Chapter 4
Chapter Four
JENSEN
THEN
NOVEMBER
Thank God it’s Friday, and I get to work remotely. I’m spread out on my sofa—laptop open, coffee in hand, the fireplace crackling under the TV. The golf channel’s on mute as I prep a presentation for next week.
My phone dings, and the message pops up on my laptop screen. It’s from Alley.
Alley
Hey, I’m in the area. Want me to bring you the world’s shittiest cup of coffee and some stale bagels?
A grin spreads across my face as I grab my phone, sliding it open to text her back. I took her out twice last weekend—Friday night, to a Knicks game, and Sunday for brunch. We text constantly, and I’m falling harder for her every day.
How could I say no to that? Does it come with a side of Alley, or is it just the stale bagels?
Alley
Only if you promise not to spill me on your lap. I know how easily you get boners.
On second thought… maybe I wouldn’t mind.
I laugh out loud.
If that’s an offer, I’m not going to say no.
Alley
I’ll keep that in mind. Now send me your address so these stale bagels don’t get any more stale.
I shoot her my address along with instructions on how to get to my floor.
Then, I call down to the concierge desk to let them know she’s coming.
Jumping up, I take a quick scan of my apartment.
I’m not messy by nature, but there are a few dishes in the sink I didn’t get to last night.
I hurry to load them into the dishwasher.
I’m in loungewear, but I don’t think Alley will care. At least, I hope she won’t.
Ten minutes later, there’s a knock at the door.
I open it to find Alley standing there, looking beautiful, arms full. Her eyes scan me, landing on my head. Her lips curve into a grin.
“Wow. You must be a wild sleeper. That’s some impressive bedhead you’ve got going on.”
I chuckle, grabbing the coffees and waving her in. “Sorry, this is about as sexy as I get before coffee,” I tease.
She laughs, walking past me to the counter where she drops her purse and the bagels.
Shrugging off her jacket, she drapes it over the barstool, and my pulse kicks up a notch.
She looks hot—tight, low-cut top, heels, flawless makeup.
My eyes drop to her chest. I can’t help it.
Something about her look right now has me floored.
Maybe it’s the heels. Maybe it’s the fact that it’s only nine in the morning.
Did she just come from another guy’s place?
“Whoa.” I wave a hand up and down in front of her. “I didn’t know this was a dress-to-impress breakfast. What’s with the outfit?”
Her grin widens, mischievous and teasing. “What are you talking about? This is just how I look when I wake up.” She shrugs dramatically. “Jealous?”
“More like jealous I’m not the one waking up next to you,” I say before I can stop myself. My brows lift. “Did you just come from another guy’s place? Who’s the lucky guy?”
She narrows her eyes. “What? No. I came from my friend Scarlett’s. We went out last night and had a couple drinks. I don’t like going home alone late, especially after I’ve been drinking. I always crash at her place when we go out.”
It all clicks.
“Oh, okay. I’m a douche.” I grip the back of my neck, sheepish.
“All this time, whenever you said you were leaving a friend’s in the morning, I assumed it was because you were…
uh… seeing someone else.” The words tumble out in a rush.
“Not that it wouldn’t be okay! We’re not exclusive, obviously.
And we haven’t even slept together, so of course you can sleep with other people.
I’m not like… weird and possessive like that. ”
Her lips press together, her eyes sparkling with amusement. I stop myself before I dig the hole any deeper.
She stares at me, clearly entertained. She starts to say something, then smacks her lips shut like she’s reconsidering.
Finally, she grins. “Is your grave deep enough yet? Or do you want to keep talking so you can make sure you’re buried under every awkward thing you’ve ever said?
” She grimaces dramatically. “Because that was pretty embarrassing. I might have to crawl in with you just to stop cringing.” She bursts out laughing, and I can’t help but join her.
“Okay, okay,” I say, chuckling. “I admit, that was not my best moment.”
She steps closer, wrapping her arms around my neck. “Didn’t peg you for the jealous type, Jensen.” Her gaze softens as it drifts over my face.
“I’m not. I swear it.” I mean it, too. I’ve never been the jealous type. I’m confident. Hell, I don’t know what that was, but it’s not a feeling I can ignore. I like her so damn much that, for a minute, I really was envious. Envious of whoever might be getting more of her than I am.
Before I can even explain, her mouth is on mine, hot and deliberate, like she’s trying to prove there’s nothing for me to worry about.
My hands slide around her waist, pulling her closer, and my thoughts blur as her lips move against mine.
Her kiss is all-consuming, a mix of sweetness and urgency that makes my chest tighten.
I haven’t had sex in over three months, between the surgery and now dating Alley for the past four weeks. I’ve wanted to with her, but I’ve held back—waiting for the right moment, wondering where she stands.
She’s not like the women I usually date, the ones who show up in skimpy dresses with flawless bodies sculpted by Pilates and protein shakes.
She’s thinner, sure, but she has a softness to her, a realness.
Her curves aren’t exaggerated, but she’s got enough for me to hold onto, and I like that.
I like that she feels human, not like some unachievable ideal.
And I like that she doesn’t expect that same ideal from me, that she’s kissing me with bedhead, even after I made an idiotic comment.
That’s what makes her so great. Everything with Alley feels real. Her laugh, her smile, the way she blushes when she catches me staring too long.
Usually, by this point, I’ve slept with someone I’m dating, maybe even a few times. But with Alley, it’s been slow. Innocent kisses. Public makeouts. And now this. This is so much better than sex on the first or second date.
It’s messing with my head in the best way.
My hand snakes to the front, brushing her stomach, inching higher. She’s soft in all the right places, and my palm sweeps across her breast. She gasps, her body arching into me. That sound. That sound alone could undo me.
Her response ignites a deeper desire in me, and I walk her backward to the couch.
We fall onto it, her body sliding beneath mine.
Propping myself on my elbows, I sink between her legs.
Her hands immediately begin to explore me, gliding up my chest, brushing over my shoulders and down my biceps.
The press of her body against mine, the way her hips tilt up to meet me, her breath warm on my neck—it’s exhilarating.
My pulse hammers in my chest as her hands drift lower, her touch leaving a trail of fire in its wake. She’s made me work for this, made me wait—and somehow, that’s made it all the more intense.
Her hand brushes over my hard-on, and I’m ready to lose myself completely in her when my phone rings. At first, I ignore it. There’s no way I’m stopping now. But then I remember—I’m supposed to be working.
“Damn it,” I mutter, breaking our kiss. My head hangs in frustration as I force myself to pull away. I groan, reluctantly sitting up and reaching for my phone. “I’m sorry, I have to get this.”
She sits up next to me, her hand falling to my thigh, and I glance at her apologetically as I answer the call.
I go through the motions, saying all the right things, but my focus is shot.
Her hand starts to move, tracing slow circles on my thigh, and it’s killing me.
She’s not even trying to hide that she’s messing with me—her smile small, but wicked.
My cock aches, and my thoughts are anywhere but this call.
God, she’s going to be the death of me.
I end the call, and she’s on my lap before I can even set my phone down, her lips crashing into mine.
I meet her kiss with a renewed sense of urgency as her hips grind against me, sending a jolt of heat through my body.
My hands find the hem of her shirt, sliding it up, her arms lift instinctively, helping me pull it over her head.
I pause for just a moment, my eyes roaming over her, taking in what’s been hidden underneath her clothes for the past month.
Damn. She’s hot.
My mouth is on hers again before I can even think, my hands finding her waist and pulling her even closer.
“You’re fucking sexy, Alley,” I murmur, my lips brushing hers as I speak.
She grins against my mouth, her hands sneaking under my shirt, her fingers drifting over my stomach. “So are you.”
I chuckle, my voice low. “You haven’t even seen me yet.”
“I don’t need to,” she says as her hands move higher. “I like you enough to know I’ll like what’s underneath.”
The way she says it—those innocent words—I don’t know if words have ever turned me on more.
Her hands scramble to pull my shirt off, and I let her. She leans back, her eyes wandering over me, taking her time. I’m in shape—I work out, run, play basketball—but I’m no gym rat. I don’t have a six-pack or rippling muscles, but I’m lean, tall, and have an athletic build.
A soft smile forms on her lips as her hands trail up and over my chest, her fingertips sending sparks of desire shooting through me.
Leaning in, she whispers in my ear, “I like what I see.” Her tongue flicks against the shell of my ear, and a shiver runs down my spine as my thumb brushes over her nipple through the thin fabric of her bra.
She presses kisses along my jaw, working her way back to my lips. Her tongue sweeps across them, and I open for her, letting her in. The taste of her lips, the warmth of her body, the way she’s grinding against my cock—it’s completely consuming, and I lose myself in her.
My phone rings again.
I groan, louder this time, frustration dripping from every sound as my hand grips my hair. “Fuck.”
I reach for my phone again, answering it with an effort to mask how pissed off and distracted I am.
Alley’s hands don’t make it any easier. Her fingers stroke my chest and abdomen, her eyes locking with mine, a fire burning in them that matches the tension coursing through my body.
My cock throbs against her, and I already know this call is going to be time-consuming.
Resigned, I gesture toward my laptop, and she slides off my lap.
I try to focus, nodding along to the call while she moves around the room. After five minutes, she slips her shirt back on, and I nearly groan again. She leans back against the couch, running a hand through her hair, fully clothed now, but somehow she looks no less tempting.
Another five minutes crawl by, and I glance at her, mouthing an apologetic, “I’m sorry.”
She shakes her head, mouthing back, “It’s fine,” before standing and making her way to the kitchen.
She starts rummaging through my cupboards, finally pulling out a glass and filling it with water.
An ache tugs at my chest as I watch her.
I like seeing her wander through my things, making herself at home.
The call drags on for another ten minutes, and by the time I end it, Alley’s purse is slung over her shoulder, and she’s lingering near the door, looking ready to leave.
I stride to the kitchen, meeting her halfway. My hands find her hips, her fingers brushing against my bare chest. I lower my head, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I’m sorry that took so long,” I murmur.
“Don’t worry about it. I’m sorry I interrupted your workday.” Her arms slide around my back, and she presses a soft kiss to my chest. “I just wanted a reason to see you.”
“I’m glad you interrupted my workday… Now, where were we?” I lean in, capturing her lips in a kiss. She kisses me back—until she pulls away.
“Jensen,” she says softly, her fingers tracing along my shoulders. “I’m going to go, let you get back to work. But thanks for letting me stop by. I had a lot of fun.”
“You don’t have to go. I don’t want you to go.”
“I know… but you’re working, and I have things I need to do. Besides, I don’t want our first time to be interrupted by phone calls.” Her gaze locks with mine. “When we have sex, I want you all to myself.”
Shit. Just hearing her say it—when we have sex—sends a spark straight to my dick. I don’t want her to leave, don’t want to stop what we’ve started, but knowing that she wants it, that she wants me, and that she wants it to be uninterrupted? It makes me so damn excited for when it happens.
“Okay,” I say with a grin. “I can handle that. I want that too.” I kiss her again, lingering just long enough to make her smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow night for Matt’s birthday party?”
Matt’s throwing a massive thirtieth birthday bash at his penthouse.
His parties are always epic, and tomorrow will be no exception.
I invited Alley because I’m more than ready to introduce her to my friends, and if I’m being honest, I’d rather focus on her than fend off the inevitable attention from half the women there.
Let’s face it, I’m not interested. Matt’s probably sacked half the guest list anyway.
She nods. “Of course. I’m planning on it. I’m excited to meet him and your friends.”
“Alright, great. Are you sure you don’t want me to pick you up?” I ask, even though I already know her answer.
She shakes her head. “That’s dumb. Why would you come all the way out to me just to head right back here? I’ll meet you here, and then we can go together.”
“Okay, if you’re sure.”
“I’m sure.”
I walk her to the door, stealing one last kiss before she goes, leaving me with my cock hard and only one solution to the problem.