Taking Chances

by Flowers, Loni

  Alex smiled wide at her response. He recalled the image of her in a towel from just a few days ago. She looked extremely sexy in that unrehearsed moment with her wet hair and skin. Now that he’d been able to feel her against him, he couldn’t wait to have her in his arms again. Alex felt like he might but bust with excitement. He’d never felt this giddy about someone, not even Mia could stir those feelings. Yep, I think I’m in love with this girl, but I think I’ll keep it to myself… for now.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Clair

  Clair slipped on a pair of comfortable shorts and a white tee-shirt after her quick shower. She was trying to hurry since Alex was on his way and she knew meeting him at the door wearing only a towel again would not be a good idea. After what happened at the club the other night, Clair could only guess how quickly things could escalate. She couldn’t help it. When he touched and kissed her with such conviction and passion, it made her melt. She lost all train of thought, and her body became putty in his hands, free to mold any way he chose. Tonight, she was going to keep herself under control.

  Checking out her reflection in the mirror, Clair applied a thin coat of fruity lip gloss before she sat down on the couch and waited. She picked up her phone and read Alex’s last text message again. It had been nearly thirty minutes since he had sent it to her, and the longer she waited, the more nauseous she became. She couldn’t tell if it were from the excitement of seeing Alex again, after not seeing him in nearly four days, or the dread of knowing he’d be gone for two weeks. Probably a little of both, but either way, Clair wasn’t going to let it ruin her night.

  Pushing her phone into her pocket, she leaned her head against the couch and closed her eyes. She was exhausted from having worked so much in the past three days. Helping Roz work extra shifts prevented her from spending time with Alex, and the late shifts limited their phone conversations.

  The phone in her pocket vibrated and Clair jumped awake. She pulled it out and saw Alex’s name on the screen. “Hey. Where are you?” she asked, holding the phone to her ear.

  “I’m right here. I’ve been standing outside your door for the last five minutes, knocking. Are you going to let me in?”

  “Oh my God, I’m so sorry. I fell asleep on the couch,” she said, walking to the door.

  He smiled broadly, “You’re not sleepy are you? I won’t stay long if you want to get some rest.”

  Clair twisted her lips up, as if Alex had just said the dumbest thing possible. “What! Are you crazy?” She stepped closer, laying her palms on his chest. “I couldn’t be more awake right now.”

  “You didn’t miss me that much did you?” Alex said, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck, and buried her face in the crook of it. When she inhaled his scent, she could smell a mixture of Ivory soap and aftershave on his skin. “You have no idea. I mean, you’ll probably think I sound crazy… it’s only been a few days, but it feels like I haven’t seen you in forever. I haven’t been able to concentrate on anything and you can just imagine how bad I was at the diner.” Clair looked down, embarrassed by her admission and hoping Alex didn’t think she was psycho. She turned from him to walk away, “Well anyway, I just really missed you.”

  Alex held her hips with his hands and pulled her against him. “I guess that makes two crazy people then. I’ve been feeling the exact same way. Stu’s been teasing me since I can’t seem to pay attention.”

  Clair tilted her head back, giving him a quick kiss on the lips. Anything more and they would be making out in the doorway. Having him so close with his hands on her hips, his thumbs slightly tucked into her waistband, overwhelmed her senses and she wanted more. “Let me just grab my purse.”

  After arriving at Alex’s apartment, Clair left her shoes in the usual place by the front door. She carried the bag of Chinese food that Alex paid for and set it on the counter in the kitchen. He walked up beside her, resting his hand on her lower back, and dropped his keys on the counter.

  “Go ahead and eat. I want to take a shower since I’ve been at work all day. Is that all right with you?”

  “Sure, go ahead. I’ll just watch TV until you get out and we’ll eat together.” She picked up the food and placed the bag inside the microwave to keep it warm.

  “Okay, I’ll only be a few minutes.” He kissed her on the cheek before he walked down the short hall to the bathroom.

  Sitting on the couch, Clair pulled her feet under her. She hadn’t been to Alex’s apartment since the night she was attacked. With everything that had happened, she hadn’t gotten the chance to really check out the place. Basic beige curtains hung over the windows with no artwork or pictures decorating the walls. In a corner sat a cabinet with an average-sized television on top. A matching beige couch and recliner occupied the center of the room with a coffee table between them. For someone who had done such a fantastic job designing Red Velvet, Clair found his apartment very basic.

  She scanned over the magazine titles that lay spread out across the coffee table and picked up one. Flipping through the pages, she saw layout after layout of various homes. Turning through the dog-eared pages, she wondered what made the homes so special when nearly every one looked the same. Certain rooms had been circled with a pen and some scribbling here and there stood out on several pages. Clair made a mental note to ask him about it later.

  Wanting something to drink, she walked toward the kitchen and was blindsided when her chest slammed into Alex. The momentum caused Clair to lose her balance, but Alex pulled her to him to keep her from falling, twisting her around so her back was against the wall.

  Before Clair realized what happened, she was against him; his mouth inches from hers, his breath lightly brushing her face. The towel that hung around his waist rubbed against her legs. Her hands rested on his bare chest. It was firm and smooth beneath her palms. Droplets of water were sprinkled on his upper body, reflecting the light from the kitchen against his skin. His hair hung across his forehead. A drop of water formed a bead on the end of one strand, and slowly rolled down his forehead.

  “Sorry about that. Are you all right?” he whispered.

  Clair nodded as she watched another bead roll down his nose and drop to the edge of his bottom lip. His mouth was perfectly shaped, and she wanted to feel it against hers. Without thinking, she sucked the water from his bottom lip, pulling it into her mouth. Alex slid one of his hands down the back of her arm and to her waist. He braced himself with the other, against the wall protecting her head and wedging his leg between hers. When he pressed his body against her, a moan escaped his mouth but was cut short as Clair kissed him deeply. His fingers slid under her blouse, raking them across her stomach and she gasped at the sensation. Goose bumps spread over her as if she was cold, but her body throbbed with heat when he touched her. She rubbed her hands down his chest, outlining the muscles of his stomach with her fingers. He pulled his mouth from hers, and slowly kissed his way to her ear. Flicking her earlobe with his tongue, Clair could feel her breath accelerating. She moved her hands down his sides before wrapping her fingers around his towel and pulling his hips closer to hers. His arousal pressed hard against her from beneath the towel and she smiled, satisfied that she caused such a reaction.

  Alex brought his hand from the wall and weaved his fingers through her hair at the back of her head. He pulled away from mouth, his chest rising and falling in rapid succession. She looked down, disappointed that he had pulled away from her, but he lifted her chin to see her eyes and Clair saw the desire and longing etched on his face.

  “Tell me to stop. Tell me to stop now, Clair, because I don’t want to. I want you. I want every inch of you under my hands, to feel your warm skin beneath me. But if you want to wait, I will. I don’t want to rush this.”

  Clair’s breath caught in her throat. There was no denying what she wanted. She wanted him. The wet strands fell into his eyes and Clair brushed them away before running her hand through his hair. Alex
watched her, waiting for an answer. She held his face between her hands and softly pressed her lips to his. Disappointment came over his features and Clair slid her hands down his face to his neck as she curled her fingers around his nape.

  “You are leaving me for two weeks. Except for the last few days, we’ve spent most of our free time together. How come whenever things start to get good, something happens to ruin it?”

  Alex looked at her, confused. “I know. I’m sorry; I didn’t know it was…”

  “I can’t do it. I just can’t…”

  Alex straightened, stepping back slightly. “It’s okay, I understand.”

  Clair grabbed his arm and pulled him back to her. “I can’t wait. I can’t wait two whole weeks wondering how it would be, how you would feel. Make love to me right now, and don’t stop.”

  The words barely left her mouth when Alex pushed her to the wall, lifting her off the floor. He kissed her hard and Clair responded by gripping the back of his neck and wrapping her legs around his waist. He held her cheeks in both hands and deepened their kiss. One of his hands slid down her body, cupping her butt as Alex moved her away from the wall. Clair hardly noticed as she grasped the strands of his hair between her fingers.

  The glow from the kitchen gave off enough light that they could see each other in his bedroom. Clair sat up on the bed and let Alex lift the tee-shirt over her head, tossing it to the floor. He threaded his fingers through the back of her hair, pulling her head back. He left a trail of kisses down her throat and across her collarbone. Clair felt weak, a bowl of mush from the overload of sensations coursing through her body.

  Leaning her back against the pillows, Alex kissed further down her chest and she arched her back in response. Sliding his hand under her back, he unhooked her bra. As he looked into her eyes, he slid his fingers under the strap on her shoulders, and eased it down her arms. Clair pulled her arms free and he tossed it on the floor, not once breaking eye contact with her. She watched as he lightly brushed a fingertip across her nipple. She shivered from the tingle that ran through her body and her chest heaved in anticipation while he studied her body.

  “You’re stunning, Clair,” he said, his breath heavy. “Absolutely beautiful.”

  Clair slid her hand up his arm and grabbed his biceps, pulling him to her. But he wouldn’t budge. Instead he grinned and bent forward to kiss her stomach, his lips feeling like fire on her skin. Cupping his hands over her breast, he brought his mouth to her nipple, sucking the tip of it. She raised her back again, wanting more, and wrapped one of her legs around his hip.

  Finding her lips, Alex kissed her, his tongue plunging deep inside as his hand glided down the back of her thigh and up her shorts. His fingers lifted the seam of her panties, finding her bare bottom. He massaged it, molding the skin to fit just right in the palm of his hand. Alex moved his hand, tickling her stomach with his fingers until he pulled at her waistband, feeling for the button of her shorts.

  As he undid them, he eased her shorts down her legs, revealing her black panties. Clair sucked in a sharp breath as she felt him trace his fingers across the top them. He teased her like no one else and Clair felt like she might burst from all the sensations building up inside of her.

  She met his eyes as his hands wandered up her stomach, before stopping at the base of her neck. He reached up, brushing his thumb over her lips as he stared at her. His eyes showed more intimacy and love than his hand or body could have ever given her. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it, as if changing his mind. Clair wondered briefly what he was going to say, but didn’t ask, not wanting to spoil the moment with idle conversation.

  “Kiss me,” she said, lifting her mouth to meet his.

  Alex lay on top of her, his skin warm and firm against hers. She moved her palms down the length of his back until she reached the towel around his waist. She grabbed the edge of it, and he lifted his hips, allowing her to pull it away. He settled his hips against her, her panties the only material separating his naked body from skin to skin contact. He pressed his hardness into her and Clair wrapped her hands around his lower back, pushing his hips harder into her.

  He breathed heavily into her ear, almost moaning when he said, “Your feel so good beneath me.”

  Clair turned her head toward his neck, her lips finding his ear, and she licked the tip of his earlobe before drawing it into her mouth. Alex gasped for breath and gripped the sheets in his hands beside her head, rocking his hips harder against her. She tightened her legs around his hips to meet his push; the burning between her legs growing fiercer with every movement he made.

  “That feels so… please don’t stop,” she choked out, her voice dry from her labored breathing.

  He looked at her, his eyes serious and determined, full of need and desire. “Oh baby, I’m not even close to being done. I want to taste every single part of you.”

  Without hesitation, Alex kissed a line of kisses down her body. The image alone of what he was about to do invoked a burning that seeped through every inch of her. Reaching her panties, he rolled them down her thighs, removing them from around her feet. He placed small kisses up her leg before he pushed them apart, running his tongue up the inside of her thigh. When his mouth made contact with her center, his tongue swirled around the delicate skin, probing in and out of her as he tenderly tugged at the tender flesh with his lips. Clair gripped a handful of sheets on both sides of her, arching her hips for him to take more. She panted hard and fast, feeling as if she would hyperventilate. Her body trembled, intensified by every touch, every kiss. She looked back at him in awe, never having received such a level of passion before from anyone.

  He looked up, smiling, and leaned over the top of her, “I told you I was going to taste every part of you.”

  “No one’s ever… I have never felt…’ Her voice was weak as she tried to speak between breaths but found it difficult to even form a full sentence.

  “Is it too much? I can stop?”

  Clair shook her head, raking her fingers down his neck. “No, please don’t. I want to feel you inside of me.”

  He brushed the hair away from her eyes, stroking her cheek with the back of his hand. He searched her face; as if looking for any hint of uncertainty.

  “Don’t you want me?” she asked, worried he might have changed his mind.

  “More than anything.”

  “Then take me… make love to me.”

  Alex kissed her lips, “Let me put something on,” he said, as he pushed away from her and sat on the side of the bed. She watched him reach into the drawer of his nightstand and open it. He pulled out a small silver square from inside the drawer. Clair couldn’t help but wonder how often he’d been in that drawer, doing exactly the same thing with other women? But she knew that if that were the case, it was part of his past and she decided it didn’t matter. She wanted him, no matter what his past relationships might have been.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Clair

  Alex lay on his side next to her and Clair turned to face him. She twisted her legs between his and her eyes closed automatically when he stroked his hand across her cheek. Alex slid his hand down her neck, sweeping her hair back behind her. The mood had shifted, the urgency gone, but the passion still showed in his sensual touch. Clair kept her eyes closed, enjoying the warmth of his hand as it traced her curves. Goose bumps rose over her skin and she felt his breath against her lips before he kissed her. She opened her mouth, allowing him to slip his tongue inside. Soft and tenderly he kissed her, his hand roaming over her body until it found her breast, where his fingers pulled and rubbed at her nipple.

  The pace was slow and steady as Alex built the hunger inside of her. She wrapped her leg over his hip, spreading herself open to him. His hand played between her legs, caressing the tender skin. Clair shifted her hip hard against his hand, moaning loudly against his chest when he slipped his fingers inside her. He growled in her hair, whispering something about her wetness but she wasn’t coherent
enough to hear his words.

  She couldn’t handle the teasing any longer; she had to feel him inside her. “Now,” she breathed, gripping his shoulders. He pulled his hand away, pressing her back to the mattress before sliding deep into her. Clair gasped, as she enveloped him. Slowly he pulled in and out of her. Alex looked at her, as if testing her reaction. But it didn’t hurt. Even though she hadn’t had sex in a while, what Alex was doing to her felt incredibly good. She slid her hands down his back, pushing her hips into him with every thrust he made. Seeing he wasn’t hurting her, Alex rocked back and forth harder, moving in and out, increasing his speed with every stroke.

  A shock burst through her core, so intense, Clair gripped his upper arms, digging her nails into him. She cried out, a loud moan escaping her mouth. Her body convulsed, the sensation that ran through her felt as if she were releasing years of disillusionment. The emotions she desperately wanted to share with someone she loved pumped through her. It was the most amazing feeling she’d ever experienced.

  Alex breathed heavily into the crook of her neck, the rhythm of their bodies becoming one. He lifted his upper body off her slightly. His breath blew over her face as he pushed faster and harder into her. Crushing his mouth over hers, he plunged his tongue deep inside, nipping her bottom lip with his teeth. His head bent beside her, as he pressed his face into her hair. Then he grunted, his rhythm slowing, but his thrust kept pushing hard into her. With a final push, his body tensed, firm and ridged before he exhaled, lying on top of her. He cupped her face with his palms, rubbing her cheeks with his thumbs, and kissed her gently. Pressing his forehead to hers, Clair could feel the sweat on his brow. They lay together in silence for a moment, their breaths coming out as one, savoring the beauty of what they just enjoyed from each other.

  Alex rolled to his side, laying his arm across her stomach as he moved his head to the corner of her pillow. After kissing her several times on the shoulder, he said, “I don’t even know what to say… that was… great.”