by Lexi Ostrow
A lump formed in her throat and slid all the way down to her stomach like a lead weight. “If you are released, you’ll seek her out, won’t you?”
“It would do no good.” He must have seen her reaction because he quickly countered. “She is happy and with who she belongs with. And she does not reside in our, well, your world. She chose to return with him because he had a family to think of, and she was your age — too young to have him fully and if she went with him that hurdle vanished.”
His words hardened as he switched subjects from past memories to the present. “I did what was needed to become a more suitable Guardian. I was allowed to pick who I answered to, and when I saw you, I didn’t want to be interested in getting to know you. But I immediately was.”
Kellie could feel the irrational hurt sneaking a path through her at the fact that he hadn’t said he was over Ciara during any of his speech. Yet, she could feel his pain radiating around her as if he’d wrapped her in a blanket of it. Alcott had certainly loved his last Word Speaker, and she wasn’t certain if an unrequited love could ever be overcome, but she knew one thing. His heartbreak was strong enough to destroy any hope she had of resisting him. His vulnerability stemmed from a sincere place, not some asshole hiding because he didn’t want to be her Guardian.
“Which means you’re afraid that if we get too close, you could lose me as well?” The words were whispered so softly the hum of the air conditioner nearly swallowed them.
He gave a grim nod. “You have power. My guess is that it’s from your belief in the extraordinary already, but who the fuck knows. Getting close to you and giving into what I’m feeling is foolish. I can keep telling myself I want to wait until it isn’t just lust.” He stood up from the chair and crossed the space between them, charging the air with an electrical current as he went. When he stopped before her, their eyes locked. “But it isn’t. You intrigue me. You excite me, and I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I care a great deal more about you than I should. Blame that on life and death circumstances. Or accept it for what it might be — the perfect match between Guardian and Word Speaker.”
His words left her awestruck. Everything she’d been thinking in such a short time wasn’t as crazy as it had seemed, now that he had vocalized feeling the same. The room grew silent, only their breath and the running air making any sort of sound. Kellie could feel the way her heart was beating, how rapidly it thumped within her chest. Neither one of them was going to move, and she wasn’t certain she had it in her to walk away from him, not when every nerve ending on her body was inflamed with need.
With a low growl, Alcott lifted a hand toward her face as if he meant to stroke it and then jerked it away. The abruptness shook her from her haze. Breathing in deeply through her nose, she quickly pushed the breath out her mouth and scrambled backward on the bed.
“Thank you. For sharing that. I know it has been the shortest amount of time possible to have known one another, but I feel as if I’ve known you my whole life. I felt that way the moment I read your story. We have nothing in common, yet it was as if you were the man I’d always dreamed of.” She felt her cheeks flush red the moment such a horrifying truth slipped out.
His body was wracked with tension, and she could only guess it was from resisting the urge to touch her, to respond to her or to tell her she was utterly bat shit. He did none of the above.
“Go shower. We trained hard, you actually punched decently a few times, and I just dropped my pathetic sorrows on you.” He tried to give her a lopsided smile. “You’ll feel better after.”
She wasn’t certain if he was trying to let her off the hook, or if he wanted to get rid of her. Nodding slowly she kissed his cheek. “I won’t take long. The red beans and rice is still on the desk. You should try some.”
There was no reason for her to wait for a response. Taking what felt like slow motion, painful movements, she walked into the bathroom and tugged the door shut. Leaning her back against it, she forced herself to take in as many deep breaths as she could to slow her thoughts down. In less than week, she’d grown to have feelings for Alcott. The jealousy that still lingered after talking about Ciara was enough to prove that. However, she’d never dreamed that he was actually afraid of losing her as if she were important enough to matter.
Looking at herself in the mirror, she tugged the hair tie out and dropped it on the counter. Her hair was so sticky with sweat that it didn’t fall loosely about her shoulders as it typically did, but rather dropped like a heavyweight and puffed out just a touch from her head.
With a shaky hand, she pulled her tank top off over her head and unhooked her bra, dropping both carelessly onto the floor. She frowned, realizing she’d have to put the dirty clothes on, but knew there was no choice. Tugging down the zipper on her jeans, she stepped out for the pants and walked over to the shower. There was a time and a place for everything, and right now, it was time for her to bathe. She would worry about what to do with Alcott after.
Chapter Nine
He could feel the way his heart pumped too quickly in his chest. It had been at least three minutes since Kellie had left, longer since he’d revealed a past he’d assumed he could always keep hidden. The only thought he had was regret. Sending her off to shower and dismissing anything she might have to say about his revelation had been a chicken shit move. Alcott was a lot of things, but being afraid had never been one of them, even before he’d grown stronger,
Just go to her. He put one foot forward before another thought slammed into him. It’s been less than a week. Just because you’ve had some fun doesn’t mean she’d welcome you staring at her naked.
He stood, frozen in place as if Ryce had cast some spell on him. Everything inside him was conflicted. His head told him to keep his distance from Kellie for as long as he could. His heart shouted at him to make a move, and then some small part of his brain responded back to his heart that it hadn’t even been a week, slow the fuck down.
Snarling at his indecisiveness, he picked the option that would likely destroy them both, and satisfy them both. He tugged his shirt off and jerked his jeans off. His fingertips snagged as he lowered his boxers in his haste, causing him to trip forward.
“Fucking off to a great start.” With a deep breath he walked to the door and hesitated. Did he knock before seeking to seduce a woman he’d just insulted? Or was it sexier to just open the door and barge in? Putting his hand on the knob, he twisted, stepping into the steam and nearly dropping to his knees with lust as he saw the barest outline of her form against the linen shower curtain.
Sliding her hands through her hair under the warm shower spray, she sighed at how good it felt. Her body wasn’t sore from the workout yet, but she knew it would be soon. The water massaged her muscles with the perfect amount of pressure, though her mind couldn’t help but wish it was Alcott’s hands skimming over her wet skin. Grabbing the tiny shampoo bottle, she twisted the lid off and squeezed it onto her head without bothering to sniff it. Her hair would feel like straw no matter what it smelled like. She saw no point in wasting time.
The rustle of the curtain was almost inaudible under the rush of water, but the strike of freezing air against her skin was not. Her hand balled as she turned, nearly slipping in the tub as she found herself face-to-face with a very naked Alcott. She practically growled when a rush of desire surged through her as she took in what his presence meant.
His eyes shone with a hard mix of defiance and lust. His body was taut, the muscles rippling as he moved to step in behind her. She shuddered as he crossed his arms over his chest, causing the muscles to flex and the curious tattoo to stand out further. There was no hope in not looking downward, and no way to turn back once she had. His cock was thick and heavy, bobbing under its erect weight. Her body quivered as she continued to look him over.
He spun her around and tugged her against him, dragging the length of his erection down her back as he did and pulling a strangled cry of pleasure from her. A hot breath across her
neck had lust bleeding through her veins.
“This can’t mean anything. This has to just be about our connection, about sating desires too strong to run away from so that we can move forward as a more united team.”
His words should have been harsh, but they weren’t. He’d bared his soul to her minutes earlier. This was about seeking solace in each other. A comfort that they would find nowhere else because there were no two beings as perfectly suited for the other as they were.
As she turned, her breasts brushed against his hard chest, and her nipples pebbled harder at the contact. His hands quickly moved to run down her body, tracing light lines before stopping on her ass. With a grunt he pulled her tighter against him. His erection was hot and hard between them. Kellie couldn’t stop herself as she lifted onto the tips of her toes and ground her swollen clit against his shaft, her legs momentarily buckling at the sensation. Leaning up farther, she kissed the top of his ear before tugging on it slightly with her teeth and running her tongue down his neck. His growl sent shivers through her, and she ground her body into his as their simultaneous moans filling the bathtub stall.
She was wet and ready for him. She wasn’t letting him back down again. Something he quickly proved she need not worry about. He captured her lips in a hungry kiss before pulling away, leaving her panting and water cascading into her mouth.
“You taste like spices. I need to find out where else you taste like that.”
As he effortlessly picked her up, she wrapped her legs around his body and pressed onto his erection. He chuckled and unwrapped her, setting her on lip of the tub before his hands pushed her legs apart. There was no teasing. No gentle caress of his nose or the tip of his tongue against her inner thigh. Alcott just took what he wanted, as he’d defended what he wanted in the books.
His head dipped between her legs, and he licked a stroke across her clit. Sher arched as she tangled her hands in his hair. When his tongue speared into her body, she writhed against it and cried out. His thumb stroked over her sensitive nub even as his tongue danced skillfully between her silken folds. In and out, his tongue worked her core. Groaning, she rocked her hips against his mouth, his tongue going deeper and faster.
She’d never experienced the rush of sensations that were zooming over her body, leaving traces of heat and fierce flames in their wake. Every stroke was maddening, every caress of his warm hands over her breasts leading her closer to the brink.
With one final flick of his finger over her clit, her release shot through her. Dropping her head backward into the spray of water, she moaned in delight. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest as wave after wave of ecstasy traveled through her, as Alcott continued to lap against her folds.
As her head began to spin less, she leaned out of the spray and gently guided him away from her body. “Alcott.” His name was a breathless whisper. She’d intended to say more but all she could do was focus on the most intense orgasm she’d ever had, and with a man she shouldn’t have had it with. Because he shouldn’t have been real. Breathless, her body quivered at the look in his eyes.
"Just as I thought, you taste spicy everywhere."
His words were guttural, deep and made her body throb for more than what had just occurred between them. She wasn’t certain how far she could push or how much she could ask for. However, after the experience she had just been a part of, she wasn’t going to simply let that be all there was.
She was a mass of nerves and tingles as she pushed him down to the floor of the off-white tub before leaning down to him. Desire outweighed any fear of rejection as she spoke. “I would say turnabout is fair play, but I want more too badly to play any other games.”
Reaching behind her, she twisted off the water, not wanting to drown them while she sought to seek more than just one release with the man beneath her. Without another word, she straddled his body and took his hard, hot shaft in her hands. She groaned subconsciously at the heaviness of it. He was very well endowed, and the mere thought of taking his length into her body almost pushed her over the edge.
“Like what you feel?”
She laughed huskily and stroked her hand down his cock, reveling in the way he bobbed toward her hand as she released him. “I already liked what I felt, Guardian. Like is far too much of an understatement for what I’m thinking about right this moment.” Grasping his prick again, she gave a tight squeeze and lifted herself slightly off him, dragging her core over the tip of his shaft.
His groan was full of pleasure and sent spikes of white-hot desire flowing through her body. Slowly, she slid down his impressive length, tilting her head back as the incredible sensation of being stretched increased her longing as she took him deeper. She didn’t move at first because she simply couldn’t. All Kellie could do was feel the way he fit perfectly inside of her, sending ripples of pleasure through her by simply filling her body. Their breathing echoed off the porcelain tub, and when she looked into Alcott’s eyes, all she saw was hunger.
His hands reached up, his fingers a sharp bite into her hips, and pulled her down to him, sinking deeper. That one simple action was all she needed to remind her that there was so much more pleasure than simply being connected. She began to undulate, a slow swirl of her hips before rising off his length and sinking back down onto it.
Kellie swore there was magic in the motion of their bodies together as Alcott used his grip to pull her up and push her down his thick length. She was lost in the feel of his body driving into hers. There was nothing around them — no cool air mingling with their wet bodies, and no hard tub beneath them. It was just her and Alcott. She was drifting in a sea of passion that rivaled anything she’d ever dreamed of being possible.
Running her hands over her breasts, she pumped up and down on his shaft. Moans and whimpers echoed off the shower walls — sounds she found herself relishing. Her body pulsed as she took him deep inside with every thrust. Every motion was like a flick to the tightened band of pleasure that was building.
She felt him release her hips moments before his hands tugged her head to his, slanting his lips over hers. His kiss was different; he devoured her instead of simply tasting her as he had in the past. There was nothing tentative about the way their mouths moved. Over and over, their bodies rocked together in a tandem rhythm that matched the speed and intensity of the kiss.
Her second climax was as powerful as the first, and she screamed his name into their kiss. He pumped his hips up and urged her release on and on as his finger rubbed her folds, deepening the sensation in a way she had never imaged possible.
As the waves of pleasure slowly subsided into small ripples, she felt his cock jerk inside of her and his hands grip into her hips once more. They continued to move together for moments longer before Alcott pulled back from kissing her.
“That was . . .”
“Yes it was,” she agreed languidly. Placing another kiss to his already swollen lips, she set her hands on his chest and gently pushed, sliding her body off his shaft. A shiver passing through her at the sensation.
Carefully, she stood up in the wet tub and pushed the curtain open. She dared not look back at Alcott, not wanting to see if his look of fulfillment had changed to one of regret. It would destroy her because there was not a moment of the shower that she regretted.
Tugging the towel off the bar, she grabbed a second and passed it to him, still not looking.
“You worry that I will want to take that back,” Alcott said, rather matter-of-factly.
Drying herself off, she refused to look in the mirror, even though it was covered in steam. “That had crossed my mind. You were so against being more than, well, I don’t know what you’d expected us to be. Then, as if someone flipped a switch, you wanted everything, and you were willing to give everything.”
She felt him step behind her and wrap her body against his. The feeling was comforting in a way she’d never known she would need to be comforted. His strong arms provided a solace from her fears, and the hard wall of hi
s body reminded her that she was not alone.
A whisper soft touch of his lips to her neck sent a chill through her. She’d never been treated as an object to be revered, but without any words, that was how he was making her feel.
“I was being foolish. I was trying to protect myself by denying that the sexual connection was important. I wanted to think that, if we went slowly, we might never get to a place where we wanted a sexual connection for emotional reasons. I’d hoped to avoid ever feeling the loss I felt once before.”
Finally, she lifted her head and looked in the mirror, barely able to make out their forms through the dissipating steam. “What changed?”
“Time. It may sound strange since we’ve barely spent any together, but the more I am with you, the more I realized there was no way to stop what was coming. No way to deaden myself to the emotions you were already bringing up in me. I didn’t want to wait any longer, not unless you did.”
She chuckled and turned as best she could in his grasp, taking a risk by looking into his eyes. There was no sign of anything save for the sincerity shining out of them.
“I don’t know where we will go, Alcott, and I certainly don’t know what my strength as a Word Speaker will grow too. But as I said before, I’m quite content with you . . . even when you’re being a prick.”
He grinned down at her. “Well then, since we have such a wonderful room, how about we order some room service, watch some TV and spend the night here?”
She leaned up and pressed a chaste kiss to his mouth. “I think that sounds like a wonderful idea.”
Chapter Ten
The small ray of sunlight beating against his brow caused Alcott to stir. He did so as carefully as he could without disturbing the beautiful woman tucked against him. Pulling away from her, he slipped out of the bed and stretched.