Seeing Red (42 page)

“It’s about fucking time, Jillian!” He didn’t waste
one single second, scooping her up and dropping her on the bed on
her back. Her red curly hair spread around her on the white linen
sheets just as he dreamed about for so long.

Alexander cupped her face with both hands and kissed
her, first tenderly and then with more passion. She parted her
lips, and he slipped his tongue in her mouth. She startled him by
kissing him back fervently. He lifted her onto his lap, and she
instinctively straddled him. He moaned into her mouth when she sat
on his hardness, her dress sliding up her thighs.

She gave as much as she got, and he was no longer in
control. She unbuttoned his blue cotton shirt while kissing his
neck and licking her way down his bare chest. Without hesitation,
she pulled her dress over her head. He groaned and caressed her
breasts, “Oh my God, Jill. You’re so beautiful.”

He gently lifted her off and eased her onto her
back. He wanted her in so many ways that he didn’t know where to
begin. But no way would she be in control their first time. Their
first time together would not be a competition. He was going to be
in control and she had no say in that. He’d been looking forward to
this for too long. This was for her. She tried to turn him around
and straddle him again. Alexander gazed down at her semi-naked
body. “Red, love, you compete with me all the time, but not today,
okay? I’m in charge today, but trust me: this is all for you. So
please, just stop. Let me be in control for Christ’s sake.” She
nodded.

He worked his way down and growled—literally
growled—when he saw her nude-colored silk panties. He dropped to
his knees, put his face on the silk, and used his teeth to shift
the bottom to one side. When he put his mouth on her, she
involuntarily lifted her hips up in pleasure, seeking his tongue.
He used his arms to hold her frantic hips down. When she was about
to come undone, he stopped and hooked his fingers around the sides
of her panties and slowly—agonizingly slowly—slipped them off.
“God, you taste so good, babe.” She reached forward to touch
him.

“No.”

“What?” She was panting.

“Do you trust me?”

“Yes.” She replied without any hesitation.

“Then do what I say, because if you touch me, it’s
all over. Keep your hands above your head. You can’t touch me, or
this is going to be over before we even start.”

“Fine. Anything. Just don’t stop. Please don’t
stop.”

He made a low sound that came from deep in his
throat. He went back up to her neck and slowly nibbled around her
shoulder and jawline. He took his time, kissing and licking and
nipping as his hands slowly made their way down to her breast. He
whispered, “Finally mine. This is mine.” He grabbed her breast,
first playing with one nipple and then moving to the other one.
Jill arched her body and moaned loudly into his chest, and he
silenced her with a frenzied kiss. He was ready and hungry.

There was no more playing—no more games or
competitions. No more Oliver. No more Paul. No more interruptions.
This was real. He slid his hands between her thighs and began
stroking her wet core. “I want to hear you say it, Jill. Tell me
that this is mine.”

“I’m yours! Just please don’t stop.”

The fact that she was so wet and ready for him made
him wild. Jill was a beautiful mess, grabbing the sheets and
squirming side to side as he continued to stroke and tease, her
hands still over her head. His mouth dragged across hers: teasing,
biting, and plunging deeper and deeper into her mouth, again and
again while his free hand continued massaging her nipple. The beat
of her pulse was deafening. “Fuck, I have to go to my room to get a
condom.”

“I’m on the pill. I trust you, and if you stop, I’ll
kill you!”

He laughed and slipped a finger into her warm wet
flesh.

“I’ve wanted you so long, Jillian. You’re all I
want. I hope you’re ready for me to ruin our friendship.” He
whispered into her ear, nipping her lobe in a mixture of pain and
pleasure. She nodded and moaned.

***

Jillian

He grabbed her thigh with one hand, completely
exposing her, and propped himself inches above her. He slowly
pressed into her, making a raw sound that sent an electric current
down her spine all the way to her toes. He was hard and his entire
body was tight. She could feel the entire length of his sinewy body
on her. Every single muscle pressed against her naked flesh, his
body fully responding beneath her touch. When he was completely
inside of her, she felt his body tremble, and she finally lowered
her hands and ran her nails along his back.

She could sense he was trying to find a semblance of
control, but his heavy breathing and erratic movements made her
even more aroused. She had no idea she could make a man as
beautiful as Alexander that sexually charged. She had no idea that
sex could feel this way. He kissed while thrusting in and out of
her. “Xander.” She moaned.

“Let go for me, love. Let go right now. Come for
me.” With one last thrust, she came undone, thoroughly and
completely undone, and Xander followed immediately, collapsing on
her.

For a few moments, they lay there in silence,
recuperating.

“That was incredible.” He whispered into her ear
between breaths.

“Best sex ever!” She giggled.

He laughed. “Woman, I love you.” He rolled over to
his side and gathered her close to him, her back to his front.

He caressed her hair.

“That was even better than I dreamed it would be.”
Jillian said.

“So you did dream about me naked. I knew it.” Jill
laughed and playfully punched his shoulder.

“I wanted you too, Xander. I’ve wanted you for a
long time, but I kept it quiet, unlike you, Mr. Flirt.”

They laughed and talked until eventually their
heartbeats went back to normal. Alexander kept playing with the
curls of her hair. “I love your curls.”

She turned her head around to look up at him and
gave him a kiss on the lips.

“I love you, Xander.”

“It’s nice to hear you say that.” He said as he
kissed her shoulder.

Moments later, she broke the serene silence, “I met
Rocco earlier today. He wants to meet next week in Texas to teach
me about being psychic and to talk to me about—God knows what.”

“Wait, what? You met Rocco? That’s a lot of
information you just spit out. My head isn’t even back to reality
yet. All the blood in my body is still in the other head.” He
winked.

“Well, you didn’t give me a chance to tell you. You
kind of attacked me. I think you always think with that other head,
anyway. There’s nothing new there.” She giggled.

“You didn’t seem to mind.”

“I didn’t. It was a fantastic distraction. I want to
meet with him at some point. I hope you understand. I need to see
what he wants. He’s my father, after all.”

“Over my dead body.”

“Oh, great way to start a relationship, Xander!” She
rolled her eyes. She was starting to get mad, but that was just par
for course between them.

“Are we in a relationship?”

“Isn’t that what your making me kiss your brother
was all about?”

He laughed. “That sounds so absurd, but yes, I
couldn’t be happier that you kissed my brother, Red. I love you so
much.”

“And I love you, Xander.”

“But you aren’t going to see a crazy murderer, even
if he’s your father.”

She rolled her eyes. “Let’s not ruin a perfectly
good moment. Let’s forget about Rocco for now. I want to experience
more of your skills.”

“Skills, huh? Which skills would those be?” He ran
his hands across her cheeks as he spoke, his face closing in.

“You’ve been bragging about all your sexual
escapades for months, and all I got was a ten-minute roll in the
hay? That’s what I’ve been waiting for?”

“You don’t want to challenge me, woman. I’ve got
skills that will leave you begging, yes, begging for more.”

And with those final words, Alexander showed Jillian
his mastery of the female body for the next six hours, and he was
correct: she did beg for more; repeatedly she begged. He was, after
all, very skilled. Lying sated on the floor of Jill’s room, sweaty
and breathless, Alexander gently kissed the inside of her wrist, “I
love you so much, Jill. I hope you know that. I don’t remember ever
being this happy.”

“I love you too, Xander. I
know
I’ve never
been happier. How ironic that we are starting this relationship in
the same place we met, huh? This island is magical.”

“Speaking of the island. You want to go explore a
little?”

“Yes. Let’s go. Heather and Oliver must be wondering
if we’re alive in here.” Jill smiled.

“Oh, I think Heather and Oliver found something to
do.” He winked. “I spent the day with Heather while you and Oliver
were doing whatever it is that you guys were doing,” he winced,
“and she was as nervous as I was. I’m pretty sure that there’s
something going on between them. They just may not know it
yet.”

“Well, maybe we can help them find out.”

“Come on, Little Miss Matchmaker. Let’s get dressed
and visit the island before we have to head back to reality.”
Alexander pushed himself off the floor, grabbing Jill’s hands, and
helped her to her feet. Still naked, they walked to the bathroom.
“Your hair is a mess of curls.”

“I thought you liked it that way.”

“Well, now that I know how it looks after
mind-blowing sex, I love it even more.”

“Mind-blowing?”

Looking a little disheartened, he said, “You didn’t
think it was good, Jill?”

“Yes, but you’re the expert. I wasn’t sure how I
measured up.”

“Oh, babe, there is no comparison. That was the best
sex of my life.” Jill smiled from ear to ear at Alexander’s
admission.

Jill looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was a
matted mess, her cheeks were pink, and her lips were swollen. She
felt invigorated. They took a shower together, which of course led
to more begging on Jill’s part, but eventually they got dressed,
and finally, after an entire day confined in the room, they walked
out to find Oliver and Heather sitting side by side on the balcony,
watching the ocean.

“We were debating whether to call an ambulance or
slip food under the door.” Heather said, looking at Jill, who felt
slightly embarrassed.

“Yes, we need sustenance. You guys want to walk
around and explore the island and find some food?” Alexander
asked.

“Sure.” Oliver replied, looking at Heather for
confirmation.

“Hey, so, um . . . You okay with this, Bro?”
Alexander asked Oliver who was looking at Jill’s fingers
interlocked with Alexander’s.

Oliver glanced at Heather and smiled, “Yes, I’m okay
with it.” There had been closure at the beach and a weight was
lifted off everyone’s shoulders—well, as far as the Oliver and
Alexander triangle was concerned.

The four headed down to the lobby. Oliver and
Alexander went to speak with the concierge while the girls waited
for them at the bar.

“You look happy, hon’” Heather smiled at Jill.

“I am Heather. God, it took us so long to get to
this happy place. I was such an idiot. You were right: it’s always
been him. The fighting, it’s not really fighting, you know. It’s
passion. I wasted so much time.”

“Bless your heart, sugar. It’s about damn time.”
They both laughed.

“Heather, when the bartender comes back, order me
one of those fruity umbrella drinks. I’m going to the restroom. Be
right back.”

“Sure.”

Jillian walked, although she felt as if she were
floating, on a cloud of love to the nearest restroom. Her cheeks
were beginning to hurt from the dopey grin she’d been wearing all
day. And then it happened, this time with no nausea and no heart
racing. Absolutely no warning. She barely had time to hold on to
the door of the bathroom stall.

Chiseled abs. Blood dripping from a puncture wound.
Snapshot.

Parted lips. Swollen. Bruised.
Snapshot.

Thighs. Cuts everywhere.
Snapshot.

Pectoral muscles. Black and blue.
Snapshot.

Piercing blue eyes. Swollen and bloodied.
Snapshot.

This time she recognized the man. It was Alexander,
and time it wasn’t erotic, but then . . .

A man in white lab coat, sitting in the same
position and the same location where she had seen Rocco dozens of
time before, spoke to her in her mind. “Jill. If you don’t want
this to happen, you will not ignore Rocco. You better cooperate.
Now that I know who you are and where you live, I will not relent.
If you want to see those twins or that pretty little friend of
yours, Heather—yes, I know her name; I know everything about
you—you will come straight to Rocco’s office when you return to
Texas. I hope I’ve made myself clear.” And then, it ended. She sat
on the lid of the toilet unable to cry. Unable to move. Unable to
breathe.
What the hell was that? Did Rocco do this? No, it
couldn’t be Rocco. Or could it?
She didn’t recognize the creepy
man/doctor.

Assuming only a few short minutes had passed, since
no one had come to search for her, she got up and walked out of the
stall. She saw a pale-faced woman with red splotches creeping up
her neck and ears looking back at her. Jillian splashed cold water
in her face. Both hands leaned against the sink. Still shaking, she
closed her eyes and counted to ten. Once she was composed, she
walked out of the bathroom, unsure what to do.

Walking back to the bar, dazed, she stopped in her
tracks when she saw the scene in front of her. It was her three
best friends. Her family. What she had wanted and had searched for
all these years. Heather stood close to Oliver, looking up at him
lovingly. Alexander, drink in hand, laughed at something Oliver was
saying. All three were lost in conversation, looking like three
young twenty-something-year-old adults enjoying a much-needed
vacation. A picture of happiness.