Facing Off with Alexi (Witch Field Prowlers Book 2) (11 page)

“I’ve been thinking about it. In between beating my head into the table because of my client’s reticence for practical advice.” She gave him a rueful smile. “I’m so damn tired I’m giving you a glimpse into my work life which, you know as a policy, I don’t do. Not just for my clients but for my reputation.”

He nodded. “Go on.”

“So for the past two days, when resisting the urge to strangle several of my colleagues and my client, I’ve been thinking over what you told me.” She picked up the tray, put it on the coffee table, and turned to fully face him. “I’m afraid, Alexi. I know, I know, but I still am. After my dad, my relationship with you means everything to me. I’ve heard the horror stories from friends of mine who are divorce lawyers. Stories like ours, best friends turned lovers and then got married and then things went to shit. I don’t want that to be us. I’m scared of losing you. I can deal with injuries, road trips, and all that stuff, but the thought of it getting so bad between us that I can’t pick up the phone and just call you scares the shit out of me.”

She swallowed and paused long enough to take a drink of water. He reached over and rubbed her legs, trying to give her all the support he could with his touch without interrupting her. “But after really contemplating it, all the things we’ve been through, I know one thing: I want you by my side in this life. Without you, I’d have nothing else other than work and Dad. You bring me out of my head. You make me see the world and life, even if it’s just the two of us. I love you for that, for all the little things you do and put up with me. Even when my schedule is crazy and I can only see you for lunch, that means everything to me that you’d take that time for me.” She gave him a small smile.

“So if you want to, we take it slow. We go on dates, we work it out, we talk, and if I get scared again, we still talk about it, okay?”

He let out a whoop and tackled her to the couch until he lay on top of her. “More than okay. I promise, no pressure. We’ll work it out, we always do.”

“Yeah, still scared,” she muttered as he got off her. She picked up her tray, put it on her lap, and began eating once more. “Now, put on a movie before I have a freak-out, okay?”

He understood her fear. She hated change, always had since her mother died; even going to different colleges had scared the shit out of her. I stood by her and we worked through it all, he thought as he put in the movie. They could get through anything.

* * * *

Fireworks bloomed overhead. Tianna put the finishing touches on the picnic blanket. Torches flicked a few feet away, bathing the area in rich golden pools of light until the red, blue, green, and yellow exploded. Music and firecrackers popped in the distance as the town proper celebrated. Even the boom of Witch Fields could be heard this far away.

“Going for a second try with the romance, ’cause I have to say it’s working.” Alexi approached with a bottle of wine.

“Well, yeah, I’m going to keep trying until I get it right.” She grinned and accepted the vino. “What? No beer?” she teased.

“Wanted something special. Tomorrow afternoon we drive back. This is our last night here until we can coordinate our schedules again so I figured…” His voice trailed off.

Goose bumps rose on her bare flesh. She swallowed as emotion filled her heart, weighing it down but making her feel light. Her mouth widened into a grin until it ached.

He reached out and trailed his fingertips over her cheek. “I feel the same way. I’m so damn happy I feel like I’m going to burst with it. I just hate that we wasted an entire week trying to figure this thing out.” He shook his head.

She wrapped her arms around him and rested her head against his chest. The steady thud of his heart soothed her some but did nothing to calm the prickles that raced over her exposed skin. For a moment, she stood still, allowing the experience to seep into her being for later when they would be in different cities and then the hard work would begin. A small voice told her it wouldn’t work, that he’d find someone else and she’d lose him. She told it to shut the hell up and refocused on the here and now.

“Okay, enough. Gotta finish setting up or we’ll miss it all.” She tried to extricate herself from his embrace, but he held on tighter.

“No, not yet. I won’t get to hold you like this for a while. Anyway, I want you to hear something.” He stepped back an inch and gazed down at her, his gray eyes filled with such love and acceptance it hurt to stare too long, but she couldn’t turn away. He took her chin between his thumb and index finger and held it fast. “We will work on this together. No matter what happens, we’re a team, and no matter what I’ll keep reminding you of it until you accept it, understand?”

She nodded. “I understand. Now do you want to watch the fireworks or not?”

He ducked his head and kissed the tip of her nose before stepping back and releasing her. “Let’s finish this picnic.”

He cooked the last of the burgers and hot dogs on the grill while she made sure everything was organized on the table. Fireworks burst overhead, painting the area in a rainbow of colors.

“They really went all out this time. Jeez. I don’t remember it being this colorful before.” A crack from the forest could be heard, followed by laughter.

“And now they’ve taken over the woods.” Alexi shook his head. “There goes our peaceful night.”

She laughed. “Did you honestly think that easy access to firecrackers and poppers was not going to cause the kids to go nuts? It’s fine. I’m sure we can figure out how to drown out the noise.”

“Yeah,” Alexi nodded. “There’s always the sweet audio system we have in the cabin. And just remember my bedroom is all set up.” He winked.

She rolled her eyes. “I think I know what you want to do.”

“And you know, all this food can wait.” He nudged her.

She shook her head. “No, we’re eating. I didn’t do all this so you could spoil my attempt at romance.”

“It won’t spoil it. It will enhance it, I swear.” Alexi slipped his hands around her waist. The heat of his touch seeped through the thin barrier of her sundress, warming her from the outside in. She leaned into him, savoring the solidity of his body against hers. The ridge that tented the material of his jeans pressed into her back. She tried to marshal the sexual awareness flooding her body.

“No, we have to have this picnic. I worked really hard to set the mood.” Despite her words, the idea of spending the last night they had together in sexual bliss appealed to her, but the stubborn part of her wanted to have the romantic evening she’d intended.

His hands moved up, blazing a trail to her breasts, where he cupped and kneaded the mounds. Her nipples pebbled. Her pussy contracted, dampening her panties even more. She pressed her thighs together, only to make the problem worse. Her clit pulsed, demanding stimulation. She clenched her hands to keep from reaching up and showing him how she wanted to be touched.

“Go ahead,” he whispered. His humid breath brushed against her ear, teasing the sensitive shell.

She laid her head back and gave in for just a second. He found the tightened peaks and pinched them through her dress. “Alexi,” she moaned.

“Yes, let go.” He tweaked her nipples again, sending a jolt of electricity straight to her clit.

She clenched her jaw. The pleasure built, but she refused to forget the notion of sitting down and having a nice candlelit dinner together. With reluctance, she pushed away from him. He dropped his hands, and his arms hung at his sides.

“You really want the dinner, don’t you, honey?” Amusement lit up his tone.

She whirled around and pointed at him. “Yes, yes, I do. I want this to go well even if we’re having burgers and hot dogs, okay? Just humor me.” She prayed he’d understand.

He bobbed his head. “Okay, I’ll give you this.”

She stilled. “What?” She didn’t recall him winning anything.

He grinned and hooked his thumbs in his pockets. “You and I had sex. You gave in to me, soooo…I won. Let’s eat.” He turned around and pulled out a chair for her.

She lifted her chin. “I don’t recall you winning anything. In fact, we never called a truce. As for the sex, it was mutual. So no, you did not win.”

“As I recall—” he started.

A flare of irritation doused some of her earlier arousal. “No, don’t even try it. We had sex, but you didn’t win.
And
your friends ate my cookies, don’t even try it. The bet is still on.”

“I made you beg,” he argued.

She didn’t buy it. “So? That doesn’t mean you win. I can you make you beg; hell, I can make you bark if I want to.” She preened to watch the flash of disbelief on his face.

“Fine. After this, my room. Let’s put your skills to the test.” He sat back, a smug expression on his face.

“Oh, don’t you worry. I’ll ace this. Now eat your food. You’ll need all that energy for later.” She settled into her chair and moved it closer to the table as he made his way around to the other side and sat down.

During dinner, they made small talk, watched the fireworks overhead, and dodged questions of sex but kept things light and flirty. In the back of her mind, she plotted all the ways she knew to make him into a puddle in her hands.

“Can I do anything I want to you?” she asked.

He snorted. “I trust you, Ti. You know that, and you know my limits, so yes.”

“Good.” She knew just what she wanted to do to make her objective successful. “I’ll do the dishes so you can save up your strength.”

“That sure, huh? Okay, I’ll go get ready for you.” He left the kitchen area, his footsteps thumping against the wood floor.

She doubted he would really get ready. He’s probably just setting things up to catch me by surprise, she thought. She finished rinsing off the dishes and putting them in the washer before going out onto the back porch to check things over, making sure that everything was put away and there was no garbage to attract any wild animals. In the distance, the fireworks show went on, and in the woods, she heard the pop and crackle. A few times she thought she saw a flash of light before it disappeared behind a tree. She shook her head and prayed whoever was out there wouldn’t come near the property. There were no other houses nearby, so they had privacy.

She shut and locked the doors, shut off all the lights, and headed for Alexi’s bedroom. As she climbed the stairs, a stray scent of jasmine drifted past her, catching her attention. The closer she got to the top floor, the heavier the scent became.
Oh, that sneaky bastard
. She went straight to his room to find he had lit several tea candles all over the space. When he got them, she didn’t know, but they covered every solid surface from dressers to the nightstands and windowsills. Jasmine petals covered the bed in a display of delicate ivory-white ovals.

“Where—” Her gaze went from the bedspread to the headboard. Two sets of padded cuffs, each attached to a spoke on either end of the headboard, with one manacle open and ready for use, sat on the pillows.

“I figured if you really wanted to blow my mind, you’d have to hold me down to have your way with me. I’d want to touch you, tease, and ramp up your desire, so I’m at your command.” He grinned at her, twin spots of red in his cheeks.

She stood for a second, taking it all in. “What? No blindfold?” she teased.

He dug into his pocket and produced an eye mask. “My turn.”

“You trust me to do this?” She had to make sure.

“Always.” He put the covering on the bed, reached down, took hold of his hem, and began to lift his shirt.

“Stop. I want to undress you.” She swallowed, a flush of nervous energy bursting through her. In this moment, she would be in control, but he was trusting her in all things, including his aftercare and his pleasure. She wanted to get this first time of many right, not only for him but for herself.

“I want to go slow, savor this.”

He’d never made himself so vulnerable like this except in talk.

She waited for him to tell her it was stupid, but he nodded. “Okay.” He let the shirt fall back into place. “I took off my shoes and socks. Is that okay?”

She chuckled. “Yes, totally fine.” She swallowed again and tamped down a flutter in her stomach. “I’m in charge,” she muttered to herself.

She approached him, her chin lifted, head tilted back. She took him in, starting from the top of his head on down. His blond hair was a mess of waves as if he’d been running his fingers through them a lot. His sharp cheekbones were covered in dark brown stubble. His white shirt had a faded Prowlers emblem on it with the paint chipped in some places. The brightness of the shirt showed the contrast of his now darker golden skin from all his time spent outdoors. She stopped with a few inches between them, rose up, and kissed him on the lips. A soft touch, a glide of flesh against each other, the dart of her tongue along the seam of his mouth, diving in when he opened for her. Fresh mint rolled over her taste buds. She resisted the urge to pull back and smile that he’d been so thoughtful. Instead, she concentrated on giving in to the moment, opening herself up to everything he offered.

She placed her hands on his chest, feeling the warmth and heat, letting it seep into her, accepting the gift he’d given her. The softness of his shirt wrinkled under her hold the deeper she sank into the kiss. Hunger, rich and heavy, filtered into her blood, demanding she touch more of him, paint the contours of his chest with her hands, feel all that hard muscle under her caress. Rather than give in, she hung on, focusing all her energy on the kiss until her lips throbbed and ached and her lungs burned and she became light-headed from the need for air. Small whimpers and sounds came from the back of her throat. Despite the hurt, she pressed on, taking more and more of him, needing to be so close to him that there would be no way to tell where she started and he ended.

She lifted the material until his pecs became exposed. He took hold of the hem and pulled it off. She scraped the edge of his jaw with the tip of her tongue before carving a path along the center of his neck, lapping at the bumps and ridges of his Adam’s apple onward to the hollow at the base of his throat. She tasted, kissed, sucked, marking him until she knew tomorrow he’d have a hickey there, declaring her his for all to see. She couldn’t stop. Just seeing the flush of red at the base of the dip before his pectoral muscles started sent a rush of pride through her. Not wanting to halt, she continued, marking him with tongue and teeth and lips. He shuddered, moaned, and urged her actions on with guttural noises and grunts.