He pressed his lower body against me so I could feel how I was affecting him. "So I do scare you in some way?" He leaned in close, breathing huskily into my ear. "I was just playing, I hope you realize. I don't want you to ever be scared of me."
I trailed my lips along his jugular, trying to distract him. "Me too," I said. I wasn't completely lying. How could I tell him my fear had nothing to do with physical harm and everything to do with feelings? It was my heart I was worried about. "Let's go to the room," I breathed into his ear.
As usual, Alec's instincts were right on. His eyes peered into mine as if he suspected there was more to my answer than what I had let on. I ducked my head, finding the soft hollow above his collarbone that had become my favorite spot. My tongue traced the sensitive skin before I gently nipped him with my teeth. "Fine. You win again," he said, dragging me to the bank of elevators.
My body hummed with anticipation as we watched the numbers above each of the elevator doors slowly descend toward the lobby. Groaning when the numbers paused at various floors along the way, I glanced around, happy to see we were still the only people waiting to ride up. I licked my lips, imagining the fun we would have once the doors closed.
The center elevator dinged just as it arrived at the lobby. Alec and I nearly burst through the doors when they opened before we had to pause to allow a couple of giggling kids to exit. Alec guided me inside, placing his warm hand on the small of my back. I was already twisting around to face him when he pinned me against the mirrored wall of the elevator.
He dipped his head toward mine just as a hand snaked in and stopped the doors before they could slide closed. We both took an immediate step away from each other as two elderly women stepped inside to join us.
I wanted to pull out my phone to take a picture of the frustrated look on Alec's face that said more than any words I could write. The two women covertly stole glances our direction. I was used to Alec catching the attention of women wherever we went, but never from someone these ladies' ages. I had to hand it to them. They may have been a couple of dirty old cougars, but they still knew what they liked, even though he could have been their grandson.
Alec seemed oblivious as usual as he steadfastly watched the numbers moving from one floor to the next. I'd been in some slow elevators before, but this one took the cake. It was even less tolerable riding awkwardly with a couple of strangers.
The two women became more animated as their whispering turned to excited chatter. "Excuse me," one of them asked as they turned toward me. I had already prepared myself for the inevitable question. They wanted me to take their picture with Alec. The way they were practically stumbling over their tongues to ask was a dead giveaway.
"Yes," I answered, already holding my hand out to accept their camera or phone.
"You're N.S. Blake, right?" She blushed slightly, holding open the Wicked Fantasies event program to the page with my bio and author photo.
Luckily, the elevator had mirrored walls. Otherwise I wouldn't have noticed my jaw hanging to the floor in the reflection. I was used to people coming to my table at book signings and knowing who I was, but that was because of my eight-foot-tall vertical banner with my name on it. This was the first time I'd been recognized away from that environment. I couldn't even get the words out to answer. I merely nodded.
"I told you," she squealed, grinning triumphantly at her friend. "Can we get a picture with you?"
"Sure," Alec happily boomed as the elevator stopped on the ninth floor. Once the doors opened, he positioned himself to block them from closing again. Just moments ago he'd been antsy that the elevator was taking too long and now he was more than happy to be an amateur photographer.
"Thank you so much," the elderly lady crowed, pulling an iPad out of her bag. "Take it with this so I can use it for my screensaver." She practically bounced with excitement as I stood sandwiched between her and her friend with my arms wrapped around their waists.
Alec smiled at her indulgently as he waited for us to be ready. "Say Grant," he coaxed, holding up the iPad to snap the picture.
"Oh my god, I love Grant," the friend piped in. "I nearly went through an entire box of tissues when his daddy died. You made me feel his pain so completely."
I felt dumb, mumbling my thanks for their kind comments, but I was flustered and more than a little in awe at the surreal moment. The fact that she'd immersed herself so wholly in the words I had written that she actually cried was the best compliment I'd ever been given. >"Whatever," I said, turning my back and walking away.
"Hang on," he said, placing his hand on my shoulder to stop me. He spun me around, but looking me in the eyes only made him start laughing again. "Wait, don't leave." He shook his head to collect himself. "Okay, seriously now." His eyes fell to my chest before meeting mine. "Only yours, sweetheart. Only yours."
That was how the day went. Well, not the laughing-at-my-expense part. We flirted and touched, driving each other mad with thoughts and innuendos. Somewhere along the way, we even managed to take in the ambiance of our surroundings. After Bourbon Street, I stopped focusing on the sour smells and general lack of cleanliness and began to appreciate the actual beauty of the city that was steeped in tradition and culture. We sampled local delicacies, liking each one more than the last. My favorite culinary delight was the beignet from Cafe Du Monde. It was like a pastry from heaven. The dough was so light and fresh it melted in my mouth. I became instantly addicted, so Alec ordered extra so we could take them back to the room.
Near the end of our exploration, we stumbled upon one of the old parks in the heart of the city where a couple stood, exchanging vows in front of a minster and a couple dozen friends and family. The colors in the sky had just begun to change in the pre-dusk hour when the sun wasn't quite as hot and a mild breeze cut into the humidity. Two peacocks strutted across the grass without fear, their brilliant feathers fanned out behind them. Combined with the backdrop of the historic architecture of the surrounding buildings, the scene was absolutely picturesque and became my favorite moment of the day.
"Oh no. You're one of those girls who is a total sucker for weddings," Alec whispered, seeing the starry-eyed look in my eyes.
I shook my head, scrunching up my nose distastefully as he slid an arm around my waist. "Not at all. I'm a romantic at heart, but I can totally do without the hoopla of an actual wedding ceremony. I've been a bridesmaid twice, and after witnessing the pre-wedding mayhem, I would rather elope."
"And she surprises me again," Alec said, kissing the top of my head.
"It's the peacocks. I'm a bit obsessed with them," I said, pointing to the majestic birds that had migrated to the bushes. "I've always thought they were beautiful, but I was researching them for Wicked Lovely, and I was instantly hooked by their symbolism."
"Really? So, what do they symbolize?"
"It's fascinating. A lot of religions believe the peacock is a symbol of immortality, while others believe it symbolizes new beginnings. The idea of immortality has always fascinated me, but I actually used the new beginning symbolism in Wicked Lovely."
"New beginnings? I like that," he murmured, trailing his lips along my neck.
I leaned back into his embrace, completely agreeing with him. The kind of new beginning we were experiencing was definitely something I could learn to love.
We watched the peacocks for several more minutes before strolling away. Maybe someday I would have a peacock at my own wedding. Maybe with Alec. It could be our one and only witness. My glimpse into the future wasn't something I would share. The virgin thing was a big enough hurdle to get over. Still, I was beginning to fall for him—hard.