Our First Embrace

by Judy Lynn Hubbard

  “Bro, who are you plotting to murder?” Victor chuckled as he walked over to stand beside him

  “No one.” Alex snatched a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and downed it in one gulp.

  “Alex, they’re just dancing.”

  “I don’t know what you mean.” Alex returned his empty glass and took another full one.

  “Sure you don’t.” Victor also picked up a glass of champagne. “She’s a great dancer.”

  “Yes, I know she is.”

  “I could dance with her all night,” Victor continued. “It looks like her current dance partner feels the same way, and I know for a fact there are a number of other guys waiting their turn to find out.”

  “Excuse me.” Having had enough, Alex moved into action.

  “That’s right, bro. Go get your woman,” Victor approved, prompting his brother to stop long enough to smirk at him before continuing on to do as he suggested. “Bravo, big brother. Bravo.” Victor grinned as Alex set off.

  Alex pointedly tapped the man dancing with Nicole on the shoulder, who reluctantly released her but not before kissing her hand and thanking her for the dance. Alex’s mouth thinned, and he waited impatiently for the man to get lost.

  “I see you’re enjoying yourself.” His sarcastic tone seemed lost on Nicole, who smiled at him dazzlingly.

  “I feel like Cinderella.” She laughed. “I’m having a marvelous time.”

  “You look like a princess,” he said. “You’re very beautiful tonight.”

  “Thank you.” Her hand moved higher on his shoulder, toward his neck. “I could dance all night long.”

  “So I’ve noticed.”

  She seemed to notice how tense he was. “What’s wrong, Alexander?”

  “Nothing.”

  “It’s not nothing.” She frowned and then smiled. “You’re not jealous because I’ve been dancing with other men, are you?”

  “Of course not.”

  She chuckled and Alexander frowned at her, which increased her laughter.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Nothing.” At his intense stare, she relented and elaborated, “I was just thinking about something Victor said when we danced. He’s so funny.”

  “Yeah, he’s a riot.” He glanced away from her.

  “Alexander.” At her chiding voice, he returned his disturbed eyes to her amused ones.

  “What?”

  “I’ve told you before, Victor and I are just friends,” she softly reminded him. “More important, you know your brother wouldn’t do anything to hurt you—and neither would I.”

  He stared into her sincere eyes and had the grace to feel ashamed. Why am I acting like such an idiot? After silently berating himself for his behavior, he sighed. “I know.”

  “Do you?” She grinned as a faint smile spread across his handsome face and he visibly relaxed. “Good.”

  “I don’t have any right to be jealous where you’re concerned anyway.”

  “Yes, you do,” she quickly contradicted. “As far as I’m concerned, you alone have every right.”

  “Nicole...”

  The announcement that the fashion show was about to begin halted his words. He was relieved because he didn’t know what he had been about to confess, but whatever it was, he felt it was best left unsaid.

  They stopped dancing, and he escorted her back to their table. The lights dimmed and the show started. She and Alexander smiled at each other when the gown they had designed together received thunderous applause. It was the best night of his life because Nicole was by his side. In a few short months, she had filled a void in his lonely life, and he honestly didn’t know how to stop her from becoming even more embedded in his heart—honestly, he didn’t know if he had the strength to try.

  * * *

  Hours later, after a highly successful show, Alex and Nicole were in his Ferrari speeding away from the hotel, having declined numerous invitations to go out and continue the night’s celebration. She was disappointed that he was taking her home because she didn’t want the evening to end, but his next words delighted her.

  “Would you like to go back to my place for a nightcap?” He glanced at her briefly but intensely.

  “Yes,” she accepted without hesitation and ran her hand lightly up and down his arm. “Did I tell you how good you look in this tuxedo?”

  He smiled but kept his attention on the road. “No, you didn’t.”

  “My bad.” She trailed a gloved nail down his clean-shaven cheek. “You look amazing in this tux.”

  “Nicole.” He groaned her name as her fingers caressed his chin.

  “Hmm?”

  “I’m trying to concentrate on driving.”

  “And?” She gasped when his teeth nipped her finger as it outlined his lower lip.

  “I can’t with you touching me.”

  “Okay.” She slid her fingers away from his flesh and sat back in her seat. “I’ll try to keep my hands to myself, but Alexander?”

  “Yes.”

  “It’s going to be very, very hard,” she whispered.

  “Did you enjoy the show?”

  “Yes.” She sighed happily. “I still can’t believe I was in the same room with some of the biggest names in fashion.”

  “One day they’ll be saying the same thing about you.”

  “Thank you.” His words meant the world to her.

  “Just speaking the truth.” He returned her smile.

  For the remainder of the ride, they purposefully kept the conversation light and inconsequential. They arrived at his house a little after midnight. Alexander unlocked the door and followed her inside.

  The hallway was immediately illuminated, and at her curious look he explained, “The entire house is wired with smart lights. They come on when they detect movement in a room.”

  She looked thoroughly impressed. “That’s so high tech.”

  “It’s useful.” He chuckled.

  Taking her lace wrap, he placed it over a nearby chair. Then he kissed her neck lingeringly. She moved a gloved hand behind her to cup his cheek as she tilted her head to the side, giving his welcome mouth greater access. He made a symphony of kissing her neck until she turned in his arm, and their mouths gravitated together. They kissed long and deep before he broke contact.

  “Why don’t you wait in the living room while I get the wine?” he suggested.

  She was on the verge of telling him she didn’t want any wine but nodded in agreement and walked into the living room, smiling when the lights switched on automatically. She had just sat down on the leather sofa when he returned carrying a bottle of champagne and two flutes. He popped the cork and poured the bubbly liquid, handing a full glass to her.

  “Thank you.” She held her glass up in a toast. “To new beginnings.” He hesitated before lifting his glass and clinking it with hers.

  * * *

  “To new beginnings.” They drank and stared deeply into each other’s eyes. He sighed heavily and was compelled to confess, “Nicole, I’m no good at relationships.”

  “I don’t believe that,” she softly replied.

  “Trust me—it’s true.” He took another swig of his champagne.

  “Then why did you bring me here?”

  “Because...because I...” He raked his fingers through his hair in frustration. He had brought her here because he wanted and needed her, but did he have a right to take her when he knew he wasn’t a man who could offer her the kind of relationship she expected or deserved?

  “You know what I think?” Without waiting for his reply she continued, “I think you’ve been dating the wrong women.”

  “Maybe there is no right woman for me,” he responded.

  “Now you’ve done it.” S
he smiled sexily.

  “What?”

  “I can’t stand negativism, so I have to prove how wrong you are.”

  “You have to?” he asked, amusement dancing in his eyes.

  “Mmm-hmm.”

  She set down her glass, moved closer and placed a hand on his hard thigh; he jumped as a jolt of electricity shot through him, eyes locking on hers. She shivered as she looked into the depths of his eyes, leaning fully against him, a gloved hand caressing his cheek.

  He touched her face and before he knew it, they were kissing ravenously, as if their very lives depended on never breaking physical contact. He pulled her closer and reclined onto the sofa with her lying on top of him. Hands caressed the bare skin of her back fervently, relishing in the soft, warm feel of her before moving up her sides to her front, teasing her nipples through the thin lace of her dress. His fingers itched to peel her out of the figure-hugging gown and rain kisses down the length of her delectable body.

  They engaged in another heated series of kisses. His hardness pressed against her lower stomach, and she groaned in anticipation. Her fingers fisted in his hair, her eyes tightly closed.

  When he pulled away and sat up, she ended up on his lap, in perfect position to rain kisses along his rugged jaw before nibbling at his ear.

  “Nicole, stop.”

  “No,” she refused, settling her mouth at the base of his throat. “Alexander, why don’t you stop fighting the inevitable?”

  His hands forced her mouth away from his flesh as he simultaneously slid her from his lap. They stared at each other for long seconds. She framed his face with her hands and met him in a searing kiss until he pried his mouth away from hers.

  “We shouldn’t be doing this.” He valiantly tried to infuse some measure of sanity into this maddening situation.

  “This is long overdue,” she whispered. “The way we feel about each other gets stronger every day, and we’re going to explode if we keep fighting it.”

  He considered her words, which were one hundred percent true. Coming to a long-overdue conclusion, he stood and pulled her upright until she stood beside him.

  “I know it isn’t going away,” he finally agreed.

  “So what are you going to do about it?” she challenged.

  His answer was to scoop her up into his arms and carry her into his bedroom. The room was dark until one overhead lamp switched on, softly illuminating the room. He sat her down beside the bed, hands traveling over her arms and shoulders. Staring into her alluring eyes the entire time, he slowly removed one glove then the other before divesting her of her jewelry and finally unzipping her dress.

  “Nicole, are you sure?” His fingers danced up and down her bare spine.

  “I’ve never been more certain about anything.” Honest eyes bore into his burning ones. “I want you, Alexander.”

  He paused for an eternity before admitting, “I want you, too.”

  “Then take me,” she invited.

  Slowly, savoring every second, he peeled her dress off, allowing it to pool at her feet. Ravenous eyes feasted on every centimeter of exposed brown skin. She was a work of art, but better because she was flesh and blood and all his.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he marveled.

  “I feel beautiful when you look at me.”

  “You are, inside and out,” he said, pulling her into arms that ached to hold her.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressed closer still and pulled his mouth down to hers. She rubbed against him until his arms tightened around her, stilling her. His mouth grew harder, more insistent, and hers was just as forceful as they familiarized themselves again with every secret treasure their lips and tongues uncovered.

  “You have on too many clothes,” she complained against his mouth.

  “Why don’t you help me out with that?” he suggested around a smile, and she gladly complied, unbuttoning his shirt, which he shrugged out of, along with his jacket, tie and finally his pants.

  Then they were on the bed, naked bodies pressed close. The marvelous differences between the textures of their skin and the composition of their bodies felt wonderful—where he was solid, she was soft and yielding, and where he bulged and protruded, she dipped and curved, and she cushioned him perfectly in all the right places.

  Before he completely lost his mind, he rolled away from her, opened a bedside drawer and pulled out a foil package. She kissed his shoulders and broad back while her fingers spread across his chest and abdomen. He donned the condom in record time and then faced her again to feast on her fragrant skin while her hands touched him all over. He was dying from her feverish touch and from his monumental need.

  “God, Nicole.” He nipped at her lips. “I have to have you now.”

  “Yes,” she groaned, arching against him.

  “I can’t be gentle,” he thickly warned.

  “Who asked for gentle? Just take me,” she ordered.

  Her soft body wrapped around his, and he knew heaven was almost within his grasp. He couldn’t stop even if he wanted to, and Lord knew he didn’t want to. He pushed into her. She welcomed him without hesitation. He wanted this to last forever, but he knew it wouldn’t—it had been too long since he had been with a woman, and he had spent too many long, lonely nights dreaming of being with this one.

  Her eyes glazed with passion, matching his. As they moved together effortlessly in perfect sync, she took him higher than he had ever been taken before. Every inch of her melted against him as if that was what she had been made for. Oh, God, it was so good; nothing had ever felt so right.

  “Nicole,” he groaned against her mouth.

  “Alexander.” She sighed his name before he took her mouth in a searing kiss—and much too soon, but just in time, the dam burst, flooding them both with wave after wave of blissful release.

  Alex strummed his fingers lightly up and down Nicole’s shoulder and arm as they lay together trying to regain their breath and bearings. She felt so good against him. Incredible. He wanted to absorb her into his body. She made him feel special—needed, wanted and alive. With her he was vulnerable—something he hadn’t allowed himself to be for a long, long time, but at this moment, it didn’t seem to matter.

  He didn’t want to want her, but want her he did; more than that, he craved her, and now that he had made her his, he doubted that feeling would lessen. And that saddened him because he knew what they had, no matter how good at this moment, wouldn’t last; relationships never did.

  Nicole’s satiated body lay half-across Alexander’s, her head resting on his chest, eyes closed with a blissful smile on her face.

  “How do you feel?” Alexander asked her.

  “Perfect.” Curious fingers traced lazy patterns in the light hair covering his chest. “How do you feel?”

  “Perfect.” He echoed her sentiments, and she smiled.

  “Alexander, has it ever felt like this for you before?”

  “Like what?” He pulled her closer.

  “Like you’re dying and being born at the same time?” He was quiet as he digested her words that completely summed up his feelings.

  “No, it never has,” he slowly confessed.

  “Not for me either.” Lifting her head, she stared at him with an emotion he didn’t dare name. “I guess that should tell us something.”

  “It tells me that I want you in a way I’ve never wanted anyone else.” He outlined her face with his fingers.

  “That’s enough for now.” She kissed his lips lightly before returning her head to his chest.

  * * *

  What they had just shared was what lovemaking was all about. Alexander had just done things to her, elicited responses and feelings from her that she hadn’t thought herself capable of. Nothing had ever felt so right. Now residing in her lover
’s arms with her body and soul purring happily in the warm afterglow of their intimate union, she allowed herself to admit what she had known for weeks—she had finally found that special someone to share her life with in Alexander James.

  Chapter 14

  “Alexander, where are we going?”

  Wearing one of his T-shirts, she walked slowly in front of him, his hand covering her eyes. She’d rather still be in bed with him. It was 5:00 a.m. and they hadn’t slept all night, which was fine with her; she wasn’t the least bit tired.

  “You’ll see,” he whispered in her ear.

  “I can’t see anything,” she joked.

  “That’s because I want to surprise you.” He kissed her neck. “We’re almost there.”

  “Where?” He didn’t answer her, just continued guiding her.

  “Okay, now you can look.” He removed his hand.

  “Oh, Alexander!” She glanced at the free-standing sunken tub filled with bubbles, innumerable candles of all shapes and sizes placed strategically around the room illuminating it.

  “So.” He turned her into his arms and bobbed his eyebrows. “Wanna try out the tub with me?”

  “Oh, yes.” She ran her palms up his bare chest, arms encircling his neck. “You know I do.”

  She raised her arms, and he obligingly pulled the T-shirt over her head. She faced him, unabashed, as his appreciative eyes, followed by his reverent hands, roamed over her nude body.

  “You’re so gorgeous.”

  “I’m yours,” she promised.

  “All mine.” He smiled happily, picking her up and setting her in the tub. He quickly discarded his pajama bottoms and joined her, pulling her into his arms, her back reclining against his chest.

  “This is heaven.”

  “It is,” he agreed, soapy hands roaming slowly over her. “Your skin is so soft.”

  “I love the way you touch me.”

  “I love touching you,” he growled in her ear.