His fingers brushed against her cheek. "It's the opposite for me."
Luckily she was on the bed already because she might have toppled over with how weak her knees became at the look on his face. "How?"
His words were soft. "With you, my life feels complete. We can't force that on each other, though. In the end, if you need to walk away, I'll have to respect that."
The smell of cedar and pine overwhelmed her. The taste of him watered in her mouth. Every cell in her body ached for his touch. "I'm sorry I hurt you. For right now, kiss me."
He shifted backwards on the bed. "You said earlier no kissing."
She reached over and ran her hand through his hair. His gaze softened as he stared into her eyes. She shifted to be closer to him. "I changed my mind. I want to feel every moment with you."
He gathered her hands and held them over his heart. With bated breath she waited for whatever he'd say. His eyebrows rose. "Why?"
The pang in her heart grew. There was no escape. She had to tell him everything. "Butterflies soar every time you stroke my body. John, without you, I've been half-dead on the inside, and you've woken me up. It scares me, but I want you so bad that I ache."
She stroked his neck, then kissed where her hand had touched. A moan of delight rumbled through him. "You confuse me."
He traced her sides—she kissed his cheek as the fire inside her grew. He had to kiss her again. "Don't think," she whispered. "Let's just feel."
His grip tightened around her waist, and then whatever dam held him back broke. His lips claimed hers, hard and demanding. Her body slackened as she leaned into him to give him more room.
His fingers caressed her backside. The feel of his hands on her had to be skin to skin. The sweats were unnecessary and a wall. Right now, she needed him. She pulled back from his kiss, and lifted her body to throw the sweats and underwear across the room.
His hands fell to his sides. "Alice, we don't have to."
"Yes we do. I need you." She lifted her shirt and then sat on the bed naked and waiting for him.
For some reason, he didn't move. She reached between them and threw his towel on the floor. "Don't you want me, too?"
Then his strong arms ran up her legs. Her body ached with desire on every part of her that his fingers touched.
Right now, she needed him inside her. Nothing else mattered.
She scooted herself onto his lap and kissed him again. This time his hands traced her naked back and heat coursed through her, everywhere.
There might never be another time. The reason people almost killed her twice was because they wanted to hurt John. His life was on the line, too, even if he never said it. The future was unsure. Now was all they had. She ran her hands down his back to mirror what he did to her.
Her mouth tasted the fine wine that his offered. Every part of her soft body was hypersensitive to his strong hard muscles.
As her fingers lowered, she traced the outline of his penis. It was engorged and ready for her already. Without waiting, she lifted herself to guide him inside. He stopped and pulled out. "We need protection, Alice."
Common sense was lost in the heat of passion. He lifted her up and placed her on the bed as he went to his bureau. A moment later he had a condom, ripped the packaging and rolled it on himself. As he rejoined her on the bed, he asked, "Are you sure?"
"Don't make me beg," she said huskily and climbed on him. It was better to be a sex kitten then nothing at all. Her muscles quivered as he held himself over her.
As his lips claimed her breasts, another moan came through her. She had to have him. Now. She rolled him backwards on the bed, and lifted her hips. With her knees to the sides, she straddled him and led his cock inside her body.
If only she could believe that they'd be together forever because then she'd truly be free. Right now reckless abandon overtook her. She ached for him. All that mattered was total surrender. The wild throes of riding him released something deep that burst out of her.
Chapter Twenty Seven
Cocooned in John's embrace, Alice snuggled closer to his warmth. Everything was perfect. A giggle escaped her throat as sunshine poured through the windows. Despite how wild she was last night, this morning she was still herself.
The fear of being some crazy sex slave would never happen to her. The discussions her mother had said about orgies at the Morgan house created all that stuff in her head. This bunch of rubbish was instilled at a young age.
Alice bounced off the bed. So much energy coursed through her. She threw on John's t-shirt and headed to the kitchen to make them breakfast.
She hugged her arms as she strolled through the halls. Coffee, bagels, eggs.
Something dark caught the corner of her eye as she passed the living room. She stopped and her toes curled against the cold tile. Someone had hung a huge stuffed doll with her face painted on it right outside the big window, with red paint slashed across the neck.
The urge to throw up hit her hard and fast. She stumbled backwards and cried out.
John bolted through the hall and wrapped her into his arms. He cradled her head against his broad chest as tears spilled. He must have looked outside because his embrace became fierce. "Don't worry. I'll get that taken down."
A sigh escaped her lips. "How can I not worry?"
The smell of cedar and pine wafted in her lungs. Her pulse settled. "They didn't get in," he said.
She pulled back, her body trembling. "That's not enough. They were here. They could have seen us."
Her voice sounded weaker than she felt. He squeezed her hand. "Don't think about it."
In a twirl, she turned around and pointed toward the effigy. "Someone wants me dead."
He rubbed his jaw as she hugged herself. "It's always about you. It's strange that no one else is threatened."
As her leg brushed against the couch, she sucked in her cheeks. "That doesn't make me feel better."
He tried to offer her a smile, but no dimples appeared on his face. "I'm putting the pieces together."
Clues were good. She swallowed. "I'm nervous."
With a curt nod, he walked past her in the hall. "Go, take a shower and wash up. I'll get that down and then we'll have a nice, normal breakfast."
No. This wasn't okay. She took hold of his wrist and he turned toward her. "I'm not calm at all."
He reached for her shoulder and offered her a gentle squeeze. "Can you try?"
Those blue eyes of his still knocked her socks off, if she had socks. Perhaps she spent too much time with her mother. A small fire was set inside her that burned away the frigid air. "O…kay."
He kissed her cheek and her face grew warm. "That's my girl."
This was how everything started with him years ago. One kiss meant for her cheek had changed her entire life. He led back to his room and the shower. He tried to hide grabbing his phone and she averted her gaze to let him think he was smooth. With her head held high, she told him, "Don't get hurt if you go outside."
He nodded and stepped back. "I'll bring the security guard."
"Okay. Come right back."
The dimples showed on his face this time as he smiled. "I will."
His smile made her feel like she had sunshine bursting through her skin, so she smiled back. "We should make a plan over breakfast. I don't want to be stalked."
"Fair enough," he agreed.
"Security did a lousy job."
"I'll find out what happened."
She went back to her room to grab clothes that he supplied and change. As she walked, she breathed easier. He was right. If she'd gone to her condo or her family farm, she'd probably be dead right now.
As she exited her room, freshly showered John called her from the living room. Every footstep felt heavy. His fingers brushed his five o'clock shadow as he told her, "I have to go see my brother to ramp up security."
Her mouth opened and for a moment no question formed. She'd never understand his family dynamic. "Will he?"
"Yeah
."
At least he didn't spout off some hatred of his brother. She ran her hands through her hair. If he hadn't cut off her contract, she'd have supported Peter the whole time. She shook her head. "Then why can't you just call him?"
He handed her his phone with his call log on screen. "He's not answering."
The mansion of the Morgans had the aura of an ancient unbreakable fortress. She cleared her throat. "Will it be safe if we go there?"
"Yeah."
The fast yes strengthened her resolve. She adjusted her blouse and skirt. "Then let's go. I can catch up with your sister there too."
A knock reverberated in the air and both of them turned toward the front door. Alice grabbed his arm. He massaged her back and then walked away to open the door. A moment later he called out, "It's Vicki and Jennifer."
Alice traced the bottom of her skirt. She looked presentable. "Let them in."
A moment later, heels clacked on the marble floor and his sister's voice said, "John, we need to speak to Alice without you."
"What's going on?" Alice asked.
The heels came closer to the living room as Vicki answered, "Girl stuff."
John stepped in front of his sister, but she saw both women behind him. He reached for Alice. "Give me one minute." As he stood in front of her, he held her hands to his heart. "It's important we go now."
Vicki's face had a determined look. It might be nice to solve someone else's problem instead of worry over her own. She glanced at Jennifer, who rolled her eyes. Vicki needed her. Alice squeezed John's hands. "The house is safe, if I stay here and you go?"
His eyebrows lifted. "Yeah."
With one more look at her friends, Alice smiled to reassure him that she was strong. "John, go. I'll stay here, as long as your sister keeps me company. I will follow every security procedure."
His gaze narrowed as he turned to his sister. "Vicki, will you stay with Alice until I get back?"
With a salute, Vicki giggled. "My bro is protective now."
John stood taller and all the laughter stopped. "Will you? There was another threat against Alice."
Vicki strolled past him. "Of course."
John came back to her, and took her hand. "Thanks. Alice, I'll be gone for less than hour."
Without thinking, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him goodbye. The brush of his lips on hers sent energy through her. As she lowered herself back to the ground, John nodded. "See you soon."
As soon as the front door locked, Vicki twirled, "That looked serious. What's going on?"
Her mother's lesson that it's better to not kiss and tell played in her head. This seemed more logical than her earlier fears. She'd almost lost everything by heeding that advice. Instead she turned toward Jennifer who was dressed like she was ready for the runway. "Why are you both here? It's early."
Vicki practically exploded as she paced with her hands in the air. "Jennifer is planning a huge scene at our house in a few hours. I need help talking her out of it."
Jennifer's loud sigh echoed in the air.
The woman had taken a video of the man who almost grabbed her the other day, and then sent the clip into the police. Not totally evil. Alice chewed her lip. "Why?"
Vicki turned to Jennifer and shook her head. "She thinks Peter is sleeping with someone else."
Wow. Alice flinched. "I thought they were friends with benefits. That's not exclusive."
Jennifer studied her nails. "Don't be rude."
Alice settled her attention on Vicki. "I'm not trying to be rude at all. Where is Peter?"
Vicki bit her lip. "At work or at home."
A scoff came from between Jennifer's lips. "Victoria is trying to talk me out of going, but I'm planning the stage perfectly."
This sounded sketchy. Alice crossed her hands. "What are you talking about?"
With a toss of her hair, Jennifer was the epitome of a soap star. "I'm setting him up to admit everything."
Alice's eyes widened as she saw how Vicki's face lost color. "Admit what?"
The laugh that Jennifer uttered sounded bitter. "Some woman was in his bedroom last night."
Vicki rubbed the back of her neck, almost exactly like her brother, as she said, "How do you know?"
With a click of her heels, all attention went to Jennifer. "It wasn't my perfume I smelled."
In defense Vicki argued, "What if it was mine? I'm his sister and I could have spilt something on him."
Jennifer crossed her arms but stood with one leg to the side like she was modeling her shoes. "No, it was too floral. I'm not stupid and it was more than that. I could tell Peter had sex and it wasn't with me."
Alice piped into the conversation. "So don't call him and find someone else."
Jennifer's mouth opened as she studied Alice. For a split second, Alice repeated high school and felt that small. "That's too easy."
No, she'd not turn back into a quivering mess of a teenager. She was an adult now. She lifted her chin as Vicki suggested, "Let him see you with another guy and walk away."
With a sad spark in her eyes, Jennifer leaned closer to Alice. "You're both missing the point. It's fun to smoke a man's entire world. He thinks he can lie? I'll show him he's the one being a fool."
Alice's stomach clenched as she asked, "How?"
Jennifer tossed her hair to the side. "I already asked Rafe to find out who the girl is."
Alice and Vicki both asked in unison, "What?"
The police should be working on finding her would-be killer, not exploring Jennifer's sorry excuse for a love life. Alice kept a tight grip on her thoughts and didn't say anything else.
Jennifer shrugged. "He'll find her."
If he did, then he wasn't spending enough time on her case. Alice squared her shoulders. "Did you have proof to give him?"
Jennifer smiled. "I'm sure there is DNA on the sheets."
Vicki's voice shook. "You took his sheets?"
Jennifer turned her focus to Vicki. "He'll never know."
Alice blinked. Rafe Soliz was her friend, but he had mentioned Jennifer in high school too. Her breaths were shallow. He wouldn't put Jennifer's nonsense case first when she had a real case, would he?
Vicki's jaw clicked. "How?"
Jennifer went into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of iced tea. Then she returned. "He has maids and Caro told me everything."
Alice shook her head. "You're crazy."
Jennifer turned to her with a pout on her lips. "So are you, if you don't shore up whatever is going on with you and John."
Alice went and found herself a cold drink. The delay mixed with iced helped her focus her thoughts. She returned and nodded. "You might be right. Would you like iced tea?"
Vicki then bounced to her feet and Alice glanced at her as she excitedly asked, "What?"
"Iced tea?"
"No thanks."
The lump in her throat formed and she had to cough to get it out. "I had my mother in my head and I was so scared of falling apart that I was willing to run away. Once whatever the threat is goes away, I'm going to see if there is a future and if John wants one, with me."
Vicki hugged her. "Good for you."
Alice shook her head and gazed back at the window. "Someone was spying on us last night."
Jennifer laughed. "Don't tell me you're worried someone videotaped you to put it online."
"Eww." Alice clutched her stomach. "No. Does that happen?"
The answer was an obvious yes, but not something that had ever crossed her mind. Jennifer said, "Yeah, but don't worry about it. I'm sure John will find out who was there."
Not once had Jennifer ever talked badly about John. It was strange. Perhaps that was the closest Jennifer came to an approval of any relationship. Alice turned back to the window and shook her head. "I'm so sick of waiting. Scared. There has to be a faster way."
Smiling, happy Vicki said, "Patience is a virtue."
The beat of her heart was steady at the moment and if she thought about this
morning's message, she'd drive herself crazy. "Wait, let's change the topic."
Jennifer narrowed her gaze. "To what?"
Alice crossed her arms. "To where you have been, Vicki. You never explained."
Vicki took a step backwards, like she'd leave if that was an option. "I was in Europe."
Alice shrugged her shoulders. "You let us all think you died."
With her eyes closed, Vicki took deep breaths. "Part of me did die. I couldn't live in my own skin."
Jennifer stayed absolutely still and her voice became quieter. "What does that mean?"
Vicki clutched her stomach and Alice wondered if there was a baby involved. The will reading replayed in her mind as Vicki said, "My father stole something more precious to me than my own life and there is nothing I can do to get it back."
If her best friend had been pregnant, she'd have known about it. Alice let the thought go, dropped her hands to her sides, and spoke in a soft voice. "That sounds horrible. What was it?"
"I can't talk about it." Vicki rocked on her feet. "Not yet anyhow. So I'm focusing on my family, love that exists between people, and my shop—which will become my fashion empire. You'll have to be my first customer, Alice, for a wedding dress."
It was Alice's turn to step backwards. "I'm not getting married."
With a smile on her face, Vicki asked, "Want me to discuss that with John?"
"No."
The front door opened and a split second later John called out, "Discuss what?"
Oh, goodness. With her fingers crossed she prayed he hadn't heard this conversation. Vicki rushed to give her brother a hug as he stepped into the living room. "You're back. That was fast."
John hugged his sister, and then came to Alice's side to give her a kiss on her cheek. "Peter's not home."
She clutched his arm. If he wasn't there, then they wouldn't have extra security. "He's not?"
The clack of heels echoed on the floor as Jennifer hurried to the front door. "I have to go."
Vicki rushed and hugged them both, and then raced out after Jennifer.
Secret Crush (The House of Morgan Book 1) Page 17