Out of the corner of his eye, Aleks noticed Carrie reach up to brush a strand of hair behind her ear. He grabbed her wrist before she had a chance to rest it on her lap. The urge to take hold of her came without warning. Her arm trembled in his grip. Her long, slender fingers curled downward. He kissed the center of her palm.
“Aleks?”
He turned and met her lazy stare, but only for a second. “Shh...no thinking. Not tonight.” He saw the confusion in her eyes. The want. The fear. She was feeling everything that he was times two. That was exactly why he looked away. Nudging closer, he leaned in further and then... went for it.
Carrie let out a high-pitched squeak as he captured her lips. She had a palm on his chest, as if wanting to push him away, but after a few seconds she relaxed. She melted into his embrace, letting their tongues dance in a sweet, slow rhythm. He explored this unfamiliar territory with firm sweeps of his tongue, tasting her, taking her for himself.
Aleks couldn’t stop the all-consuming hunger that took over his body. After months of pent up frustration–months of tiptoeing around the fact that he had feelings for Carrie–it all came down to this moment. This night. Letting their relationship heat up to the next level might be something they could never recover from, but he had to know.
Carrie was fully engaged now. Her hands searched his body, grasping and grabbing at clothes and skin. Urging her back, he laid her down. His lips continued to tangle with hers while his hands roamed south. He lifted her shirt and took one of her full, round breasts in his hand. Aleks pulled away from her lips when he realized her hand had found her other lace covered peak. They both massaged her through the fabric.
She embraced the pleasure of the moment, her face flushed pink, her lips moist from their kisses. Watching her, Aleks didn’t know how he could have been so blind for so long. He was glad she had her eyes shut tight, because he was afraid of what she might see in his.
Aleks lost himself in her pleasure but came to when he felt her hand touch his and guide it down under the blanket then between her legs. She lifted her pelvis to increase the pressure of his grip. He massaged her core on the outside of her track pants.
He heard the soft whisper of his name. It was a whisper of approval. Suddenly, she sat up and pushed herself onto his body, leaning him against the arm of the couch. He pulled at the waistband of her pants.
Carrie devoured his mouth as he slid his hand inside, slipping past her satin panties. She spread her legs wider, givi
ng him access to take what he wanted. She was smooth, not one hair covered the heavenly skin that led to her warmth.
He cupped her sex with his hand and immediately felt her arousal. His middle finger found her entrance and slipped inside. Then his index finger did the same. Carrie ripped away from his kiss and rode his fingers. Pumping her body up and down, she threw her head back. Aleks seized the opportunity and pulled down one of the lace cups to suck at her nipple.
Her left hand gripped his shoulder, the other found his erection and massaged it through his jeans. Aleks was ready to come at that very moment. The caress of her hand and the look on her face was enough to set him off, but he held back. What he wouldn’t give for her to take his cock, to finish inside her warm mouth, but that was not his intention.
Aleks positioned the pad of his thumb so it hit her clit every time she pumped.
“Aleks!” It was exactly what she needed because he felt her canal squeeze his fingers. “Don’t stop, I’m coming.”
“Not a chance.” With his free hand, Aleks brought her head back to his and captured her lips. She came with a shudder, and he let her breathe hard against his mouth.
When the last convulsion left her body, Carrie rested her forehead against his as if needing a minute to regain her composure. Her hands found the fly of his jeans. Just as she went to release the zipper, the basement door opened and the overhead lights turned on putting them in the spotlight, shedding light on what could have turned into a very large mistake.
“Al!” Rob barreled down the stairs, and Carrie hurled herself to the other side of the couch just in time to pull down her shirt and smooth her hair.
“Yeah. Down here.”
“Oh hey, Care.” Rob stopped short, but only for a second, then strode further into the room, sitting himself between them on the couch.
“Do we have a plan yet for this party?” Rob inquired about the preparations for their parents’ thirtieth wedding anniversary. The Taylor children, along with Aleks and Martina, were throwing them a party. The idea was to mimic their Hawaiian honeymoon.
“Everything is pretty much set,” Carrie explained. “But I need you guys to come over so we can finalize some details.”
She continued, but Aleks could no longer decipher the words. His attention was focused entirely on her soft lips and imagining them on his body. She refused to look over at him. Instead, she stared straight ahead, looking like a deer caught in headlights, a deer with radiant skin, the after-effects of an orgasm.
Maybe Rob showing up was for the best. Maybe they were interrupted for a reason. Whatever the reason, he was glad Rob had come to the rescue. In the light–with their actions no longer under the cover of dark–Aleks realized he had been minutes away from making a huge mistake and ruining his relationship with Carrie forever. Not only with Carrie, but with Rob and his family. The family that Aleks had come to love as his own. The Taylors gave him a sense of belonging, something that had been missing with his own family.
“I can’t believe she roped you into watching this movie again.” Rob shut off the movie then scrolled through the digital directory, most likely trying to find something they would all enjoy.
She shot up faster than a bullet. “I think I’m going to go. I have some work to do.”
Aleks feared their relationship was already strained even though they hadn’t gone all the way. Her awkwardness made it very clear that taking things to the next level would not be a good idea. It was at that moment Aleks made the decision to refrain from pursuing Carrie. He would forget the sweet smell of oranges she left lingering in the air. He would ignore the intense urge to suck his fingers into his mouth and taste her arousal. In the interest of friendship, he would keep his distance.
Chapter 5
“I’ve decided I’m going to sleep with Aleks.” Carrie let out a huge breath after finally gathering the courage to make the exclamation.
The water that Amie just sipped flew out of her mouth. “Excuse me? What?”