by Kait Gamble
She knew the feeling. Being with Alex was like a wonderful addiction. The more she had of him, the more she wanted. And right now, Maia needed him. Needed to know she wasn’t the only one who felt this way.
After undoing his belt and the button of his trousers, she edged the zipper down so she could slip her hand under his clothes. He thrust into her hand when she closed it around as much as she could of his erection, bringing a smile to her lips. Maia reveled in the power she had over him. That she could have Alex trembling from a touch awed her. It inspired her to see how else he would react if she continued.
Not to be outdone, Alex quickly got past the barrier of her clothing to stroke her clit with delicate brushes of his fingers.
Maia tightened her grip on him and slid her hand up and down his cock, amping up the tension in his body with each stroke. Just like he was doing to her with his clever fingers.
Her breath came in gasps and sighs when he plunged his fingers into her, grazing the little bundle of nerves with his palm as he pumped his hand.
Just as she convulsed and exploded under him, he crushed her mouth under his as he took her cries into himself.
Dazed, Maia stared up at him, fighting to catch her breath.
Alex grinned down at her, kissing her again before slowly slipping his hand out from between them. “We should almost be at the hotel.”
Reluctantly, she released him.
Alex sat back and righted his clothes while Maia did the same. And not a moment too soon. Within seconds of her running her fingers through her hair and tying it in a neat knot at the back of her head, the limo came to a stop.
They all but ran through the lobby and up to Alex’s suite, leaving their luggage downstairs, not really caring what happened to it.
All that mattered was getting upstairs and in his arms again.
He shoved the door open then dragged her inside to push her against the door and attack her clothes with single-minded determination.
Within seconds, he had her hair down and her clothes off and flung aside so he could see, touch and taste her skin. Everywhere.
He pressed her hands over her head with one hand as he explored her with the other in tandem with his lips and tongue.
Alex licked and kissed her on the mouth, her throat, her breasts. He dropped to his knees and hitched one of hers to his shoulder to press a hot, open-mouthed kiss between her thighs.
Maia let her head drop back against the door with a dull thud as the pleasure streaked through her. After only a few days together, Alex learned very quickly what he needed to do to have her quaking under his ministrations.
It took him minutes to bring her to orgasm using his mouth alone.
Trembling from the aftershocks, she could only hang on when he swept her up in his arms and carried her to his bed.
Placed gently among the pillows, Maia watched as he undressed. He was beautiful. Strong and well built—he was perfect. With each bit of clothing he lost, she grew surer of the fact until he stood before her, proudly naked.
Maia couldn’t help but stare at him. He was too handsome not to.
Alex let her look her fill for a moment longer before he slid up her body to settle himself against her.
Arching into him, she sighed at the sensation of the head of his erection sliding over her.
Tension thrummed through Alex. Just as she thought he was going to plunge into her, he stopped and rolled to his back. He smiled wolfishly at her as crooked his finger in a beckoning gesture. Maia didn’t hesitate and slid over him, straddling his hard thighs.
Alex took himself in hand, rubbing the head of his cock over her slit, lubricating himself before pulling her down over him and sinking deep into Maia.
Gripping her ass, he helped her up and down his erection. Slowly dragging her over him, thrusting up when he drew her down.
Maia held on. There was nothing else she could do thanks to the incredible sensations Alex sparked in her. Jaw slack from the pleasure, she cried out his name in time with his thrusts until she convulsed around him again.
He tightened his arms around her, pounding into her, building her up to another even more powerful orgasm as he drove toward his own.
Maia tipped back toward the bed and he followed without missing a thrust. She could feel him getting bigger, harder, with every thrust until he groaned as he pulsed inside her.
They lay entwined as they recovered, staring into each other’s eyes. Alex kissed her as if he needed her more than his next breath. It wasn’t about exciting her, or him. It was gentle, languid. Loving. They were two people connecting. Two compatible souls that had found each other and were entangled, not willing to let the intimacy end.
A long while later, Alex eased out of her and wound himself around her as if he would never let go.
Maia didn’t want him to.
Needless to say, she didn’t make it onto a plane until late afternoon the next day.
Chapter Fourteen
Maia dropped her bag on the floor and stepped into her small flat. It wasn’t much, but it was hers and it was the perfect place to hide out until she got her head sorted out and had to travel to her next assignment. She felt a little guilty at misleading Alex. She did have her next assignment all arranged, it just wasn’t as immediate as she’d made it out to be.
But the feelings coursing through her were beginning to frighten her a little. Not to mention the night before they’d had sex without a condom. The fact that it hadn’t even occurred to either of them to use one at the time was a definite factor in her needing space. Maia figured there wasn’t much risk, considering where she was in her cycle, but it had still left her shaken enough to run.
Alex hadn’t even seemed to have realized, if he had, there was little chance she would have been able to get away as easily.
A niggling little voice whispered at the back of her mind. Could it have been all a ploy on his part?
Maia couldn’t believe that he would be so callous.
But the idea of having his baby caused heat to bloom in her heart. A stubborn little girl, just like her daddy…
She shook off the image of an adorable, chubby baby with his dark hair and eyes.
How could she be so stupid?
Drained and jet-lagged, Maia didn’t have the mental capacity to deal with just how colossal an idiot she had been at the moment.
She checked the email from Jo and sighed. A few edits, which was expected and details about the next destination. She would make the changes and send them off before she was on her way to the airport again.
Maia quickly opened the windows. She punched the couch a few times and watched as the dust puffed from the fabric. There was no way she could stand this. When was the last time she’d been here? She couldn’t even remember.
It took her a few hours, but Maia eradicated every bit of dust from all corners of the flat. The physical activity helped clear her head a little and reminded her why she had moved there in the first place. It was cozy and just enough to live in for the short visits she made to it.
But it was boring. She barely had any furniture. There was very little in the form of mementoes. She didn’t have any art anywhere, nothing that she picked up on her trips was on display. And why should she when she was never there to enjoy them? Maia looked at the bare walls and shook her head. It was no wonder she never wanted to be here, it was barely a home.
With a sigh, she pulled out her laptop and wandered into the kitchen with it to read over edits while she made a cup of coffee. A look at the time reminded her that she hadn’t had anything to eat since she’d left Nice. And that was only because Alex had practically fed her the meal. She didn’t exactly feel like eating anything still, but flipped through her stack of takeout menus to see if anything struck her fancy.
Nothing did.
She found a pack of dried noodles and refused to look at the use by date because she knew it would be either very close to being over or well out of date by now. A quick mental debate h
ad her throwing it out. Coffee would be fine.
Her phone pinged and she couldn’t help but smirk when Alex’s name flashed on her screen.
Miss you.
And she missed him too. More than she should when they were only together several hours before.
She quickly texted back.
Miss you too.
She felt guilt close its claws on her gut.
The coffee wasn’t the best she’d ever had, but it was good enough to stop her stomach from rolling. What was she doing? She’d lied to him when he’d been nothing but honest and straightforward with her.
He hadn’t mentioned anything to her about Angelique, though. She should have just sucked it up and asked him why he was talking about her on the flight back from Belize. Doubt started to plague the back of her mind. Would he go back to her?
She slumped over and pressed her head against the cool countertop. He wasn’t the type to juggle women. But then how much would she actually know about him after only spending a short time with him?
He was probably wondering the same thing about her, come to think of it.
Maia had to remind herself that for her their relationship had started years ago while for him they had only just met.
It was a truly mind-boggling situation. It hurt her head to process it all.
Instead, she lost herself in her work.
* * * *
Alex smiled at her text and fired one in reply before getting back to work. Not that he was able to concentrate. He caught himself staring into space more than a few times since he’d arrived on the site.
And again, when a hand on his shoulder drew him back to reality.
His father regarded him with an indulgent smile. “You look smitten.”
Alex chuckled. “I’ll try to hide it better.”
Guillaume shook his head, joining his son in laughter. “Don’t. It looks good on you.”
“And how will I assert my authority when I’m staring into space like a besotted fool?”
“I see your point.” Guillaume continued to smile. “I take it you and Maia sorted things out.”
“I’m not sure we’ve discussed everything.” There was still so much that he didn’t know about her. He wanted to learn everything and wished he’d had more time to do it before she left.
The knowing smile on his father’s face didn’t budge. “I’m glad you two found each other again. It seems to have done you some good. I hope she’s doing better as well.”
Alex wasn’t so sure about that. She had seemed distracted before she’d left. Distant. But she was probably thinking about her next assignment. Although, she had been quiet since they left the island.
“Have you spoken to Angelique since you’ve returned?”
Alex nodded. “I have. I’ve made it clear that things have ended.”
“And you’re going to continue with Maia?” his father hedged.
That was the plan. Alex turned to his father then. “Why so interested, Papa?”
Guillaume shrugged. “I just want you to be happy. And I haven’t seen you like this in a very long time.”
“And you think Maia will make me happy?” He already knew the answer. After their trip, he felt lighter. The weight of his responsibilities no longer dragged him down. He found that he enjoyed spending time with her and missed her when she wasn’t around. Sharing ideas with her had become routine over the past couple of weeks. Alex was amazed at how they had both opened up so much over such a short time span. Then again, they weren’t exactly the most conventional couple.
“Hasn’t she already?” His father clapped him over the shoulder again. “But I sense that not everything is good.”
“I want to remember what happened between us before. Maia’s told me about our relationship and…everything. But I want to remember. I’ve looked at everything that Marcel brought out of storage a million times over, but nothing. It’s like a gaping hole in my head. I see the photos of us and it’s like catching a glimpse of another reality. I want to be able to recall what made us laugh in them. What made her smile.”
“I see. Have you told Maia this?”
“She says that it doesn’t matter. That we should be happy with what we have now.”
His father nodded sagely. “I agree with her. If she’s told you everything and it’s in the past, why should it matter?”
“Because it matters to me.” He knew he sounded like an obstinate child, but it was how he felt. He wanted to remember everything about her. It killed him that they’d been through so much together and he could recall none of it.
“But why does it matter so much? You should think about that. What if in your search for the past you forget the present?”
Alex sighed. “I want to talk to the doctor who treated me after the accident again. And the best neurologist I can find.”
“Son.” His father’s tone held a note of warning to it.
“Papa.” Alex refused to back down. He wanted to go down every avenue before admitting defeat.
“Just take a step back and really look at what you are doing. Is it purely selfish? If you are truly going to commit yourself to Maia, then you should consider her and her needs as well.” With that he sauntered away.
Of course it was for Maia as well. She deserved to have someone who could remember her. Who could remember everything that she could.
He pulled out his phone and did a quick search for the best neurologist in the field.
Chapter Fifteen
A week later, Maia motioned for the porter to take the rest of her things into the room.
As promised, the hotel was part of a luxurious resort that was simply stunning to look at. It filled her vision as it sprawled white on the white sand, contrasting starkly with the darkening sky and water.
It was perfect in the setting.
She just hoped that everything else would be as well.
Maia took mental notes as she followed the porter through the lobby and to her room. As the porter stepped in with her things, she caught a glimpse of the stunning interior. It was more like an apartment than a hotel suite. She loved the huge windows and the fresh flowers had to be her favorite feature, though the lush furnishings were a close second. And that was only what she could see from the door.
She couldn’t wait to explore it further.
It may have been perfection, but she felt less than enthused to be there. Alone, at least. She missed Alex. The texts they sent back and forth almost constantly didn’t cheer her up at all and the few video chats they’d had were plagued by lag, bad connections and time constraints. It just reinforced the idea that they were drifting apart.
But before she could start dwelling, a familiar voice forced her back to the present.
“Hello, neighbor.”
Sighing, Maia turned next door. Would it be petty to dock points from the hotel for the porter being too slow to get her stuff in and get out? She knew she was cranky and tired from the flight and chastised herself mentally before smiling tightly at her coworker. “What are you doing here, Chloe?”
“Jo thought we made a great team last time and sent me here to do my thing.” Her scornful gaze raked over Maia. “What the hell happened to you? You look terrible.”
She felt it. “Thanks so much.”
Chloe smirked. “Did you two fight the entire time you were on that island?”
“It’s none of your business.”
“There were bets going around, you know. You two were either going to kill or tear each other’s clothes off. I guess the former was what happened. I owe people some cash.”
If she only knew the truth. Maia just rolled her eyes. “Is this why you’re talking to me? To confirm a bet?”
Her coworker’s smirk grew. “Partly. Another is to point out that a mutual friend is here as well.” She pulled out her phone before she looked pointedly down the hall.
Even though she didn’t want to, Maia followed her line of sight to find Tomas unlocking a door. He chose
that moment to look up and smiled warmly. “Maia, Chloe, what a surprise.” He waved the porter in and walked over to them to give Maia a hug and a peck on the cheek before doing the same to Chloe. “Are you two on another assignment?”
“Yeah. It’s quite a coincidence seeing you here,” Chloe purred, grinning in a way that reminded Maia of a piranha. Did the woman ever stop?
“Quite a coincidence.” He smiled at Maia, leaning in close to whisper. “I’m just checking out the competition.” He stepped back a little. “Is Alex around? I had something I wanted to talk to him about, but he hasn’t responded to my calls or emails.”
She shook her head. “He’s busy with another project at the moment. I’m sure he’ll get back to you as soon as he can.”
“You sound like his secretary.” Laughing, Chloe linked her arm through Tomas’. “How about we go see what this place has to offer?”
Tomas nodded, even as he slipped his arm out of her grip. “What do you say, Maia?”
It was on the tip of her tongue to refuse. She wasn’t in the mood to hang out, but Maia knew she had to do something to get herself out of her funk. And irritating Chloe might just do that. “Sure. Just give me a second.”
Maia grabbed her purse, swapped her shoes and took a quick look at herself in the mirror. Hair in a ponytail, rumpled jeans, wrinkled white shirt and sandals that were almost worn through. Not exactly glamorous but it would do.
“Ready. So what did you want to do first?”
“I could do with a meal.” Tomas looked at the pouting Chloe before settling his gaze on Maia.
“Sounds good.” Not really, but it gave them something to do. At the very least, it might give her something to write about.
They settled for a beautiful onsite restaurant, one of several apparently, and chatted over drinks as they waited. Chloe sat across from Maia while Tomas took the seat next to Maia. She was dimly aware of Chloe snapping pictures on her phone, which wasn’t all that unusual. She should probably be doing the same thing. Maia couldn’t find the energy to pull her phone out.