I reply.
We'll make a little "Do Not Disturb" sign for the door.
That will only encourage him.
So we'll let him watch. It could be part of his payment.
And then we'll make out with nasty coffee breath?
Your breath is never nasty.
I appreciate the lies. But first thing in the morning? Forget about it.
I reply.
Uh-huh. It's still fine. Even after three coffees. There's so much honey in them, that's all you taste like. Honey. I swear, sometimes I can't drink a cup of tea without thinking of you. Because of that faint taste of honey. It's so Alyssa. It's warm and sweet. Really, tea is the second best thing in the world.
After Law and Order?
After you, silly.
She replies.
Sorry, but you're third at the very best. A distant third after coffee and tequila.
Please. You would absolutely rate your Kindle above me. That puts me in fourth at best.
Yeah, I forgot about my Kindle. You're right. Fourth. But you know, tea has been growing on me. I might have to push you back to fifth place.
What about acting? Shouldn't that go before me?
Yeah, I guess it should. But we better stop before you're out of the top 10.
I love you.
I love you too.
Tell me what you need, Ally, and I'll do it. I want to make this right.
You will. I just need more time.
Do you think you want to look for apartments with me? No pressure. I just need a feminine opinion.
Maybe in a little while. Not yet.
Okay. Well, you're welcome in the condo anytime. Even if it's to look through my things without my permission.
Hey, I thought we were over that.
I am. I just... if you need to talk, call. I'll shut my pretty mouth and listen.
God, it is a pretty mouth.
I miss you.
I miss you too.
And our conversation bleeds into my week. Every beep of a new message sends a shiver down my spine. Alyssa may not be all mine yet, but she will be soon.
***
It's the middle of the afternoon when Alyssa calls.
"Hey," I answer.
"Can I come over?" Her voice is low, breathy.
Damn. There's no way I'm getting out of my meeting. I'll never hear the end of it from Ryan. But I can duck out early. Hell, I don't have much of a choice when she asks like that.
"Of course," I say. "But I packed up most of the house. I'm staying at the condo."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"No."
She takes a deep breath. "I hate to call you about this. I know it's not fair. I asked for space and I don't want to drag you around." There's fear in her voice.
Something is wrong. "Ally, are you okay?"
"Yeah." She takes a deep breath. "I don't want to talk about it yet. I just want to be around you. To talk about nothing and drink too much coffee and watch some bad TV show."
"Of course."
"I'm going to leave soon. With traffic, I'll probably be there in an hour."
"I have a meeting."
"Go to it. I'll make myself comfortable."
"Comfortable how?"
"Do you mind being used as a distraction?" she asks.
I swallow hard. I like the thought of Alyssa getting comfortable in my bed, sliding off her clothes, draping herself over the sheets. Part of me is satisfied by it. I want her any way I can get her.
But I want all of her, not just her admittedly amazing body.
Still. This is what Alyssa wants. And it's tempting. Just imagining her on the couch, a coy smile on her face, her dress trailing up her legs--my blood starts to flow downward.
"Whatever you want," I say.
And just as my head is filling with all sorts of delicious ideas, there's a knock on the door.
Ryan.
He enters with his usual smug look and folds his hands. Like he thinks he's my fucking friend.
"I spoke to Mrs. Pike again," he says.
I shake my head. I'm not letting Ryan get to me. Not today. Not with everything I want waiting in my apartment.
"Yes?"
"She asked me to represent her." He tries to play it cool, like this isn't the best news he's heard all week.
"Sounds like she found what she wanted."
"I'm sorry, Luke. But I'm sure it's not personal."
"Fine. I have someplace to be. Do you think you could--" I motion for him to leave.
But he stays put. "Don't you have a consult in twenty minutes?"
"And I have twenty minutes of work between now and that. So, a little privacy maybe?" It's as polite as I can make it.
He shakes his head. "If you want to stay in this firm, you need to listen to what your clients want."
"Yes, we established that Mrs. Pike prefers whatever it is that you promised her. If you don't have anything to add, I have things to do."
"I hope you have more planned for this consult than a little flirting."
"I've got it covered."
He plants his palms on my desk like it's his. "I don't want to clean up any more of your messes. And I don't want to have to take any more of your meetings or counsel any of your clients."
I unclench my fists. It would feel great to punch Ryan in his smug face, but I have something much better waiting for me. I offer him my most polite smile. "It sounds like you should agree to dissolving the firm."
Ryan looks at me with pity. "You'll never survive alone. Your charm gets you far, but it's not enough."
"And it won't be your problem anymore."
Ryan looks at me closely. I could swear there's something human about him. Something vulnerable.
"I'd still be happy to buy you out," he says.
I say the unthinkable. "I'll consider it."
It won't kill me to let Ryan win this one time.
Not if I have Alyssa.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Alyssa is reading in the bedroom, of course. Her dress is hiked up her thigh. The straps are falling off her shoulders. She acts like she doesn't hear me come in, even as she shrugs her straps completely off her shoulders.
"I didn't realize you loved your Kindle that much," I say.
She smirks, turning to look at me. "We do this kind of thing all the time." She puts it aside, and clears enough space on the bed for me.
She shifts again, her dress sliding down her body, clinging to her. Fuck, she's not wearing a bra, and the fabric sticks to her skin, creating a perfect outline of her breasts.
She nods to a neat pile on the floor--her bra and panties.
I swallow hard. There's nothing under that dress but Alyssa.
She shifts to her side, trailing her fingers over the curve of her hips. Her eyes are on fire. She looks like she wants to devour me, like she's never wanted anything more than she wants me.
"I had an idea." She reaches for a jar of honey on the bedside table.
Dammit, that's an idea I can get behind.
Any doubts I had are gone. Right now, I don't need to talk. I need to feel her and taste her and put my mouth to every part of her. I need her in every way I can have her.
A warmth spreads over me as blood flows to my cock. I'm on fire. I need all of her and I need it now.
I move towards her, but she shakes her head.
"Not yet. I want you to watch first." She bites her lip as she shimmies out of her dress.
It falls to her waist, exposing her breasts. She runs her hands over her chest, pressing her eyes closed as her fingers drift lower.
It's so intimate and vulnerable, like she's inviting me into her world. She's electric, with her tongue sliding over her lips, her fingertips drawing circles over her nipples again and again and again. Then she looks back at me. It's an invitation and I'm going to take it.
I grab her hips and push her onto the bed. Her legs part, and I'm on top of her, pinning her to the bed. She squeezes me with her thighs, and I sink into the sweet pressure of her body enveloping mine.
She holds my gaze for a moment. It's pure want. Pure need. Then her hands are in my hair, another sweet pressure. She's tugging and pulling my head towards her mouth all at once. Her mouth hovers over my ear, her breath hot and wet. Shivers run through my body. I need to rip her clothes off and get my cock inside her.
She whispers. "This is going to be payback for every time you tortured me." She runs her tongue around my ear. It's so light and soft. My body floods with want. I grip her tighter, digging my fingers into the soft skin of her hips. Those are such lush, curvy hips. I need to grab those hips and pin her to the bed and fuck her until we come together.
Alyssa wraps her hands around my wrists. She pushes me onto the bed like I'm her toy.
I want to be her fucking toy.
Her teeth scrape against my earlobe. Harder. Harder. She slings her legs over my hips, straddling me. Her crotch is pressed against mine. There's nothing under the dress. The only thing between us is my slacks, my boxers.
It's still too much. I drag my fingertips along her thighs. She shudders, a soft groan escaping her lips.
But she grabs my wrists and presses them against the bed. "Patience, Luke."
She smirks. Clearly enjoying torturing me the way I always torture her.
She plants her hands next to my shoulders, leans down, and presses her lips to mine. Her kiss is so hot and electric, the agony we've worked up in the last few weeks pouring between us. She takes my hand and sticks my index finger into the sticky jar of honey. She brings my finger to her mouth and licks around the edges, a low groan passing through her lips. Then her entire mouth is on my finger, and she sucks off every last bit of honey. Her tongue is so soft and wet and it hits every nerve in my innocent fingertip.
Jesus.
She kisses me again, probing gently with her tongue. She plunges her finger into the jar again. Leans back. And she traces the outline of my lips. Her touch is soft and hot. I need more. I grab her wrist, slide her finger into my mouth, and suck hard. It's such a sweet mix--the honey and her skin--and she presses her eyes together in ecstasy over the feeling.
We lock eyes. I expect her to beg me to release her from the torture, but she says nothing. She plunges my finger back into the jar and brings it to her chest. I run my fingertip over her nipple, spreading the honey over that sweet bud. Then I bring my mouth to her. I lick her slowly. It's sticky and sweet, and I can't stop myself from licking every drop, until it's just my mouth closing in on her firm flesh. It's so luscious, the pressure of her against my mouth as I suck harder and harder.
She tilts her head back in ecstasy, moaning through her teeth.
Mhmm. Alyssa. I could die happy watching this look spread across her face. I flick my tongue against her again and again, shallow strokes that drive her wild.
She digs her hands into my hair, her body convulsing.
And I do it again--another sweet dab of honey on her nipple. I retrace my finger's motions with my tongue, sucking harder the louder she gets.
When I finally bring my lips back to hers, she kisses me so hard and fast I can't breathe. It's pure need, pure lust, a
fuck me now
without the hassle of vocalizing the words. And I inhale the feeling of the kiss. Everything inside her is pouring into me, and everything inside of me is pouring into her. I need her so badly I shake. I shove her dress to her knees and dig my hands into her hair.
She tugs at my shirt. "Stupid fucking buttons."
She manages to undo most of them and pushes it off my shoulders. Her eyes pass over me slowly, her expression filling with delight. I love the way she looks at me like she wants to consume me, like I'm the hottest thing she's ever seen.
We kiss again, and it's still hard and fast, but there's something soft and sweet about it too. There's a need, a vulnerability, pouring through both of us. We're lost in this moment, and I need her here in my arms, mine forever.
She shifts back, rubbing her crotch against mine, squeezing me with her thighs. Her eyes connect with mine and she smiles. It's devilish, a promise.
She presses my shoulders against the bed. I relax. I'm hers now, and I'm not about to deny her whatever she wants. She drags her fingers across my chest and stomach.
"Mhmm." She undoes my belt and unzips my slacks.
Then it's her hands rubbing me over my boxers. Fuck. Any remaining blood flees from my brain. I can't think anymore. There's nothing in this moment but Alyssa.
She's on top of me, her dress around her waist, her eyes lit up with lust, her tongue sliding over her lips. She pulls her dress over her head and then she strokes me.
The ache inside me grows. Warmth floods my body.
Her eyes connect with mine. She shifts off me and pulls my slacks to my knees. Then it's my boxers.
She reaches for the jar of honey.
She dips her finger in the pot and runs it along my cock. Then she's perched in front of me on all fours, her eyes glued to mine as she slides her tongue over me.
Jesus. Her tongue is soft and flat, and it sends sparks through my body. An ache builds inside me. It burns deeper and harder as she licks me up and down.
She laps up every last drop of honey and her mouth closes around my cock. She moans, sucking harder and harder. She feels so good, so wet, and there's so much desire in her eyes. I can barely take it. I dig my hands into her hair, run my fingertips over her chest, anything to make her feel as good as I feel.
She moans, sucking harder and harder. I knead her breasts, run my fingers over her nipples. She closes her eyes, groaning again. She drags her nails against my thighs. It's the slightest hint of pain, a sweet, soft hurt.
She shifts off me, wraps one hand around my cock and sinks her teeth into my thigh. Damn. I squeeze her nipples, reveling in her soft groan, in her eyes closing in ecstasy.