Her chin tipped even higher. “A man would never be able to control me.”
He smiled as he worked her other hand loose from his shirt. “Noted.” Once the hand was free he held it right beside the first, her palms wrapped in his. “I thought I should be happy with someone who always agreed with me, so I always agreed with her. I did what she wanted because she did what I wanted. Neither of us ever wanted to be the asshole.”
Alex snorted. “Now you’re suddenly fine being the asshole?”
He pulled her hands higher, stretching Alex’s body under his. “Do I call you names, Al?”
Her eyes dropped his a second before coming back. “Now you’re going to be butthurt because I called you a name?” She lifted one brow. “I thought you wanted someone to stand up to you.”
“Calling me an asshole isn’t standing up to me.” He pinned both hands in place with one of his. “Especially since I’ve never once been an asshole to you.”
He ran the finger of his free hand along the line of her jaw, tracing it to the tip of her chin. “I’m not an asshole just because you want it to be true.”
“I didn’t want you to be an asshole.”
“You did.” He ran his finger down the front of her neck, skimming it along the dip of her collarbone. “You still do.”
Her breath caught as his finger trailed lower, sliding under the neck of her shirt to tuck into the cup of her bra. “You should have been an asshole.” Her eyes moved over his face. “You look like one.”
“I look like an asshole?” He curled his finger, pulling down both the shirt and the bra in one move to expose the slight swell of her breast. “That’s a new one for me.”
“You’re too,” Alex gasped as his mouth closed around the pucker of her nipple, “too...”
Edward flicked his tongue over the pebbled tip before nipping his way free. “Too what, Al?”
“Too handsome.” She spit the words out as he pulled down the other side of her shirt and bra, baring the other perfectly petite mound.
“Not sure that’s a thing.” He pulled the newly presented nipple into his mouth, sucking at the velvety soft skin as it pulled tight.
He’d spent years having choreographed sex. The same basic foreplay rotation before missionary penetration to mutual completion.
It was fine.
Got the job done.
But it wasn’t what he wanted with Alex. Not even close.
She made him want to test her limits.
His limits.
Find what made her thighs shake. What made her lose control.
To make sure this thing between them never went stale.
Was never taken for granted.
****
“YOU SNORE.” ALEX shoved at him, the blonde hair matted over her face doing nothing to hide the smile teasing across her lips.
“I believe you are not realizing who the sound is coming from.” Edward pressed his finger to the tip of her nose, pushing it up. “You might have a deviated septum in there. Should probably go get it checked out.”
Alex smacked at his hand, laughing. “Jerk.”
“You like it.” He curled closer to her, pulling her against him. “Don’t try to pretend you don’t.”
“I’ll pretend to like whatever I want.” Alex rolled into him. “You don’t get to tell me what to do.”
“I think I’ll try sometimes. Just to see what happens.” He tucked his face into her hair, breathing in the soft scent lingering there.
“You won’t like it. I can promise you that.” Alex was still smiling but her eyes were closed as she relaxed against him.
“You’d be surprised what I like, Al.”
“Are you kidding me?”
Alex shot up, holding the thick comforter over her body as she came to a sit beside him. “What are you doing here?”
Charlie stood in the doorway, pressing one hand to each side of her face. “Is everyone having sex but me?”
“Who else is having sex?”
“Well definitely Danny and Craig.” Charlie pointed one finger their way, wagging it from Alex to him. “You two dirty birds.” She huffed out a breath. “And some guy snuck out of Frankie’s house before the sun came up.”
Alex’s brows came together. “How do you know that?”
Charlie stood straighter. “I was out looking for anyone who might be trying to bother us.”
“You can’t do that, Charlie.” Alex crawled across the bed, dragging the blanket with her as she went. “You know it’s not safe to go out alone right now.”
“Hey, Al.” Edward tried to hang on to a corner of the blankets as she pulled them along, exposing more and more of his naked body with each move.
“Give me a minute.” Alex was focused on Charlie, not paying any attention to the position she was putting him in. “What if someone is out there and they grab you? What happens then?”
Charlie barked out a single laugh. “I’m not going to let anyone grab me.”
“You think Sam let someone grab her?” Alex took another step, this one stealing all but the last corner of decency he had left. “There was nothing she could do, and there might not be anything you can do either.”
Charlie rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. “You act like I’m incapable of handling myself.” Her gaze dropped down.
And landed right on him, widening a second before one brow lifted.
Charlie took a step back, attention bouncing between the last bit of sheet and her sister’s face.
She took another step back.
Edward snatched a pillow from where it rested against the headboard, slapping it onto his lap just as Alex stepped forward pulling away the blanket.
Charlie huffed out a breath. “Whatever.” She spun away. “I’m telling Sam you’re boning Edward.”
“You better not.” Alex chased her down the hall, leaving him sitting alone in the middle of her bed, a pillow hiding his dick.
And a smile on his face.
THIRTEEN
“SAM ALREADY THINKS we’re all against her.” Alex raced down the front steps, trying to wrap the puffy comforter around her backside. “If you tell her about this she’ll feel even more like that.”
Charlie stopped and turned. “Why does wanting a man make us against her?” She threw her arms up and let them drop back to her sides. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
“It does to her and that’s what matters.” Alex adjusted the line of the blanket smashing into her boobs.
“I shouldn’t feel guilty for wanting to find a man.” Charlie waved one arm toward Danny’s house. “Danny has Craig.” She flung one hand toward Alex’s porch. “You have Edward. Frankie has—”
Alex held up one finger, dropping her grip on the blanket covering her ass. “I don’t have Edward.”
Almost immediately the cool morning air met her skin, sending her flailing in an attempt to find an edge of the blanket.
A strong grip tugged the blanket back into place. “Watch your ass, Al.” Edward shot Charlie a grin. “And she definitely has Edward.”
Charlie didn’t respond. Probably because her mouth was hanging open at the sight of Edward in his underwear. Her blue eyes locked onto the front of his navy boxer-briefs, lids pulling wide.
“Stop staring at his dick.” Alex stepped between them.
“I can’t even see his dick.” Charlie crossed her arms over her chest. “It’s hidden.”
“Morning.”
Alex leaned to peek around Charlie. JD stood right behind her, his Brittany Spaniel, Molly, on a leash at his side.
Edward raised one hand in a wave, grinning at JD. “Morning.” He took a deep breath, loudly sucking in the air. “It’s a nice one isn’t it?”
“Looks like an interesting one.” JD took a drink from the coffee cup in his hand.
“What are you doing here so early?” Alex tried to shift around the blanket so she could better cover her boobs. She’d known JD forever. He was almost like a brother at this poi
nt, but she wasn’t really interested in him seeing her tits.
And he probably had no interest in seeing them.
Edward grabbed the back of the blanket, working it into a more sensical order. “He’s staying here now.”
“What?” Alex whipped her head back to look Edward’s way. “Why is he staying here?”
“Cause of that guy snooping around your place the other night.” JD tipped his head toward her house, his dark eyes moving around the small yard. “You see anything last night?” His eyes moved to Edward. “Or were you too busy to pay attention?”
“Definitely too busy to pay attention.”
Alex slowly turned toward Edward. “Are you serious right now?”
He smiled at her. “One of us is standing on the street in a blanket, and the other one’s in their underwear. Pretty sure he’s already done the math.”
“Yup. Figured that one out real quick.” JD took another drink of his coffee, eyes holding Edward’s. “Maybe try to do both from here on out if you can.”
“What the actual fuuuuuuuuuuck?”
Frankie’s yell carried across the silent town.
JD turned toward the sound. “Looks like Frankie’s awake.” He tipped his head to Edward. “I’m gonna go make sure she’s not trying to burn down my camper.”
“Why would Frankie want to burn down JD’s camper?” Charlie watched their friend go.
“Probably because he parked it right beside her house.” Edward finished working the blanket into a fully wrapped burrito-style covering and held the back together.
Charlie’s nose lifted on one side as she turned back to face Edward. “So?”
Edward’s brows lifted. “If I have to explain it to you then I probably shouldn’t.”
Charlie frowned. “I don’t get what you’re saying.”
“Yeah. Definitely not explaining that one.” Edward tugged on the back of the blanket. “Come on, Al. We need to get dressed.”
Alex held one finger up at Charlie. “Don’t tell Sam.”
Charlie huffed out, dropping her head back. “Ugh. Fine.” She pointed back at Alex. “But when I finally get sex I’m telling everyone, so she better get over it before that.”
“Fine.” It was an easy compromise. One Alex wouldn’t have to worry about for a while.
Charlie nodded. “Fine.”
Alex swung around shoving at the blanket as she turned, trying to make sure she didn’t trip on any of it. “She’s lost her damn mind.” If bare feet could stomp across concrete, she’d be stomping like crazy.
Alex came to a stop, hefting up the blanket wrapped around her and stretching out her leg, twisting it from side to side. “My ankle feels better.”
“I figured that out when you almost showed your sister my dick.” Edward tugged on the back of the blanket. “Keep it moving, Al. I don’t need half the town seeing me like this.”
She glanced his way. “Maybe no one wants to see you like that.”
“You do.” He leaned in close. “You ruined a shirt because you wanted to see me like this.”
Alex planted a palm in the center of his chest, shoving at him. “Shut up.” She started walking again, this time being a little more careful with her injured ankle. Didn’t want to end up right back where she started.
Edward came up the stairs behind her, holding up the weight of the blanket as they went back inside. “Does Charlie have a key?”
“Not for long.” Alex had a key to all of her sisters’ houses and they all had keys to hers. There was no reason for them not to.
Until this morning.
“I think she’s just feeling a little jealous.” Edward dropped the blanket and the back immediately fell open.
“You think?” Alex didn’t even bother trying to pull the back together. She shot him a glare. “And stop looking at my ass.”
“Make me.” Edward leaned against the peninsula, blatantly watching her as she went down the hall to her room.
She turned to face her room before he could catch the smile working its way onto her face. “Why don’t you make me some breakfast or something?”
“You’re awfully demanding in the mornings, Al.”
“Maybe I’m always demanding.” She snagged a pair of panties and a bra from her drawer and wrestled them on as she dug through the clothes hanging in her closet. “Did you even consider that?”
“Sure did.” The sound of kitchen drawers opening carried down the hall with Edward’s answer.
“Well I call this a you problem then.” She grabbed a wide-leg pair of pants with a paper bag waist and a ribbed tank. By the time she was at the end of the hall the shirt was on and she was stepping into the pants.
“No one called it a problem.” Edward stood at the stove stirring a pot of oatmeal.
“Then why are you complaining?” Alex tucked in the tank and tied the fabric belt into place.
“Why are you so sure I don’t understand what I’m getting into?”
Alex straightened. “What are you getting into?”
“Come on, Al.” He turned to look at her over one shoulder. “Don’t pretend this isn’t what it is.”
“I’m not pretending.” She turned and hurried back down the hall to her room.
This wasn’t anything. It was simply two people who happened to have great sex together doing what made sense.
Having sex.
That’s it.
She took her time choosing a pair of comfortable flats to go with her outfit, then picked a pair of earrings and a few bracelets to add to the ensemble. Hopefully by the time she went back in Edward would have moved on. Forgotten the conversation.
Alex went to the peninsula, carefully avoiding Edward’s gaze. She slid onto a stool, looking everywhere but at the mostly naked man piling pantry items into bowls filled with steaming oatmeal.
“Charlie said I was your boyfriend.”
Her eyes jumped straight to him on their own. “What?”
Edward’s eyes sparkled with an unseen smile.
Bastard knew that would get her attention. Tricked her into walking right back into the conversation.
“You heard me.” He slid one of the bowls her way. “When Craig and I dropped off her lunch she told the women checking me out that I was your boyfriend.”
“Of course there were women checking you out.” Alex scooped out a pile of the oats. “I’m sure that was awful for you.”
“You’re avoiding the real topic here, Al.” He leaned against the counter between them. “Your sister thinks I’m your boyfriend.”
“My sister thinks that having sex with someone means they’re your boyfriend.”
Edward straightened. “Pretty sure that’s not what she thinks.” He took a bite of his breakfast. “But if that’s what makes you feel better.”
“Why would that make me feel better? I don’t care what she thinks.”
“What about what I think?”
Alex tried to make the answer jump out. The immediate denial she wanted to be true.
But it got stuck, clogged up in her throat. She shoved the bowl away. “You make oatmeal too thick.”
Edward did smile this time, not even hiding his amusement. “You’re trying like hell to change the subject.” He opened the fridge, pulling out the milk to pour a little over her oats. “Not gonna happen.”
“We’ve known each other four days. We’ve had sex twice. You can’t be my boyfriend.”
“First of all, we’ve had sex way more than twice.” He leaned back against the counter behind him. “And there’s no rules about when I can or can’t be your boyfriend.”
Alex shoved off the stool, ignoring the thinned down oats. “I’m super sorry your ex found someone right away, but I’m not going to be your payback, Eddie.”
Edward’s bowl hit the counter, the spoon clanging against the side as it rocked to a stop. “Too fucking far, Al.” He stalked her way, clearing the counter running interference in a matter of seconds. “I will let you come at m
e with just about anything, but don’t put your issues on me, got it?”
She tipped her chin up to look him in the eye. “I don’t have issues.”
Edward laughed. “You don’t have issues?” He shook his head. “You have more issues than I can count.” He leaned closer. “But I’m not worried about your issues. All I care about is that I feel like myself around you, and I’ve never felt like myself with a woman before.”
“Stop acting like this is something special.” Alex took a step back.
“Stop acting like it’s not.” Edward stepped forward, stealing back the space she gained. “You know this is different, and I’m not gonna pretend like it’s not.” His eyes were dark as they held hers. “I spent a lot of time being unhappy. Thinking it was normal. That I should find a way to be fine with what I had.” The corners of his lips lifted. “I don’t have to pretend to be happy with you.”
“Stop it.” Alex tried to take another step back, but Edward caught her around the waist, using one arm to hold her tight against him.
“I’m not stopping, Al. So you better get ready, because I plan to be everything your sister thinks I am.”
“Charlie doesn’t know what she’s talking about.” Alex tried to work free of his hold. “She’s read too many damn Jane Austen novels. Now she thinks every man is a hero.”
“She knows every man isn’t a hero.” Edward’s eyes were serious. “But she’s not letting what happened to you girls dictate the rest of her life.”
Alex scoffed. “I’m not letting him dictate my life.”
“Seems an awful lot like you are.”
Alex twisted free and stormed to the door, yanking it open and hurrying down the stairs for the second time today.
She couldn’t handle him right now. Edward thought he understood her. Thought he knew what her life was like.
Thought he knew what she wanted.
Should want.
Alex passed her office door and continued down the sidewalk, rounding the corner to storm down Main Street. She caught Charlie watching her through the window of her store.
This was all Charlie’s fault. Everything would have been fine if she hadn’t busted into her bedroom this morning.
Alex (BIG Northwest Book 2) Page 12