by BWWM Club
Bianca turned the corner and froze; Alex was walking briskly toward her from the other end of the hall. It took him a moment to see her, his mind appearing to be elsewhere. When he did spot her, his face lit up in a smile that made Bianca’s heart slam against her rib cage. He looked hotter than he had earlier that day; which seemed impossible since he had been in his Air Force uniform then. Dressed in faded jeans and a black t-shirt, tight enough that it hugged his biceps and she could see the ripples of a six-pack beneath it, he looked every bit the good old American boy. Butterflies rioted in Bianca’s stomach as he approached. He looked sexy as hell and she was rumpled and sleepy eyed. She was sure she had dark circles and mascara stains under her eyes. Swiping under her eyes with her fingers and smoothing her hair, Bianca tried to stand taller, height not being one of her best attributes.
“Hey,” She muttered, feeling a bit off her game, “What are you doing here?”
“Jay called me, he was worried about you being alone here in the waiting room and he asked me to come keep you company.” He beamed off another large smile.
“How did he know we met?” Bianca asked with bewilderment. This night just kept getting stranger.
“I told him. I forgot to mention when we spoke earlier that Jay and I are pretty good friends.” Alex smirked, revealing that he left that bit of information out on purpose.
They fell into step with one another in the hall, heading away from the waiting room. Silence enveloped them as they went, the whole hospital seemed asleep at this hour and it gave them the illusion of being alone. The silence was comfortable and Bianca was loath to break it, especially since she was tired and small talk was difficult at the moment. Suddenly a thought dawned on Bianca and she stopped, turning on Alex with anger in her eyes.
“They sent you after me today, didn’t they?” She asked, the awareness that her meeting Alex at the airfield earlier was a set up.
Alex didn’t back down from her fury and Bianca was impressed for a minute, liking the idea of someone to match wits with.
“I’ll admit that when I asked Jay about the woman who was standing with his wife as we approached the families he told me about you. But make no mistake I wanted to be there with you, it wasn’t out of some obligation to my military brother. And I’ll be damned if you think I asked you out just because they told me to.” Alex spun on his heel and started back down the hallway the way they came, anger radiating from the stiff set of his strong back and shoulders.
Even angry he was sexy, and Bianca sighed. She knew she had to fix this or risk missing out on a relationship that could possibly be something real.
Chapter 2
Trying not to run, Bianca headed down the hallway after Alex at a fast clip. Her heart hoped he wasn’t leaving because she had a few things she wanted to say to him; one of them being an apology. She turned another corner and spotted him pulling open the doors for the waiting area. Bianca slowed, releasing a breath in a loud whoosh, he hadn’t left after all. The waiting area seemed so far away but she forced herself to walk at a steady pace so as not to appear desperate. She yanked the doors open and walked in. Alex was sitting with his back to her in a chair facing the old TV. Bianca was frozen in place. She didn’t know where to start.
“You could start with an apology,” Alex said as if reading her mind. He must have sensed her presence. Or saw her reflection in the TV, which was more likely.
“I’m sorry,” She muttered, apologizing never was easy for her. Being stubborn was something she had a hard time overcoming. Stubbornness was the reason she had almost let him walk away.
Alex stood and turned to her, a smirk on his face. Apparently he could tell that apologizing was difficult for her and he was enjoying her discomfort. Bianca shot him a look that would fell an elephant. Alex raised his hands as if to surrender.
“I accept your apology. I don’t even know why I was so angry with you, except that I had a hard time believing that you didn’t realize how much I like you. Maybe you had wounded my pride a bit.” Alex said with chagrin.
Bianca walked closer to where he stood, stopping close enough to reach out and touch him if she wanted to. Of course she wanted to, but making the first move was also not something that came naturally to her.
She tilted her head back so that she could look him in the eye, “It’s alright. I think I did have a hard time believing that you would like me that much and that my friends weren’t asking for a favor by watching out for me.”
Alex’s piercing blue eyes seemed to look inside of hers, making her want to look away. She could feel the heat from his body; she was so close to him. It was searing her skin through her thin sweater. Her hands itched to reach up and circle around his neck, pulling his head down for a kiss. But she didn’t do it and she didn’t have to. Without saying a word, Alex reached for her, hauling her against his chest while wrapping his arms around her waist. Bianca gave into the urge to wrap her arms around his neck. He brought his head down to meet her mouth and Bianca held back a whimper as his mouth closed over hers. Fire burned a trail from where their lips touched all the way down to where her sex was throbbing between her legs. She had never felt a connection with someone like this before. It scared her a little but she wasn’t ready to let him go.
Alex deepened the kiss, thrusting his tongue between her lips and Bianca let loose a moan as their tongues became entwined. His tongue stroked hers in such a way that she could imagine what he would do with it elsewhere. That thought elicited another moan from her and soon she was panting with need. Alex’s hands traveled downward, cupping her ass and pulling her against him. His hard length pressed against her belly and she was certain now that he wanted her on his own and not because his friend asked him to keep her company. Bianca pulled back enough to slip her hands under Alex’s t-shirt. The feel of his bare skin against her hands made her shudder with pleasure. The muscles of his abs bunched against her hands as he moved into her again and kissed her with fervor. He moaned in turn as she ran her hands over his torso and down toward his waistband and began to undo his belt. Alex shifted position to allow her to open his pants.
Just as she was about to reach inside for his already hard cock, her phone rang, shrill and ear piercing. Bianca jumped back and looked away from Alex, digging in her purse for the offending phone. The moment was broken.
“It’s Jay!” Bianca exclaimed, flashing Alex a look as she answered the phone.
Alex was already buttoning up his pants and buckling his belt. He had never been more annoyed with his friend than at this moment. Sure, it probably wasn’t a smart idea to have sex in a hospital waiting room while your friends were having a baby, it was tacky even, but tell that to his still throbbing cock. He took a deep breath and turned towards Bianca. She looked even more beautiful than the first time he saw her. Her wild curls were tousled from their encounter and her clothes were crooked, but her chocolate brown skin seemed to be glowing from the inside out. Alex felt like she looked, never had he been so attracted, or felt such a spark with another person. Smoothing his too long hair back from his forehead, Alex walked toward her, a questioning look on his face, as she talked to Jay. Finally she hung up, her expression unreadable.
“What’s happened?” Alex asked, concern knitting his brows. He felt like an ass for even thinking about sex when his friend was having an ordeal.
“Andrea had to have a c-section. Little Jason Romero Jr. refused to come out on his own,” she answered, worry lining her face.
“Is everything alright?” Alex wondered, Bianca looked like she was going to cry.
She nodded, her face crumbling with tears, “I’m sorry. Yes. They are both fine. I was just so worried when I first heard Jay say that she had a c-section. I’m so relieved they are both okay.” They were happy tears.
Alex exhaled, his unease receding. Jay was like a brother to him and he would have been devastated if something had happened to Jay’s wife and newborn son. He watched Bianca’s reflection
in the window when she turned away from him as she began to cry. She scrubbed at her face to remove the tears and blew her nose. His heart wanted him to go to her and pull her to him but his brain told him to wait it out, that she needed her privacy. Finally she turned, her expression saying she wanted to forget about her momentary break down, so instead of asking if she was alright, Alex starting talking about sports.
****
Bianca stared at Alex with confusion, why was he talking about baseball? Not wanting to interrupt his strange tirade she began to gather he purse and headed to the door. Her need to see Andrea and make sure she was okay was unbearable. Alex followed, his explanation of the Phillies batting average trailing off.
“Where are you going?” He asked, following behind her as she exited the room.
“To see Andrea,” Bianca stated, she thought her intentions were obvious.
“Oh, I’m not sure she’d want me in there after such a private event. I’ll wait down here for you and then I’ll walk you out.” Alex said, hanging back.
Bianca nodded, feeling a bit awkward with him all of a sudden. It was almost as if the moment they shared earlier had made them into teenagers. With a last look at Alex, Bianca turned and ambled down the hall towards the elevators. Once inside she hit the button for the fourth floor and waited, thinking about Alex again. She really liked him. A lot. She hoped that strange moment in the hospital waiting room didn’t ruin it for them. Wanting to kick herself, she frowned. How could she be dumb enough to almost have sex in a hospital waiting room! How tacky! What if he thought she was a slut who had sex with men she just met in public? Bianca groaned in embarrassment and put her face in her hands. She had to fix this somehow before it was too late.
****
Twenty minutes later Bianca descended in the same elevator she rode up in, a smile on her face. Even though newborn babies were all scrunched up, they were so darn cute. Warmth and happiness settled over her at the prospect of having her own children someday and she was absolutely giddy by the time the elevator reached the ground floor. The doors slid open and revealed Alex standing on the other side. Bianca smiled widely at him.
“How are they?” Alex queried, his face lighting up with a smile to match hers. He looked damn sexy when he smiled.
“Great. Andrea is considerably sore but the baby is just so stinking cute. I could have held him all night.” Bianca mused, her mind conjuring up images of holding and cuddling her own baby.
Alex chuckled, “Well I’m glad everything is well. We had quite a scare earlier.”
They fell into step with one another, heading towards the exit. Alex was so close she could smell his scent; soap, leather and male. It made her want to lean into him, but she resisted, remembering her earlier folly. Bianca hoped he didn’t think she was easy.
Once in the parking lot, Bianca directed Alex to where she parked her old Nissan Maxima and they walked in silence. She couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened and while she regretted the where and how soon, she didn’t regret what had happened. She hoped Alex felt the same.
“This is me,” Bianca pointed out, stopping by her driver’s side door.
Alex moved with her, pausing in front of her, close enough that if she reached out she could touch him. Her breathing quickened, memories of the way he felt under her hands, his warm hard body coming to life as she caressed him, made Bianca’s sex throb with need.
She knew she should say something to break the awkward silence. Before she could come up with something Alex spoke, “I would like to see you again. Maybe have that date we talked about at the airfield.” He wondered, leaning in even closer to her.
Bianca thought he was going to kiss her and her heart began to pound in her chest, but all he did was place a chaste peck to her forehead. Moderately disappointed, Bianca smiled at him and without thinking, placed her hand on his forearm. A shiver of excitement coursed through her as their skin connected and Bianca looked up and met his eyes. He had felt it too. The sexual tension was so thick surrounding them it was like a living thing. Despite the cool, late summer air, Bianca’s skin felt like it was on fire.
“I, uh…” Her voice trailed off. She didn’t know what to say. She liked him and she wanted to see him again but this was all too intense. She wasn’t sure if getting caught up in a relationship, or whatever it was, this quickly with this much passion was such a good idea. Alex looked at her expectantly so she finished.
“I’m sorry, Alex,” His face fell. “I like you and I really enjoyed the time we spent together but this is all moving so fast. Can we talk again in a few days after we’ve had some space from one another to think? I’d hate to get caught up too quickly and ruin a good thing.”
Alex was looking at her with confusion. Maybe she made a mistake. No, this was what she needed to do. Bianca had a history of jumping into relationships too quickly and ultimately being hurt because she thought there was more to it than there really was. She needed the time to make sure she wasn’t making another mistake. Wanting to get married and have children was always on her mind, especially since she just turned thirty, and making sure she wasn’t getting caught up in passion, but was with someone who would last, was important to her.
“Ok, I can respect that,” Alex finally mumbled, and with a nod of goodbye he turned and walked away from her.
Bianca hoped she was making the right decision.
*****
Alex walked to his car, bewilderment marring his face. Bianca was right about them moving quickly, he had only met her earlier in the day and he already was picturing a future with her. But what was wrong with that if what they had worked? Alex dated a lot of women and never felt after three months what he felt for Bianca in one day. That had to mean something. Shaking his head, he unlocked the door to his SUV and climbed in, turning over the engine.
The whole way home he pondered her request. He’d give her a few days but he missed her already and it had only been twenty minutes. How was he going to make it for three days? Alex knew he was foolish to fall hard for a woman he barely knew but there was something about her that he just couldn’t get out of his mind. Three days, then she would be his; he’d make sure of that.
*****
Bianca walked around in a funk for three days. How could she miss someone so much that she just met? She was being ridiculous. Glancing at her reflection in the mirror she patted her hair, the natural curls framing her heart shaped face. Today was her first day back to work and she didn’t want to be late or make a bad impression because she was hoping they would hire her as a full time teacher when she had finished her classes. She loved being a teacher’s aide for the kindergarten class but it would be so much nicer to have her own class and make lessons. Two more classes of student teaching left and she would be a teacher. One last pat of her hair and she was ready. Snatching her bag and purse from the counter as she walked by, Bianca made her way out the door with a lot of time to spare. She hated being late, it gave her anxiety.
Once in the car, she began to think about Alex again, driving on autopilot to the school she had been a teacher’s assistant at for four years. Why was she torturing herself by staying away from him? That’s right, self preservation. Too many times had she been burned by jumping into a relationship too soon. But this feels so different, she thought as she pulled into a parking spot behind the school. Sighing, Bianca looked out over the playground where the little ones were having morning recess. It was more of a way for the parents to drop off and the kids to burn some energy before they had to be inside all day. The school was tiny, kindergarten through third grade with only one classroom for each grade, but she loved the school and the faculty and didn’t want to be anywhere else. Bianca waved at the kindergarten teacher she worked with, Mrs. Jensen, as she approached the school.
“Good morning, Bianca,” She called, wrangling children into a line.
“Good morning, Mrs. Jensen,” Bianca responded, the woman was old enough to be her grandmo
ther and Bianca felt strange calling her by her first name.
The old woman smiled, patting her bluish gray helmet of curls as she hurried the children inside. Bianca’s heels clacked on the concrete as she made her way around the front of the school. She didn’t have to wear heels to be a teacher’s assistant but it made her feel more professional. The front office was abuzz as Bianca entered the building. The school secretary was signing kids in late already and taking parent packets while the children talked noisily, catching up with friends they missed all summer. Bianca waved at them and signed in, then hurried down the hall to her classroom. When she entered the room, Mrs. Jensen was gathering the kids around the carpet for the announcements and prayer. Bianca slipped into the small back room that Mrs. Jensen used for an office and locked her purse and bag inside of the closet. She smiled broadly at the little faces that greeted her when she took her place on the carpet next to Mrs. Jensen. Their eyes were wide with wonder, excitement and some fear at their first full day of school as ‘big kids’. Bianca just loved teaching kindergarten and even though it was a lot of work she enjoyed every minute of it.
After announcements and the pledge, Bianca began to set up the first activity while Mrs. Jensen herded the children to the tables. She set out paint and aprons and began to pour it into the cups set into the six easels at the back of the room. Needing more red paint, Bianca walked back to the closet where her purse was stored, hoping there was a second bottle. Mrs. Jensen was notorious for ordering supplies too late and they went without certain colors for months at a time in previous classes. Just as she was about to close the closet after locating and retrieving the paint, Bianca’s phone rang. Normally she wouldn’t answer her phone at work, but she was expecting a call from her doctor sometime this week with test results. Figuring that was likely the call she set the paint down on the floor and answered her phone.