“I say it,” she explained. “Sometimes, you need to give in to the food and laughter so you can unwind. I know you’re very careful about what you put into your body, but knowing you can have a chip or five and not go crazy means something.”
He nodded, aware she knew more about him than he realized. She’d noticed how careful he was about what he ate, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about that.
“Did I make you mad?” she whispered. “For commenting on that?”
He shook his head and played with her hair. “No.” He paused. He hadn’t told her a lot about what he was thinking, and that was a disservice to them both. “I started watching what I eat in rehab. I used to not care what I put into my body. Cake, fried foods, soda, booze.” She wrapped her arms around his waist loosely, and he relaxed a bit. “I worked out a lot so I didn’t end up with a huge gut, but I was never as in shape as the rest of my family. But when I was in rehab, I watched some of the other guys turn to smoking or eating more than they used to in order to keep the cravings for something harder at bay. I didn’t want to replace one kind of craving for another.”
She nodded and looked like she wanted to say something more but didn’t.
He was well aware that fighting like he was and being as careful about what he ate weren’t exactly crutches, but they probably weren’t the best for him either. He just had to take things one day at a time.
And honestly, those two things weren’t the addictions he had to be careful about.
It was the woman in his arms.
Just one taste, and he knew he’d be addicted to her forever.
And that scared him more than what he ate or if another fighter could kick his ass.
But Alex had never truly been good at doing what was right for him, and hell, he wasn’t sure if Tabitha was wrong for him.
He didn’t care.
He wanted her.
And when she lifted onto her toes to kiss his chin, her eyes warm pools of desire, he knew she wanted him, as well.
He cupped the back of her head. “I didn’t come here for this,” he whispered. “I don’t know why I came, actually.”
She ran her hands up his back, her nails digging in. “That’s okay. You’re not taking if I’m giving it freely.”
He kissed her slowly, her lips soft velvet against his own. “Let’s go slow this time.”
She smiled, a small movement against the seam of his lips. “You said that last time. And the time before. And we never go slow.”
He ran his hand down her side and back up again to cup her breast. When he flicked his thumb over her nipple, she shivered in his hold. “We can try for slow. But you’re so fucking hot in my arms that it’s hard for me to stay slow once I have you.”
She reached between them and cupped him. His eyes crossed, and he let out a rough laugh. “What if I don’t want to go slow?” she purred.
He liked this Tabitha. The fiery one in his arms that no one else saw. He didn’t know what that said about him and his feelings for her, but right then, he couldn’t think with her tit in his hand and her hand on his dick.
He kissed her again, his tongue sliding along hers in an erotic caress. “Slow,” he whispered. He kissed down her neck, pulling her collar away from her body so he could lick her shoulder. “Slow.”
She ran her hands up his back again, and he ground into her. They both froze at the feel of the rigid line of his cock pressing into her belly.
“Well, hell, so much for slow,” he said with a laugh.
“We can go slow,” she breathed. “I promise.”
He tucked her hair back from her face again. “Yeah?” He let out a breath. “I haven’t even taken you out on a date, Tabitha. What is wrong with me? And our training sessions at the gym don’t count.”
She frowned. “They count in terms of being helpful, at least. And I don’t care about dates right now. I just want you in my bed tonight. We can…we can go on a date tomorrow. Or the next night. Just take me tonight, okay?”
He licked his lips. “So we’re dating, then?”
She let out a low laugh. “Yeah, I guess we are. Is it weird we didn’t talk about that before now?”
He shook his head. “Only if we make it weird. And I think we were doing a good job of not talking about it at all before this.”
She pulled his head down and kissed him hard on the mouth. “So, boyfriend?”
His heart sped up at the word. He’d only been a boyfriend to one other person, and she’d broken him beyond repair. But he could do this. He could.
“And I think I just scared you. No labels?”
He shook his head, noticing the sadness in her eyes that she couldn’t quite hide. “Labels work. I just…” He let out a breath. Time to be honest, right? “I’ve only had one other girlfriend.” The last part was whispered so low he was afraid she wouldn’t hear him. Maybe that would be for the best.
Her eyes widened fractionally, but she gave him a nod. “I didn’t think about that. You were young when—” She cut herself off. “Okay, boyfriend, we can go on a date, and you can buy me a milkshake or something later. But for now, I really want to see if we can go slow.” She cupped him again, and he groaned. “What do you say?”
She always knew the right thing to say, and he would be grateful for that even if it confused him.
In answer to her question, he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom, his mouth on hers the entire time. He needed her more than he cared to admit, and while that scared him—and it should—he knew that he wouldn’t be able to let her go…even if it was the best thing for both of them.
He set her down on her feet at the foot of the bed and slowly stripped her out of her clothes, kissing her skin as soon as he bared each part of her. He licked down her shoulders, nibbling at her inner arm until she squirmed. Then he moved to the tops of her breasts that lay above the cups of her bra. He licked them, sucked, and bit down gently before going to his knees so he could do the same to her stomach.
Her skin was so soft, so perfect. “I want to lick every inch of you,” he growled into her hip.
She ran her hand through his hair and smiled down at him. “You’re on your way to doing so. Will you take off your shirt? I want to touch your skin.”
Because she asked, he did, keeping his eyes on hers the whole time. She licked her lips, and he smiled before pressing kisses to her hipbones above the top of her jeans. She had wide hips that were perfect for his hands, and he loved the fact that every time he fucked her from behind, he got to grip on to her ass and push in deeper. Her butt would move with him, jiggling just right. His ex had been stick thin, and while he loved women’s bodies in general, he found himself wanting Tabitha’s more.
“Lay down on the bed,” he growled, annoyed with himself for thinking of Jessica just then. “I want to feast on you.”
She blushed but did as he asked. She still wore her bra, jeans, and panties, but he’d take care of them soon. For now, he wanted her breasts since he rarely got to spend much time with them. They were always moving too fast for him to truly give them their due attention.
He crawled over her, and she smiled up at him lazily. When he lifted her up slightly to unclasp her bra, she gripped his shoulders and licked her lips. Since they looked so enticing, he captured them with his own, deepening the kiss as he took off her bra completely.
When she was bare before him, he lowered her fully to the bed and began kissing her nipples just as he had her mouth. She arched into him when he plumped her breasts in his hands, holding them together and molding them before biting and sucking on each nipple in turn. She moaned, her body going sweat-slick as he bit down harder, sucking, licking, and nibbling until he was sure she was almost ready to come.
“I…I can’t come just from my breasts,” she gasped. “I need something. Touch me, please.”
He kissed up her neck and then took her mouth again. “Is that a challenge?”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “I’ll
touch myself if I have to, Alexander Montgomery. Now get me off.”
He laughed and went down to her breasts once more, aware her hand was creeping down to the apex of her thighs. Well, he couldn’t have that. He gripped her wrist in his hand and brought it up to and over her head. Even as she grumbled, she arched again, his attention never leaving her breasts. She was so close, but he knew that she might need a little more urging. So he shifted to lean on his elbow even as he used that arm to hold her down and took his free hand and slid it over her jeans where the heat of her nearly scalded him.
Just one touch, and she broke apart in his arms.
She was so fucking beautiful when she came.
A goddess in his arms.
In his life.
While she came down from her high, he quickly stripped her out of her pants and underwear and spread her legs. She was still coming as he pressed his mouth to her and licked.
She screamed, her hips pressing into him, and he sucked and licked at her cunt. She tasted so fucking sweet, he knew he could get lost between the silk of her inner thighs forever. He speared her with two fingers, even as he licked at her clit, her juices coating his face and his beard. He wanted her to come again, wanted her to buck against his face as she lost control.
“Come on, baby. Come on my face. Show me how fucking hot you are when I have my mouth on your pretty little cunt. Play with your nipples for me, and I’ll reward you with my cock.”
She looked down at him, her eyes dark, and a seductive smile on her face as she slowly cupped her breasts.
“That’s it. Pluck at them. Imagine it’s my fingers.”
“Less talking,” she panted. “More eating.”
He chuckled then and went back to his feast, licking up her lips and darting his tongue in and out of her along with three of his fingers. She was so tight that he knew he was stretching her, but he had to make sure she would be ready for him when he slid himself inside.
She came again when he bit down gently on her clit, and he lapped at her before pulling back and flipping her over on her stomach. She let out a shriek, and he slapped her ass.
“Hey!” she said as she looked over her shoulder. “Did you just spank me?”
He winked and shucked off his pants, bending down to pick up the condom he’d put in his pocket earlier. “Yeah. Want me to do it again?”
She blushed and gave him a thoughtful look. “Maybe.”
He grinned and smacked her ass one more time before pulling on her thighs so she was on all fours. “I like the way you think.” He lowered his head and licked at her cunt, using his hands to spread her before him. She lowered her head on the bed, pressing her ass closer to his face. He licked up and played with her hole, enjoying the way she squirmed. He used her wetness to prepare her as he slowly entered the tip of his finger inside. She gasped, her body stiffening, and he bit one cheek.
“Relax, baby, I’m not going to fuck your ass tonight.”
“But you will later?” she asked.
“If you want.” He wanted, that was for sure.
“I don’t know. I just know I like whatever you’re doing to me, even if it’s new.”
He kissed her lower back as he worked her slowly before removing his finger. “You can have me whenever you’re ready. And if you’re not ever ready, that’s okay, too. It’s all about what you want?”
She looked over her shoulder as he positioned himself at her entrance. “And what about what you want?”
He blinked at the intensity of her words. “I want you.” Honest. Open. And the only thing he could think of at the moment…and maybe ever.
“I want you, too.” A whispered plea.
He covered her back with his body and kissed her mouth. “You can have me.” He swallowed hard as he filled her, aware that this wasn’t just fucking, wasn’t just sex on a cold night. But it never had been with Tabitha, and he figured it never would be.
That should scare him more than it did, but right then, all he could think of was the sweetness of her in his arms, over him, under him, around him, and the feel of her pussy clenching his cock. He gripped her ass, holding her firmly to him, and he slowly thrust in and out of her. He’d promised slow, and damn it, he would give her slow.
Alex rolled his hips, loving the way she looked over her shoulder at him. But he wanted more, he wanted to see her, so he pulled out fully and gently shifted her so she was on her back and in the middle of the bed. He covered her with his body and took her hand in his, guiding it to the base of his cock.
“Slide me in, baby. Take me.”
She licked her lips, her eyes wet and dark, and did as he asked, slowly guiding him into her. His breaths came in pants, sweat rolling down his back as he achingly entered her inch by inch. And when he was fully seated, they both lay there, connected in more ways than he ever thought possible. He tangled his fingers with hers and began to move.
They made love, their hands clasped, their eyes on each other, as he put his weight on his elbows so as not to touch her.
And when they came together, Alex knew he was in trouble.
She wasn’t his addiction, wasn’t his pain.
She was everything else and everything he never thought possible.
And that was scarier than the idea of wanting the bottle.
Chapter Eight
Tabby’s head hurt, and her thighs were sore, but damn if she didn’t feel on top of the world. Not only did she and Alexander have a date planned for the next day but she’d also finished everything on her to-do list for the day with an hour to spare. And since she loved her lists, that meant she’d done about a hundred different things today and still wasn’t tired. There was truly nothing better than checking something off or highlighting something on a list once it was completed. It was its own kind of euphoria.
Of course, that made her think of a certain man in her bed and how many times she’d come from his mouth alone.
So maybe there were a few things better than a to-do list.
Most of the guys had left for their other sites but since the incident involving the former client, no one had let her stay in the office alone. Their overprotectiveness might annoy her, but she was so used to it with her three brothers, she’d learned to live with it. And if any of them ever went too far and stifled her, she’d fight back. For now, she’d let them worry and act like mother hens because it made them feel better. And if she were honest with herself, it made her feel better, too. There might be even greater security on the place, and she was training to protect herself, but it still wasn’t enough.
Not yet.
“I need to head out,” Storm said as he walked to her desk. “Alex is in the back printing something so you aren’t alone, but do you want me to stay a bit longer?”
She shook her head and tried not to look at Alexander as he strode into the room, a stack of papers in his hand. They hadn’t told the others they were seeing each other, and it had been a mutual decision. It would get messy and complicated quickly once the Montgomerys knew. And heck, it was already pretty messy.
From the look in Storm’s eyes, however, she had a feeling he might be on to them. This particular Montgomery always saw too much. Damn the man.
“She’s fine with me,” Alexander put in, his voice low. “Go head on out. We’ll lock up.”
Storm raised a brow at Alexander speaking for her, and she shrugged. “Well, he’s right. I’m almost done anyway. So go work, and let me be.” He narrowed his eyes, and she sighed. “But thank you for being all big brother on me and making sure I’m safe. I appreciate it. However, please keep in mind that I have three older siblings in Pennsylvania, and I’m not sure I have room for more.”
Storm folded his arms over his broad chest. “They’re not here, are they? And the Montgomerys took you in so you have to deal with all of us acting like big brothers.”
She couldn’t help but meet Alexander’s eyes at that, and he raised a brow.
All of us? Those eyes seemed to ask.
>
Definitely not all of them.
“She’s good, Storm,” Alexander grumbled, and she couldn’t help but smile at him. He was such a grumpy bear when his brothers put on the tough-guy act.
Storm gave her a look, and she held back a sigh. Yeah, there was no hiding her feelings anymore from this particular Montgomery, and all three of them knew it. But when Storm left without another word, she figured he would keep their secret.
“He won’t tell the others if we don’t want him to,” Alexander said when he stepped toward her. They didn’t touch since there were cameras first-off, and they’d both decided to try and keep work separate from their relationship.
She bit her lip. “Do we want them to know? I mean, I kind of like that this is just between you and me for now. Don’t get me wrong, I love your family, but things tend to become big once everyone knows.”
He nodded and leaned against her desk. “And I already have them looking at me with caution these days. I’d rather find a balance with you without their worry.”
She sucked in a breath, aware he was sharing with her more than he had before. The fact that he was an alcoholic hadn’t been a secret between them since she’d known him throughout it all, but he was starting to open up more and more about it.
Maybe it was time for her to share more about herself, as well.
“Are you doing anything tonight?” she asked, changing the subject when his face went a little sad.
He shook his head. “No, what do you have in mind?”
She let out a breath and met his gaze. “I’d like to go back out to the streets where I saw you. I want to tell you why I was there.” It was time. She knew so many of his secrets because they’d been strewn about him when he’d hit rock bottom, but he didn’t know many of hers. It was only fair, and she felt like it was time to show him a little more of herself. It wouldn’t be easy, and she was actually a little scared, but she prayed everything would be okay in the end.
He stood up straight and studied her face. “Dinner first? Then I’d be honored for you to share with me what you need to.”
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