Chapter Twenty-Five
Alice
“You’re amazing,” Nate informs me two days later, scaring the hell out of me because he snuck up behind me. We’re at Blue Moon. It’s the first corporate event we’re hosting here, and I want it to run without a hitch. Blake is overseeing the bar, and I’m in charge of the restaurant and the kitchen. Nate is here as eye candy. “Just talked to Mom on the phone. She’s letting me help her with this month’s payment.”
“Wow! I’m really glad.” One of the waitresses comes to tell me about a customer complaint. “Sorry, Nate. I have to take care of this.”
“Go ahead. I’ll be at the bar.”
I put out fire after fire the entire evening. Blake helps me out too when everyone’s eating and the bar is less crowded. After dinner’s over, I switch to the bar because my brother can use all the help he can get. To my surprise, Nate hops behind the counter too, lending a hand. We’re so busy that we don’t have time to exchange a single word.
“A gin and tonic, please,” a familiar voice says in a thick British accent. Snapping my head up, I notice Colin in front of the bar. This is surprising. I haven’t seen him since that last time he asked me out, months ago. I didn’t know he had ties with the company who booked the event.
“Right away,” I tell him with a smile. I was hoping not to see him again, but since he’s here, I have to treat him like a customer. “Elegant choice. Very British.”
“Someone who likes to be kissed at her workplace like a cheap whore isn’t much of an authority on elegance.”
His words feel like a slap. The woman to his right turns abruptly, gasping.
“That’s no way to speak to a lady, young man,” she chastises.
“This one’s no lady, trust me.” He looks at me with disdain, and a vein twitches in my temple.
“Enough,” I cut in, barely keeping my rising temper in check. “I was fair to you. Don’t be a dick.”
The woman’s jaw drops. Yeah, there goes her theory about me being a lady. Crap, I don’t want to cause a scene.
“I’m sorry you were disappointed—”
“Oh, I was. Not because I necessarily wanted in your pants, but I hoped I might get an introduction to Sebastian Bennett.”
I blink. “Let’s move this conversation outside.”
Catching Blake’s attention, I gesture that I need a five-minute break, and he merely nods. Colin is lucky that Nate and my brother are too busy tending to customers to see him, or he’d be missing a few teeth already.
I step with him onto the terrace outside, leading him into a less crowded corner.
“What did you just say?”
“You thought it was a coincidence that I was in the same industry as your brother? Christ, you’re not just naive, you’re downright stupid. I got where I wanted without you or your brothers’ help anyway. Imagine my surprise when I received the invitation for tonight’s event and saw the name of the restaurant.”
I curl my hands into fists, not wanting to cause a scene in front of all these people. It’s been a few years since someone other than a reporter tried to get to my siblings through me. My instincts told me right from the start that something was off with Colin, and now I know why. Still, his words don’t hurt any less just because he’s a jerk.
“Get out of my sight, Colin.” Keeping my voice low is a monumental effort, and I fight against every instinct that wants nothing more than to slap him.
“Or what? Humor me.”
“Or I will forcibly remove you from here,” Nate’s voice booms. I hadn’t seen him approaching, but judging from the tightness in his features, he heard what Colin told me. “Apologize to her, or you won’t be able to talk at all tomorrow.”
Nate’s voice is loud enough to catch the attention of several guests. Now I’m not just angry but also mortified.
I touch Nate’s arm, hoping that will convey my message that I need him to calm down. It doesn’t. Nate yanks his arm away, glaring at Colin. The idiot smirks, looking between me and Nate.
“Ah, you’re the TV guy who almost shagged her while I was watching. She must be a hell of a good lay if you stuck around for so long. It’s sure not her brains. Dumb as they come, this one.”
Nate grips Colin by his suit jacket before I even have time to blink.
“Nate!” I say in a low voice, but that’s not helping much. We’re attracting stares already.
“You piece of shit,” Nate says. “Apologize to her.”
“Nate, let him go,” I say sharply. Instead, he just intensifies his grip.
Finally, Colin starts looking frightened, possibly realizing Nate isn’t someone you mess with.
“I’m sorry,” he squeaks.
“Now say it like you mean it,” Nate says through gritted teeth.
“I apologize, Alice. I completely stepped out of line.”
“Apology accepted. Nate, let him go.”
Nate stares at Colin menacingly before releasing him with such force that Colin stumbles backward. Nate points at him. “You so much as look the wrong way at Alice and I’ll knock your teeth out.”
Colin scurries away inside without another glance, like the coward he is. The guests on the terrace are eyeing Nate and me skeptically, and I want to dig a hole in the ground and disappear inside it.
“You okay?” Nate asks, visibly calmer.
“Don’t talk to me right now,” I reply, once again fighting to keep my voice down. Realizing I need some fresh air—and by fresh, I mean someplace where there aren’t a dozen people watching us—I head to the staircase leading down to the terrace and into the small garden surrounding the building. Nate is right behind me. I stop once I reach the bottom of the staircase, turning to Nate.
“Alice?”
“Why did you cause a scene? The guests were watching.”
Nate cocks an eyebrow. “He was being a jerk to you, and he needed to apologize. I don’t give a fuck about the others.”
I swallow, trying to calm down. He was just defending me. “But I do. I own this restaurant, Nate. I need to make a good impression on the guests.”
“So I was just supposed to hear him talk to you like that and do nothing?”
“I was handling it.”
“By the smug look on his face when I joined you, you were in for another string of insults.”
“I was trying to handle it diplomatically.”
Nate smiles. “Not your strong suit, eh?”
“Well, no. I’m much better at being rude and straightforward, but as I said, I was trying not to cause a scene. I would’ve gotten rid of him eventually.”
“Let me do the dirty work from time to time. You’re mine, Alice. That means I’ll protect you from anyone, even if you don’t want me to. I’ll protect you especially when you don’t want me to because it’s when you need it most.” Before I can reply, he steps right in front of me. “You understand? You are mine.”
I shake my head. “You’re stubborn and possessive.”
“Sounds like I’m a catch.”
“I didn’t mean those as compliments,” I inform him, crossing my arms over my chest.
“That’s how they sounded to me.”
“How do you figure?”
“You can easily rephrase that to determined and protective. Both positive traits.”
Despite my annoyance, my lips twitch with a hint of a smile.
“I won’t apologize for wanting to protect you.”
“I wasn’t really expecting you to,” I reply, disarmed by his passion and honesty. “But I’m warning you, I’m still mad at you.”
“I’m counting on it, darling. In fact, hold on to the anger until we get home. Unless you want to leave now?”
“No, the event isn’t over.” I’m a little suspicious of his sudden good mood. “Why do you want me to hold on to the anger?”
“Because there’s a kind of sex I’m dying to try with you.”
“What kind is that?”
He wiggles his eyebrows, leaning in. “Make-up sex.”
***
Nate
We arrive at Alice’s apartment hours later, but she’s still fuming. That moron stuck around for the entire event, and even though he didn’t so much as go near her again, I can tell he annoyed her. It sure as hell annoyed the fuck out of me. If I had my way, I would have thrown him out of the building. With a punch, so he’d know better than to disrespect Alice again. Just remembering how he talked to her makes my blood boil. But right now, I have to set that anger aside and focus on Alice. She’s my priority.
“Nate,” she says once we step inside her living room, “Maybe it’s best if you don’t spend the night here. I’m still mad, and I’m not good company when I’m mad.”
Her face is tight with suppressed anger and she keeps smoothing her hands down her dress, her fingers twitching every now and then.
“I disagree. You’re great company no matter what. You’ve got to let all the anger out or it will eat you up.”
“Nate!”
A red hue’s spreading on her neck. By now, I know her enough to understand exactly what that means.
Here’s the thing. Alice’s skin becomes so gorgeously flushed on two occasions: when she’s embarrassed and when she’s pissed. Right now she’s pissed, and maybe it makes me a jerk, but it’s a good look on her. Alice always has fire simmering just beneath the surface, but she only unleashes it when we’re in bed, or when she’s mad. And it’s a turn-on. I fantasize about riling her up some more, coaxing all the fire out of her, then wrestling her to bed, but it would be selfish. She needs me in other ways right now.
“If you’re waiting for me to leave, you’ll be disappointed.”
Her eyes widen, like she was caught in the act. I’ve learned to read Alice’s expressions like an open book.
“I have to learn to school my expression better around you,” she murmurs.
“Or you can tell me what’s bothering you so we can fix it.”
“I don’t know if there’s anything to fix.”
“Then we can talk about it and see where it gets us.”
“I’m just mad at myself for not seeing through him right from the beginning. That I’m so naive.”
Instantly I know what has her out of sorts, and it makes me see red. “No, you’re not.”
Closing the distance to her, I wrap my arms around her, hoisting her up against me, needing to make her understand.
“There will be assholes trying to take advantage of you, but you’ve got me to take care of them.”
She frowns, looking adorable. “You want to be my personal protector?”
“Lover, protector, whatever you need.”
“Okay.”
Right now, she looks at me with a hopeful expression, as if she’s convinced I can do no wrong, and that makes me want to be worthy of her trust forever. She has a way of making me feel like I’m a better man when I’m with her. She’s mellower now, calmer, but there’s more I want to tell her. “You’re kind and generous, and the smartest woman I know.”
Pushing her against the nearest wall, I tip her chin up, running my thumb over her lower lip before I slant my mouth against hers. She presses her delicious soft curves against me instantly, giving herself to me without restraint. This is one of the things I love most about Alice; she doesn’t give her trust easily, but when she does, there’s no holding back. Her soft and low sounds of pleasure reverberate in my mouth, deepening my desire for her. I want to be the one to give her pleasure for all times. I want to be the one who gives her everything she needs, who makes her smile every day.
She deserves to be happy every single day. I’d die a happy man if I have the chance to worship this woman for the rest of my days. The thought barrels into my mind so abruptly that I nearly buckle under its weight.
Of course, Alice picks up on it, pulling back a bit. “What are you thinking?” she whispers.
“Too many things.”
She’s only inches away from me, close enough for me to hear and feel her sharp intake of air. Her hands, which were resting on my forearms, grip me almost involuntarily.
“Good things,” I reassure her, and she releases my arms. “Very good.”
The corners of her lips lift up and she places them on the hollow on my neck, whispering, “I’ll let you get back to them, then.”
I swear the more I have of this woman, the more I want. I want it all: her fire, her sweetness. I thread my fingers in her soft hair, tugging at it as I lower my head to her neck, kissing down her collarbone and then back up until I reach her ear.
Bringing her closer to me, I bury my head in her hair. She rests her head on my chest, feeling small in my arms. And the thought of anyone making her feel small has all my protective instincts spring to life.
“You know when to kick ass and, unlike me, also when to be diplomatic,” I continue.
“Thank you. When did you get so good with words?”
“It’s easy with you, Alice, and I took a page out of your own book.”
She pulls away, inspecting me. “What do you mean?”
“You said it’s important to share things, and that if I’m mad, you want to know why. It’s a two-way street, and if you push, I push back harder. What we have is beautiful and solid.”
I have no idea where this is coming from, but I need to say it and she needs to hear it, so I don’t hold back at all. She’s everything, and all that was before her was nothing.
***
Alice
He cradles my neck, peppering my face with kisses: my forehead, my temples, each of my cheeks, then the tip of my nose. “You and me. This right here is real. So damn real.”
Everything in my field of vision blurs but him. I can see him clearly.
“You have no idea how much you mean to me, Alice. No idea.”
“Then tell me,” I whisper, and his breath catches. I clasp his wrists with my hands while he’s still touching my neck. Intertwined like this, I look him straight in the eyes. The walls have come down, the last wisps of wariness gone, and he’s laying himself bare in front of me.
“I’m in love with you.”
“That’s a good thing because I’ve been falling for you for a while now.”
A long while, if I’m honest, but it’s only become clear to me tonight how much I love this man. I love him with an intensity that scares me and fuels me at the same time.
The corners of his mouth lift in a heartfelt smile. “I love you, and I can’t believe I’m lucky enough to have you, my Alice.”
My Alice. The words fill me with warmth and emotion. Rising on the tips of my toes, I plant my lips over his, desperately needing to kiss him. When he slips his tongue in my mouth, loving and exploring, I grow even greedier. I want to become one with him. I want to climb inside him and live there. Heat spears me, concentrating low in my body. It’s as if his words lit a fuse and his kiss brought wildfire. I ache for him to touch me intimately, to kiss and love me.
“I need you inside me,” I murmur between kisses.
“You read my mind.”
In a tangle of limbs, we rid each other of clothes. I’m shaking slightly, and with surprise, I notice that he is too. When we’re both buck naked, he lifts me in his arms, carrying me like we’re newlyweds. Once we’re in my bedroom, he carefully places me on the bed, parting my thighs. Instead of climbing over me right away, he peppers my entire body with kisses. He starts with my neck, paying special attention to the sweet spot at the base, then descends to one of my shoulders, kissing his way over my chest to the other.
He touches my breast, moving his palm in a circular stroke over my nipple until it turns so tight it’s almost painful. Heavens, this man knows what he’s doing. His mouth moves to my stomach, stopping at my navel, kissing it once before continuing the descent. Naively, I thought he’d go down in a straight line, directly to the prize. Instead, he veers off to one side, nibbling my hip. My fingers tug at his hair, gentle but desperate enough to show him I’m ready for more. That I need more.
When he hooks one of my knees over his arm, lowering his head, my sex clenches. Nate licks me where the cheek of my ass meets my upper thigh and my hips buck off the bed. Needing to grasp something more firmly, I move my hand from his hair to the bedsheet. Nate lifts his mouth, and for a few excruciating seconds, I only feel his hot exhales caressing my skin. I’m holding my breath, anticipating his next move. Leaning forward, he runs his lips over my clit.
“Nate!” I fist the sheets, all the muscles in my body contracting. I’m so wound up I might explode from foreplay alone. He teases my skin with one hand, moving in small circles on the outside of my thighs before shifting to the sensitive skin on the inside.
“You’re so beautiful, my Alice.”
Licking my lips, I draw a deep breath. “I like how that sounds.”
“Then I’ll keep saying it until it sounds silly.”
“I don’t think it ever will,” I admit. My next words are unintelligible because Nate parts my folds with his fingers, blowing a breath on my heated flesh. I feel so very exposed right now, but I also don’t feel the need to shield myself. Tonight is more raw and real than ever before.
With the first stroke of his tongue across the opening of my sex, my body turns to putty. I feel every lash of his tongue everywhere, as if every nerve in my body is wired to my core. I explode in an orgasm so powerful my entire body arches, and even my fingers and toes curl.
“Fuck, I’ll never tire of making you come apart like this,” Nate says.
Raising my head, I notice he’s stroking his erection, and the realization that he was touching himself while pleasuring me with his mouth turns me on to no end. Though desperate to have him inside me, I move onto my knees, pushing him on his back, and say, “My turn. Keep your hands to yourself.”
Instantly Nate drops his hand and I take over, stroking him with long and measured moves, dipping my head to swipe my tongue across his crown in between. His breath becomes increasingly shallower, his chest rising and falling in rapid succession. When I take his balls in one hand, licking him from the base right to the tip, he lets out a loud, almost primal grunt that vibrates through me.
“Alice! I need to be inside you. Right now.”
I decide to tease him some more, right until he grips my hair, his fingers pressing on my scalp, showing me how desperate he is. The next seconds are a blur in which Nate pulls out of me, then hooks a muscle-laced arm around my stomach, flipping me on my back. His pupils are dark and dilated, desire glinting in them as his gaze rakes over me, searching.
“Take whatever you need, Nate. I’m yours.”
He climbs over me, pushing my thighs together and placing his on the outside, caging them in. When he finally slides inside me, the sensation is new and powerful: tighter and somehow more intimate. My hands are at the side of my head, palms up, and Nate interlaces his fingers with mine as he begins to move inside me, slowly and lovingly.
“I love being inside you. It’s all I need,” he murmurs. “All I’ll ever need.”
His strokes become more desperate, and when he pulls out, flipping me on my stomach before grasping my hips and pulling me up on all fours, I don’t complain. I relish this display of control and desperate need. He slams against me passionately and relentlessly, and I move in his rhythm, desperate for release myself. When I feel him grow inside me, his nails digging into my hips, my orgasm unfurls, traveling through me like a shock wave. It’s sweet, electrifying, and all-consuming.
When we’re both spent, I collapse on the bed on my stomach, feeling Nate’s chest on my back, his warm breath in my ear.
“My Alice.”