by Tina Donahue
“Where are you going?”
He turned at the top of the stairs and put his hands on his hips. “Did you move?”
She backed up a step. “No.”
Daniel wasn’t going to smile. Not at her breathless lie or how cute she looked. Remnants of the Twinkie dotted the sides of her mouth and chin. Her messy hair skimmed her cheeks, the ends grazing her breasts. Her nipples, silky cunt and those tats—damn, those tats—drew Daniel more than he wanted. Whenever he was near her, he wasn’t himself.
He wasn’t even certain what that was anymore and wasn’t about to dwell on it, keeping his focus on what he needed downstairs. The bag of goodies, what was left of the candles, and the plates they’d melted on.
With the stuff cradled to his chest, Daniel returned to the bedroom. Alexandra was in the same spot he’d left her in. However, the lights were off and flames leaped behind her in the fireplace.
He arched one eyebrow. “After I told you not to move, you laid a fire?”
“No. It came on by itself.”
He lowered his face but still laughed. “You are so fucking bad.”
“And you’re going to punish me, right?”
Damn, he’d really unleashed her hunger for discipline. Him in control, just as he liked. Trouble was, Daniel had rarely felt less in charge of his own emotions. Not answering, he put the bag on her dresser and set up the candles around the room.
Alexandra didn’t stir from her spot, though she did twist to the right and left to watch him as he worked. “You’re not?”
What? Certain of himself, or what was going on inside him? Hell no, he wasn’t. Suppressing a frown, Daniel lit the last candle and tossed the spent match in the fire.
“Are you?” she asked.
“Am I what?”
“Going to punish me?”
“What do you think?”
Her expression grew blurry with desire. She murmured, “You left your belt downstairs.”
Daniel got hers from the closet where he’d returned it after using it on her that first night.
“I’m all yours,” she breathed.
Her remark sent off alarms inside his head. The truth that he wanted her more than he had any other woman.
Leave.
He couldn’t bring himself to do so. Ignoring his thoughts, he muttered. “Put out your hands.”
“You forgot the rope.”
“Alexandra.”
She offered him her hands, wrists pressed together without him directing her to do that.
Daniel secured the belt around them, then led her to the bed. “Hop on.”
She sank to the mattress. He looped the other end of the belt around a slat in the headboard, tying it so tight she couldn’t get loose. Her chin pointed at the ceiling as she watched him, then came back down when he rolled a condom over his cock and got on the bed.
The mattress shifted with his weight. She whispered, “What are you doing?”
He knelt between her legs, simply gazing at her, stirred by what he saw. Moved too much. He didn’t want this. It was too intense.
“What?” she asked.
Unable to answer, Daniel leaned down and brushed his mouth over hers. Alexandra’s breath greeted his. She licked his top lip. He slid his tongue inside her mouth, kissing her leisurely, enjoying her flavor, scent, warmth, as though his heart wasn’t slamming into his throat.
When he slipped his shaft into her damp cunt, they both stilled for a moment, then eased toward each other on rough sighs, their bodies finally touching. Her extraordinary heat and tightness touched every part of his body and mind, then reached his soul. He pulled his mouth free and propped himself on his elbows so he could look at her as he pumped.
Their gazes locked and never strayed. Everything around them receded. In this moment, Alexandra became the sum of his existence, what he craved and had to have. Morning would come too soon, changing his mind, bringing him back to good sense.
He kissed her again, more greedily this time, helpless in his desire, then continued to thrust, not worrying about the coming hours, days, weeks, months. Their inevitable parting.
Right now, this was all that mattered.
Chapter Twelve
Something had changed. Daniel was…
Alexandra wasn’t certain what term would have adequately described his behavior. Tender. Impassioned. Genuine. Yeah, that was it. Suddenly, they weren’t role playing any longer, the big bad Dom training his timid sub. Which had been great. She’d enjoyed the thrill of punishment, his macho act, their fervent screwing that had felt so damn good. However, now it had gone deeper.
They were actually making love. A coming together that enriched each moment and nourished her forlorn heart.
She couldn’t stop kissing him, driving his tongue from her mouth so she could fill his. He couldn’t seem to get close enough, his body pressed into hers, lingering there before he continued to thrust.
The bed creaked with his movements. Alexandra kept tugging on the belt, wanting to be free so she could touch him.
He paused in his pumping.
Oh no. She feared he might pull out of her, claiming she’d been bad, she deserved punishment because he was back to his Dom act. That’s not what she wanted now and sucked his tongue to keep him to her.
He didn’t stray. Instead, as they continued to kiss, Daniel released her hands.
She wrapped her arms around his beautiful body, clinging to him, he to her. Still joined, they rolled from one side of the bed to the other, each of them trying to get on top. She won finally, no doubt because he let her.
With his cock deep inside her pussy, Alexandra pushed to a sitting position and looked down at Daniel. He brushed her hair aside and grinned. So did she.
“Ready for the ride of your life?” she murmured.
He flexed his rod in answer.
Good enough for her. She rode him, lifting her body until his cock was nearly free, then she sank back down until all of him was safely back inside.
Alexandra trembled.
His nostrils flared slightly. “Damn, this is nice.”
“Oh baby, you ain’t felt nuthin’ yet.” Squeezing her inner muscles around him, she pulled back up.
He made an appreciative noise that thrilled Alexandra as nothing else had. Energized, she kept to a slow, steady pace. Up, down, up, down. Rapture flooded Daniel’s features. So did lust. He played with her boobs, then stroked her clit.
Ah…god. She stilled at the shot of pleasure, losing her stride.
Daniel took up the slack, pumping his hips while tending to her nub. On a ragged sigh, Alexandra forced herself to resume, lifting herself from him once more.
For minutes, they gave their all, gazing at each other throughout the act, the moment powerful and moving as they climaxed.
Still panting, she didn’t want to fall asleep, but did. Daniel tickled her until she was alert again, after which he dropped back to the mattress, yawned once and snoozed. She gave him a hickey on the inside of his thigh, finally biting him gently, to wake him up.
He groped for her, but she was already out of reach. His arm fell to the mattress. “What are you doing?”
“Nothing.”
Gently, she removed the condom from him, tied it in a knot, then flung it at the wastebasket near the dresser.
It hit the mirror.
He watched it sliding down the glass. “Now I understand why your office is such a mess.”
She countered, “I may be shitty at throwing condoms and Beer Nuts, but I’m good at other stuff.”
“Like what?”
Turning her back to him, Alexandra straddled Daniel, then positioned herself. Beneath her, his marvelous balls and cock awaited, while her pussy was just above his mouth. “This,” she said, finally answering him.
His deep sigh said he approved.
She tended to him, bringing his cock back to life with each lick, while his mouth, tongue, and fingers explored her pussy. Finding new areas to touch, to en
tice and thrill her with, until Alexandra was one horny mess once more.
Even so, she didn’t rush toward climax. Neither did Daniel, fighting as hard as she did to hold off. He even used her ass as if it were a set of bongos, tapping out a tune, trying to distract himself or her.
Alexandra finally stopped licking him and laughed. “What is that you’re playing on my butt?”
“Dunno.”
“It’s peppy. Play it again.”
Chuckling, he pulled her pussy back down to his mouth and licked her with full carnal intent. Bringing her to climax as she did the same with him.
After that, the rest of the night was a blur of pleasure with them alternately playing and catnapping, until they both finally passed out.
Morning came too quickly. She punched her alarm’s button to stop the irritating buzz. With her legs dangling over the side of the mattress, Alexandra wheezed in as much air as she could, then bitched, “I can’t do this. I’m calling in sick.”
Daniel didn’t comment.
She looked over, figuring he was still asleep, surprised he was awake. Really awake. As though he’d been up for some time. Falling across the mattress, she rested her head on his belly. “Write me a note, please. Tell them I can’t come in for another week or two.”
Nothing.
Alexandra leaned up to see his face. Instantly, her stomach clenched.
His attention remained on the ceiling, his expression more than preoccupied. He had the proverbial thousand-yard stare, whatever he saw troubling him.
“Daniel?”
He blinked then looked down. As though he hadn’t noticed her, even though she was resting against him. Something flashed across his face, the emotion too quick for her to catch before he pushed it away.
Bracing himself on one elbow, he glanced at the clock. “Shouldn’t you be getting ready for work?”
Uncertain as to his mood, she hesitated then joked, “I thought you’d write me a note so I can stay here with you.”
He didn’t smile, nor did he continue to look at her. “I have stuff to do.”
Stuff? What kind?
She wanted to ask but didn’t, sensing he wouldn’t have told her. As opened as he’d been a few hours before, he was closed to her now and Alexandra couldn’t figure out why. Maybe he’d had a bad dream. Maybe he really did have things to do today that he didn’t want to bother with, which gave her a thought. “You forgot to bring your laundry by.” She trailed her fingers over his pecs, liking how they jumped at her touch. “Bring it here tonight and I’ll help you do—”
“I did it yesterday at the barracks.” He spoke hurriedly before she could comment. “I need to see to some things for the next few days. I won’t be able to come by.”
Her skin stung with panic and embarrassment. She didn’t understand this. It wasn’t as if he was promising her they’d hook up at the end of the week. This sounded more like an excuse to say goodbye. What had happened? What had changed, for godsakes? She’d been asleep for maybe two or three hours. She hadn’t pulled a Rip van Winkle, awakening after he’d fallen for another woman.
Her chest ached so much Alexandra could barely breathe. “You’re leaving the area?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. I need to go now. And you should get ready for work.”
Alexandra didn’t give a shit about that. She needed to ask him what in the fuck was going on. Problem was, she didn’t want to hear the truth. That this was it.
“Aren’t you even going to take a shower?” she asked, right behind him as he headed downstairs.
“I’ll do that at the barracks.” He tugged on his clothes. She did the same with hers, not wanting him to leave while she was washing.
Outside the cabin, wind slammed into them. Alexandra pulled her hair away from her face and followed him to his pickup. Before he could climb inside, she touched his arm and asked, “You’ll be back on Friday?”
“I don’t know.”
Oh god, please don’t do this. Tell me what went wrong. She forced herself to remain calm, to keep her voice from shaking. “I’ll call you on Thursday to see if you—”
“I won’t be answering my phone. Like I said, I have stuff to do. I won’t have time to talk.” He looked at her for a moment, then glanced away and mumbled, “Have a good day.”
How in the hell was she supposed to do that with him barreling down the road in his desire to flee? By the time Alexandra grabbed her keys and was in her vehicle, his taillights were no longer visible. All the way to her office, she trembled. Not from the cold, her shock at his brush-off, her confusion over what had happened. She kept going over it in her mind, trying to figure out what she’d done after they’d passed out from the best night of her life. Had she spoken in her sleep, saying what was in her heart? Had he heard and it frightened him shitless?
She reached for her iPhone, then pulled her hand away. He’d said he didn’t have time to talk and obviously didn’t want to. He needed to put distance between them.
She recalled what one of Lucius’ housekeepers had said when Alexandra was a child. Alexandra’s mom had just left for another guy, a new future, leaving her husband and daughter behind. As Alexandra had sobbed, the housekeeper stroked her hair and murmured, “She’ll be back. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”
Her mom had never returned. Absence made the woman forget her.
She tensed at the memory, the pain. Bad then. Back now with Daniel. Alexandra wanted to call him, but didn’t. She couldn’t force him to want her any more than she’d been able to accomplish that with her own mother.
He didn’t know what to do, where to go. If he went to one of his friends’ or relatives’ houses, they’d wonder why he was bothering them at this ungodly hour. A sudden appearance at his grandparents’ front door would positively freak them out. If he were to go to the barracks or his cubicle, he’d eventually run into Alexandra. Her chin might tremble again, as it had outside her cabin, like she was trying hard not to cry. No way did Daniel want to see that, because he’d caused it.
Asshole. Jerk.
He shouldn’t have let things get this far without considering where it might end.
Hell, it had already ended. There wasn’t any other choice. He’d awakened too many times last night, afraid she’d be gone, terrified that she was still snuggled against him. Torn in too many directions, he had no idea what to do except escape and give himself time away from her to clear his head. This was infatuation, nothing more. He’d worked himself to exhaustion and she’d provided an unexpected diversion. That was all it was or could be.
His job didn’t allow for a lasting relationship. It was too nomadic, with him traveling the globe to remote, inhospitable locales. What kind of a life would that be for either of them? After his time here was up, he’d take off once more. No telling when they’d be in the same state again, much less the same country.
He’d done the right thing.
Muttering oath after oath, he wondered how in the hell he was going to get through today without her.
Worse, how would he be able to work with her for the rest of his time on this project? Daniel wasn’t certain he could do it without craving Alexandra again, making things worse than they already were.
He stopped at a crossroads in the village and ran his hand down his face, uncertain of every fucking thing.
Alexandra slumped in her office chair, staring at nothing in particular, trying not to think.
She kept seeing Daniel’s face in her mind, his sudden indifference, how he avoided looking at her. She recalled his voice, so distant, as though he were speaking to a stranger. Not a woman he’d finally made love to.
Her hands and feet got colder. She turned up her space heater, wishing she could cry or fall asleep, anything to mute her awful pain.
Go through your usual routine,she told herself. Keep busy.
She had no other choice. Gathering what little energy she had left, Alexandra finally checked her voicemail.
No calls
from Daniel. None from her grandfather either.
She took that as a good sign that maybe something else miraculous would happen today. Like Daniel rushing into her office, telling her he’d been kidding, they were back on for tonight. They needed to watch the rest of the Hollywood version of Titanic. They still had to enact the X-rated version.
She forced down a swallow and fired up her computer. Her shoulders drooped when she saw there was an email from Lucius.
You have to go to Anchorage today,he’d written. Your flight and hotel have already been arranged. Michael King and Greg Vincent will arrive there at five this afternoon. They’re booked until next Monday. So are you. They’ve never been to Alaska. Show them a good time. They’re important investors. Do not disappoint me.
Alexandra burst into tears. Of all the damn times for Lucius to pull this on her, why today? She needed to regroup, heal, decide how to approach Daniel, ask him what in the hell had happened to change—
Her office phone rang. She flinched and answered it. “Yeah?” Please, Daniel, talk to me.
“Miss Waite?” a male said.
Frowning at the unfamiliar voice, she ran her cuff beneath her runny nose. “Yeah?”
“Your grandfather asked me to call to remind you about your flight today. We’ve booked a taxi to pick you up so you won’t have to drive to the terminal.”
Uh-uh. No way.
She had to stay here and stare at her phone, waiting for a call from Daniel that wouldn’t come. He had stuff to do. He was too busy. He didn’t want to talk.
“Ms. Waite?”
“Yeah, I heard you. Look, I have work to do here. I run this place. I can’t leave.” I won’t.
“You do have a weekend supervisor,” he countered, as though he’d been prepared for her argument and knew too much about the operation. “Your grandfather’s already approved a bonus for the man to take over in your brief absence.”
She laughed. It sounded weird. “Granddad actually approved more money? I don’t believe it.”
“I can assure you, he has. Would you like me to call the man and let him know about the new arrangements?”
