Passionate Mystery

by Elizabeth Lennox

  He led her right over to a spiral staircase Becca hadn’t noticed when they’d first walked in. But he gestured for her to walk up the stairs and she led the way, tucking her dress in behind her as she walked up the metal stairs.

  When she reached the top, she was amazed to find a balcony filled with even more tables. A bouncer-type guy waited at the top, sitting on a metal stool, he held up his hand to stop her. But when he saw Alex behind her, he waved her on and nodded as Alex led her over to one of the empty tables.

  A waitress appeared immediately and Becca had to stifle a surge of jealousy when the woman smiled provocatively at Alex. The woman even bent down at the waist, showing Alex way too much cleavage as she took their drink orders.

  But Becca should have had more faith in Alex. He ignored the woman’s buxom invitation and leaned away from the waitress. “What would you like to drink?” he asked, his lips brushing against her ear once again. Since that spot was extra sensitive from his last nip downstairs, it took her several moments to think clearly.

  He took her hand, lifting her fingers to his lips and nipped at her fingertips. “You’re not concentrating. Why is that?”

  She held her breath, trying to come up with a response that would make him laugh or, at the very least, ease a bit of the tension that had been steadily building between the two of them over the past several hours. But his thumb rubbed against her wrist and she knew that he was feeling her pulse, doing all of this on purpose. “Because you’re teasing me,” she told him. “You’re trying to make me crazy.”

  “Trying?” he asked, that slow, sexy smile forming on his lips and that drawl intensifying.

  “Succeeding,” she admitted after several tense moments.

  He laughed, but thankfully pulled away from her. He spoke to the waitress and Becca was horrified that she’d completely forgotten about the woman.

  Okay, so Becca wasn’t too concerned or horrified. The waitress had been trying to entice Alex and therefore, was being obnoxious and rude. But just because someone was rude, that was not justification for paying back in kind.

  Even so, it felt incredibly good that Alex hadn’t fallen for the woman’s obvious charms and had shown his preference in her smaller, but still excellent…charms?

  Good grief, she was losing her mind now.

  The waitress came back only a few moments later with their drinks and, this time, she didn’t bend over quite so obviously. She efficiently placed their drinks on the marble-topped table, and disappeared.

  “What’s this?” she asked, looking at the yellow drink.

  “A gin fizz,” he told her, whispering in her ear again so that he could be heard over the music. It wasn’t nearly as overwhelming up here on the balcony, but it was still loud.

  They listened for about an hour and Becca admitted that she’d been wrong about jazz. They moved back to the rear of the balcony area where they could still hear the music, but they could also talk since the sound wasn’t nearly as intense. “Okay, so jazz is just like any other genre of music. There are different types and I shouldn’t have lumped all of jazz into the stuff I’ve heard before,” she admitted, lifting her hand when the waitress approached for another round. “I’ll just have iced tea,” she told the woman.

  They were heavily debating the different genres, with a focus on which bands from the 80s and 90s would still be able to make it during this time period when the waitress came back with their drinks. When Becca took a sip of the ice tea, she almost choked.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, patting her back as she tried to catch her breath.

  “This is sweetened tea!” she gasped. And it wasn’t just sweetened, it was really sweet!

  “You ordered iced tea,” he explained.

  She glared at the man, then at the innocuous looking glass of amber liquid. “Yes, but this has sugar in it.”

  “Of course it does. In the south, when you order tea, it’s assumed that you want sweet tea.”

  Becca’s mouth fell open, not sure what to say. It took her several heartbeats to recover before she could sputter, “That’s crazy!”

  He shrugged, amusement curling his lips. “It’s just the way we make it down here.”

  They argued about the merits of southern preferences versus the horrors one might find in the northern states, laughing at the different tastes that the regions preferred.

  But the whole time, he touched her arm, her hands, his fingers tracing lines up and down her arms. The music slowed, the beat more pounding and she felt special tucked against his side like this. So when he lifted her onto his lap, kissing her neck, Becca didn’t protest in any way. She wanted more, but was afraid to ask for it here in public.

  “We should leave,” she whispered.

  “Shut up, Becca and kiss me,”

  “We’re in public,” she argued, but the thrill of his command went right through her body.

  “We’re in New Orleans,” he told her. “No one is looking at us. And besides, it’s dark enough back here that no one will see anything.”

  She realized that he was right, no one was looking and it was pretty dark here in the back of the balcony. So instead of protesting again, she turned her head and kissed him. Once again, she was struck by how intense just a kiss could be. She no longer heard the music or the rhythm of the drums. She didn’t hear the crowds below or the applause. She felt Alex. She tasted his tongue when he deepened the kiss. She felt his arms tighten around her as he lifted her up. When they were standing, he took her hand and looked down at her. “We’re going back to my place, Becca. Are you okay with that plan?”

  She stared up at him. Decision time. But was there even a question? Not really. She wanted Alex. She wanted him with an intensity that she’d never felt before. She wanted to just lean into him and kiss him again, but she knew that would be a bad idea. The next time he kissed her, she wanted to be free to touch him. Everywhere!

  “Yes. Take me back to your place, Alex,” she replied. His fingers tightened on hers and he nodded.

  “Let’s go,” he pulled her deeper into the shadows of the balcony. But instead of the stairs, he led her to an elevator. Pressing a button, the doors opened almost immediately, then closed once they were inside the small elevator and the silence hit her hard. “Wow!” she whispered.

  “I know. A bit deafening, isn’t it?” he teased.

  Only a few moments later, the elevators opened and they were in a small, dark hallway that led out to the street. “This way, he said and led her down the alley to the street where the lights directed them to the main area. Once again, he draped his jacket over her shoulders but they hurried down the sidewalk this time.

  Back at the hotel, he led her to a different entrance. This one led directly to the back where the employee elevator was located. Stepping inside, she could feel her heart pounding with awareness, excitement, and fear. But as he looked down at her, the fear receded.

  He took her hands, pulling her so that they were facing each other. “You don’t have to do this, Becca. I can walk you to your suite and meet you for breakfast tomorrow morning.”

  She smiled, relieved for the “out” if she wanted it. But she didn’t. “I don’t want you to walk me to my suite unless you want to come inside with me. I want this, Alex.” She was sure. This was definitely what she wanted.

  His eyes moved over her features slowly. “You aren’t drunk, are you?”

  She laughed, but once again, her heart swelled with feeling for this tall, gorgeous dynamic man. “No. I haven’t had too much to drink. Three drinks over the past several hours aren’t enough to get me drunk.” She stepped forward when the elevator doors opened and kissed him. Just a small kiss, but she knew that it convinced him that she was here because she wanted to be with him and not because of the false courage that alcohol would provide. “I’m here because I want to make love with you, Alex. Not for any other reason.”

  Alex watched her for a long moment and Becca could feel his fingers tightening on he
r own. Would he believe her? Would he know that she understood what was going to happen? Or was he going to be a gentleman and adhere to the “no sex” policy that he’d put in place during their conversation about this week?[CS1]

  In order to stop that possibility from happening, she moved closer to him, letting her free hand slide up his chest. She could feel his heart pounding almost as hard as her own. “I’m going to kiss you,” she warned. “So, if you don’t want this to happen, then stop me now.”

  He dropped her hand and the fingers of both of his hands circled her upper arms. For a split second, Becca suspected that he was going to push her away. But she didn’t want that. She needed tonight. She needed all the nights he could offer her this week so she moved even closer, pressing her body against his and placing her lips against the opening of his tailored shirt. The dark skin there had been enticing her all evening and it thrilled her to finally let her lips float against that spot.

  With a growl, his hands tightened against her upper arms, lifting her up and plastering her against the wall. A fraction of a moment later, his hard body pressed against hers, his hard thigh pressing between her legs. “Becca!” he breathed as his mouth covered hers.

  She’d thought his other kisses were meltingly powerful. But this…she could barely think. Only react. Her arms reached up, winding around his neck as she kissed him back with equal fervor. She vaguely felt his hands against her bottom, but she had no idea he was lifting her up so that his hips could fit against her own. It was all heavy breathing and frantic kisses now. She wanted to touch him, but he was in control in ways she didn’t completely understand.

  Finally, he lifted his mouth and she gulped in air, her body feeling as if it were on fire. Then his hands pushed the yellow chiffon out of his way and she gasped with the heat when his hands touched her skin. “Alex!” she groaned, unaware of how her hips were pressing against his erection. Her fingers gripped his shoulders as she stared up at him, his hands sliding against her thighs, her butt, and pressing her more intimately against him. She gasped but shifted to accommodate him. Well, to accommodate herself because the pressure felt incredible!

  And then he lifted her higher, his arms wrapping around her back to lift her up. He was walking and she had no idea where they were going. “Please tell me you’re taking me to bed,” she whispered.

  “Absolutely,” he growled. She heard him kick something, but didn’t care that it was the door to his bedroom. She sighed with relief when she felt the soft mattress on her back, but the relief was only temporary since his hands slid against the skin of her legs, causing heat to spiral up to her stomach.

  “What about sex do you not like?” he asked as his fingers curled over the elastic of her underwear. Before she could protest, the material was sliding down her legs, callously tossed behind him so that his hands could come right back to her. Without that impediment, his fingers slid along her skin, teasing her body to new heights.

  “I just…” She couldn’t answer because he lowered his head to kiss her stomach, nibbling through the stretchy material of her yellow tank top.

  “Yes?” he asked, but his hands were gone from her legs, pulling the tank top higher so that he could nibble along the soft skin of her stomach without the material in the way. The heat that hit her was overwhelming and she tried to wiggle away.

  But his strong hands stopped her, pulling her right back so that he was looming over her. “You don’t like this, do you?” he asked and nibbled once again, his mouth moving higher, teasing her ribs.

  “I do,” she whispered, holding her breath in the hopes that he might move higher.

  His nimble fingers tugged the stretchy material off and over her head, tossing it with the same lack of attention to detail as he’d done to her underwear.

  “Ah, Becca,” he groaned, his fingers sliding higher against her ribs. “You probably don’t like it when I do this, do you?” he asked softly as his finger traced the delicate skin right along the lacy edge of her demi cup bra.

  “I like that!” she hissed, arching up to his hand. She grabbed his wrist, wondering if his fingers would ever reach that spot.

  “What else do you like?” he asked softly, his mouth following wherever his fingers touched.

  “This,” she said out of desperation and pulled the strap of her bra down, revealing her breast to his hungry gaze. “I’d really like it if you’d touch me here,” she said and placed his hand over her breast. When his fingers tightened around the soft globe, she closed her eyes as pleasure hit her hard and fast.

  “Good,” he said and lowered his mouth to kiss just the very tip. “Because I like that a lot as well.” His mouth moved over the nipple, teasing, tasting, and experimenting with different ways to touch her there. She loved all of them, unable to control the whimpers or moans as he teased her nipple. When she couldn’t take the intensity any longer, she pulled the strap down on her other breast, revealing that for the same pleasure. She even placed her hands on either side of his head, tilting her shoulder up to offer him that nipple. “Here,” she begged in a strangled voice.

  He complied enthusiastically to her change in venue, teasing and sucking on that nipple for as long as she could take it. When she finally cried mercy, his only response was to laugh. It came out as a husky, sexy sound that only spurred her need higher.

  She hadn’t realized it, but somehow, the man was lying between her legs, her groin now pressing against his upper chest. So when he slid lower, there was nothing she could do to hide herself. Not that she really wanted to. At this particular moment, if he didn’t touch her right there, she might just burst into flames.

  “Do you like this?” he asked as he moved lower still, kissing his way down her stomach.

  “Yes!” she sighed, relieved that her breasts were free from his touch for the moment. Although, the more he nibbled along her stomach and hips, the more she wanted him to touch her breasts again.

  Her fingers were in his hair and Becca was amazed at how soft it was. Probably the only soft part of his body, she thought. Well, his lips were pretty…

  “Oh!” she gasped, trying to sit up. She realized what he was doing and tried to pull away. “No, Alex!” she gasped, trying to slide away from him. “I don’t like that!” she yelped.

  He stopped, looking up from his position between her legs. “You don’t?” he asked, shocked and disbelieving.

  She shook her head again. “I really just…don’t!” she told him firmly.

  He smiled gently. “Honey, if you don’t like oral sex, then the men you’ve been with in the past haven’t been doing it right.”

  She pressed her lips together, her body still humming but some of the crazy haze was gone. “Please, Alex. I just…this isn’t going to work,” she told him.

  He laughed. “What do you mean?” he asked. The whole time, his fingers had been tracing patterns against her skin, moving closer and closer. She held her breath, trying to move his hand away, but he was relentless. As his fingers circled closer and closer, she held her breath, staring at his eyes.

  “Alex,” she whispered, not moving. Not daring to move. His fingers were hypnotizing her, holding her hostage until…she gasped when his finger touched her gently against those sensitive nerves. “Alex!” she gasped, jerking straighter.

  “Just relax, Becca.” He stared right into her eyes as his finger moved, circling, twisting, teasing until he was right at her opening. And then time stood still. She stared into his eyes, neither of them moving. For a long moment, her body tensed, waiting to see what he would do.

  Alex watched Becca’s eyes, wanting so badly to taste her. He could smell her arousal, feel the liquid heat of her surrounding his finger, and knew that she would be absolutely delicious. But he wanted her to trust him more than he wanted to taste her. She’d said she didn’t like oral sex. He doubted that was true. Oh, he was fairly sure that she hated bad oral sex. He’d heard of women who weren’t turned on enough to climax during oral sex. Or the man complai
ned about doing it. Alex could see how a woman could get turned off when there was intense pressure to climax quickly.

  But Alex loved a woman’s taste. He loved hearing her moans when he did that to her. And the best part was when she splintered apart while his mouth was right there, her fingers in his hair, tugging at his scalp, silently telling him that he was pleasuring her.

  With Becca, he knew it would be better. Different and amazing. He was dying to taste her now that he could smell her arousal. And the way her inner muscles clenched around his finger, he almost lost control right then and there. But the look in her eyes, hopeful and yet, doubtful, spurred him on, needing to show her that sex could be amazing. He didn’t really understand why it was so important. At the moment, he was too painfully aroused to make sense of anything. He just knew that he had to make this the best experience she’d ever enjoyed.

  So when he moved his fingers slightly, in and out, his thumb rubbing gently against that nubbin, she closed her eyes, her shoulders falling back against the mattress and Alex knew that he had full control once again. He was going to show her that oral sex could be…transcendent.

  His lips curled around that nubbin at the same time that his finger curled upward, finding the spot that caused her to scream, arching her back and pressing her body more completely into his mouth. He took full advantage of that movement, teasing her until…

  It took a lot less time that he would have liked. She was splintering apart within moments of him getting his first taste, but he wasn’t going to complain. She looked beautiful like this…her back arched, her body shivering as the waves of pleasure hit her over and over again. Slowly, he relented on the pressure, easing up as the shivers slowed.