Freeing Alex (The Alexandra Drake Series)

by Ashley, Sarah Elizabeth

  “Umm, I think they will, as long as they’re sensible. They’ll be seeing the place before me, how about that?” I laugh.

  “Well, maybe we can go once Anna’s at university and settled. Yes?” he suggests, with that broad sexy smile.

  “I think that sounds like an amazing idea. I can’t wait to see you in your tiny Speedos on the beach. Look out, here comes the Bossman,” I say in a comical deep voice.

  He laughs and pushes me back onto the bed, looming over me, his unruly curls misbehaving, falling forward on his beautiful face. “Come here, blossom.” He smiles. “And for information, I don’t wear Speedos, I wear board shorts – or nothing!”

  “Ooh… I like the sound of nothing,” I purr.

  I have no desire to fight him off, I’m too done in, he can take me whichever way he wants. I raise my arms and loop my hands around his neck, pulling him towards me, our foreheads touch.

  “I missed having you around today,” he whispers.

  “Did you?”

  “Yeah, I did. Stuck at my desk, working for that slave-driver of a boss I have, I just kept thinking of how many ways I can fuck her,” he growls.

  “Did you? So what did you decide upon?”

  “This.” He grabs my waist and flicks me onto my stomach. He straddles my legs with his own and I am aware that he’s stretching up. As I glance around I see him stripped, those washboard abs displayed in all of their glory. “Don’t look at me, turn around.” His voice is raspy.

  I bury my head in the duvet and he works my back with his fingers, so light yet firm across my shoulders and down my back. Oh, that touch is exquisite and I feel my arousal growing. He leans forward and whispers at my neck, “Do you like that, Alex, do you?”

  “Yes,” I say softly.

  He works his way down my body, leaning into me, his fingers working their magic across my hips, over my bum and down my thighs. He caresses the back of my knees, a sensitive zone, and I gasp. His trail then works up the inside of my thighs. “Move your legs apart.” His fingers continue on their journey to my most sensitive parts, I’m wet, sopping and waiting for him, but he pulls away and stands. I wait a few moments. His touch doesn’t return to me, I roll over and he’s just standing there, staring at my body. “What?”

  “I’m just looking,” he says, “nothing to worry about!”

  I smile. “Tease,” I grump at him as I roll onto my back.

  He reaches for the buttons on his jeans and pulls them down over his hips. He’s commando again, and as he stands upright his cock points directly at me.

  “It’s coming to get me!” I squeak, comically.

  “Oh yes!” He smiles. “Turn over, onto your stomach.” The demand is issued, and of course, I comply.

  He leans forward towards me and reaches around my stomach. He pulls my middle up so that I am on my hands and knees. “Oh,” I gasp.

  “You liked it like this,” he reminds me.

  “Umm,” I mutter.

  He kisses my back softly. “What’s that mean?”

  “It means yes!” I gasp.

  “Was it something… something you hadn’t done before?” he questions, sounding a little surprised.

  “It was – you know I’m, well I’m… I still have no idea how we managed to make Anna!”

  He grasps my waist with both hands and gently works his way down towards my hips. He pulls me close and I feel his erection pressing against my backside. “Ready?” he asks. “Hard and fast!”

  “Umm…” I don’t know what to think. Before we had Anna, Lewis’s and my sex life was very missionary, never venturing to anything more adventurous, and after Anna was born, well, it stopped!

  I feel the hard nub end of his length press against my entrance, he follows with a deep thrust. I’ve not braced myself and my whole body is pushed forward. “Hold on!” he says as he pulls out and thrusts forward again. He feels so deep within me, I feel his balls slapping against me and he moves his fingers to rub against my tender clitoris. He continues to pound into me. I feel myself building towards release, crying out loud.

  “Wait for me!” he demands. I moan in reply as he continues to drive into me. My hair falls forward in a tumbling mess as I am rocked forward over and over again.

  “Ready, Alex?” His voice is husky.

  I whimper in response.

  “I’m coming, baby.”

  We release together. I feel him thrust hard into me and judder, I cry out. He holds onto me, resting his head against my back, we’re still as one as we both pant and gasp.

  He pulls out of me and I move to lie on my side. He moves next to me, wrapping his arms around me and pulls me close. Neither of us utters a word.

  We must lie for some time, just wrapped together. “I’m thirsty,” I say, my voice hoarse. “Do you want a drink?”

  “Yeah.” He moves to lie on his back, his naked body on display, continuing to tease me. He reaches for the remote and flicks on the TV, one arm behind his head, pulling the duvet up and wrapping it around the lower half of his body.

  Standing, I pull on my robe as I head to the kitchen in search of orange juice.

  I pad downstairs and as I reach the hall I hear a key tapping against the lock of the door. Looking through the spy hole, I see Anna and Katie and open the door. They stand there giggling, not drunk, maybe a little tipsy. “Evening, girls, was it a good one?” I ask.

  “Umm, it was good for you, Mum?” Anna bursts out laughing.

  I frown at her. “Anna!” I hiss. “I’m just getting some orange juice, and less of the cheek.”

  The girls both laugh as they remove their heels and wander through to the kitchen, their differences from earlier well and truly behind them.

  I leave them in the kitchen with a reminder that they have a train to catch tomorrow.

  Chapter 15

  I wake before James and look towards the slightly open drapes; it’s still dusk. I glance at the clock, it’s 4.30 a.m. I lie for a little while, looking at him sleeping next to me. He’s on his side, facing me. His unruly hair is messed up big time, his day-old stubble looking sexy. Lewis would never go anywhere without shaving, but I’ve always found a well-groomed beard quite sexy. I watch him gently breathing, he looks so relaxed, his dark eyelashes fanning across his cheeks.

  I ask myself again, as I have done several times: Why me? Why did you find me? Questions that I suppose will probably never be answered.

  I doze, drifting in and out of sleep, and when I look at the clock again it’s still only 5.15. I don’t feel as if I can go back to sleep now, so I quietly get out of bed, use my bathroom and go downstairs and make myself a cup of tea. It’s a beautiful morning and I take my drink onto the patio. Pulling out a chair, I sit, thinking about what I have to do today – meet the potential drivers and housekeepers, see that the girls get to the train station on time… I’m also hoping for a little time for me once the girls have gone and James has left for the day. I think I’d like to spend just a couple of hours at home before I need to go to Reid’s to meet the driving candidates, then I need to come home and meet the housekeeping ladies. Tonight, I want to go out dancing. I haven’t danced properly in years!

  Time presses on quickly and it isn’t long before I’m aware that someone is watching me through the window. I glance up and see the Bossman. I go back into the kitchen. He’s standing there in jeans and white t-shirt, he’s barefoot, I wish he wouldn’t do that – stubble and barefoot, ooh!

  “Tea?” I ask.

  “Coffee, please.” He rubs his hand through his curls and as I stand at the kitchen unit he comes up behind me, pulling me into a hug against his stomach. He squeezes me tight. “God, you feel so good,” he says as he kisses my neck.

  “Umm, so do you. This is so nice,” I whisper.

  “Really?” He sounds surprised. “All I’ve done is cuddled you.”

  I turn in his arms, looking up at him. “But nobody’s ever done this to me before, ever. Only you, James.”

 
He holds me closer and nuzzles my neck, soft little kisses.

  “We’d better put that right then, hadn’t we?” He looks directly into my eyes, those dark eyes that draw me in and don’t let go. “Why, Alex? Why did he not adore you, worship you? Why?”

  I shrug. “Perhaps I wasn’t worthy? Maybe a mistake? Maybe he just… I don’t know.”

  I still feel a little insecure. My heart’s telling me that this is good, that I am worthy of James, but my head… well, I just keep hearing that I’m useless and this won’t last. I smile weakly at him, I think he knows how I feel.

  “But you’re beautiful, not just on the outside but inside too.” He presses feather-light kisses across my cheek and down my neck.

  “No more talk of Lewis, please. I can’t wait for my divorce to finalise and then I can put that part of my life behind me, only I think it’s going to take a little longer now that he’s laid up.” My heart feels heavy, I want this to be over – over for good.

  I see James swallow. I know that he knows how and why Lewis is in hospital. I don’t know what he did and who this Benito is, but deep down I know that he’s the reason behind the broken legs, it’s just too coincidental. Inwardly I sigh, keeping my thoughts to myself, I know the bastard deserves everything he gets but two broken legs, would I have wished that on him. I would certainly like to see him punished, hurt but I don’t know that I’m that malicious, that sadistic. Anyway, what’s done it done now.

  I pull away. “What time are you going in this morning?” I ask as I finish making our tea and coffee.

  He takes a drink of his coffee, looking so casual, leaning against the counter. “I’d like to be there for just after nine if I can, straight after taking the girls to the station. A quick handover with Robbie and then we’ve a staff meeting this afternoon, do you want to come along?”

  “Could do, I’d like to see everyone together. Depends on the time – don’t forget I’m meeting potential drivers today at the hotel and then I need to be back here for the housekeeper.”

  “No, I hadn’t forgotten. What time are they coming in?” he asks.

  “First one’s at eleven, last one’s at one at the hotel. I need to be back here for three. What time’s the staff meeting?” I explain my schedule for today.

  He pours himself another coffee. “It’s not until after lunch – I changed the time because of taking Anna and Katie to the station first thing.”

  “I can join you before I have to come home then. Okay?” I suggest.

  “That’s great. It’d be good for you to see some faces and for them to meet you,” he agrees.

  I start to make some breakfast for us both. “Cereal?” I ask as he stands there, leaning against my kitchen island, barefoot. I glance at the sexy feet, they really do it for me, I have no idea why. I really must be odd, most people hate feet, don’t they? Lifting my gaze to him, he shrugs his shoulders.

  “What?”

  “Your feet,” I say very quietly.

  He looks concerned. Looking at his feet, he wriggles his toes. “What’s wrong with my feet?”

  “Nothing, they’re very, very sexy!” My voice is husky. I cough, I don’t think I’ve ever made a sound like that before.

  He just looks at me intently.

  “Sorry. Feet not your thing?” I ask.

  “No, just didn’t expect you to be turned on by feet!” He smiles as his dark eyes bore into me.

  “I’m not!” I say defensively.

  He flashes that grin at me again. “Then why are you blushing?”

  Shite. “Am I?” I throw my hand to my neck in an effort to cover the flush that I know will grow from my lower neck and eventually travel upwards.

  “It’s a dead giveaway, Alex, I always know when you’re aroused, or embarrassed!” He laughs.

  I turn my back on him, reaching for the cupboard where I keep my cereal.

  “Weetabix?” I ask him.

  “Do you have strawberries in?” What is it with him and strawberries?

  “Yes, there’s a couple of punnets in the fridge. I made sure we got more, just for you!”

  I put two Weetabix in each of two bowls and pour milk onto them both. He takes a handful of the berries and washes them under running water before hulling all but two. He divides most of them between the two bowls before telling me to sit down, which I do.

  “Close your eyes,” he whispers, and I do. I feel something brush my lips. It’s not James, it doesn’t feel like his lips. Of course, I know that it’s one of the largest strawberries he saved. “Open,” he says. I feel the fruit resting on my bottom lip. “Bite.” It’s so juicy – really, really juicy, the sweetness running down my chin. He places his fingers under my chin and lifts my face, I assume towards him. “Keep your eyes closed,” he sighs. Now I feel his lips kissing the juice from my chin, from my lips. The way his mouth brushes mine so gently, he pulls back and runs what I think is his thumb across the corner of my mouth, wiping away any stray strawberry juice. I will never tire of the attention he pays me.

  “There, all clean,” he states. “You can open your eyes now.”

  “You’re a big tease, James Aconi!” I smile at him, giggling.

  He laughs at me, throwing his head back, the corners of his eyes screwing up as he laughs at me. I really, really like My James, the Bossman.

  “You know what I want to do?” I ask him seriously.

  His mouth turns up slightly, one side. “No, what? Tell me!”

  “I want to go dancing, clubbing. Will you take me, tonight. Please?” I plead.

  He looks at me, cocking an eyebrow. “Clubbing! Tonight?”

  “Yes, I feel like being impulsive!” God, I’ve never been impulsive in my whole life, where’s this coming from?

  “Robbie isn’t in until late, I suppose I could ask someone to cover for an hour or two,” he says.

  “That would be good, why don’t you?” I would love to have James to myself, just for a few hours this evening. There’s no reason why someone else can’t take the helm at the hotel, it’s not like they’re not capable.

  “Okay, I will do. Where are we going?” he asks as he pulls me closer, so close that I can feel his hard length pressing against me.

  “I don’t know, in fact, I haven’t got a clue. I don’t know what to wear or where to go, but I fancy dancing. I haven’t danced in, it’s got to be what… over twenty-two years! Apart from the odd wedding that I got dragged along to, Lewis’s cousin I think was the last one, and wedding dancing, well, it’s not the same as going out dancing, is it? All a bit too restrained. I feel the need to just let myself go.” And I do, I have the strangest urge to just become totally irresponsible, which is not in my character ,but hell, after years of being a good little wife or, in my case, one that is not very good, I just want to let it all out.

  We finish our breakfast. Time presses on at a clip and before I have a chance to breathe, we’re both showered and dressed, all four of us have had breakfast and Anna and Katie are ready to head to the station.

  I stand by the front door with my daughter and her friend. I pull Anna into such a big hug. “Look after yourself and ring me as soon as you get those results, okay? I’ll be thinking of you, both of you.”

  I place my hand on Katie’s cheek. “I hope you both get what you’re hoping for, I’m just so sorry I can’t be there with you. Please, make sure you call. What time are you going to school?”

  “We can go down any time after eight thirty,” Katie says.

  “And what time are you going?” I ask with my firm motherly look about my face.

  “Eight thirty!” they answer in unison. James stands behind me, laughing at their choral answer. They may be eighteen but at times they behave as though they were both still in primary school.

  “We have to be there early, Mum, to get the results so that we can ring early to accept our places at uni. Someone last year missed out because they messed around,” Anna tells me.

  “Umm, I heard that too. Now, I�
��ve transferred enough cash into your account for you and Katie to book yourselves a flight to wherever you choose to go. Let me know when and where you’re going and I can let people in Italy or in California know, they can get some groceries in, I think they can do that anyway. And please be careful, don’t do anything stupid?” I issue my Mumsy warning.

  “We won’t, Mum, I’ll be back next week to pack for our holiday.” Anna gives me that do you think I’m stupid look that all teenagers seem to possess.

  “Are you going to pop in and see your dad?” I have to ask because it seems like the polite thing to do, although really and truly I don’t care, he can rot in hell.

  “No,” she answers flatly, “never again.” Her face says it all, she will never have any dealings with her father, ever again.

  There’s silence at that point, the atmosphere could be sliced through. “Come on then, girls.” James breaks the awkward moment. “Roger’s here with the car.”

  “Oh wow!” Katie jumps up and flaps her hands around. “My granddad used to have a Mercedes, but a really old one and a dreadful colour, a sort of sick colour and not as big as this.”

  “Urgh!” I say, wincing. “I’m sure Mercedes didn’t call the colour sick.”

  They laugh and with one last hug they walk out of the house and down the steps, James behind, carrying their holdalls.

  I follow them down the steps and can’t help feeling that this time I’m saying goodbye to the one good thing in my life, until I met James, of course, although I don’t believe that James is anything more than a fling. My daughter’s going, off to her friend’s and then on holiday and then to university. I know we’ll always be close but is this the start of her going away for good, forever?

  I walk them to the car and see them in, saying “hello” and “thank you” to Roger and giving one last hug, then they’re away. I slowly walk back into my home, push the door to with my back and crumble. I slide down the door, my back up against it and my knees pulled to my chest. I never expected it to feel like this, she’s gone and although I know she’ll be back, and back soon, it will be for fleeting visits. From now on until she finishes university I’ll have her at home for a few weeks at time, and that’s it, gone! I love her so much.