by Calista Fox
Before Lola could get a word in, the group erupted with conversation, throwing out a dozen ideas she’d never even considered.
Lola stared at the enthusiastic team with wide eyes, thoroughly crushed and wondering what in hell she knew about marketing, anyway.
So much for her dream of becoming the manager’s mentee. She could kiss that job good-bye. No way could she compete with the more seasoned staff members. Regardless of how passionate she was about Staci Kay shoes.
For God’s sake… it’d be a miracle if she lasted a second day in her new position.
* * *
“What’s all this?” Lola asked as she came through the door of Alex’s condo. She inhaled the aromatic scent of Italian sausage and peppers, which helped to lighten her sullen mood a bit.
Alex was at the stove, stirring the contents in a saucepan. Glancing over his shoulder, he said, “Pasta bolognese, to celebrate your promotion.”
She eyed him curiously. “You don’t eat pasta bolognese. Too spicy for you.”
He shrugged nonchalantly and turned back to the pot. “It’s your favorite.”
Lola set the bag containing her new department-issued laptop next to the foyer table. She stripped off her suit jacket and hung it over the back of a stool. Alex had wine waiting. She reached for one of the glasses on the counter and took a sip.
“Oh, wow, that’s nice.”
“Sangiovese.”
She stared at his broad back, covered by a robin’s-egg blue dress shirt because he hadn’t changed out of his work clothes, and frowned. “How long are you sticking with the economy of words?”
He spared another glance her way. “I’m cooking.”
Her gaze slid over him and her frown deepened. He still wore his tie and platinum watch. His sleeves were gathered at the wrists and secured with cufflinks. He was back to meticulous Alex. The man in control of his emotions and his life.
Hmm. That just wouldn’t do. She wanted unraveled Alex back. Especially after her hellaciously disastrous day, where she’d pretty much done nothing but trip all over herself and prove she was as green as grass. She needed a distraction. More than that, she was still wrapped around the axle over the way Alex had looked at her last night.
Taking her jacket from the bar stool, she said, “I’ll be right back.”
She headed into her room and ditched the suit. Kept the purple Mary Janes on, though.
Despite the order Alex had issued when he’d demanded she wear his robe, she made a split decision. She slipped into a satin, floral-print chemise in lavender, mint, and mauve. The drapey neckline dipped provocatively. The back swooped down to her tailbone. The tight hem barely skimmed the tops of her thighs.
She added a lacy lavender thong, fluffed her fat curls, and returned to the kitchen.
Alex spewed wine. “Holy fuck!”
Lola grinned. “You didn’t think I was going to forget about what happened between us, did you?”
“Nothing happened between us,” he insisted as he sopped up the mess with paper towels before reaching for the sanitizing wipes.
“Well, then,” she said. “If you’re not into me, it shouldn’t be a problem what I wear.”
He glared at her.
“Or you could just admit what’s going on…” She wagged her brows.
“Let’s eat.”
Alex had already set the table. He carried over the bowl of pasta he’d tossed with the zesty-smelling sauce, and a basket of garlic bread. She grabbed their wineglasses.
Sitting across from him, Lola pinned him with a bold look and said, “We’re best friends. We’re crazy about each other. Why aren’t we having sex?”
Alex handed her the basket. “A man would have to be blind or dead to not think you’re hot, Lo. So it’s not exactly a New World Order.”
“I’m not fishing for compliments. I want to know what you’re thinking.”
“And what? You’re going to get me all worked up with a skimpy outfit and high heels so I’ll make some sort of confession?” He looked a bit crazed.
Lola’s gaze narrowed. “Are you all worked up?”
“Aw, Jesus.” Alex stood. Taking his wineglass to the counter, he poured himself a healthy amount.
She regarded him a few moments, trying to discern his mood. Then bit the bullet and asked, “Don’t you want some fireworks in your life?”
Alex sipped, apparently mulling this over. “Just because we’re best friends doesn’t mean there’d be fireworks. And let’s face it. We’re polar opposites. We’d never mesh.”
Lola turned back to the table and munched on her garlic bread for a few moments. He kind of had a point. Hadn’t she been saying the same thing all along?
She wiped her hands with her napkin and said, “Fine. I’ll go get the robe.”
“No.” He blew out a long breath. “I can handle it. I just—” He grumbled under his breath a little.
“You just… what?”
Alex returned to the table, slipping into his seat across from her. “Yeah, I’m attracted to you. All right? Now you know the only secret I’ve ever kept from you.”
Her heart melted. “Alex.”
“Don’t make me regret telling you.”
She laughed. “I wouldn’t. I’m glad you finally said something. But…” She shook her head. Reached for her wine.
“Yes?” he asked, his voice trepid.
“Well, it’s just that, I can’t stop thinking about it… or you. I mean, you’ve sort of blown my mind with everything you’ve got going on right now.” She could barely take her eyes off him. And her pulse jumped—very unexpected. “Honestly, I didn’t wear that nightie to tease you. I pretty much thought you were immune to me.”
“Again,” he said in a dry tone, “you do get a glimpse of yourself in the mirror from time to time?”
“Alex.” She eyed him squarely. “I’ve had a grown-up’s body since I was seventeen. I’m pretty much immune to me. And it’s not like my body is something new and intriguing you’ve just discovered.”
Which was so bizarre, because so much about him was new and intriguing that she’d just discovered.
He stared at her for several moments, then said, “Whoa. Back up. You think you’re, what? Passé?”
She took a deep drink from her glass. Gave herself a few moments to gather her thoughts. They were edging in on a very touchy subject for Lola. One that made her stomach twist with uncertainty and old insecurities.
“You’ve seen my mother, Alex. I never anticipated all of this.” She swiped her hand through the air, in the general direction of her breasts. “And it happened in high school. So I’ve had plenty of time to adjust and go with the flow when it comes to the sideways glances or outright stares. But last night… The way you looked at me? That was different—it felt different—because it was you. It totally caught me off guard. Excited the hell out of me, too.”
There. A little tit for tat confession, so to speak.
“Lo.” He rubbed the nape of his neck as though a knot of tension had settled in. “Neither of us has met the right companion. That doesn’t mean we’d be right for each other.”
“Doesn’t mean we wouldn’t be, either,” she challenged, with a daring stare.
Their eyes remained locked for several suspended seconds.
Then Lola stood and splashed more wine into her glass. She wandered into the living room as her brain cycled through the past twenty-four hours.
She heard Alex jump up. He trailed behind her.
“What do you have on your mind?” he demanded. He gently though possessively gripped her upper arm and carefully turned her to face him. “What’s going on, Lo?”
She inhaled deeply. This was risky business, yet she couldn’t help but ask, “Aren’t you tired of being alone?”
He released her. Crossed his arms over his expansive chest. “That’s no reason to randomly hook up.”
“True.” She set her wineglass on an end table, forgetting the coaster. Alex’s ar
ms dropped to his sides and he lurched forward to remedy the oversight, even though her stemmed glass of room-temperature red shouldn’t leave a ring. No condensation.
Lola resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Instead, she told him, “Here’s a thought. You’re not dating anyone. I’m not dating anyone. We get along fabulously, and apparently, we have the hots for each other. Wouldn’t it be great if there was actually something more between us? I mean, we’ve never even kissed. But—”
“No,” he said, lifting a hand to cut her off. “Not gonna happen.”
“We could be doing ourselves a real disservice by ignoring this,” she challenged, as was her nature.
“I’ll remain a saner person by ignoring this.”
“You were a mess last night. The guy who doesn’t like messes.”
“And now I’m collected again.”
“Oh, Alex.” She smiled, slightly devilishly. When would he ever learn?
She stretched on tiptoes and pressed her mouth to his.
Lola had no idea what to expect. His lips set in a hard, obstinate line? His body rigid? His entire being listless because he wasn’t willing to experiment?
None of those things happened. Rather, their lips parted on the same breath and his tongue swept inside her mouth, tangling with hers. One of his hands cupped the side of her face. The other gripped her waist and he yanked her to him. His arm encircled her. He crushed her against his body, soft curves conforming to powerful muscles.
An electric current arced between them, giving her one hell of a jolt.
Alex’s hot, wet, erotic kiss was so sizzling, Lola couldn’t catch her breath. She had to tear her mouth from his.
“Oh!” The word leapt from somewhere deep in her throat.
Alex pulled away, just as breathless. He shoved a hand through his hair. “This is such a bad idea.”
Still… his green irises blazed with a raw, intense yearning. One Lola suddenly realized she’d been desperate to see in a man’s eyes but had yet to—until this very moment.
With Alex.
She snapped.
Lola threw her arms around his neck and kissed him as she toppled him, so that Alex lost his balance and fell over the arm of the leather sofa. He landed on the cushions with a hearty oomph—and her sprawled across him.
She had no idea if the passion that suddenly consumed her resulted from months of loneliness and a few unsatisfying sexual encounters. Or if it was all Alex, lighting her up like a slot machine with a winning combination.
No doubt the latter.
The lust coursing through her was clearly mutual, because her regimented best friend didn’t take offense to her tackling him. Nor did he hold back. He kissed her with equal fervor, his tongue teasing at first, tangling and toying as he engaged her in a sexy dance. Then delving deep, claiming her completely.
Excitement blazed through her.
Alex’s kiss went on and on. It was hungry. Greedy. Filled with the unspoken need he had to taste her, possess her.
Lola had never been so thoroughly lost in the moment. So that nothing else registered but the sparks that were flying in every direction.
His hands roamed her body, skimming over her hips to her ass, squeezing roughly and sending searing zings through her veins. She’d never expected OCD Alex to be this aggressive—it was so hot!
He rolled onto his side, pinning her between his large body and the back of the couch. Their legs twined. One hand left her butt and he palmed her breast, caressing confidently. His thumb whisked back and forth over her nipple, pebbling it tight. Igniting an insistent ache deep in her pussy. Her clit throbbed, demanding his touch.
She couldn’t resist grinding against him, feeding the inferno raging within her while also desperately seeking the relief she’d needed for much too long—now intensified by Alex’s blatant desire for her.
Eventually, he dragged his mouth away, his breathing labored. “Christ, you make me hard.” His deep voice rumbled against her throat. “So quick. Kissing you… touching you… hell, just thinking about being inside you could make me explode.”
His words thrilled her. So, too, did the fire burning in his eyes. The hard set of his jaw. The pressure of his muscular body against her softer one. They fit fantastically together.
“I want to fuck you, Lola.”
Alex talked dirty? That really got her going.
“Yes,” she said on a sharp breath. “Oh, God, yes. Alex, please.”
“Hard, Lo.” The dark edge to his tone spiked her arousal.
He was a dream come true. With just the right sexual chemistry and skill to convince her that this man would not lose his way, or leave her high and dry after he’d gotten off, as others had in the past.
“But first,” he told her as his lips trailed down her neck, nipping her sensitive skin, “I’m going to make you come.”
“Please,” she pleaded as she writhed against him. “I need it so much.”
“You need me,” he insisted. “You need me doing this to you.”
He was demanding and forceful in the most devilish way. Lola would never have guessed he’d be so commanding. So dynamic.
“Yes, Alex.” She submitted easily to his masterful touch as his tongue glided along her collarbone. “I need you.”
Her fingers threaded through his lush hair. Her breath caught in anticipation as his head dipped farther. His tongue flicked over her nipple, moistening it through the satin and causing the sensitive bud to pucker tightly.
“Keep doing that,” she begged.
“You have an incredible body. I want to taste every inch of it.” He brushed aside her drapey neckline, cupped her bare breast, and suckled the taut peak. Lola gasped as the flames flared in her core. He released the tingly flesh and murmured, “Perfect, pink nipples.”
His adoration made her burn brighter.
He shifted his attention to her other breast, sweeping away the material and curling his tongue around her nipple before sucking it deep into his mouth.
“That feels so good.” She whimpered against his hair, which smelled enticingly of pomegranate.
As his mouth continued to pleasure her, his hand slipped lower, to the apex of her legs. His fingertips glided over the lace covering her, his intimate touch electrifying. He stroked assertively. The lace provided a hint of friction. The thin material instantly dampened.
“You’re already wet for me,” he said, his warm breath scintillating on her bare flesh.
“Yes, Alex. God, you turn me on.”
His fingers slid behind the material and he targeted her clit with the perfect double-time fluttering to set her pulse racing. A small cry fell from her lips. She gripped his bulging bicep with her free hand and held on for dear life as he rubbed the sensitive knot of nerves, the skin-on-skin contact making her half out of her mind.
He whispered, “I want you wetter.”
“Yes.” Everything about Alex had her teeming with desire. Even his voice was different this evening. So low and sensual. It did wicked things to her insides.
He eased a finger into her pussy and Lola gasped. It’d been so long since she’d felt the erotic invasion. He worked his magic on her, stroking slowly at first as the heel of his hand massaged her clit. Drawing out a slow surrender as her hips undulated with his stroking.
Her breathing escalated. Her pulse beat erratically. Alex worked in a second finger and picked up the pace, pushing deeper and stroking faster. Sending her right to the edge.
So fast.
It wasn’t like she’d expected him to be timid with foreplay, but Jesus, she had no idea he’d be this self-assured when it came to pleasuring her.
This was not her high school nerdy best friend who’d always lingered on the fringes of exciting times, like the football games, dances, and parties she’d dragged him to.
This was a man certain of his sexual abilities—driven to get her off like nothing she’d ever known before. And he was about to succeed.
Her hips rose and r
olled to meet his pumping. Tension built within her. His lips closed around her nipple, and the way he alternately suckled with his mouth and flicked with his tongue kept her blazing with lust and longing.
His fingers twisted inside her as they plunged deep, and suddenly everything erupted in her core and Lola came on a mad rush of heat and moisture.
“Alex!” she called out. Tremors rocked her body and little white orbs burst behind her closed lids. Her labored breath echoed in the otherwise quiet room. “Oh, my God!”
Her inner walls clutched his fingers, holding on to the powerful orgasm.
Lola had no idea how much time passed as they both panted softly, their breaths mingling. Alex’s erection pressed against her belly and she yearned to feel him inside her. But she was still in the throes of a climax she savored, one she didn’t want to let go of.
Endless moments ticked by. Then, while she still trembled, she said in a raspy tone, “I’ve never come so quickly. I don’t think I’ve ever come so hard. Alex, that was sensational.” She fought for normal breathing, but Alex had her too worked up.
Eventually, she opened her eyes and found him staring at her, determination stamped across his devastatingly handsome face. As though making her come was a mission where failure was not an option.
Well, he’d accomplished that mission beautifully. Lola was completely blown away.
And wanted so much more.
She gazed at him, stunned and astonished.
A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. Anticipation shimmied down her spine.
Her Alex was a superhero sex god.
Who’d tossed a wrench into the works this time?
Chapter Three
Lola’s breasts heaved against Alex’s chest. Her body thrummed as sheer ecstasy coursed through her.
“You realize this opens Pandora’s Box,” she said.
Alex withdrew his fingers from her. She nearly let out a cry of protest, but suspected he had so much more in store for her.
Indeed, he gave her a sinful grin. “I suppose I ought to finally accept the fact that I like your kind of chaos.”