Chapter 27 #3
A buzzing energy floated around them. A mixture of happiness, anticipation, and a large dose of want.
Alex felt electrified. He glanced at Elena, and she smiled; she felt it too.
As they drew closer to the apartment, her pace quickened, and all Alex could do was follow while laughing.
It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the apartment's dimness.
Elena placed her palms on Alex's chest. Her warm breath gave him goosebumps.
Alex pulled her in for a kiss. Their kisses became hungry and messy, their teeth clashing.
Elena jumped into his arms and encircled his waist with her legs.
The moment Alex placed his hands on her ass, she moaned before kissing him harder.
All he wanted to do was rip off her pretty clothes.
Without ever breaking the kiss, Alex took her to the bedroom and laid her on his bed.
Elena sat back to watch him. Her big eyes looked at him with desire.
The moonlight filtering through the window caressed her skin, making her look like porcelain.
Alex felt the muscles in his abdomen tighten.
Damn. He wanted her so badly, and she was lying there, right under his fingertips.
The only thing he had to do was reach out.
Elena wasted no time and drew him into another kiss.
Everywhere her fingers touched him, his skin burned in the most delicious, exquisite way possible.
Elena positioned herself above him. Alex froze, unsure of what he was supposed to do.
He'd never let a girl dominate him physically.
He'd always been unable to let anyone else have control during sex.
When Elena kissed him again, all resistance disappeared.
If she were an ocean, he was a sailor who willingly let himself be swallowed by the waves.
Her slender fingers undid the buttons of his shirt, one by one.
The sound of a key unlocking a door snapped them out of their trance. Elena's eyes widened as she froze. Her chest heaved hard; her eyes still misty. Alex motioned for her to move. Nina and Sophie walking in on them was something he'd rather avoid.
“Go! Before they see us.”
This brought her back to her body. Elena climbed onto the ladder without making a sound.
Alex sighed. He already missed her, and she was barely a meter away from him.
If Sophie and Nina hadn't come home so soon, how far would they have gone?
Now that he'd had a taste, he wanted to know what it felt like to go all the way with her.
With Elena, everything was so different.
Everything was special. It wasn't just sex.
Alex wanted to be with her, body and soul.
He wanted to cherish her, love her, and have her by his side.
His feelings still scared him, but she was worth it.
No one else had ever been able to make him feel so alive.
Nina and Sophie tiptoed their way into the bedroom, and Alex hurried to the bathroom, needing a cold shower. He had to stop thinking about how perfectly her body fit with his
Back in the room, he waited for sleep to take him.
It was a lost cause. When he heard a soft snore, Elena climbed out of bed and crawled under Alex's comforter.
He moved aside to make room for her, and she pressed herself against him.
Her fingers traced invisible patterns on his arms, and Alex relaxed.
In the arms of this siren, peaceful sleep took him under.
***
From the terrace, Alex watched the sea caress the sand. The door opened, and Nina plopped down beside him, gazing out at the horizon.
“Hey.”
They enjoyed the peace and quiet. It had been a long time since Alex and Nina had been alone together.
“I see guys made up. I'd be surprised if you hadn't.”
Not only had they made up, they'd become even closer.
“I'm glad you found her. You seem happier with her by your side.”
“I thought you said she was leading me on?”
His harsh tone surprised him, not Nina. She'd known Alex all her life and was not impressed.
A few weeks earlier, when Elena had asked him in a panic if he felt she was leading him on, he’d been mad. Even now, he still couldn't understand why she'd said such a thing. She was Elena's friend, after all.
Nina was playing with a lock of hair.
“I know. For a while, I thought she didn't know what she wanted and was giving you false hope. It didn’t seem fair to you. I understand now why she's taking so long.”
Elena had talked about her life with them? Pride swelled in his chest at the progress she made.
“She told you?”
“Among other things, yes. She's good for you. I feel like my childhood friend is finally back. You changed after your trauma. But you seem to feel joy again, and I know Elena has a lot to do with that.”
Speaking of the devil, Elena appeared on the terrace.
Not wide awake yet, she rubbed her eyes.
She was still wearing her dress from the day before, and her make-up had run, making her look like a panda.
It was strangely cute. Alex moved aside to make room for her on the bench. Elena sat on his lap instead.
“The bench isn't good enough for milady?”
She rubbed her head against his chest like a kitten would.
“Oh, shush. You had your tongue in my mouth a few hours ago. Stop whining.”
***
On the way home, Alex let his hand rest on Elena's thigh. Such a simple gesture, yet so meaningful. It didn't go unnoticed by the two gossips in the back seat.
“You're closer than usual,” Sophie observed, looking very calm, too calm. “Has something happened we should know about?”
Of course, she’d figured it out. Sophie knew a person in no time. Elena glanced at Alex, smiling conspiratorially. A lot had happened in the last two days.
“Lots of things.”
“You did it?” exclaimed Nina. “In Sophie's grandparents' apartment? I can’t believe it!”
Elena and Alex rolled their eyes.
“No, not that!”
They could have if the two girls hadn't come home so early.
Alex sighed. Their relationship had moved so fast, and he wondered what that meant for them.
Although Elena wasn't saying anything, she wasn't holding back as much as she used to.
It gave him hope. If she'd been ready to take that step with him yesterday, maybe she was finally ready to be with him for good?
As if she could hear his thoughts, she winked at him.
They were going to have to discuss all this, but that was a question for later, when they were alone.
“Nina, not everyone is as impatient as you are,” Sophie scolded her.
Nina let herself fall back against the seat with a theatrical air. It was no coincidence that she and Elena had found each other.
“Why should I wait when I know it's going to be a good time? I don't like wasting time thinking ahead. I want a boyfriend, too!” Nina exclaimed, pouting.
Sophie gave her a sidelong glance. In the trio, she was the mom, while Nina was the hyper kid and Elena the unpredictable teenager.
“You'll get bored with him after a few weeks.”
“I know.”
“What do you mean, you'll get bored?” Elena asked, turning back to her friends.
“Princess Nina hopes to find Prince Charming by kissing frogs,” Sophie explained, analysing her orange nail polish.
“But all frogs turn into toads,” the princess muttered.
“What if you kissed a toad instead?” Lena asked. “Maybe he'd turn into a prince.”
The girls looked at each other before bursting into laughter.
“Now there's an idea.”
***
Alex was stressing out. Ever since they'd gotten out of the car, Elena had been acting as if nothing had happened. She looked so calm, while he felt so agitated. There was an elephant in the room, but Alex wondered if he was the only one to see it. After a moment, he snapped. He had to know.
“We need to talk.”
“About?”
She didn't look up from the pile of clothes she was taking out of her suitcase. How could she act so normal? They'd been closer than ever these days. Were they going to keep up with the momentum, or were they going to go back to the way they'd been before the trip?
“What are we?”
“We're Elena and Alex. What else is there?”
“I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
“Look, what I'm trying to say is—”
Elena cut him off. “I know what you're trying to say. But I don't know what you want me to tell you.”
She abandoned the idea of unpacking and sat down on her sofa, finally giving him her full attention. Her face exuded serenity. So why was he so anxious?
“Are we dating?”
“Officially? Not yet. Unofficially, most certainly.”
“That doesn't answer my question.”
“Let's say we make things official once my life is less of a mess, but already try to make things work? Can you live with that?”
“You're making it hard on yourself. I'm already crazy about you, no matter what you do.”
“Can you live with that?” Elena repeated, pleading with her eyes.
Alex wanted more. Of course, he wanted more.
The last few days had been incredible. Alex hadn't been this happy since his life before.
.. And being happy was addictive. As long as nothing was official, he'd always have this feeling that Elena was going to slip through his fingers. But Alex didn’t have much of a choice, not if he wanted to be with her.
And there was nothing he wanted more than her, even if it meant waiting a little longer.
Alex was completely at her mercy, and he never wanted Elena to let him go. The torture was too sweet.
“If I accept, can I kiss you without permission?”
Elena positioned herself between his legs, her palms on his cheeks. She brought her mouth close to his without touching it. Her breath caressed his face.
“You never needed permission.”
Elena closed the distance. The more they kissed, the more intoxicated he became with her. As she sat on his lap, Alex let his fingers slide down her thighs without breaking the kiss.
“Elena, can you... Oh, you're busy.”
Alex froze at the sound of his future mother-in-law's voice. Elena placed a kiss on his nose.
“Hi, Mom.”
Elena faced her mother, laughing, while Alex disintegrated on the spot.
His head and neck heated with embarrassment.
Holding on for dear life and what little dignity he had left, he pulled his hands away from Elena.
Maura gave him an icy look. Usually, he didn't care what others thought. This time, it was different.
“Hi, Maura.”
“Alex. Shouldn't you be getting home? I'm sure your mom wants to see you.”
“I won't be long.”
Elena let her arms rest around his neck. She smiled at her mother, showing no sign of embarrassment or regret. The two women stared at each other, and Alex felt a pang of pride rise in him. Elena was standing up to someone without looking down.
“Mom, stop tormenting him.”
Maura gave them a tight smile. The mother-daughter relationship hadn’t improved.
“Stay as long as you like.”
Once Maura had left, Alex got up.
“You're leaving? I had plans for us.”
This was the second time they'd been interrupted. Alex wasn't one to believe in signs, but it was clear that the timing wasn’t right yet.
“I think we should wait a little longer.”
Elena was about to retaliate, then thought better of it. She frowned. How could she be so adorable? Or how could he be so in awe when all she did was breathe?
“Didn't you say you wanted to be with me?”
“Being with you is more than sex, darling. I can wait.”
Elena dropped a kiss on his cheek before returning to her suitcase.
“Good answer, though you're still staying with me tonight. That's not negotiable.”
“The lady is demanding.”
She winked at him teasingly. “You better get used to it if you want to be with her.”
Since Elena had come into his life, those dark days he'd grown accustomed to had become brighter. Was this fate? If so, fate was a woman, and her name was Maura.