by Sarah Curtis
"I love the sound of my name on your lips. Gets me so fucking hard." He made quick work of her shorts, pulling them down her legs, taking her sandals off in the process. Hands at her inner thighs, he spread her legs wide as his mouth descended, feasting on her through the thin cotton of her panties.
"Alec." Her hands fisted in his hair, pulling him closer.
"Say it again."
His mouth was hovering just above her clit. She could feel the heat of his breath as it penetrated the flimsy material of her panties. She tugged at his hair, trying to force him that last inch down, but his neck muscles were too strong. She growled in frustration. "Alec!"
With a cocky grin, he complied, sucking her deep into his mouth, the abrasive fabric heightening the sensation. She squirmed and his hands moved to her hips, keeping her still.
"Alec, please, I need to move." The desire to help him get her off was excruciating. She bent her legs at the knees, tucking her heels into the mattress, but she was no match for Alec's brute strength. With a huff, she relaxed back into the bed.
He chuckled, the sensations rippling against her, and if it hadn't felt so damn good, she'd have gotten angry. "Patience, we've got all night."
They really didn't. She had to leave for the airport in a few hours to catch her six a.m. flight, and she still needed to pack. Her thoughts turned fleeting as his fingers curled under the elastic at her hips, sliding her panties down her legs. And they vanished completely when his mouth found her again along with a couple of well-placed fingers.
She was on the brink of climax when he stopped, coming over her so quickly and placing his face mere inches from hers, she had to blink several times to put him into focus.
"I want to feel you. All of you, with nothing between us."
She blinked a few more times, her brain still stuck back at the fact she'd just missed out on a really awesome orgasm.
"I never go without a condom, but I was tested a few months ago and haven't been with anyone since. I'm clean. Tell me it's okay."
Ah, the light bulb clicked. He wanted to have unprotected sex. "I'm on the pill and um... before you, it's been a couple of years for me, so um... I'm clean, too."
He looked a bit startled before his eyes darkened. "Is that a yes?"
She shrugged but accompanied it with a nod.
"I need words."
She could feel the tension radiating from him as he waited for her response. "Yeah, it's oka–"
She hadn't even finished speaking before he was surging into her in one powerful thrust.
He stilled at her startled gasp. "Did I hurt you?"
She shook her head but remembered he needed words so was quick to assure him, "No, just unexpected. It was a good gasp, not a bad."
He slowly slid out, then just as slowly glided back in. "Good. Because you feel so fucking fantastic, I'm not sure I'd have been able to stop."
He tipped his head back, closing his eyes. River clutched at his arms, feeling them flex as they supported his weight when he, again, pushed in slowly followed by an equally slow out.
Having never been with someone without a condom herself, she savored the experience, as well. She could feel the subtle difference between the rawness of bare flesh and the silky smoothness of latex. He was right, it felt fucking fantastic. Sex after Alec would be a tough act to follow.
River felt her orgasm building as he picked up the pace, slamming into her harder and faster. Hooking an arm under one of her legs, he raised it, her knee practically touching her shoulder, gaining him deeper access. The new position tipped her over the edge, and she clutched at his biceps, arching her neck back as waves of pleasure crashed over her.
Spent, she could barely hang on as she watched the glorious sight of Alec, head thrown back, and neck muscles straining as he thrust into her a few more times before calling her name with a growl.
* * * * *
Holy fuck. Alec dipped his head, simply staring into River's gorgeous green eyes while trying to get control of the emotions swirling in his chest. His heart beat so hard it literally ached, and the need to physically claim and mark her as his became his sole driving force. He captured her lips, his tongue invading, and devouring her mouth as he tried to ease the tightness forming a vice around his heart. She was completely filled with him now, and his cock swelled at his total possession of her.
He slowly pulled out to just his tip, loving the way her pussy clenched at his dick, liking the fact it knew who it belonged to and didn't want him to leave. He thrust back in, reveling in the way he filled her so completely, stretching her as her walls hugged him tight.
Her fingers slipped through his hair, her nails scraping along his scalp, sending tingles down his spine and straight to his balls. He pumped into her harder and faster, his tongue mimicking his dick until River wrenched her head back with a gasp, catching some air while moaning his name.
Best fucking sound ever.
He took advantage of her exposed throat, licking and sucking, savoring the salty-sweet taste of her skin.
"Oh, God, Alec."
He growled, surging into her faster. He could feel her clamping around him, and his balls tightened right before he exploded into her. He collapsed onto his side, pulling her against him, his face buried in her hair, breathing in her scent.
"Wow."
He heard her whispered pant and chuckled. "Yeah, that was pretty fucking wow," he said, one hand roaming down her back as he threw a leg over her hip, squeezing her even closer.
He raised his head to look at her. Her hair was tangled and falling in her face with her ponytail mysteriously vanished. She had a look in her eyes he couldn't quite place. Apprehension? Sadness? He took a guess at what she was thinking. "You okay about the tournament?"
She gave him a weak smile, her fingers making contact with his jaw, playing with his prickly stubble. "Yeah. I'm dreading telling Royal, but we'll figure something out. We always do."
It was on the tip of his tongue to come clean. Tell her she didn't need to worry because he'd paid the debt. But he hesitated, selfishly not wanting to break the tranquil moment by starting a fight and ruining their last night there together. He had time in the morning to put her mind at ease. He grunted a response, hoping to dissuade her with noncommittal man-speak.
And he did. He watched as her lids slowly fell closed, mumbling something he didn't quite catch. He lightly kissed her forehead. "Go to sleep, sweetheart." But he knew his words fell on deaf ears. She was already asleep. Alec closed his eyes, his mind racing with plans for when they returned home.
Alec's eyes opened to discover an empty bed. He came up on an elbow, scanning the room for any sign of River but already knew from the deep silence, he was alone. His eyes landed on her pillow and the folded piece of paper lying atop.
Already pissed, he reached out, plucking up the note. He hastily read the words written in elegant script before crumpling the piece of cream-colored hotel stationery in his fist and tossing it to the bed.
"Wrong move, sweetheart."
Chapter Nineteen
Guilt. It's what plagued River the whole flight home. Trapped thousands of feet above ground with only useless exits in sight, she had way too much time on her hands and nothing to do but worry.
She shouldn't have left Alec the equivalent of a Dear John letter. Although it did make her a better person than just stealing away in the middle of the night.
But not much.
What her conscience was insisting she should have done was tell him in person. Preferably before they'd had sex, but most definitely after.
She couldn't get the image of him waking up and finding the note
out of her head. Would he be mad? Disappointed? Hurt? She knew they'd both looked upon their time together as nothing more than a vacation fling, but deep down, in a place River didn't want to investigate too carefully, she couldn't help but feel their time together had been more. At least on her part.
But that was a road paved with feelings she didn't want to go down. She was happy with the life she'd created. Yes, it was a little lonely at times, but she was busy, and Royal never failed to make life interesting. Complications, like Alec Throne muddying the waters, she did not need.
Or was she blowing their time together out of proportion? Did he take one look at the note and feel indifference? Or worse, relief? Was he happy to wake up and find her gone so he didn't have to figure out a polite way to brush her off? Did she save him a load of hassle and herself the hurt of rejection? Because it would've hurt no matter how badly she'd like to pretend it wouldn't have. Somehow he'd managed to get under her skin, and as pathetic as it may seem, she already missed him.
Her thoughts turned to Royal, dreading the call she needed to make to her brother. She should have called him last night, or at the very least, left him a text before she got on the plane that morning. But each time she'd thought about making the call, she'd chickened out, not wanting to disappoint him. While coming in fourth place and winning one-hundred grand was nothing to sneeze at, it still wasn't enough to cover Royal's debts. She just hoped it was enough to stall his "creditors" for a while.
Of course, thinking of the tournament turned her thoughts back to Alec. And that's where they stayed the rest of the flight home.
After more than five hours in a plane and a cab ride at the height of lunch-hour traffic down the Las Vegas Strip, River had never been more excited to be home, and never less excited to see her brother waiting on her doorstep. "What are you doing here? How'd you know when I'd be home?"
"I have your itinerary, remember?" Royal slouched against the wall next to her door, arms crossed over his massive chest.
She and her brother couldn't look more different. He took after their dad—brown hair, strong features, big and bulky build—while River looked just like their mom—petite with delicate features and naturally blonde. The only attribute they shared was their mother's emerald-green eyes.
"Then why didn't you pick me up from the airport?" She plopped her suitcase down to search through her purse for her keys.
"It's a fifteen-minute cab ride."
That was beside the point, but then again, so was arguing with Royal.
She let them into her apartment, taking a careful look around after being gone for almost a week, happily noting nothing looked disturbed.
"Man, it's hot in here," Royal said, making his way to the kitchen and opening the fridge.
"What did you expect? It's the middle of summer, and I wasn't going to leave the air conditioner on while I was gone." Taking her suitcase with her to deposit it in her bedroom, she made her way to the hall to adjust the thermostat.
"Better?" River asked when she returned to the kitchen and heard the air kick on, blowing a cool stream through the ceiling vent.
She stepped to the fridge.
"I took the last one." He saluted her with his bottle of water.
Giving him a dirty look, she pulled open the door then scrounged until she found a soda hidden in the back, making a mental note she needed to get groceries.
"Hey, I'll trade you."
Ducking her head to hide her smirk, she popped the top and took a long pull.
"That's just mean."
Yeah, it was. Then she felt guilty because she was about to pile him with shit news. "Here." She thrust the can out in front of her. Royal took it, handing over the water. River couldn't stand the angst any longer. "Aren't you curious at how the tournament went?"
He took a chug of the soda before shrugging. "I know how it went. I was following it online."
River sighed, taking a seat on one of the stools that lined the breakfast bar. Royal leaned against the kitchen counter, seemingly at ease and without a care in the world. How her brother could be so calm at a time like this, she didn't know.
What she did know was they needed a new plan. "I know I didn't win enough money to cover the whole debt, but maybe it will tide them over until we can come up with something else." She'd said "we" so he would know she was willing to help in any way she could.
Royal looked confused. Which made her feel confused. Maybe he didn't remember the fourth-place payout. "I only won a hundred grand. That still leaves us..." she did a quick calculation in her head, "twenty-five grand short after taxes. Thirty if you count my added expenses."
"I don't understand."
River huffed. Really, how dense could her brother be?
She opened her mouth ready to explain simple math, but Royal raised his hand and interrupted her. "I understand what you're saying, just not why you're saying it."
She clacked her jaw closed and with an inquisitive tilt to her head, asked, "What do you mean?"
"I mean, the loan was paid. In full."
River's back popped straight. "What? When? How?"
Royal shrugged. "Got a text last night, said I was square. I assumed you'd paid it."
River's mind spun, almost making her dizzy before it came to a screeching halt with one image burning in her head. Alec. Could he have paid it? It was highly plausible. He knew she needed the money. Even knew the guy Royal owed the money to. What she couldn't wrap her brain around was, why?
She had to admit, owing Alec money felt a hell of a lot better than owing the mob. But why didn't he say anything?
"From the look on your face, I'm guessing you know what's going on."
River shook her head. "I'm not positive, but I may have a theory."
"Well, when you know, be sure to thank my fairy godmother for me."
More like fairy godfather.
River was extremely busy catching up on work, which was a good thing because to say she missed Alec would be an understatement. She missed his cocky smirk and intelligent brain. The heated looks he gave whenever his eyes locked on her, and she knew he was thinking dirty thoughts. His unique scent–something woodsy and spicy and all man. His strong embrace and how warm and protected she felt while wrapped in it. So many little things that made up the whole of Alec Throne.
She missed them all.
She felt like a junkie going through withdrawal. It had been three days since she'd last seen Alec but instead of getting easier, each day that passed seemed to drag longer. She woke up thinking of him and fell asleep replaying their nights together. She didn't know how much longer her fixation would last, but she hoped it dimmed soon for her sanity's sake.
She'd already taken steps to eradicate him from her life. After depositing the check with her winnings, she'd transferred the bulk of it to a new account. She would need to wait the required allotted time before she could withdraw the funds, but as soon as that day arrived, she would turn the money into a cashier's check and have it delivered to Alec. The extra thirty grand would need to be made in installments, but at least he would know he hadn't pulled a fast one on her and that she intended to pay him back.
Every last penny.
She'd deleted his number and all their texts from her phone, knowing sometime in the near future she would grow weak and try to contact him. She'd hoped if she made communication difficult, it would curb her impulse to reach out. He hadn't yet tried to contact her, and for that, she was grateful. At least that's what she kept telling herself.
She'd deleted all her bookmarks to her favorite poker sites. Still worried, she'd taken it one step further, bringing her laptop to work and leaving it there s
o she wouldn't be tempted to surf the Internet during her free time at home. To be triple-safe, she'd removed her browser and all its components from her phone.
She knew it was extreme, but she truly believed in the adage, better safe than sorry. And she knew if she tried to contact Alec, she'd be sorry.
Her desk phone rang, startling her from her musings. An internal extension was calling, so she picked the handset up and answered without the usual fanfare. "Hello?"
"Ms. Kingston?"
"Yes."
"This is Joyce, from Mr. Peterman's office. He'd like a word with you."
Mr. Peterman was the big boss. Him wanting to speak with her couldn't be a good thing. She just hoped in her rush to catch up on work, she hadn't made a grievous error on any of her reports.
"I'll be right up."
"Thank you."
All the higher-up's offices were on the floor above where River's small office was located. Mr. Peterman was in charge of the personal accounts with the portfolio managers working under him. In turn, she and a handful of other analysts worked under them.
Stepping off the elevator, she was greeted by Joyce, who sat at a large desk, typing on her computer. "Mr. Peterman is ready to see you." She pointed to an office on the left with its door standing open. "Go right on in."
River walked on slightly rubbery legs and poked her head around the doorjamb. Taking a deep breath to keep her voice steady, she said, "You wished to see me, sir?"
Mr. Peterman's head popped up from whatever file he was reading. "Ms. Kingston?"
At her hesitant nod, he gestured to the chair in front of his desk. "Please come in and take a seat. I'll be with you in a moment."
He continued to read the file, and River took that time to look around his office. Done in shades of brown, it was homey and suited the man before her. River wasn't sure, but she would guess he was in his sixties. A grandfatherly type with thinning white hair, big bushy eyebrows, and an even bushier white mustache. A thin, well-kept Santa Claus–minus the beard—popped into her head.