He smelled of the rain outside and my heart felt like it was pounding at about a million beats per minute just looking at him.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
Alex sat at the side of the bed, so close and yet I couldn’t bring myself to reach out and touch him. I could see small drops of water in his hair from the rain and I fought the urge to reach out and wipe them away.
“Why did you call me?” he asked.
“I asked you a question first.”
“I’m here because you called me. I want to know why,” he said.
“I thought that was pretty obvious,” I said.
“I love you Natalie. Getting a call from out of the blue from you knocked me over. It’s why I’ve flown all this way in the hope that you love me back.”
All I could do was stare at him at the three little words I never dreamed I would hear and yet here I was with Alex Mercer sitting on my bed, telling me he loved me. My eyes stung as fresh tears appeared and I couldn’t find the words to tell him how I felt.
“Natalie?”
“I love you too,” I whispered.
He smiled and pushed me back onto the bed, his lips finding mine. “I hoped Natalie. I knew you were upset about me getting married but I hoped it was much more than just a little jealousy.”
“The thought of you with her was just too much,” I said.
Alex kissed me again and his hand roamed down to my right breast, finding the already hard nipple under his fingers.
“You smell so good,” he said, “like you need to be fucked.”
“After three days in bed I probably smell dreadful,” I said with a laugh, “but you’re right.”
The bedroom door closed with a quiet click and I realised Rebecca had heard our exchange and decided we needed some privacy. I reached for the bedside lamp and the room was filled with soft light.
“That’s better,” Alex said, “I can see you now.” He touched his hand to my face wiping my eyes and kissed me gently on the eyelids. “No more tears,” he said, “I’m not going anywhere.”
I couldn’t help crying again and he pulled me up to a sitting position, wrapping his arms around me and holding me tight. “I’m here Natalie, I’m here.”
He wiped the tears from my eyes again and kissed me, his tongue finding mine as his kiss grew deeper. “Make me come,” I whispered.
“What?”
“Make me come, please Alex. I need to so much.”
His fingers made their way between my legs, pulling the crutch of my panties aside so they could feel the wetness inside. I gasped as he stroked my pussy. “I’ve missed you touching me,” I said.
“I’ve missed touching you,” he murmured, his fingers becoming more insistent. He slipped one inside me while his thumb massaged my clit and I pushed my hips against his hand, revelling in the sensation.
It didn’t take long for me to feel my orgasm build, that wonderful feeling that I had been deprived of for so long. My release came and I cried out his name before asking for more.
Alex laughed. “Natalie, anyone would think you hadn’t come since last time we were together. I’m sure if you needed it that much you would have taken care of it yourself.”
I sighed. “I haven’t been able to, there has been like some kind of mental block stopping me.”
“Then we’ll have to take care of that.” He pushed off his jacket and unbuttoned his shirt while I lifted my nightgown over my heard.
“You’re so beautiful Natalie,” he said.
Leaning forward he took a nipple into his mouth and rolled his tongue over it, pushing me back down to the bed. I ran my fingers through his hair, feeling the dewy rain drops on his head and wiping them away.
Pulling at my panties, he soon had them off and I reached for the belt of his pants before he climbed into bed and lay on top of me. “Mine,” he said.
“Is that right?” I asked.
“All mine,” he said as he kissed his way down my stomach until he found the small nub between my legs with his tongue. I’m sure I nearly exploded as he gently sucked, his hands still touching and stroking my nipples. I can’t even begin to describe how good it felt to have him with me, back in my bed. Where he belonged.
“Alex,” I cried as that warm glow washed over me again. Damn him, he had just proven that my body belonged to him as well as my heart.
“Do you still keep condoms in that top drawer?” he asked.
“The same ones that were here last time you were in my bed,” I said with a laugh.
He laughed and kissed me, I could taste myself on him and felt my desire rise. The drawer opened and I heard him open the packet before kissing me again. His tongue tasted so good in my mouth, and I realised there was nothing that I didn’t like about him. We’d have things to work through but I knew now that this was it, I never wanted to let him go. Apparently he felt the same.
Groaning as he slid into me, he sucked on my bottom lip before kissing my neck down to my breasts.
Each nipple was lovingly sucked as he thrust and I pushed hard back against his cock, pulling him in deeper. “You feel as good as I remember,” he murmured.
His words pushed me to thrust harder into him. He was so hard inside me and I wanted it all, every last bit of him. I wasn’t going to let anything separate us this time, even if I had to tie him to the bed to keep him.
“Natalie, baby. I’ve missed you so much,” he said.
“I missed you too,” I said.
He groaned as he came and covered me in kisses while I laughed. “I love you so much Natalie, and I will never let you go again.”
“I have just been thinking the same thing, in fact I don’t know if I’ll ever let you out of this bed again.”
“That would make for an interesting life,” he said with a laugh, “does that mean you’ll support us?”
“If I have to,” I said with a grin, “I am earning a bit more these days, what are maintenance costs on keeping a man in your bed?”
“I’m easy to please,” he said and kissed me again, rolling to my side and pulling me close to him. “Seriously though I am going to have to find a job if I’m going to stay here with you, I doubt my father will keep me employed.”
“What happened?” I asked. “Aren’t you engaged to Lisa?”
“I was, I emailed her to finish it when you called and then grabbed the first plane I could get out here.”
“You broke it off by email?” I knew I had one eye raised at him and he shrugged.
“It was more of a business transaction than anything romantic as you know. Lisa’s not a bad person but I don’t feel anything for her remotely like what I feel for you. I was heartbroken after the way we had parted, I never thought I would get another chance with you.”
“I was angry but it didn’t take long for me to realise I missed you more than I probably should,” I said, “when I read that you were engaged to Lisa, something snapped. I didn’t mean to call you in the middle of the night. It was just the time I’d finally managed to track down your number.”
Alex pulled me closer. “I didn’t mind, it was so good to hear your voice though it upset me that you sounded so miserable. I couldn’t stay away Natalie. Nothing was going to keep me from you. Things will Dad will be a mess but I needed to be here with you once I knew you felt the same.”
I grinned. “I’m glad you’re back then, at least I can come again,” I said with a laugh.
“What is it with that?” he asked.
“I don’t know, I even tried hooking up with someone and it was a dismal failure. No, he didn’t fuck me.”
His face fell and I felt bad for even mentioning it but it was too late now. “I let him go down on me and when I couldn’t come I thought it was because we were too drunk, especially when he couldn’t get it up afterwards. I thought we were done even though I missed you like crazy.”
“So why do you think that you couldn’t come? You just went off like a rocket with me.”
&
nbsp; “He wasn’t you,” I said and his eyes twinkled as he registered the words.
CHAPTER TEN
Together
When morning came, I found myself wrapped tightly in his embrace as if he was scared I would disappear in the night.
“Good morning beautiful,” he said as I wriggled in his arms and turned to face him.
“Hey,” I said. I knew I was grinning like crazy but I couldn’t help it. All these months apart I had been miserable without him and now things were perfect.
He kissed me and I sighed, wondering just how long this state of bliss would last.
“Can I ask you something?”
“You can ask me anything Natalie,” he said.
“What did you tell Neil Johnson about me?”
He laughed. “I haven’t seen Neil Johnson in, well, I don’t know how long. How do you know him?”
“He was over here working on a development. His company were clients of my boss.”
“Your boss?”
“Roger Barker, he was doing some legal stuff for them.”
He grinned. “You found yourself a new job then? Do you enjoy it?”
“I love it but that is a different topic to the one I want an answer to,” I said.
“Well, there really isn’t an answer. I haven’t seen Neil Johnson to tell him about you. Did he say something that led you to believe that I had?”
I sighed. “He propositioned me.”
My beautiful man went scarlet. “He did what?”
“He asked me about our arrangement when you were here and wondered if I’d be interested in one with him,” I said.
This caught him completely by surprise. “I swear Natalie, I told no one about our relationship other than my father.”
“That’s a whole other story,” I muttered.
“I’m so sorry Nat, I really didn’t tell anyone about us and those that did know didn’t realise that we did decide on no commitment.”
That made me laugh. “And yet, here you are having flown halfway around the world to hop into bed with me.”
“I’m so crazy about you I might have even flown all the way around the world to be here. Being home in New York was so miserable without you, I really wished I’d taken you home with me. I know I could have been back in touch but I didn’t think you would talk to me.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck. “At least I know now that you did try to fight for me. I thought you’d bowed down to what your father wanted but among other things he told me you fought to stop John’s restaurant being knocked down.”
“I’d do anything for you Natalie Sharp,” he said.
Then I was lost again in him and all the baggage that came with him but I didn’t care. The only thing that mattered was that we were together.
We knew his father wouldn’t be happy and Alex called him to let him know where he had gone. I don’t think he was surprised at the reception he got.
“He said that you were not what he expected but he’s not happy I walked out on the commitment I made and he’s cutting me off,” he said.
I wrapped my arms around his waist. “Then we start again, the two of us. I’m working and earning enough for us to get by for the moment. We’ll need to find you a job but you have skills.”
“I love you Natalie, and that’s what I want too. As long as we’re together we’ll get by,” he said.
When I told Roger later that day, he burst out laughing. “So Alex Mercer dashed across the planet to secure the heart of the woman he loved. Oh Natalie, if you screw this up now I will never forgive you.”
I stared at him. “I screw it up? What about him?”
“Oh sweetheart. He’s given up everything to be with you. I’m so happy for you but I suppose that means you’ll want a pay rise to support him.”
“You are sweet but we are fine for the moment. I might have to hit you up if Rebecca moves out to live with her boyfriend.”
He laughed again and we got on with our day. Things were so relaxed now he had come out to the staff, he was more himself and not so uptight and it made the working day so much easier. At least there was no gossip about us anymore. I also couldn’t wait to show off my man to those stuck up bitches at work.
Alex tried hard and it didn’t take him long to find some work. It was just contract work at first and came in short term bursts but it helped pay the bills. Sure enough a month after he arrived, Rebecca moved out to live with Troy. As sad as I was for us to be parted, she wasn’t far away so we would see each other all the time.
In that time I realised I really was an adult now, making adult decisions. I hadn’t been home since well before meeting Alex and decided it was time to pay Mum and Dad a visit to introduce him to them. Alex loved the idea. Despite the fact that his father was cold and detached I knew Alex missed him and I hoped he would hit it off with my parents to help fill the gap.
I didn’t have to worry about anything. From the moment we parked in the driveway Alex felt right at home and Mum especially adored him. As far as they were concerned we had been involved for the past nine months. I hadn’t told them when we were together let alone that he had broken my heart. They weren’t used to hearing an American accent so I guess it was a novelty for them and he bent over backwards to help out while we were there to impress.
It worked as I watched my parents fall in love with the man I adored. Even my little brother Sean was impressed and as with most 15 year olds that wasn’t easy to do.
“He’s lovely,” said Mum as we sat after dinner, deserted by the men who had gathered in Dad’s study to play pool and talk crap.
“I am very lucky,” I said.
“Is he rich?” she asked, a big grin on her face.
“Not anymore,” I said, “his father has disowned him.”
Her face dropped at that bombshell. “I’m so sorry Natalie, what happened?”
“Me,” I said. The tears were welling in my eyes and I failed to fight them back. Mum watched a lone tear roll down my cheek and set her jaw at how much this upset me.
“It’s not personal Mum. Alex’s dad just didn’t figure me into the plans he had for his son. If it wasn’t for me he’d be marrying a woman whose father is a business partner of his. Now he’s in New Zealand, miles away from his family and derailing any plans that they had to merge the companies.”
She smiled. “It’s not all bad then love. Alex chose you over that. It says a lot about how he feels about you.”
“The feeling is mutual, believe me. It drove me nuts when he went back to the US the last time. I couldn’t bear it if he went back again without me.”
“That is not about to happen,” came Alex’s voice from the doorway. He sat beside me on the couch and put his arm around me, kissing my forehead and wiping the tear from my cheek.
“I know. It just makes me sad thinking about it. Not to mention guilty for screwing things up with your family.”
He shook his head. “You are worth it Natalie. What I have with you is more than I could ever have had with Lisa. Besides, I’m pretty sure your family has adopted me. Your dad just kicked my ass in pool.”
Mum laughed. “You are welcome anytime Alex, it’s very clear to me how much you love our girl and I’m sure Natalie’s father feels the same way.”
Alex kissed my nose. “I adore your girl Mrs Sharp, and I will not be letting go of her anytime soon.”
I knew I had a silly grin on my face by this stage but there was no way I was hiding how I felt about him.
That night we cuddled together in my old bedroom, Mum and Dad had put a double bed in there to use it as a spare room but it was still decorated for me and my books occupied the book case. It was odd having a man in here. Dad had been really strict about boys being in my room but I kept reminding myself I was an adult now and Alex was my partner, not just random boy I’d brought home for sex.
Not that we didn’t have sex, I’d been on edge for most of the day just being nervous about my family liking him. That ha
d turned out to be a non issue as he’d slotted in just fine but now he was stroking my naked body, whispering in my ear how much he loved me and his kisses were more intoxicating than any drug I could have taken.
“Natalie,” he whispered as he kissed my neck, his gentle touch sent shivers down my spine and as he moved between my legs I could feel his hardness pressing into my leg.
“Alex,” I cried as he thrust into me. When he was with me I lost all sense of reason and the thought never occurred to me that my parents and brother might hear me.
He laughed softly when he came. “That good huh?”
“That good,” I said with a grin and kissed him.
He rolled to my side, taking my left hand in his. “I’m glad, I want you to enjoy yourself with me. And I want it to be like that for the rest of our lives.”
I smiled at him. “That’s what I want too. My ideal life would be spending the rest of it in bed with you.”
“Natalie. Every day with you is amazing and I’m not planning to ever let you go. So I have to ask you. Will you be my wife?” I blinked, unable to believe what he was asking. “I asked your father for approval first, I won’t say he was a pushover but he wants to see you happy and I can make you happy Nat. Please say yes.”
“I don’t know what to say,” I whispered. It was a lot to take in and confusing. We hadn’t been together that long but this felt more right than anything else.
“It’s OK, I know this must be a surprise but I have never been so sure of anything my whole life. Besides, if I had done things differently we would have been together the whole time,” he said.
“Neither have I,” I said, “and the answer is yes.”
His face lit up. “Really? You’re saying yes?”
“Unless you’d like me to say no?” I said.
“No, that’s perfect. You’re perfect,” he said, “I don’t have a ring yet, I’ll have to save for that. I just thought this time with your parents was the perfect time to ask. I’ll make it up to you Natalie, I promise and I…”
He never got to finish that sentence as I kissed him, sealing the deal. “I don’t need a ring, there’s plenty of time. What I need is you and with you here my life is perfect. I love you Alex. I am probably crazy but the answer is yes.”
After The Fall Page 7