by Lora Ann
The promise in those words almost brought me to orgasm. I watched his sexy ass in motion as he rounded the front of the car. When he folded his large frame behind the steering wheel, I couldn’t stop my gaze from going straight to his crotch. I licked my lips. I had to have him. Now.
He backed out of the parking space and pulled into traffic, where I decided to take matters into my own hands. Make that mouth. No way would I have the restraint to only give him a hand job. I eased the seat belt off my shoulder, shifting my weight onto my left hip while tracing my fingertip along the zipper of his designer slacks. A wayward thought passed, I should consider a men’s line. Now why, at a time like this, would some nonsensical image play through my mind’s eye. Shaking my head to clear it, I eased the fly open and marveled at his hard cock urging me to make purchase. Alex gave me a sidelong glance as he eased his seatback into a more reclined position. With his height, he could master that and drive. No problem.
Once more, I let my fingers skate along his length before easing the waistband of his sexy, black Calvin Klein BVDs up and over his saluting erection. Recognition of the song playing through the stereo system brought my eyes to his, Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child O’ Mine.” We had made love to this song more times than I could count. I licked my lips, never removing my eyes from his face, and then ran my tongue around his ridge. Pleasure filled me as I watched his lips part from the sensations I was causing, while his deep moan sang in my ears. I began to lick him like the most delicious Popsicle and let him know through “mmms” and “ohhhs” how much I enjoyed his essence. On a mewl, I took his large handsome dick all the way into my mouth, where the head met the back of my throat. As I worked my mouth up and down his magnificent length, my hand cupped his sac, gently squeezing. His hips arched up as his hand fisted my hair. Did he remember? As soon as I asked myself that, he tugged. Hell yes, he had. The one thing that turned me on more than anything was having my hair pulled during any form of sex.
We came to a stop as he pumped into my mouth…once, twice, by the third time my mouth filled with salty, yet masculine cum. I swallowed every drop he gave me, relishing the fact that I had him once more on my lips, on my tongue, right where he’d always belonged. I licked his sensitive slit before peppering kisses up his torso. When I sat up, his eyes were on mine. I realized we were at a stop light. Horns began to blare and that was when I noticed the light was green. His look of awe held me captive. Finally, I broke our connection and said, “You need to drive, Alex.”
He blinked several times before affirming, “Would be the wise choice.”
I adjusted my seatbelt into the proper position on my shoulder and mocked, “Wouldn’t want you to cause an accident. I hear attorneys are hard asses.”
“Baby, I’ll show you hard ass. Just you wait until I get you on your back with those lovely thighs spread wide for me.”
I blew out an exaggerated breath. “I can’t wait.”
We pulled up to a “Painted Lady” across from Alamo Square Park. One of the most photographed streets in the United States, it wasn’t called “Postcard Row” for nothing. Leave it to Alex to live in a home meant for a family. Before I could inquire, he beat me to the punch. “I bought this when I became Ari’s legal guardian. Seemed appropriate for a teenage girl to live here.” His nose wrinkled in disgust. “She didn’t need to stay in my bachelor pad.”
“No. That would’ve been inappropriate,” I confirmed.
He came around the car and assisted me out. Again, I found myself pressed firmly to the passenger side as he kissed me with an urgent hunger. I knew he could taste himself as our tongues twined together. The look of awe was back in his eyes when he pulled away. His finger traced my lips as he whispered, “I belong here.”
“Yes,” I declared, “you do.”
In a sudden motion, he scooped me into his arms, walking towards the front door of the cute green and cream colored house. There wasn’t much time to take in the home as we entered and he marched straight up the stairs. We’d been kissing intermittently until we reached the bedroom. Masculine shades of gray greeted me. The room and bedding were inviting, though I didn’t really have a chance to examine it much. Alex began to strip as he commanded, “Get naked and lie on the bed.”
I swallowed hard at his bossiness, yet wasn’t bothered by his order. On the contrary, my already sopping wet panties clung to my overheated sex, begging for him to remove them. Testing myself I replied, “If you want me nude, do it yourself.”
On a growl of pure male authority, he placed his hands on my shoulders and shoved with enough force to cause me to lose my balance. I squealed and fell onto the bed. He undid my pants with ease, sliding them off my body. “Fuuuuck. Your panties are drenched.”
Before I could be embarrassed, he was on his knees, burying his face between my legs. “Oh…God…Alex.” His mouth was on my sensitive flesh with the wet silk underwear between him and my core. He took a deep breath, raising enough to speak, “You smell like heaven.”
His fingers dove under the elastic sides where he tore the expensive material from my body. I would’ve protested if it hadn’t been so damn sexy watching him go all Alpha male like that. Then, Alex’s nose began a tortuous trek along my slit before opening my folds with his fingers. He began to tease my clit as his tongue snaked out and laved. I mewled in response, which brought his finger to my entrance. I arched up into his mouth as he dove inside my canal. Another finger joined the first one, while I felt a third one exploring my forbidden spot. No one had ever been in what I’d considered an exit only location. Yet, there was no denying the pleasure it brought me as he swirled my juices along the virgin hole. His hot mouth latched on to my throbbing nub where he sucked. I felt the orgasm crest, and as it did, his fingers plunged inside me. A scream of pure delight erupted as he thoroughly brought me to yet another climax. I was still breathing heavily as he stood, grabbing my legs and placing my ankles on his shoulders. His hands landed on my breasts where he rolled my nipples between his forefingers and thumbs. Meanwhile, his thick cock teased up and down my crevice before he poised the head at my entrance. “Look at me, kjære.”
My eyes met his as he eased into my core, burying himself fully inside. He paused, leaning all the way forward while placing his hands on the bed above my shoulders, and kissed me with such reverence I began to cry. In an instant, he eased off and was about to pull out when I reassured, “You didn’t hurt me.”
He studied me for a moment trying to decide if I was telling the truth or not. “Why the tears, Sofie?”
I couldn’t put all the emotions into words at that moment. So I whispered, “Please, Alex, make love to me.”
“Hold on to me,” he answered.
He moved us to the center of the bed and began to move inside me, slowly and purposefully, until we came together. Beautiful was the only word that could accurately describe what we had just shared together. If I had ever doubted it before, there was no question about it now. I belonged to him. Only him.
Chapter Eleven
Alex
The emotions playing through me were not something I’d been remotely prepared for. Did I know Sofia had taken a piece of me with her all those years ago? Sure. Had I known that if she entered my life again I would struggle with my feelings? Affirmative. Yet this…this all-consuming flood of feelings wasn’t anything someone could brace themselves for. A part of me recognized that the other half of my soul had returned. Elated, blessed, a peace without understanding filled me completely. When our bodies joined, the union was deeper than physical. At that moment I’d remarried her. Of course with that train of thought came another, you never divorced her. On a spiritual level that reference was accurate. Sofie and I had never taken our vows, nor was there any piece of legal documentation saying we were wed. Yet my heart knew, had always known, she was the only one for me. Nevertheless, there was the wounded, bitter young man from long ago who lurked and sulked. He was distrustful, angry, unforgiving, a cantankerous man who
wanted her to pay for all the pain she’d caused. Had she meant to do it? Hell no. Still, the need for justice roared inside me. I had to reconcile this before it destroyed us. I knew that. I was pretty sure Sofie knew it, too. Would couple’s counseling be a wise decision? We were just beginning again. Was the best course of action to dredge up all that crap? I exhaled loudly, bringing sleepy eyes to mine. There was no denying she was beautiful. The most gorgeous woman I’d ever had the pleasure to have in my arms. I held her close. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you, kjære.”
“Talk to me, Alex. Something’s bothering you.”
Fuck no. I wasn’t ruining what we had just shared a couple hours before. It was my problem to work through, and I would. But not now. I rolled her onto her back and braced above her, gazing into those amazing amber eyes. I eased into her, not at all surprised she was ready for me. We’d always had that connection. Maybe it wasn’t quite as strong as Nik and Aimee’s, or Even and Lacey’s, yet it had the potential to be that and so much more.
She gasped as I rolled my hips. “You’re not playing fair.”
I leaned down to nuzzle her neck. “I don’t hear you asking me to stop.”
“No…” she squeaked out as I bit down on her elegant tendon. “Alex…yes please, mark me.”
What that plea did to me I couldn’t explain. A distant, deep instinct drove me to comply as I plunged into her heat with a force I’d never used before, bringing the head of my cock in direct contact with her cervix. A brief oh no, did I hurt her? passed through my mind until she responded with “Fuck yes. Just. Like. That.”
Once more, I repeated the motion bringing both of us to an out-of-this-world climax. Then it occurred to me. “Shit, So,” I panted out. “I’m sorry. I forgot to put on a condom. Again.”
Her own breath ragged, she replied, “I have an IUD. We’re fine.”
“Thank fuck,” I growled and began moving inside her, never wanting this time to end.
We had fallen asleep again after making love for a good two hours. I woke up to the sultry voice of Judy Garland singing “Embraceable You.” I snagged my pants, lying on the floor, and found Sofie in the living room, staring out the window with coffee in hand. I came up behind her and took the cup from her hands. Careful not to spill any, I set it down on the sofa table. I then spun her around and began dancing through her condo. We both had a love of music, and for the first time in a long while, I wanted to play my sax. She giggled, and I swear my whole world stopped for a moment. I gazed deep into her eyes, forgetting my own name at what I observed. She was light. Yes, I saw the shadows of darkness from a past, but I also witnessed the survivor. Something so complex, yet beautiful, my heart stuttered inside it confines. I bent to kiss her. Instead, she buried her face against my bare chest.
Her muffled, “Coffee breath,” was barely audible.
I placed both hands on either side of her face and eased her head back. When her eyes met mine, I rubbed along her delectable bottom lip with my thumb and declared, “Doesn’t matter to me.” Seizing the opportunity as her lips parted, I reverently tangled our tongues together. She needed to know I meant it. There was nothing to hide from me. I loved her. All of her. Not only was I facing my own damn demons, for all intents and purposes, I had hers to contend with also. While I should’ve walked away right then and there with that knowledge, I continued to worship her mouth with mine. We were in for the fight of our life. But at that moment in time, we were perfect. Even if I had wanted to, there wasn’t any point in denying it.
The moment came to an abrupt halt as our phones rang simultaneously. We went to grab our cells while looking at each other. She mouthed, “Hospital.”
I nodded as we both answered.
The worry etching Sofie’s forehead as her brows drew closer mirrored my own. Apparently another infection had found a home in Ari’s young body. My heart ached for our daughter. No kid should be trapped in a hospital bed, especially a young woman at the phase in life where she should be experiencing first love, late nights with friends, and making me crazy when she was out past curfew. Funny how I had no clue she was mine a short week ago. And now, I couldn’t imagine my life without her. There might not have been confirmation we were father and daughter, but I believe we knew instinctively. Ha! Seemed Aimee wasn’t the only one with that gift. I’d always trusted my instincts on anything and everything. It was how I just knew Reynolds was involved in that wreck, correction, wrecks. My innate gut told me he was to blame for the crash that took Rachel and her unborn daughter all those years ago. The one my brother served time for. Yeah, that, left a bad taste in my mouth. Always had. Someday I planned on exonerating Nik. No, it wouldn’t change the past. But it was the right thing to do. He deserved a clean record.
Sofie brought me back from my thoughts with, “Let me get dressed.”
I not only saw distress in the way she carried herself—shoulders hunched, eyes downcast, face drawn tight—but heard it in her voice. Fuck. She needed strength, or maybe just a damn good cry. She’d been so accustomed to being alone. That was about to change. Forever. As she was walking away, I clasped her wrist. She rounded on me, and I saw the fear in her regard. “God Sofie, I would never harm you.”
Slowly sadness and worry returned to her gaze, but there was no mistaking the foul odor of terror still caught in the air between us. I stepped closer as she watched my every move. What the fuck had happened to her? Then it clicked. “Hoffman,” came out on a growl.
She swallowed hard. “Please, Alex. I can’t do this now.”
I raised her hand and placed it over my heart. “Feel that?”
She bobbed her head in response.
“It’s always been yours, Sofia.”
Her eyes met mine. “What does my marriage to James have to do with us?”
I gently traced her jaw with my forefinger. “If we’re ever going to work, baby, you need to let me in. Give me all of it.”
She shook her head adamantly. “I cannot.”
With that, she pulled her hand away from my body and beelined for the bedroom.
What the hell just happened? Shit. Seemed no matter what I did I couldn’t get it right with her. Quite frankly, I didn’t appreciate running a race where there was no chance of winning. If she wasn’t going to open up and let me try, then what was the point? Confused over my feelings and Sofie’s actions, anxious over Ari, and still in need of working on the case I was trying to build against Caleb. When she stepped back into the living room, I snapped, “About damn time. Give me two minutes to grab my shirt and shoes.”
*****
The silence in the car was deafening. I hit my Bluetooth to try and find comfort. Elvis crooned, “Suspicious Minds” through the arctic chill permeating every inch of space. We weren’t dealing with unfaithfulness to one another, but fighting mistrust of each other on a visceral level. The need to stand my ground was unmistakable. My heart demanded I wage this war. For her. For me. For us. However, my head kept reminding me of how much it hurt. Surely a man could reason with himself. Perhaps it was time to give myself a firm talking to. Sounds quite logical. Yet every single time I went down that road, more warning signs and signals went off. Fuuuuuuuuck! If I hadn’t been driving, both hands would’ve raked through my hair. Suffice it to say, one would have to do the trick. I shot a sidelong glance over towards the woman bringing all this chaos into my life. She was staring out the window lost in her own ruminations. The reflection of her face told the story she was unable to share—in some capacity she had been abused. Again. Her father was a motherfucking son-of-a-bitch. His offense was verbal and emotional. While I’d known that years ago, never once had I suspected he was capable of committing the unspeakable, stealing a child. To barter with one’s own grandchild, for the sake of controlling the daughter he clearly loathed just for existing, was beyond my comprehension. Not for the first time, I wished he were still alive so I could kill him. A father loves. A father protects. A father provides. He doesn’t fuck up his kid to
the point where she no longer trusts any man. Where did I have a right to be upset with her choices? Whether I believed it was right or not, Sofie did what she thought had been best for all. I reached over and stroked the top of her hand, which was resting above her knee. She glanced over and I saw the tracks of tears along her cheeks. “Sofie.” I cleared my throat. “I’m here for you when you’re ready to talk.”
She nodded but never uttered a word.
*****
As we entered through the hospital doors, my brothers and their wives were waiting for us. Technically Lacey wasn’t a Strand, yet. Even walked over and eyed me cautiously. I saw it in his body language, he was still pissed off but here for me. Sooner or later, I would have to deal with him. At the moment, I was simply grateful that his fierce loyalty hadn’t gone astray. I clasped his shoulder as he inclined his head. Showing a united front despite our differences, we made our way towards the elevators. Aimee and Lacey were attempting to calm Sofie’s nerves as Nik asked, “You alright, brother?”
“I’ll be better once I know what we’re up against,” I confessed.
“Agreed,” Nik and Even said simultaneously.
We were greeted outside of Ari’s room by her doctor who politely led the way to a closed room with table and chairs. Talk about déjà vu. I sat next to Sofie and grabbed a hold of her hand, squeezing reassuringly. Dr. Heiner opened a file and began to tell us the dreaded news. The blood poisoning was not getting any better. As a matter of fact, it was worse than before. Complications had arisen thanks to the heavy duty antibiotics they had pumped through Ari’s system. Another blood transfusion was recommended, although, they had to ease back on the antibiotics for a little while. Dr. Heiner looked at us sincerely. “She’s at a point where it’s out of our hands.”