“About what?”
Alexa wondered if his mind had fizzled or if all the blood really did leave a man’s head to go somewhere else. One quick glance confirmed her suspicions. Her plan was definitely working. She just needed him to admit he wanted to keep sleeping with her and she was sure the rest would work out.
“Nick?”
“Yeah?”
“Are you going to answer the question?”
“What was the question?”
“Do we keep having sex until the marriage is over or do we go back to being just friends?”
“Alexa?”
“Yeah?”
“I vote for sex.”
One moment she was enjoying this slow torture, the next he’d pinned her down, climbed on top of her naked body, and dragged her up to meet his mouth.
The kiss was a hot morning welcome. His lips devoured hers, his tongue slid inside to tease and play, then drink hungrily. He rubbed his mouth back and forth and his jaw line scraped her tender flesh with his stubble. His hands pulled the sheet away from her body so he could stroke and arouse, building the heat with quick, efficient motions until a moan escaped her and she parted her thighs.
He reached for the bedside table, then paused when she stopped him.
“I’m on the pill,” she murmured. “To regulate my periods.”
That was all he needed. Nick yanked down his sweatpants, pressed his palms on the inside of her thighs, and surged.
She gasped. Dug her nails into his shoulders. And held on.
He punished her for teasing him, bringing her to the very edge, then backing off as she teetered on the edge of orgasm. He dipped his head and tasted her br**sts, licked her ni**les, then began the climb again, only to bring her right back down. She tossed her head back and forth on the pillow, reached out, and cupped his cheeks, forcing him to look at her. His rough morning stubble scratched her skin.
“Now.”
He held on with an iron-fisted control she both admired and hated. A sexy grin tugged at his lips. “Say please.”
She gritted out a curse as she neared the edge again. Madness ripped through her and Alexa made a vow to never play power games with her husband again, for his retribution was too brutal. She arched her hips with fierce demand. “Please.”
He plunged forward and she rocketed into her climax. Her body clenched with convulsions, and she held onto him tight as he followed. Still inside of her, he slumped over and rested his head on the pillow beside her. Their choppy breathing filled the air.
She closed her eyes for a brief moment. The musky scent of sex and coffee mixed and rose to her nostrils. A tiny flare of fear stirred to life as she lay in his arms. After one night, her body welcomed him as her other half. Alexa wasn’t one to casually dive into sexual encounters. She was the type of who fell in love, fell hard, and dreamed of happily ever after.
But there were no fairy tale endings with Nick Ryan. He had made that clear from the first. She needed to remember his limitations every day, especially after sex. Separate the physical from the emotional. Keep her heart guarded in a tower so high and so strong, even Rapunzel would never have escaped. Enjoy her orgasms and a bit of friendship, then walk away.
Sure. No problem.
Her heart screamed LIAR but she ignored it.
“I guess this cements the deal,” she said.
He chuckled and threw his arm over her body. She snuggled closer. “I think we made a logical choice. Now we have something more interesting to do than chess or poker.”
She bit playfully at his shoulder. “You’re not getting out of our tournaments, buster. We’ll just spice things up a bit.”
“Such as?”
“Ever play strip poker?”
“You’re an amazing woman, Alexa.”
“I know.”
Chapter Nine
“I don’t want to go.”
“I heard you the first time, the second, and the third. Now be quiet and pull in the driveway slowly. The wine will tip over.”
“I hate family functions.”
Alexa prayed for patience. Nick reminded her of a kid who dragged his feet and wanted to stay home to play with his toys instead of see relatives.
The past two weeks had flown past in relative smoothness except for his growing complaints regarding the holiday. Maggie had reminded her Thanksgiving with the Ryans was more of a Halloween nightmare, so Alexa gave her husband wide berth, but refused to let him off the proverbial hook. “We don’t have a choice. As a married couple, we’re expected to show up for dinner. There won’t be too many people there, anyway.”
Nick snorted. “I’ll be bored.”
“Get drunk.”
He scowled and swung into the driveway. The pile of cakes and pies and wine clattered in the backseat but held steady. She reached for the doorknob and stretched out her legs. The bite of November wind ripped up her skirt and through the thick tights she wore under her mini. She shivered and looked at the pile of cars already lined up on the lawn. “I knew we’d be late.”
His features changed, became softer, more intimate. Those chestnut depths gleamed with memories from early this morning, of warm, tangled sheets and cries and long wet kisses. Her body came to immediate attention. Her ni**les pressed against her purple sweater, and an achy heat pooled between her thighs.
He reached over and ran one finger down her cheek, then lightly traced her lower lip. “I clearly asked if you wanted to continue, remember?”
Heat rushed to her cheeks. “You shouldn’t have started in the first place. You knew we’d be late.”
“We could skip the whole thing and spend Thanksgiving in bed.” Her stomach dipped at his low murmur. “What do you think?”
“I think you’re trying to bribe me.”
“Is it working?”
“No. Let’s go.” She heard his low laugh behind her. He knew she lied. He always tempted her. After two weeks of steady sex, she still couldn’t get enough of her husband, and a day in bed with him sounded like sheer heaven.
She carried in the pies and he grabbed the wine. The door was open and they were immediately folded into family chaos, with loud greetings and handshakes, drinks thrust into open hands, and a thousand different conversations overlapping.
“Hi, Ma.” She kissed Maria and took an appreciative sniff of the plump turkey filled with sausage stuffing. A cloud of moist, fragrant steam rose in the air and wrapped her in warmth. “Smells great. You look pretty.”