by Nora Flite
I'd never seen someone with such fierce features. When he swung out a hand to shake Silver's, I nearly reached out to stop him, just in case he'd slice the other man's arm in two.
Kes, as in Keswick? I knew that name from Silver's business card. A quick peek at him showed me the tension in his face. Was he wondering if I'd heard, or what I was thinking?
I played dumb, taking the drink from Silver. “Gerard,” he said, reaching out to join the handshake. “I haven't seen you in some time.”
“Over a year, at least,” the stranger laughed. Gerard glanced between us, his lips coiling on the corners. “And who is this lovely lady?”
Sipping my drink, I looked at the other man curiously. How did he know Silver? “I'm Alexis,” I said, waving briefly.
Gerard gave Silver a thoughtful look. I tried to read it, but I failed. “Well,” he said, gesturing around. “I never imagined I'd see you back in California. Didn't you move to Portland?”
“I still do some business here,” he said.
“Yeah?” Gerard cocked his head. “What about Florian, he here too? Man, everyone was upset when you guys bailed.”
“It's not bailing to take what you know and make something for yourself.”
Gerard was watching me from the corner of his eye. Silver was, too. “I remember you guys leaving even after I offered you a severe salary increase. Guess you were too good to work for anyone else, huh?” He flashed an insincere grin.
This is awkward. I hadn't thought I'd get caught in a subtle war like this. My drink was half gone, I saw Silver hadn't touched his.
Gerard pointed his too-sharp chin at me. “Alexis, right?” He paused, his tongue running over his lips. “You been to this club before?”
“Oh, uh, no.” I smiled apologetically.
Next to me, Silver stiffened and said, “That's enough.”
He leaned close, watching Silver as he spoke to me. “You do know what happens here, though?”
“Gerard.”
“If not, I'm sure he can show you around,” the man went on. “He's been here a lot. Shown plenty of others what to expect, if you get me.”
He's pissing Silver off by making me uncomfortable. Silver and Gerard had definitely parted on bad terms. He was trying to make me a casualty. I had other ideas.
Silver stepped forward, his knuckles tensing around his glass. Gerard was watching him with a delighted smirk. That meant he didn't see me when I stood tall, my arm pulling back.
“Hey!” Gerard gasped, jumping as the last of my drink soaked his face and shirt.
Setting the glass down, I hooked my arm on Silver's. “You're right,” I said, smiling sweetly. “He can show me how this place works. Thanks.” With a firm pull, I led Silver into the crowd.
I was acting calm, but my pulse was racing. Silver yanked me sideways, his fingers on my shoulders while he stared at my face. Amazingly, his look of shock erased my nerves—I started laughing.
He said, “You threw your drink on him.”
“Yeah,” I said. “I did. He was being an ass.”
Silver pulled me into a rough hug. Knowing that I'd made him happy was an aphrodisiac. It must have been for him, too, because he held me around my hips and guided me to a wall. His palms cupped my ass through my dress, mauling me as he breathed on my neck.
We were grinding together, the music only partially creating our tempo; we had a beat all our own. He hovered above me, his hands touching me all over like he had a million fingers. Tracing down the small of my back, he crossed over my hip—my thigh.
Silver froze, his eyes glinting in the blue club lights. Bending in, he spoke into my ear. “Are you wearing some of the lingerie?”
Pushing off my heels, I kissed the corner of his jaw. “Why don't you find out?”
His mouth twitched, his expression shifting. He was asking me a question with his silence. Are you sure? Silver was checking in to see if I was willing to play here.
When we'd first met, I'd been terrified of the concept. I'd seen the people having sex in public and I'd backed down instantly. I'd been so scared.
Now, I wasn't.
His hips thrust, pinning me to the wall. I felt eyes on us instantly, even if I was too busy kissing him to see. The world was a tornado of colors and sound, but it all centered here—right here—with this man.
Coiling his fist in my hair, he wrenched my head back. Teeth found my throat, my ear... and then they vanished. Panting, I gazed up at him with impatience. He held me steady, not letting me do much more than wriggle. Silver was so damn good at teasing me. “Please,” I hissed, willing him to go further with just my eyes.
And then I felt the shift in his mood.
Silver was breathing heavy, his teeth close to snarling. To anyone else, he was a creature on the verge of leaping forward to consume anything in his path. He'd stopped himself, but not because he was trying to drive me wild.
“What's wrong?” I asked, blinking up at him.
There was turmoil in his roiling stare. If I looked long enough, I thought I'd understand him better—who he was, what motivated him, everything.
Silver cupped my cheeks, then he grabbed my arm and pulled me away from the wall. “Not here,” he said over the din of music. “I—not here. I can't here, not anymore.”
Not anymore?
“Wait!” I said, pulling on him to slow his retreat. “I don't understand! Did I do something wrong? I'm okay with it! Really! I wasn't before, but now I—”
“I'm not okay with it!” He growled, whirling on me. Fuck, he looked so confused and angry. I must have flinched, because he pulled up short, clutching for my hands. “It's not you,” he said, strain in his voice. “It's—I just can't. For some fucking reason I can't handle the idea of anyone else... anyone ever seeing you like that. Just me.” His eyes went hot. “Only me.”
Heat pushed at the back of my throat. It kept going, I quickly rubbed at my face to stop the overwhelming tears. “Idiot,” I said, my smile cracking. “You're going to make me cry over not fucking me in a sex club. How can you do that to me, huh?”
He pulled me to his side and kissed my temple. The sweetness went out of him, his hard fingertips searching between my thighs. “Let's get out of here before I change my mind. I need you right now.”
Shivering, I let him guide me through the crowd. “Waiting till we get back to your place will be hard.”
“My place?” He chuckled, glancing at me. His hand squeezed. “We're not going that far.”
“Then where...?” We stumbled past the security guard. The alley air was cool, welcome on my searing skin. I knew what he was planning, just seconds before he ripped his car door open and shoved me inside the backseat. My ass slipped on the smooth leather.
The door slammed behind him. “Let me eat your pussy,” he growled. “I need to taste you. I've never been so fucking hard, Pet. I'm going to bury my face between your thighs until one of us passes out.”
My eyes fluttered, pleasure weakening my muscles. It was easy for him to spread my legs, driving me further into the seat. Then he hiked my dress up, freezing at the sight of my soaked panties. When he bent close, tugging them off with his teeth, I realized he might be serious about promising to eat me out until one of us was unconscious.
“Hold on,” I said, pawing at his hair. “I want to go back to your place.”
“No. I can't hold off that long.”
“You don't have to.” Sitting up, I climbed into the passenger seat. He gave me a curious look, so I leaned over to the driver's side and made a lewd motion.
Laughing, he hooked his arm over the back of the seat. “Road head?”
Flushing, my eyes sparkled with my excitement. “Is that the name? I've never done it.”
“You've given blow jobs, though?”
“I—yeah.”
“Do you promise not to bite?”
I blinked in horror. “I'd never!”
Smirking, he tugged me towards him by my hair. “Good girl. The
n move over.”
I scooted out of the way so he could climb into the driver's seat. When he looked at me expectantly, I inched forward into his lap, my hands on his thighs. The sensation of his palm on my scalp tweaked my senses into overdrive.
He turned the key, and I yanked down his jeans.
Silver rocked in his seat, growling and vibrating with need. Gripping the base of his cock, I suckled the tip carefully.
It was a wonder we made it back to his place in one piece.
- Chapter Seventeen -
Silver
She peeled the dress over her head, standing against the wall. I sat up on the bed, my cock bouncing like it was nodding along with me. “You're the fucking sexist woman I've ever seen,” I whispered severely.
Alexis had put on the white corset beneath her dress, it and her heels were all she wore; the panties had been left in my car. There was a coyness in how she held herself, but it was surface level.
I'd never known someone so genuine as her.
So real.
Perhaps that was why I'd become so obsessed with her. I couldn't have said during my many hours of frustrated mulling. I definitely couldn't have said now.
“It looks alright on me?” she asked, turning her body to try and examine herself. It was a pose that could have made anyone else look awkward. On her, it was a compelling flex of her body that made my fingers ache to not be touching her.
Sitting up fully, I motioned to her. “Get over here before I tackle you where you stand.”
Light pink washed over her cheeks, the blush I loved so much. Making her react was addicting. I didn't think I could go on without that.
And I didn't plan to.
Alexis swayed my way, her hips tempting me with their gentle curves. Reaching out, I caught her by the wrist, pulling her on top of me. A tiny squeak escaped her surprised smile; sealing her lips, I ate her joy and longed for more.
This fucking woman... what was I going to do with this painful need for her?
What could I do?
Keep her by your side, I sang in my skull. Never let her leave. Never let her dare to try.
Alexis... my Pet...
She belonged to me.
“Silver,” she whispered thickly. It wasn't my name. I'd had her use it from the start, because back then, I'd still had the delirious idea that I could satisfy my urge for this girl.
I'd had every intention of walking away when I was done... and I hadn't wanted her to know who I was, where I worked, any of it. It had always worked with the others.
Why not her?
“Take this off,” she said. Bending against my bare chest, she scratched at the corset like it was choking her.
My smirk was a razor; she shivered at the sight. “Alright,” I said, my hands caressing down her middle. I kissed her shoulder, then I inhaled her scent until my lungs threatened to burst.
One by one, I snapped the hooks on the front of the corset. The black vines decorating it wilted, peeling away to reveal the creamy expanse of her skin. Sucking at my own tongue, I yanked her so that she was sitting on my chest, rolling my cheek down her stomach.
She gasped, fingers tangling in my hair like she wanted to stop me, or force me to go faster. Could she be as swept up as I was? Was that even possible?
“Perfect,” I said, circling the dip of her bellybutton. “Beautiful.” My lips tattooed her bare hip, the corset parting like curtains on the most wonderful day. In front of me she was naked, but it wasn't enough.
I wanted to expose Alexis down to her soul.
Shoving her backwards so that her pussy hovered over my briefs, I shuddered. My shaft strained at the material, willing itself to break free so it could fill her up. Holding her hips, I ground her down, forcing her swollen clit to rub against my hard-on.
Throwing her head back, she moaned. The sound sank into me, fueling me, making my eyes darken. Lying below her, her breasts cast me in shadow. I'd have hidden from the sun for years if it was because of her.
To my surprise, she reached down, pulling my cock through the top of my briefs. I was almost too entranced to stop her, but before she could penetrate herself, I gripped her waist and held her still. Her frustrated wriggle was torture. “What are you doing?” I asked.
“Fucking you, or trying to.”
I watched her with pure curiosity. “We need a condom.”
The richness in her eyes warred with the green of her earrings. “Do we?”
Fucking hell.
She met my eyes—not with calmness, but with desire. “You'd risk carrying my child just to fuck me raw?”
Her fingers brushed mine, then went further, gripping the base of my cock. “Fuck me,” she commanded.
“That's what I'm supposed to say.” Pushing her hands away, I guided my stiff cock into her. She slid down on it slowly, groaning all the way until she was sitting on me. Gritting my jaw, I arched up, not satisfied with holding still.
Licking my thumb, I stroked her clit. She fell forward, hands on either side of my shoulders and her hair in my face. The sensation of the soft strands tickling over me was maddening.
Capturing the back of her head, I yanked her to my seeking teeth. We kissed violently, sharpness and force that was meant to satisfy a carnal, animal urge neither of us had experienced before.
I'd chased this feeling for so fucking long.
It had been here.
All along...
It had been with her.
Vindication gave me strength, my need to come drove me. The condo was filled with the wet sounds of our fucking. My Pet, she whimpered and moaned and even screamed. Not once was it an act.
“Silver, I'm so close. Fuck, I'm so close, please...”
Taking the hint, I circled her clit faster; harder. I played with her smoothly, never slowing down. I was as everlasting as any machine could have been.
Her pussy thrummed, sending hot ripples up my stomach. My balls flexed, sweat coating every inch of our bodies. Alexis was soaked, wetness escaping her perfect thighs and dripping down my cock.
Burying my face in the dip of her throat, I growled. Pressure exploded, my come filling her again and again. Still she squeezed me, like what I was giving her wouldn't be enough. She wanted me, all of me. Fuck, I was eager to give it up.
Together we slowed down, her weight settling on top of me. The symphony of her heart calmed me. The gentle sway of her lungs matched mine. We were synchronized in a way meant for old lovers.
For some time, neither of us spoke. I was too in my head, absorbing the reality of what was going on in my world. Was she thinking the same thing?
Alexis shifted, her eyes finding me through her drapery of hair. “Do you...” She stopped speaking.
“What?” I prompted her.
Looking to the side, her eyebrows crinkled ever slightly. “Nothing.”
“No, tell me.”
Alexis wasn't watching me, but she also wasn't looking at the wall. Where was she in her head? What did she see? “This thing we're doing,” she whispered. “Have you done it before?”
Gently, I guided her off of me. We both winced when my cock slid free. “You're thinking about what Gerard said in the club.” That fucking asshole. I'd come close to knocking him out just to shut him up.
Tucking her hair behind her ear, she shrugged. “I am. And I'm also not. I don't know.” Her laugh cut into me. Right then, I thought I'd tell her anything—everything—if she only asked. “Am I just another girl you'll forget about?”
In front of me, she seemed to shrink. This wasn't the woman I knew. This was a stranger to me. The Alexis I wanted was strong... giving... and willing to put others before herself. Where had all that confidence gone?
My fingers brushed hers on the bed, making her look at me. “I could never forget you, Pet.”
Her lips made the shape of an archer's bow. “Really?”
“Really,” I said seriously.
Her green eyes sparkled, considering me dubiously. I must ha
ve passed her test, because the tension slid from her body in a great wave. She kissed me, a soft, quick thing that had as much impact as if it had lasted for hours.
I didn't speak anymore when she hugged me, and I didn't argue when she ran off to clean up in the bathroom. As I watched her slip out of view, her voice still chatting at me through the walls, I let my smile fade... and I endured the painful secret rolling in my skull.
I'd never forget Alexis. I knew I couldn't.
Because I'd already tried to.
- Chapter Eighteen -
Alexis
It was a bluish black throughout the condo. The giant curtains blocked all but the most bare fragments of the early light outside. It highlighted the smooth, strong shoulders and back that faced away from me.
Shifting gently so he wouldn't wake up, I stretched out on the pillow and just... watched him. I counted his breaths, how his ribs would flare and make his tattoos ripple like the sea. He was gorgeous when he was awake, but there was something beautiful about his sleeping face.
Peaceful, I realized. I don't get to see him like that.
It was too easy to stay there. Of course, my rumbling stomach became the first problem. My need to pee came second, and then my caffeine headache joined in.
Carefully, I slid out of the blankets. The bed didn't make a sound, it was one of those expensive brands that they brag about on TV, the kind where they'd show how good it was by jumping next to a glass of red wine on the mattress.
Ducking into the restroom, I navigated in the near-dark. When I was done, I tip-toed across the smooth wooden floors. Silver had bought me a pink “I Heart LA” hoodie from the airport; I snatched it from the suitcase, knowing the morning weather would be a little chilly, even here.
Tugging it over my messy hair, I winced as it caught the edge of my emerald earrings. I hadn't been able to take them off, they'd become a constant companion for me.
Hurrying to tie on my shoes, I gathered my phone and my purse and quietly snuck out the door. Riding the elevator, I smiled at myself in the mirror, humming a perky tune. I felt so alive, so fucking good!