to wait for the drive over to West Seattle. Let’s get something near Whiskey Sharp.” She danced around him as she said this in a singsong voice.
If she only knew all she had to do was ask and he’d give her anything.
“I’m staying at Gregori and Wren’s place until they get back from a month-long trip. We’ll order takeout and drink his champagne. He always has some.”
His cousin Gregori was now a US citizen and a big-deal artist with the kind of success that came along as rarely as his kind of talent. He lived in a huge loft in the residential space just above Whiskey Sharp with his girlfriend, also an artist.
“You sure he’d be okay with me in his place? Drinking his booze?” Maybe asked.
“What do you think we’re going to do up there?” He nearly purred it and delighted in her response. “I told him my price to house-sit was however much of his champagne I wanted. If you’ve got other things in mind, do tell.”
Maybe laughed as he tugged her along the sidewalk in his wake. “Depends on how much champagne I drink!”
Once inside the elevator to Gregori’s loft, Alexsei hit the stop button and turned his body and his attention her way. He took her face in his hands, holding her just so that he could kiss her long and slow. Tasting, knowing her desire built as his did.
She traced a finger between his skin and the waistband of his pants as she sucked his tongue, making him think about other things she sucked the same way. His cock seemed to throb in time until he groaned, pushing her back harder, pressing more of his weight against her, his cock to the notch between her leg, the friction slow as he stroked himself against her pussy.
Her breath caught in the back of her throat as he squeezed her breast and then she groaned when the call bell on the elevator dinged.
Soon enough, if the car didn’t resume its trip, a buzzer would sound and he didn’t want that.
He wrenched himself away, chose their floor once more and tried not to run down the hall, ripping clothes off once they’d gotten to the proper place.
Once inside, she went off to water the plants while he perused the ridiculous number of champagne bottles in the fridge.
“Why don’t you order the food? We can eat and drink and you can help me get lucky. On the couch of course.” He smirked her way when she came back into the kitchen.
“Because it would be bad manners to have sex in your cousin’s bed?”
Not that Gregori would care as long as they changed the sheets afterward. And it was, after all, Alexsei’s bed until his cousin returned anyway. “I’m very attentive to manners,” he said as he popped the cork.
She made an adorable grunt that said she was only partially convinced of that statement before she called in an order for Thai food delivery.
“What are you going to do when you run out of houses to live in while people go on vacation?” she asked as he handed her a glass and settled on the big couch next to her.
The main studio area lay off to their right, overlooking floor-to-ceiling windows with views of Pioneer Square. Gregori’s pieces, be they paintings or sculpture, tended to be very large so the open space was often filled with something in progress.
Alexsei looked to the half-finished canvas in one corner before he turned his attention back to Maybe.
“At some point I’ll need to find a place. Not until after the New Year though, as Gregori and Wren won’t be back until then.”
“If I’m not being too nosy, weren’t you and Rada buying the place she lives in now? What did you do about that?”
For whatever reason, he liked it when she got nosy. “I’d been living there already when she moved in. We’d been about to buy it from the owner. We were fortunate enough to be able to get out of the contract and get most of our money back. Yes, she’s buying it now.” Thank God he’d finally put a stop to everything even if he had to give up his town house.
“That’s a relief.” He heard all the unspoken things in Maybe’s tone.
“You don’t have to look like you sucked on a lemon when you talk about my life before we were together.”
“Don’t be so smirky. Jeez.” She gave him a narrow-eyed glare. “You like it, don’t you? That I get jealous?”
He shrugged but didn’t lose the smirk. “I like it that you’re interested enough to get stirred up about it. Even though you understand there’s nothing there anymore. I’m totally right here. With you.” And he’d known her long enough to understand this reaction from her was unique. Which also pleased him.
“Hmpf. What if my ex still hung around?”
“You never have anyone long-term. As I am, what do I have to worry over?” He leaned in to kiss her quickly. “Just as you have nothing to worry about and you know it. Deep down you do or you wouldn’t be here.”
That frown line between her eyes deepened.
He snarled. “What? Why are you frowning? You do know that, yes?”
“It’s not that.” She shook her head and then took several swallows of champagne.
“Then what?”
“Nothing. You’re here with me alone with booze in a swanky artist loft and you want to keep this up or get naked and sweaty with me?”
He’d been about to pursue her mood, despite her sneaky reference to sex. Until she finished her drink, set the glass down and whipped her shirt off before straddling his lap.
“Oh so you think this will distract me?” His cock was so hard it throbbed in time with his thundering pulse.
It was she who smirked this time. Then she slid to her knees to kneel on the floor in front of him.
As she unzipped his jeans and pulled his dick out, she looked back up into his face. “Is it working?” She licked over the head and he had to bite back a whimper. “I’d much rather suck your cock than have this discussion.”
How was he supposed to argue with that?
She took him into her mouth slowly, so wet inside. The hand at the base of his cock held him firm and the other took his balls in her palm before drawing her nails over them. Gently, but not too gently.
Waves of shivers ribboned through him as she dug the tip of her tongue against the sweet spot just beneath the crown.
He groaned, sliding his fingers through her hair, following the shape of her skull, torn between letting his head fall back and watching her.
He went with watching her as she licked and sucked, working to keep his eyes open each time she did something else that dug nails into him as she dragged him closer and closer to coming.
She took him so deep he tapped the back of her throat and by the third time, he was rushing headlong into climax with her name on his lips.
* * *
AS HE WALKED her up to her front door, she turned and kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck, holding on and enjoying the way he felt.
The way they felt.
“I’d ask you to spend the night, but you have a cool artist loft now, so.” She shrugged as she pulled away from the hug. She shook her head then. “Okay that’s bullshit. Would you like to sleep over?”
“We watered the plants. I’ll be back there tomorrow as it’s right upstairs from the shop.” Then he took the keys, unlocked the door and held it for her. “I’m staying with you. And I did my laundry next door earlier today before I picked you up to go out so I have clean things.”
“Oh. Okay.” She tried not to show how thrilled she was. But she’d been thinking, a lot, about what it would be like to wake up next to him. She wasn’t normally excited about that stuff. She could get sex whenever, pretty much. But this was different.
He was different.
And it made her a little scared. Ha. A little.
“Now you won’t have to do the walk of shame.”
He snorted. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to run next door to grab my clothes.”
Maybe handed him the keys and he headed out once more.
Rachel sat in the living room watching a movie with Cora. Rachel paused the screen as she came in.
“Whatcha watching?” Maybe asked as she hung her coat up in the hall closet.
“We just started Cool Hand Luke. There’s soda, beer and popcorn if you want to join us. Didn’t I just hear the wild bearded Russian?”
* * *
“YOU DID. HE’S staying over tonight. Cool?”
Rachel gave her the double thumbs-up. “Just don’t embarrass everyone with super loud sex sounds. Also, wear your pants when you’re out of the bedroom,” Rachel said and corrected a moment later. “Well certainly you. I’m totally fine with his cute ass going around pantsless.” Rachel shrugged.
“She does have a point,” Cora agreed.
“I can’t spot a lie there. He’s pretty freaking spectacular without pants. Anyhoodle. Everyone will wear pants in common areas. That’s just manners. And keep your objectification to yourself.” Maybe reached over and tossed a piece of popcorn at Rachel.
“I’m just pleased he’s still around. They don’t tend to last more than two weeks,” Cora said as she cracked open her soda.
The sound of the locks on the front door clicking saved Maybe from more teasing, though she knew it was only a matter of time before it started up again.
Alexsei came in looking good and carrying the smoky scent of a cold night and the wood fires people still used to heat their homes in nearby neighborhoods. His attention went straight to Maybe as he handed over the keys. “Locked up again. And, I have some cookies. My aunt says they’re fresh.”
“As if they’d last more than ten minutes in that house anyway.” Maybe shoved one into her mouth before letting Rachel take the bag. “Handy having you around.” She looked over to her sister. “We’re changing into movie-watching gear and we’ll be right back.
“We’re going to watch a movie with them, okay with you?” Maybe rooted through her dresser before finding a pair of flannel PJ pants and a long-sleeved henley to change into.
“Sounds good.”
“You’re being very accommodating.”
He unbuttoned his shirt, exposing all that gorgeous skin and ink before he slid into a T-shirt and Maybe sighed, sadly. “Now I’m sorry I said we’d hang out with them. I think you should come over here instead.” Maybe patted the bed beside her.
“This is how you got me to let you win an argument an hour ago.” He stepped out of his trousers and she hummed her delight. He had great thighs.
She laughed. “Three hours and three orgasms—for me anyway—ago. It’s a time-honored move for a reason. Come on. You know you want to.”
He opened the door and made her groan. “I’ll collect later. I want to get to know your sister and Cora better. They’re the people you’re closest to.”
How could she argue with that?