by Lisa Cardiff
She shook her head. She needed to stay focused. “You always change the subject when I ask any personal questions.”
“I do?” he asked, wrapping one arm around her ribcage, angling her so no space remained between them.
She leaned forward, refusing to let him ignore her questions once again. “Yes, you do, no matter how innocuous the question.”
“I didn’t realize that,” he rumbled against her ear, sending vibrations rolling through her already aroused body. How did he do this to her so easily? There must be some sort of school for seduction and he obviously passed with flying colors.
Spreading her thighs until her legs straddled his, his fingertips slid up the inside of her legs, stopping only when he reached the edge of her panties. With painstaking slowness, his fingers brushed against the fabric, softly massaging her mound through the thin lacy material with enough dedication to drive her absolutely insane with need, but not enough to produce the result she was already beginning to crave.
“Are you always so evasive?” she asked, desperately trying to stay focused.
“How about this…” He slipped his finger into her panties, rubbing her softly, just barely grazing her, teasing her, but not penetrating her. “I’ll answer one question. Your choice, anything you want.”
“Now?” she breathed, canting her hips forward, her hands digging into the top of his jean-clad thighs, begging him without words to touch her harder. As he slid one finger inside of her, her head relaxed backwards against his chest.
“Sure.” One thrust. Two thrusts, and then he slipped another finger inside of her, his thumb seeking and finding her clit, stroking it in a circular motion. “I could stop and we could talk for awhile.”
“No,” she moaned, snaking her hand around his wrist, holding it firmly inside of her, and just like that she didn’t care about their conversation. When pressed, she couldn’t ignore Alec’s gravitational pull. Her back arched, unintentionally grinding her ass against his hard length and he groaned. “Later. We’ll talk later.”
He chuckled against her ear. “Good choice, Little Violet,” he said, lifting her up and shoving her panties down her legs so quickly she wasn’t sure how he did it. He pressed a hard kiss against her lips, almost immediately dropping her back on the chair, pushing her legs open and kneeling in front of her. “Because I have been dying to taste you.”
Before she could respond, he bent his head and his lips grazed her entrance with feather soft kisses with just enough pressure to make her knees weak and her lips part in anticipation.
Lifting his head, his glittering midnight blue eyes met hers for long seconds before his hands clamped down on her thighs, biting into her pale skin, spreading them even further. His lips grazed the inside of her thighs, scoring her lightly with his teeth, then swirling his tongue over the bite to cool the stinging sensation. She didn’t know what that was about, but…holy shit…it made her need him more than she needed anything in her entire life and she’d wasn’t likely to forget that feeling any time in the near future.
Not giving her a minute to wrap her mind around what just happened, his mouth licked her center, warm and hot, and it took every inch of her concentration not to fall off the narrow wooden chair. His tongue caressed her from top to bottom in one long sweep, and her hands curved around the sides of the chair, pushing her hips toward his mouth, hoping that the change in position would cure the sexual tension lashing at her core.
“Alec,” she whimpered, not even sure what she wanted, but his name on her lips only made him pause and smile up at her as her legs trembled like wet noodles.
“Do you want me to stop?” he whispered, his voice vibrating through every nerve ending almost as much as the finger now circling her entrance with torturous and evil premeditated strokes.
“Don’t you dare,” she warned, her voice so low and thick she hardly recognized the sound as her own.
Lifting one of her legs over his shoulder, his tongue darted inside of her, drawing out so many moans and half-screams, she was afraid she’d lose her voice if it lasted much longer, and then just when she thought she’d die of need, his finger slid inside, joining his tongue in a rhythm that was too good to be real.
Within seconds, pleasure drummed through her in messy hot waves that would have been embarrassing if she weren’t so caught up in the moment. As the final contraction ricocheted through her, his hands skated along the side of her body, slipping her dress over her head.
She hadn’t bothered with a bra this morning, so now she was completely and blindingly naked, perched on an old wooden chair with Alec standing in front of her entirely clothed and she didn’t like it…not one bit.
She snaked her fingers through his belt loops, pulling him closer. Without looking up, she tugged at his pants, released his belt, button, and zipper, and shoved his pants down his legs. At the same time, he tore his shirt over his head, tossing it on top of the drum set behind them and stepped out of his pants.
She let her eyes wander over every inch of him, taking in the way his tattoos enhanced the contours of his body and then her hands reached out, ghosting down his flat stomach, circling his navel, and finally tracing the dusting of hair that led her to his groin.
“You’re killing me, baby,” he whispered, his hands fisting at his sides.
“Payback’s a bitch,” she mumbled as she teased the length of his shaft with her fingertip. She’d never been this bold with any of her limited number of boyfriends, but something about Alec brought out her slightly naughty side. The side she didn’t know existed until him.
“Fuck, Violet. You’re going to kill me.”
“Oh really?” She looked up at him from beneath her eyelashes as she lowered her mouth, pressing unhurried kisses and small, abbreviated licks along his cock, finally sliding his length inside her mouth.
Groaning, he threaded his fingers through her hair, his rings tangling in between the long strands, pulling her closer. She slid her hands around his hips, bobbing her mouth back and forth with long, slippery slides of her mouth, loving the feel of him quivering beneath her hands and the sound of the short, lusty breaths that escaped his mouth.
Just when she could feel him closing in on his climax, his cock swelling in her mouth, he pried her arms from his hips and pulled her up to standing. “As much as I love the feel of your mouth around me, we’ll have to save that thought for another day.”
His lips crashed down on hers, the taste of arousal mingling in their mouths as he wrapped her legs around his body, his hard length sliding against her swollen entrance with quick, teasing strokes.
With determined strides, he walked them backwards until she was trapped between the cold cinder block wall and his solid, immovable body. She arched her hips toward him, her body clamoring to feel him inside of her again. It felt like weeks instead of hours since the last time he slid inside of her.
His mouth skimmed along the arch of her neck, sucking and biting and everything in between, but she wanted it all. Her hips rocked against his as frantic and incoherent pleas escaped her mouth with increasing urgency, her sex literally quivering with the need to be filled.
And then he plunged inside of her, lightning roaring through her veins and she knew it was only a matter of seconds before she exploded. She gasped when he started moving, in and out and back in again. Her fingers dug into his back, pulling him into her, wanting to feel his chest skate against her overly sensitive nipples in rhythm with his punishing thrusts.
It was a though he fed her starving, needy body with every movement and arch of his hips as he pounded relentlessly into her. Then, his lips captured hers in a soul-stealing kiss and she screamed his name as a nearly violent and earth-shattering orgasm tore through her body. He jerked inside of her before pulling out, his release coating her stomach.
And that’s when it hit her like a thousand deaths. No condom. No nothing. She was a fucking idiot.
She shook her head, her eyes wide and alarmed as the panic crawl
ed up the walls of her chest.
When he released her legs, she didn’t bother trying to stand. She slid to the floor, bracing her head against her knees.
“Baby, what’s wrong?”
For a terror filled moment that seemed more like an hour or days, all kinds of thoughts ran through his head, every one worse than the next, and the fact that he didn’t get why she’d freak out made her even more freaked out, if that were possible. “What’s wrong?” she screamed lifting her. “Are you serious?”
He pushed her hair from her face but she flinched and slapped his hand away.
He stood up and took a couple steps back. “Are you going to share or are you just going to yell at me for some unknown reason?”
“Unknown reason,” she scoffed. “No condom, that’s my problem.”
“I pulled out,” he said.
“Hm…well that’s totally reliable because there aren’t millions of babies born when the guy pulled out,” she mocked. She was on the pill, but he didn’t know that.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think.”
She stood up, her eyes darting around the room looking for her dress. She slipped it over her head and watched him dress. “Neither did I…and I don’t even know you,” she said, her voice choked.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
She looked down at her bare feet, studying her pink toenails that looked so happy when she had them done last weekend. “I don’t know.”
“I’m clean, if that’s what you’re asking. I always get tested and I’m always safe…except for today,” he amended, grabbing her shoulders, forcing her to look him in the eyes.
“Don’t you care if I’m clean?”
He cocked his head to the side, studying her. “I’m not worried.”
“Well, I am,” she said, putting her hands on her hips.
“You’re clean or you’re worried?”
She exhaled loudly. “Both,” she finally admitted.
“I wouldn’t hurt you.”
She looked to the side, feeling more uncomfortable with every passing moment. “No, not intentionally.”
“We can walk over to the clinic right now and I’ll get tested if that’s what you want, or I’ll call my doctor and you can ask him.”
She shook her head. “No, I believe you.” For some reason, she did believe him. Mostly, she was disappointed in herself for not thinking and getting lost in the moment.
“I don’t want you to worry if you don’t have to.” He leaned down and kissed her forehead, her nose, and her lips.
“No.” She smiled faintly, feeling the effects of the night before weighing on her and draining her. She sat down in the chair, watching him dress. “We’re good, but from now on, that can’t happen.”
“Agreed. No undue stress.”
She took in a deep breath, letting the stress drain out of her.
“Are you ready to go home?” he asked as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and typed something.
“I guess so.” She looked around the music room, now gleaming with new equipment. If her emotions weren’t all over the place, she would have loved to sit there and take it all in and savor the moment. She couldn’t wait to tell the kids about it tomorrow. She knew a couple of the kids played the guitar, but Alec had created a room that looked like a recording studio for a band. It was unbelievable.
Alec picked up the drumsticks he dropped on the floor and flipped them in the air twice before placing them on top of the drums. His phone buzzed and he looked down at the message. “Here,” he said, handing her his phone.
“What’s this?” she asked, looking down at the screen and then back at him.
“I had my assistant scan in my test results from right before I left for Montana.”
“Your assistant,” she said, her eyes narrowed. Why the hell did he have an assistant?
“I travel a lot for work,” he answered, without explanation.
Her heart fluttered as she stared at him for a long moment and then she directed her focus at the blood work analysis in the document on the phone. “Thanks,” she said in a small voice as she handed the phone back to him. “I feel better. You didn’t have to do that, though.” Now she felt guilty about her freak out. He’d told the truth and she still doubted him.
“It’s not a big deal.” He snagged her hand and pulled her up. “Let’s forget about it.” He kissed the inside of her wrist, smiling at her the whole time. “I already have.”
“Thanks for everything today.”
“Everything?” he questioned, his eyes dancing mischievously, a charming grin on his face.
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t be an ass.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, his face blank and too innocent.
Chapter Eighteen
“When are you coming back?” Jax asked.
“Soon,” Alec answered, holding the phone to his ear as he closed the door to the office he’d been using at the Foundation.
“We’re going to start recording on Wednesday next week. You need to be back this weekend so we can make some final decisions about the songs.”
“Can’t you push it off another week? I have a couple things to wrap up here.” It wasn’t a lie. He still needed to make contact with his dad and have one final conversation with his mom, but most of all he wanted more time with Violet. His whole life he was always searching for somewhere he felt he belonged, and that place was beginning to feel more and more like anywhere near Violet.
“What’s with you and Marcus? I already pushed it back to Wednesday for Marcus. Now you need more time, too.”
“What’s going on with Marcus?”
Jax was silent for a few moments and Alec didn’t think he’d answer. He should pick up the phone and call Marcus himself. He hadn’t talked to him for a couple weeks.
“A lot of family bullshit.”
“That’s it.”
“He wouldn’t say more than that. He didn’t want to talk about it in detail and when Marcus doesn’t want to talk, it doesn’t happen.”
“Yeah,” Alec said. That was one of the reasons he and Marcus had bonded when they met. Neither of them wanted to talk about the past. Alec didn’t because his family life sucked and Marcus didn’t because his family stabbed him in the back. He didn’t know what that meant and Marcus never shared any of the details, which was fine, because he didn’t want to share details, either.
“So you’re coming back this weekend, right?”
“Are Cam and Taylor home?”
“They got back yesterday. You didn’t call her?”
“No,” he laughed. “They didn’t break up already, did they?”
“She’s still living with him.”
Alec shook his head. “Damn. I thought Cam would fuck everything up by now.”
Jax laughed. “No. Bre picked them up at the airport yesterday, and based on what she said, I think you’re going to be stuck with him for a brother-in-law if he gets his way.”
Alec smiled. Cam was already a brother to him, but he’d never let him know that. Cam had changed, but he didn’t want to let him get too comfortable and hurt his sister. “Great,” he said unenthusiastically.
“How’s the fundraising business going?”
“Slow, but I think I’ve sourced some businesses to donate regularly, but I’d still like to find a way for the Foundation to purchase the building. I think it’s the key to its long-term survival.” Alec had talked to Jax a few times over the last two weeks about finding a way to raise the money, but neither of them had any concrete plans.
“I think I have a solution that will work.”
Alec pushed back his chair, resting his feet on top of the desk. “Do you want to share?”
Jax chuckled. “We have a party. We charge for access, kind of like a political fundraiser. Maybe five hundred or a thousand dollars a plate, but we’ll announce that all the proceeds will go to the Foundation.”
“Just a party. Why would peo
ple pay money for a party?”
“We’ll promise to play two or three of our yet to be released songs. Hold on for a second.” Jax muffled his phone, but Alec could still hear him talking to someone. “Sorry about that. Anyway, we’ll play some songs and auction off some band memorabilia. By the end of the night, I think the Foundation will have more than enough money to buy that building.”
“That’s fucking brilliant. Why didn’t I think of that?”
“Because you don’t have a mom that dedicated half of your childhood to charitable causes she hardly cared about so she could avoid the fact that her marriage sucked,” Jax said bitterly. “I know more than I’d like to know about parties for charity.”
“That’s not so bad. My mom drank to avoid reality. That’s a lot worse.”
Neither Jax nor Alec said anything for prolonged moments.
“Yeah, sorry about that,” Jax said, breaking the silence.
“It doesn’t matter. It’s in the past now. I’ll see you this weekend.”
“Wait, I almost forgot. You probably need that woman from the Foundation to come give a short speech about the Foundation, why it’s important and what kind of work they do.”
“Violet?” Alec said, his stomach sinking. Violet absolutely needed to be there, but in order to get her cooperation, he’d have to come clean about his real identity sooner rather than later, which probably wouldn’t go very well. He and Violet were getting really close lately, or at least he believed so. But the fact that Violet didn’t know anything about his connection to Chasing Ruin served as a reminder that maybe they’d been getting a little too close given the reality of their situation.
And that was exactly why he never did the too close thing. He had too much shit to hide. Too close was for people who lived normal, happy lives with parents that cared about them…like Violet. Too close was for people who planned to make a life-long commitment…something he didn’t think was possible for him, or at least not before he’d met Violet, and that meant that he probably needed to let her go. She deserved someone better than him…someone who’d be honest with her and share his life with her unconditionally. Understanding that, however, wouldn’t make walking away from her any easier.