Part 6 (1/2)

CHAPTER 4.

Steam filled her narrow shower, wreathing him in fog, but Sarah couldn't miss the gleam in Alex's eyes. The water cascaded over his dark hair and smooth skin, and Sarah put up a hand to brush his bangs out of his eyes.

”You need a haircut.”

He laughed. ”Maybe later.”

”That's a devilish look.” Sarah let her fingers slide across his cheek and down to cup his jaw. He tilted his head and caught her fingertips in his lips and sucked gently, sending a thrill of sensation through her body.

Alex cupped one breast, letting his palm caress her erect nipple. ”Me? Devilish? Nah.”

His hand felt so good she arched her back to urge him silently to caress the other one, too. He did without hesitation, then pulled her closer and let his soap-slippery hands glide over her skin. He bent to kiss her while the water pattered down all around them, and she closed her eyes to keep the spray from blinding her. They'd kept the bathroom lighting dim, and now, with her eyes shut, Sarah's world became heat and water, and Alex's hands on her skin, his mouth on hers. The stiffness of his erection stroked her belly, and she parted her thighs to let him rub against her there. His hands found her b.u.t.tocks and held her close.

He left her mouth to kiss and nibble along the curve of her jaw and then to her neck. He found the super-sensitive spot at her neck and shoulder, which made her wiggle.

”Careful,” he warned. ”Don't slip.”

Sarah opened her eyes. ”This shower is so tiny I don't think there's room for me go down.”

She'd meant her words to have a double meaning, and waited for his reaction. William had never ”gotten” jokes like that--but Sarah firmly put William from her mind. Now was not the time. Alex grinned and gave a pointed glance toward the floor.

”Too bad.”

Sarah let her eyes slide coyly along his torso, down to where his p.e.n.i.s jutted up between them. ”Then again, maybe I can find a way.”

She knew she didn't imagine the flicker in his dark eyes. Alex swallowed so hard she saw the bob of his Adam's Apple, and then he licked away the water from his lips. ”Maybe you can.”

Never taking her eyes from his, Sarah dropped slowly to her knees. The cus.h.i.+oned bath mat kept her knees from hurting as she settled herself. Now his p.e.n.i.s was at eye height, and though the lighting was dim, Sarah had no problem seeing all Alex had to offer.

His p.e.n.i.s was just as perfect as the rest of him. She'd never much cared about length and girth, as long as the unit in question was put to good use, but there could be no complaining about the size and shape of his erection. Soft, curly hair, as dark as that on his head, surrounded the base and tufted the s.c.r.o.t.u.m beneath. If there'd ever been a more perfectly proportioned p.e.n.i.s, Sarah had never seen it, in real life or in pictures.

For a second, a wave of self-doubt washed over her. The man in front of her was truly an earth-bound G.o.d, sheer physical perfection, any woman's dream come to life. The s.e.x downstairs had been fast and hard, but glorious, and she had no doubts that the s.e.x in the shower was going to be just as fantastic.

So, why was he doing it with her?

”Sarah? Are you all right?”

She looked up to see him looking down, standing so the curtain of water parted around them and didn't splatter her in the face. ”I'm fine.”

”You don't have to, if you don't want to.”

He meant using her mouth, she realized. Sarah blinked and shook her head. ”No, really, I'm fine.”

The fact he'd been willing to forgo this pleasure if it made her uncomfortable made her more interested in providing it. She smiled, forcing herself to put away the doubts and enjoy the moment, however brief it might turn out to be. ”Fair's fair, Alex.”

He grinned and put his hand on her head. ”Only if you want to.”

She answered him by taking him into her mouth as far as she could, which proved to be all the way. Looking at his erection, she'd thought there would be no way she could possibly take him so far without choking, but this proved again how perfect he really was. She slid him out, then in again, concentrating on giving him the same amount of pleasure he'd given her downstairs.

His groan and the way he wrapped his fingers in her hair rewarded her efforts. The sound of his arousal fanned her own, and Sarah slipped a hand between her legs to stroke herself while she sucked him. His strong thighs bunched and flexed as he began to thrust. Her hand moved faster, fingers sliding over her erect c.l.i.t, already slick with her own juices. The pounding of the water around them merged with her rhythm and the beating of her pulse in her ears, like music.

o.r.g.a.s.m rippled through her, making it hard to keep a steady pace, but Alex didn't seem to notice. His thrusts had become ragged, his moans louder, and when he said her name it sent her cras.h.i.+ng over the edge. She lost his p.e.n.i.s with her gasp of ecstasy, and it came to rest, hot and throbbing against her cheek. She grasped it with her other hand, stroked, once, twice and he spasmed in her palm.

The world swam from the heat and steam and the force of her climax, and Sarah had to blink and take a deep breath to clear away the threatening faintness. Alex leaned over her, hands braced against the small shower stall's back wall, feet pressed against the front wall. She still held him, and she took him into her mouth again, alternating with her lips and fingers until he cried out hoa.r.s.ely.

Another small burst of climax made her c.l.i.t throb and she answered his cry with one of her own. He sighed. His body relaxed.

It took her a minute to notice his teeth were chattering, and to feel the water had gone ice cold. His body had s.h.i.+elded her from the frigid spray. Chagrined, Sarah got to her feet and reached for the faucet, then grabbed a towel and held it out to him.

”Ran out of hot water,” Alex said unnecessarily as he rubbed his face dry, then peered at her over the top of the towel. His eyes twinkled. ”Probably about five minutes ago.”

Sarah laughed. ”You should've said something.”

”Couldn't speak.” He shrugged and wrapped the towel around his waist, then pulled her close for a long, lingering kiss. ”I was busy thinking about something else.”

She stepped back from his embrace, wrapped her own towel around her and squeezed the water from her hair. ”Your lips are blue.”

If he noticed her hesitation, he didn't say anything. Instead, Alex went to the sink and filled his palm with some water, then drank it. He stretched out his arms, which looked impossibly long in her small bathroom, then turned and faced her with the same devilish grin he'd given her earlier.

”I think I could use that hot tea you offered earlier.”

She put out a hand to touch his goose-pimpled arms, then shook her head and laughed again. ”I think I can boil some water. Why don't you get dressed? You'll be warmer that way.”

Despite the two fabulous bouts of s.e.x they'd just had, walking around naked in front of him was a little too nerve-wracking. Alex tilted his head and pursed his lips, like he could tell the real reason she was suggesting he get dressed, but he nodded anyway. He ran his hands through that dark, silky hair, bent as though to kiss her again and nodded slightly when she turned her head so he met her cheek instead of her lips. Then he left her alone in the bathroom, and Sarah pulled on her robe to go downstairs and make the tea. She studiously avoided her face in the mirror, not sure she wanted to see her own expression.

Sarah woke to the sound of pans clattering from downstairs in the kitchen. At some point during the night, after the caffeine from the tea had worn off and the conversation faded into yawns, she and Alex had climbed the narrow stairs to the comfort of her room. Sleeping with him had been an uneasy luxury. While having his arms around her as she slipped into sleep had been lovely, waking to find his elbow in her ear had not.

Rolling over, she pressed her face against the pillow he had used. The scent of him still clung to the fabric, and she decided she wouldn't wash the case until his smell faded. Nothing like acting like a junior high student, she scolded herself, but then snuggled into the pillow again.

She'd expected to feel awkward after making love. She'd a.s.sumed Alex would leave with some excuse about having early morning plans. She'd thought talking with him after they made love would no longer be as easy and comfortable as it had been before. She'd been wrong about everything. Alex made her laugh, which was more than any man had done for her in quite a while.

The s.e.x had been great, but Sarah discovered the conversation after had been even better. She'd pretended for a long time that being alone didn't matter to her, for so long she'd forgotten how nice it was to sit with a man on her couch and watch the fire burn without having to make small talk.

More than just a one-night stand. The thought startled her into sitting up. She scrubbed at her face and rubbed her eyes, then crossed her arms over her chest. What was she thinking? l.u.s.t had gotten the better of her intellect last night, but in the light of day, she had to be smarter than that. She knew it was impossible Alex Caine could be anything more than just a fling. A man like him wouldn't be satisfied with her for very long, and Sarah had no intentions of setting herself up for more heartache. They'd had some great s.e.x. He was eye-candy. He'd given her multiple o.r.g.a.s.ms, but that didn't mean they were destined for...

For what?

Sarah sighed, listening to the intriguing clang of pots and pans from downstairs. She'd had exactly one one-night stand in her life, and that had been unintentional. The experience had been so horribly, awfully bad she'd never gone on another date with the guy, who'd turned out to be a bigoted, self-righteous jerk. She'd judged him wrong, gone to bed with him because she thought the relations.h.i.+p was actually going somewhere. It had been a mistake.

Making love to Alex wasn't a mistake she knew. But believing there could be anything more out of this was. Sarah shook her head to clear it of the late-night cobwebs. He was a nice guy, great in bed, but he got up way, way too early in the morning. And he stole the covers. And he left wet towels on the floor.

There. She'd thought of sufficient reason to convince herself that s.e.x was all this was, and all it could be. Hadn't she? I have to, she thought firmly. Bargain bas.e.m.e.nt grab bags and all that stuff, remember, Sarah? Remember William? And with that thought to sober her, she got out of bed and went downstairs.

She found the small table expertly set with the full array of her nicest dishes, silverware, and gla.s.ses. A vase held a single red rose. It was the velvet one that had come off the box of Valentine chocolates Darren had given her last February, but she smiled anyway.

Alex turned from the stove. ”Just in time. Food's almost ready.”