by Susan Stoker
“No, sweetheart. Not even a peck. I want you to be perfectly aware of who you’re kissing when we make out.”
“I’m perfectly aware now,” she stated unnecessarily, never as glad that she’d snuck out of bed and brushed her teeth as she was at this moment.
“You want me to kiss you, Lex?” Blake asked, a devious glint in his eye.
“Yeah, Blake. I want you to kiss me,” Alexis returned immediately.
“Thank God,” Blake breathed before shifting the few inches it took to bring their mouths together.
Neither of them moved their hands as they kissed, keeping a tight hold on each other. Alexis moaned deep in her throat as she thought about everything Blake had just told her. She thought for sure she was still dreaming, or still drunk. There was no way Blake Anderson had just told her he wanted to make love to her. That he was pleased as fuck to be the man who would take her virginity.
Blake turned his head so he could fuse his mouth to hers at a better angle, and Alexis knew nothing would ever feel better than the feel of Blake drinking from her mouth as if he couldn’t get enough of her.
Their tongues tangled together; he licked the roof of her mouth, then inside her bottom lip; then he thrust his tongue in and out of her just like what she imagined his cock would do as he made love to her. Alexis squirmed under him but kept hold of his arms as tightly as she could.
With one last twist of his tongue against hers, Blake pulled back, giving her three or four kisses with just his lips before lifting his head. As he’d done before, his hand came up and he wiped the moisture from her bottom lip with his thumb. A caress Alexis was coming to crave.
“Sleep, Lex. Let your body heal. We’ll continue this at a later date. I want you. More than I think I’ve ever wanted a woman before, but I want you to be sure. If you give yourself to me, it’s not going to be for a quick fling. My heart couldn’t take it. I know once I get inside you, once I feel your hot body around mine, I’m not going to want to let you go. So be sure, Lex. Be absolutely sure.”
“I’m sure,” she told him immediately.
Blake smiled, then said quietly, “Take a few days. Think about it when you’re not exhausted and probably still feeling like shit.”
Alexis nodded, then bit her bottom lip, tasting Blake’s unique essence on her skin still. “Are you staying?”
He looked down at her for a long moment before asking, “Do you want me to?”
“Yeah. If you want to.”
“Then I’ll stay” was his immediate response.
“I think I have an extra toothbrush in one the drawers in my bathroom if you need it. And probably even a razor if you can bring yourself to use a pink one. I don’t have anything you can wear, though. I—”
Blake leaned down and kissed her swiftly, before pulling back. “It’s fine, Lex. Believe me, if I can survive the army, I can rough it for a night here. Don’t worry about me. Just get some sleep. You’ll feel better in the morning.”
“Okay. Do you need me to come in to talk to Logan and Nathan about the meeting?”
Blake shook his head. “No. You don’t remember it, and I’ve got the tapes. I can tell them what I heard. If we have questions, we’ll call.”
Alexis looked away from Blake for the first time. “Sounds good.”
He put his fingers on her chin, lifting it, making her look at him. “If I had my choice, I’d glue myself to your side and never leave. But I’m thinking you need some time to process this. I’ll give you some, but not too much. I can’t. Okay?”
“Okay.” It made sense. Alexis was feeling overwhelmed already, so it was probably smart of him to give them some space. She just hoped he wouldn’t decide she wasn’t what he wanted anymore. There was no way she was going to change her mind.
He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead once more, then sat up. “I’ll be in the other room watching TV for a while if you need anything. If you get hungry, I’ll make some sandwiches and keep them in the fridge, just in case.”
“Will you sleep in here?”
Blake eyed her for a long moment before simply saying, “Yes.” He didn’t ask if she was sure. He didn’t say it wouldn’t be smart. He’d simply said yes.
Alexis fell asleep quickly, content that the man she loved seemed to be interested in being in a relationship with her. It was enough. For now.
Chapter Nine
Two days after they’d had lunch, Kelly sent Alexis a text, wanting to meet up again. This time for, in Kelly’s words, a “small party” at her place.
Alexis called Blake, clearly panicked, not sure how to respond.
Blake immediately wanted to say hell no, but after discussing the situation with his brothers, he called Alexis back.
“What should I do?” she asked.
“The decision is yours, Lex. I don’t want you anywhere near that bitch and her friends. If it was up to me, I’d say absolutely not, but it’s not up to me. And I know how much you want to help. How much pressure you’ve put on yourself. You’re not a victim anymore, not like you were back in high school, and you’ve come a long way. No matter your decision, know that I, and my brothers, will support it one hundred percent. If you want to say no, we won’t be upset about it. If you decide you’ll do it, we’ll support you however we can . . . including having your back, front, and sides while you do it.”
He heard her take a deep breath, before she said quietly, “I don’t particularly want to do it, but the job feels unfinished. If I don’t, I think I’ll feel like I let myself down. That I did what was safe rather than what was right . . . just like I did back in high school. I know it’s not the same thing, not at all, but as long as you’ll be there, and will step in if I need you, I’ll do it.”
“Of course I’ll be there, sweetheart.”
“Good. Do you think . . . will I need to drink like that again?”
The thought of Lex being vulnerable and drunk in Kelly’s house, where anyone might be there, and where she could easily be taken into a bedroom, made Blake’s blood run cold, but he knew they were so close to taking down Donovan and his entire gang.
He and his brothers had discussed the potential danger for Lex, especially at a private party, but Logan pointed out the merits of the information she could get. Blake didn’t like hearing it but knew his brother was playing devil’s advocate . . . trying to make them see all sides of the issue, good and bad, before they made a decision.
“I don’t think you need to. You can probably nurse a drink since you’ll be in her place. I’m sure they’ll try to get money out of you, but I have no idea what ruse or sob story they’ll use to try to make you feel sorry for them.”
“I expected that, and it doesn’t really matter what they say. I’ll make sure I have plenty of cash on hand and give them whatever they want.”
“Whatever happens, I’ll be there, Lex. Me and Logan both this time. And we’ve talked to the Denver PD’s gang task force. They’re aware of what we’re doing. They aren’t thrilled, but because of Logan’s and my background in security and with the military, they’ve relented.”
“But I don’t have that background. Do they care about that?” she asked quietly.
“Of course they do. But you won’t be alone. We’ve talked a lot about what you should and shouldn’t do and what to be aware of when you’re with them. You really held your own in that self-defense class with us last week. I believe in you, Lex. You’re smart. Too smart to do anything crazy.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” she said dryly. “I can’t promise that I’ll remember everything you guys jammed into my brain, but I can promise not to do anything stupid and to get the hell out of there one way or another if I get uneasy.”
“Good. Besides, us sharing the tapes with the task force hasn’t hurt either. If you do this, they’ll know where you are and what time you’ll be there. You’ll be safe. I swear.”
“Okay, Blake. I can do it. I’ll text her back and send you the details.”
She hung up and didn’t ask when she might see him again, but then again, Blake hadn’t brought it up either. It was driving him crazy not being able to see her. He knew Lex was scared, but as was typical of her, she was going full steam ahead, trying not to let on how nervous she actually was.
The next week was excruciating for Blake. Even though he missed Alexis, he purposely avoided one-on-one time with her, wanting her to really think about what he’d said the other week. Losing her virginity was a big deal, even more because she’d waited so long to have sex with someone. He wanted her to be completely sure of what she wanted.
Not only that, but they’d been dealing with Kelly and the situation with the Inca Boyz as well.
The “little party” Kelly had planned was going to happen that night, and she’d given Alexis an address. It turned out it wasn’t at her place but at Damian’s, which didn’t make either Blake or Logan happy.
It was early in the day, and Blake was determined to talk with Lex before the party. He was done waiting for her to make a decision about the two of them. He’d almost driven up to Denver several times, the urge to see Alexis almost painful, but he’d given her the space he thought she’d needed. He’d told her not to come to the office, so she and Nathan had been communicating via e-mail and instant messaging as they continued to monitor chatter via the Internet as it had to do with the gang.
Blake had spoken to Alexis almost every night on the phone, however, and they’d exchanged many texts over the last seven days. But he hadn’t seen her. Hadn’t touched her. Hadn’t kissed her. He’d planned on giving her more time before taking her on the date he’d promised her, but when he’d spoken to her last night, she’d demanded to know why he was dragging his feet.
“If you’re having second thoughts, Blake, be man enough to tell me. You told me you liked to be the pursuer, but you’re not pursuing, and I can’t figure out why. I already told you I wanted to sleep with you. I don’t know how much more clear I could’ve been. If you’re hesitating because I’m a virgin and you’re not into that, fine, just tell me. I’m not going to break or slit my wrists if you decide that it was just your protective feelings coming through or the heat of the moment. But I’m done waiting. You told me you wanted to take me on a date, and I want my date.”
On the surface her words were forceful, but he could hear the pain beneath them. The last thing he wanted to do was make her doubt that he wanted her. Besides, her last sentence made him want to chuckle. “I want you, Lex. I’ll be at your place in the morning. We need to talk before we head out to the party.”
All she’d said was “Good. It’s about time. I’ll see you then.”
Now he was standing in the lobby of her apartment. Osman called Alexis to make sure it was all right to send him upstairs. It should’ve irritated him, but since the man had last seen him when he’d been practically carrying a drunk Alexis upstairs, he didn’t mind Osman’s protectiveness. He liked that the man looked out for her.
Alexis answered her door after his two short knocks, and Blake had to remind himself that he’d promised himself not to make love with her until after the shit with the Inca Boyz was over. But it was definitely easier said than done. Especially seeing her standing in front of him looking as fuckable as she was.
She was wearing a pair of skinny jeans that hugged her curvy legs. Her feet were bare, which made him want to pick her up and carry her inside, if only so her toes didn’t get chilled. The shirt she was wearing was bright purple, with a wide scoop neck. It dipped both modestly in the front and in an arc at her back. Not even a hint of cleavage was visible, but he was intrigued by the thought that if he tugged her shirt forward just a bit, it would fall below her beautiful tits, showcasing them perfectly.
His hands almost itched to do just that, but Blake jammed them into the front pockets of his jeans. It served to keep them to himself and to try to stretch the denim to give his cock more room.
“Hey, Lex.”
“Blake. Come in.” She held the door open, and the muscle in his jaw twitched as her shirt fell off one shoulder. Her bra strap matched her shirt, and Blake felt his cock twitch as he imagined how she’d look standing in front of him in nothing but a dark-purple bra and panties.
“Thanks.” He took a deep breath as he walked past her, and almost stumbled. She’d recently showered, and whatever lotion she’d used afterward smelled absolutely incredible. It was some sort of flower. Not overpowering, but subtle enough to make him crazy. The words came out before he thought about what he was saying. “You smell amazing.”
Alexis shut the door behind him and smiled. “Thanks. It’s my lotion. Honeysuckle. I don’t wear it very often but figured it would boost my self-esteem and make me feel better, since I have to go into the lion’s den tonight.”
Her words struck him wrong, and he moved before thinking. He put his hands on her bare shoulders, loving how soft her skin was, and brushed both thumbs along the sides of her neck. “Since we’re being honest, I’d prefer you smell like dirty socks when you walk into that house.”
Alexis’s eyes met his, and he could see the humor shining in their depths. “I’m not sure that would help our cause tonight.”
“Maybe not,” he concurred, then leaned forward and buried his nose in the curve of her neck and inhaled deeply before pulling back and saying, “But I can’t help but be pissed, jealous, and anxious all at the same time at the thought of you smelling this irresistible when you’re around those assholes. And for the record, you can do whatever you need to in order to feel good about yourself, but you don’t have to do one fucking thing to look more beautiful in my eyes. Okay?”
She looked up at him with wide eyes and shivered once. “Okay, Blake.”
He forcibly took a step back, but not before he noticed the goose bumps that had arisen on her arms at his touch and words. Fuck, she was gonna be the death of him. He’d jacked off to the thought of her so much this week he figured he’d be safe being in her presence, but he’d been wrong. If nothing else, he seemed to want her more now than ever before.
“Let’s talk about tonight. What’s gonna happen,” Blake said abruptly, trying to get his mind out of the gutter. Knowing her bedroom was just down the hall, that he had time to take her down there and teach her all there was to know about sex, was torture. But he wanted to start their relationship right. Wanted to take her out on a few dates before falling on her like a dog in heat.
“Sure. You hungry? Want something to eat?”
“I could eat. But we can go out if you want. You don’t have to cook for me.”
“I’m too nervous to go out . . . if that’s okay. I can make us sandwiches or something here.”
“Sounds great,” Blake told her immediately. If she wanted to stay in, they’d stay in. As much as he wanted to take her out, if for nothing else than to get away from her bed, which he knew was just down the hall, he didn’t want her uncomfortable.
They worked together to make a simple lunch of ham and cheese sandwiches. She had some chips, which he added to each of their plates, and they took their meals into the other room to the couch. They talked about the upcoming night as they ate.
“Kelly told me the party would start around ten,” Alexis told him.
“Right. I know we’ve talked about safety and security with you, but I have a bad feeling about this party. I hate that you’ll be putting yourself in danger . . . again . . . while I’m not by your side. So far you’ve done an excellent job in staying calm and getting out when things are getting out of control, but there are a lot more things that could go wrong tonight at a private party than there were in the bar, which was a public place.”
“I know,” Alexis said. “I am not going to take any chances. The second things seem to be weird, I’m out of there.”
“Good. As to what you should look for . . . furtive looks between the men, as if they’re talking or plotting something. If you see them pull out weapons, or they start insisting you drink more an
d more. And if they use any kind of force against you to make you do something you don’t want to—drink, eat, sit, go with them into a back room, kiss, touch . . . anything, Alexis—you get out of there, or say the code word and me and Logan will cause a distraction and get you the fuck out of there.”
She quickly nodded. “I will.” She put her hand on Blake’s arm. “Can we talk about something else? You’re freaking me out.”
“Yeah, sweetheart. In a second. It was important in the bar, but it’s even more important at a party like this that you don’t accept any drink from anyone that you don’t open or pour yourself or you haven’t seen opened or poured. It would be way too easy for one of those assholes to drug you and haul you into a back room. Maybe later we can practice some of the self-defense moves we taught you last week as well. I want you to be able to get out of a choke hold, and if someone grabs your arm, I want you to be able to get away from them quickly and easily, without starting a huge fight.”
“Yeah, a gang fight breaking out around me is the last thing I’d want to be in the middle of,” Alexis agreed.
Blake closed his eyes for a brief moment, as if the image scared the shit out of him and he needed a moment. Then he looked her in the eye and said, “Logan and I thought it’d be best if you showed up a bit early . . . maybe before too many people got there. So around nine thirty or so. You can chat with Kelly, see what she’ll share without the others around. Then you could hang out, listen to as many conversations as possible, and if the mood of the room seems right, ask some easy questions, then get out of there around eleven. That should be before things get too crazy.”
“All right. An hour and a half . . . I can do that,” Alexis said more to herself than to him as she studied the sandwich between her fingers.
Blake reached over and put his hand on her knee. “You can do anything, sweetheart. And remember, me and Logan will be right outside. If nothing else, we’ll cause a distraction outside and you can slip away.”