Alex seems to enjoy making me squirm, because once again, he doesn't answer me right away. I'm suddenly grateful for the darkness - my entire body is on fire right now.Then he steps toward me."You're asking me to be your rebound guy?" he says. He stops just short of me, not touching but close enough that I can feel the heat radiating off his bare chest."Not a rebound," I say quickly. "As I've told you, that thing with Wes was over long ago. Just...""Just sex."I nod. "Just sex. Unless...unless you think our friendship couldn't survive it.""Do you believe our friendship couldn't survive it?"Now it's my turn to hesitate before answering. Honestly, I hadn't really thought about it. I was more concerned with his opinion on the matter than my own."Maybe," I say. "Or maybe not. But our friendship has certainly survived a lot up to now. I mean, we haven't lived in the same place for years and years. And you've seen me at my drunkest and stupidest - ""And you've seen me at min
The first thing I notice is the heat of his mouth. Then the pressure of his lips - soft and hard at the same time. Gentle but also deliberate, as if he wants me to be fully aware that he's playing our little game. Desire rushes through me, so strong it's nearly suffocating.It's strange, kissing Alex. But at the same time...it's not strange at all. Maybe because we've known each other for so long. Because we understand each other so well. Alex isn't some random hot stranger - he's the person I trust more than anyone else in this world. And my body seems to know this, because I can feel myself opening up to him.My mouth parts a little more beneath his, sinking into the kiss. His lips respond instantly, shifting against mine, finding a new way to fit together. His hand presses against the back of my head as he deepens the kiss. A fresh wave of heat moves through me, and I find myself leaning into him.This isn't what I expected to happen. The memory of our drunken kiss was pleasant e
I can't believe Alex is asking me if I'm sure. Of course I'm sure!"Yes," I say. The word is a plea.His hands continue to move up my back, but this time there's a different sort of pressure behind his touch - almost like he can't decide whether to pull me toward him or push me away. His entire body is rigid beneath me, as if he's right at the edge of his restraint. Finally I lean back slightly and lift my arms up, a silent indication that he should remove my shirt."Not yet," he says, his voice a low rasp.I want to argue with him, but he doesn't give me the chance. He kisses me again, and once more I'm lost in the fire coursing through me.Beneath my shirt, his hands slide around my body, drifting toward my breasts again. It's unbelievable how much of a difference it makes, him touching me without any fabric between us. Everywhere his fingers go, they leave a trail of shivery heat on my skin. It leaves me breathless.Without breaking the kiss, I pull my body back slightly, givi
"What do you mean?" I say, struggling up into a sitting position. The shirt falls down into my lap, revealing my breasts again, but I don't care. "I want this. I...I'm enjoying it.""That doesn't mean it's the right thing to do." Alex seems to be looking everywhere but at me. "I'm sorry, Mae. I shouldn't have let it get this far. I didn't think... I guess I just assumed you would have stopped me long ago.""I didn't want to stop," I say. "I don't want to stop." In fact, my body feels suddenly cold without him on top of me."We need to stop," he says. "And now I'd suggest we both go to bed - to our own rooms - before we do something we regret."He doesn't wait for my response. Instead, he walks around the couch and back toward his bedroom."Alex!" I call after him.He pauses at his doorway. "You'll thank me for this in the morning. Goodnight, Mae."And before I can get in another word, he goes into his room and shuts the door behind him.Needless to say, I have another sleepless
"Oh," I say, freezing in place when I see AlexAlex looks up from the coffeemaker. His eyes dart from me to the suitcase beside me, and he frowns."What are you doing?" he asks."I thought..." God, a moment ago I was ready to charge out of here. Why am I faltering now? "I thought I might go stay in a hotel."He gives a sharp shake of his head. "Nonsense. You don't need to do that.""I really think it's for the best. I didn't mean to make things awkward between us."He's walking over to me now, and that furrow between his eyebrows is getting deeper."You didn't make things awkward," he says. "It was my fault. I shouldn't have let it get so - ""I shouldn't have asked for that in the first place," I say, cheeks blazing. "This is my fault. There are some lines that friends shouldn't cross, no matter what."He stops a couple of feet away from me, his eyes searching my face. Maybe he's not sure how to proceed."I shouldn't have put you in that position," I say. "I don't know what
A few hours later, after a breakfast of admittedly delicious pastries and quiche, Alex and I head out into the city.In spite of the weird tension that still hangs in the air between us - I know we're both trying to forget about what happened between us, but that's next to impossible - I find my excitement rising as we head down the street. It's a beautiful day, I'm in New York, and even if I've made a couple of missteps with Alex recently, I do enjoy his company. As my good mood overtakes me, I find it easier and easier to push the memory of what happened last night somewhere deeper into my mind."This is glorious," I say, spinning around on the sidewalk.Even Alex seems to have loosened up a little. One of his eyebrows rises. "We haven't even seen anything yet.""It looks just like it does in the movies," I say. "How do you not get caught up in all of this every time you walk out the door?""You get used to it," he says."I can't imagine ever getting used to this," I say. "Ther
Alex doesn't answer me for a long time, just stares out across the water."There are lots of things in Haverton that mean a lot to me," he says finally.I can tell by his tone that he's not going to elaborate, even if I press him."You should come back and visit us more," I say.His blue eyes shift to me. "Does that mean you missed me?""Of course I did, you doofus," I say, hitting him playfully on the side. "You know that. We've all missed you." I smile up at him. "Did you miss us?""Yes." He says it so simply, so matter-of-factly, that I feel the smile slide off my face. Suddenly this feels like a much more serious conversation.I look back at the water. A couple of ducks are swimming across the pond toward a family throwing bits of bread. "Well, you should definitely come back more often." And I promise I won't throw myself at you next time."I must admit," he says, "the people are what I miss most of all about Haverton. A couple of notable exceptions aside, of course.""Ex
The day turns out to be pretty damn awesome.After Central Park, we visit the Museum of Natural History, Times Square, and then the Rockefeller Center. We ride all the way to the top of the Empire State Building, and when we come down, Alex takes me around the corner to a little bakery that has the most amazing cannolis I've ever tasted in my life. We eat so many that we're both too full for dinner, and even then, I'm wondering how many I might be able to fit in my purse and take back with me.Even though it's a bit of a walk back to Alex's apartment from here, we decide to skip a cab and enjoy the beautiful evening. A soft summer breeze dances around us, making my dress flutter around my legs as the sun sinks behind the skyscrapers.When we get to the edge of Central Park again, I stop. "Do you hear that?"Alex pauses and listens. "They must be having a concert in the park tonight."I'm exhausted - and my feet ache something fierce - but something about the music calls to me. "Sh
Alex doesn't question my feelings any further. Maybe he finally sees the truth in my eyes, or maybe, like me, he's realizing that the time for talking is over. His mouth finds mine again, and then he's moving, thrusting, joining us in the way I believe we were always meant to be joined.My body seems to move with his in perfect harmony, my hips matching his rhythm. My hands dig into his back, spurring him on. I'm sure I moan, and whimper, and beg, but honestly, my whole attention is on him. My entire world has narrowed down to the man inside of me. My entire being seems to cry out for him - body, heart, and soul.It isn't long before I feel the pleasure building inside of me, feel the tightening in my core around him. He must feel it, too. He grabs one of my arms and pushes it back against the pillow beside me. Laces his fingers through mine. His face falls to my neck."Alex," I croak when I feel the peak coming.He seems to know exactly what I need. He pushes himself deep, deep in
As Alex carries me into his bedroom, I smile and kiss the side of his neck. "I hope we'll have plenty of chances to do it everywhere else in this apartment, too."He chuckles, and the sound rumbles through his chest. "Oh, I intend to take advantage of that, I assure you. Maybe we'll try the kitchen counter next - ""Or the rooftop patio?" I offer."Absolutely." His smile is wolfish. "Or maybe the shower - ""Yes," I say breathlessly.When we reach the bed, he lays me gently on the comforter before reaching for his nightstand drawer. I stretch out, looking up at the ceiling. This is it. The point of no return. Alex and I are about to have sex.Needless to say, I don't think our "friendship" will ever fully recover. In fact, I don't know if I'll ever describe Alex as just my friend ever again.I'm not going to lie - part of me is still freaking out about that a little. But it's the good kind of freaking out, the kind that makes me feel like I might burst into a thousand pieces. I
Alex's question dangles there, like a raindrop frozen in midair: "How do you feel, Mae?"How do I feel? How do I even begin to put my answer into words?So instead, I tighten my grip on his shirt and pull his face down to mine.Sensation explodes through me the moment our lips meet. Something must happen for Alex too because I can almost feel the exact moment when his restraint breaks.One moment, we're kissing on the street corner. The next, he's yanked me hard against him. His arms are so tight around me that it hurts, but I don't care. I want to be even closer to him. Want to give myself over completely to the fire burning through me.He crushes his mouth against mine, devouring me. I moan against his kiss, and he sinks his tongue deep between my lips as if he would taste every last bit of me.I cling to him, fighting the wave of emotion that sweeps through me. Alex loves me. Alex loves me and he's kissing me and - He pulls his mouth away from mine."Mae." This time the wor
"Tell me what's wrong," I urge Alex.But he just shakes his head. "I'm fine, Mae."It's clear from the stiff set of his shoulders that he's anything but."Where did you go?" I ask him. "Why did you come out here? I was worried."He runs a hand through his hair. "I just needed to walk. To think.""About what?"He shakes his head. "Don't do this, Mae.""Don't do what? I'm just trying to understand.""There's nothing to understand," he insists. "I'm fine. But we're both getting soaked out here. Come on, let's go." He starts out into the rain again without pausing to see if I might follow."Wait!" I call after him. I catch up with him and grab his arm. "Please, Alex. Please - just tell me what's going on. I want to fix it. I want to make things right between us again." I have to talk pretty loud to hear myself over the rain. "Your friendship is everything to me."He doesn't look at me, but in the glow from the streetlights, I can see him struggle with himself before answering. "T
When I get outside the building, I still don't see Alex.I turn desperately to the doorman. "Did you see where Mr. Grant went?""Just down the block, miss," he says, pointing. "Didn't tell me where he was going, though."I don't stop to think. I just run down the street in the direction he indicated.Even though it's getting late, there are still a lot of people out and about. I try to spot Alex on the sidewalk ahead of me, but I don't see him anywhere.Frantic, I keep searching. I look down side streets. Glance inside the handful of restaurants and convenience stores I pass. After several blocks, there's still no sign of him.Where the hell did you go? I stop on the corner and turn, looking around me in every direction. Would he have jumped into a cab? Walked back into the park? If I'd been smarter, I would have thought to grab my cell phone before running out the door after him. But it's too late for that now.I'm not sure how long I wander the blocks around his building. I wa
I can't even wrap my head around this. One moment Alex was practically feasting on me, and the next he was ready to call the whole thing off. What sort of guy does that - or, more accurately, what sort of guy does that two nights in a row? What horrible, shitty game is he playing?One thing's for sure - I'm not playing along any more. I storm across the room, ready to throw open the door and bring the ceiling down around his head, but I freeze when my hand touches the doorknob.None of this makes sense. As much as I'd like to give him a piece of my mind, what I'd really like to know is why. Why would he tell me he wanted this, bring me to the brink and back - twice - and yet not want to go any further? I mean, unless he's one of those guys who cares only about pleasuring his partner - and let's be real, I'm not even sure those guys exist - something really weird is going on. He seems to very much enjoy having his hands and mouth all over me - hell, he said he'd thought about it a tho
There's something strange in Alex's voice. Something I don't understand."Alex...?" I say, but before I can ask him what's wrong, before I can figure out what he means by that comment, he buries his face between my legs.And sensation explodes through me, overwhelming everything else.He doesn't give me a chance to think. To do anything but react to the sensual prowess of his tongue. I writhe beneath him, moaning, and his hands press down against my thighs, trying to hold me in place.I should tell him to stop. Ask him to tell me what's wrong. But I can't seem to find the words. Everything in my awareness has narrowed down to this: to him, to his warm wet tongue, to the energy passing between us. It's electric, and it makes me dizzy. I can only cry out as the pleasure builds in my core, as Alex brings me quickly over the edge.My fingers grip his hair, tangling in the thick strands. I feel myself unraveling again, feel the whole world crumbling around me. His tongue is everywhere
I can't believe that Alex is calling himself an idiot."What's that supposed to mean?" I ask him, my heart beating in my throat. "Why are you an idiot now?"He straightens his shirt, not seeming to notice that half of his buttons have come undone. "Let's get back to my place. I think I'm ready to clean up and relax for a bit.""You have a real knack for ignoring my questions, you know that?" I say lightly."And you have a real knack for asking questions that are very difficult to answer." He extends his arm to me. "Come on."I hook my hand through his elbow. "I thought you said you like that I always said what I meant."He glances down at me. "That doesn't mean I always have answers for you."I spend most of the way back to his place trying to figure out what he means by that.When we get to his place, he pulls out his phone. "Are you hungry? I can order something.""I'm still stuffed from those cannolis," I say. And so confused about everything that's happened this evening th
My heart stops.Alex pulls his face away from mine, and behind him I can see the dark silhouette of a man."Now!" the man says. "Or I'll shoot!"Oh, God. He has a gun against Alex's back. My stomach tightens and panic wells up in my chest. What do we do? How do we get out of this?I need to call for help. Need to let someone else know that we're down here and that we're being - "Scream and I'll shoot," the man snarls, somehow guessing my thoughts. "One sound and I'll blow out your boyfriend's brains."Oh, God. What do we do? What the hell do we do?Alex still has his fingers laced through mine against the wall, and he squeezes them gently. I have no idea how we're going to get out of this, but somehow, that small gesture calms me."I'm going to reach for my wallet," Alex says, and I can't believe how calm he sounds. "Okay?""Do it fast," the man says. He looks over his shoulder, probably trying to make sure that no one is coming.Alex releases me then drops his hand to his p