Chapter 26
Alex
“Move your hand like this,” Alonzo whispers behind my ear. I almost melt at the warmth of his breath on the back of my neck. “Slowly, there’s no rush. That’s it. Keep the strokes nice and consistent.”
“Am I doing it right?” I ask, licking my bottom lip.
“Yes, you’re doing it perfectly,” he says, pressing his warm, hard body against my back. “Keep moving your hand like that. That’s it, you got it. Good girl. Now, pay attention to the tip. You don’t want it to get too dry.”
I swirl the tip gently, making sure not to spill anything.
When I bring my arm back up, he places his hand over mine, guiding it across the white canvas and helping me leave clean, confident strokes of paint.
We stand by the stream behind his cabin, painting a deer that is drinking water on the other side of the stream.
Alonzo releases my hand and lets me continue the painting by myself.
“Do you want another glass of wine?” he asks.
“Yes, please,” I say with my eyes still on the deer by the stream. I paint a few more strokes and set the paintbrush down to join Alonzo on the picnic blanket.
He hands me a glass of wine, and I take a sip, returning my eyes to the deer. Beyond it, the trees and wilderness give way to a gorgeous red evening sky. This is nice and definitely a change of pace for us.
As the days passed, I have visited Alonzo’s office more often, even outside his usual office hours. We spend a few minutes working on my art technique, which he insisted on when I told him I was embarrassed by my progress in class. Then we spend the rest of the time pleasuring each other.
Sometimes, he goes down on me. Other times, I go down on him. In the end, we always end up having sex. I swear, my naked body has touched every part of his desk, chairs, and even window sill.
I can’t lie. Knowing full well that we’re having sex while students and professors walk by his office is part of the fun. It’s exciting and a big turn on.
One day, when he had his head buried between my legs on top of his desk, I mustered the courage to ask him if any of his other female students were jealous he was spending so much time with me.
“What other students? You’re the only one who can satisfy my craving right now,” he had said in a low growl.
Now, but not forever? I wondered.
I often caught myself having these thoughts, but I always managed to push them aside and remind myself what the goal was. And what better way to remember than being tailed by Jacob’s enforcers?
It’s been two weeks since the reapers first showed up to intimidate me when I went to the movies with Isabella. They have been following me around town more often. Sometimes, they make it obvious they’re tailing me, but other times, they try to remain hidden. I notice them regardless. Their loud bikes are hard to miss, and they’re not the brightest men under Jacob’s employment.
But for some reason, they never follow me when I’m with Alonzo. I guess it’s too risky for Jacob. It could alert Alonzo that something is going on, so Jacob’s men always keep their distance when I’m with him. I like that.
Despite his true nature, I always feel safe with Alonzo, especially after the night he saved me from Liam. And it’s a big plus that he’s an excellent reaper repellant.
Lately, we have been spending more time at Alonzo’s place. Sex at his university office is fun and exciting, but sex at his cabin is a whole different experience. We get to be as loud as we want, which we usually are. It’s cathartic.
We have fucked all over his cabin that I’m starting to learn the place like the back of my hand. That’s why something felt immediately off when I visited him yesterday.
Something had changed, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. It wasn’t until we sat to eat one of his delicious meals that I realized Esmeralda’s paintings were gone. All her paintings had vanished from the walls, replaced by other paintings Alonzo had drawn—paintings of his cabin, the Texas wilderness, and animals that come to visit in the afternoons.
And here we are today, picnicking behind his cabin and painting together. It was his idea, which took me completely by surprise because we usually spend all our time making each other orgasm.
“Try this,” he says.
Before I can react, he feeds me a stuffed mushroom. My mouth waters at the explosion of flavors on my tongue. Alonzo looks at me expectantly.
“It’s delicious,” I say, chomping down the food.
A few days ago, I made a passing remark that I like stuffed mushrooms. That’s why he made some today. I usually buy them pre-made at the grocery store, but Alonzo decided he wanted to make them himself.
“Good,” Alonzo smiles.
He drinks his wine and looks at the deer. There’s something different about Alonzo. I have a strong feeling it has something to do with Esmeralda and the reason her paintings are gone, but I don’t feel comfortable enough asking him about it.
Something like that is probably very personal to him, and there is no reason to share it with somebody like me. I’m just his entertainment for the moment, a girl on his never ending list of flings. That realization hurts more than I care to admit, but it keeps me grounded in reality.
I need to find the money and get my mom and myself out of town. Screw Jacob. I’m putting my life on the line, so I’m keeping all the money for myself.
???
After we finish our picnic snacks and most of the painting, we spread a thick blanket next to the picnic spread and lie down for a bit to relax, but a few minutes later, our clothes disappear, like they always seem to do when we’re together.
“Fuck,” Alonzo growls, scaring away the nearby deer. I ride him fast, taking him in as deep as I can, tightening around as much of his cock as humanly possible.
As I ride him, he sits up and licks and sucks my hard nipples and embraces me with his muscular arms. He works his way up my chest, leaving fiery trails of kisses on my chest and neck.
There is something definitely different about him. Usually, he comes pretty quickly, which I’m always flattered by, but this time he is taking his time. I already came twice, but he is holding back. Or maybe he isn’t as interested anymore…Perhaps he has already found someone else and is growing bored with me.
No. It can’t be that. We have been spending a lot of time together these past couple of weeks that there’s no way he could have time to be with somebody else. And he still initiates sex almost as soon as we’re alone. He says it all the time. He’s addicted to me.
Addicted. That’s more in line with how he feels right now. His arms are wrapped tightly around my body, as if he’s afraid I’ll slip from his grip. But that’s not going to happen. I’m having way too much fun to run away.
I wrap my own arms around him and rock my hips back and forth in rhythm with his body movements. There is glorious friction between my legs, with his cock driving in and out of me in fast strokes and his lower stomach rubbing against my clit. My body is on fire. I want nothing more than for him to consume me whole.
I bite into his hard torso, pricking at his thick flesh that is mostly muscle. He grunts in pleasure, so I continue a trail up to his neck, which I also nibble at. His whole body shudders.
He holds me tighter, driving himself faster and faster into me. Heat rises between my legs—hotter still than it was before, and the pressure builds up again. I’m ready to explode for a third time, which I didn’t know was possible. Within seconds, we’re both climaxing and shuddering against each other’s bodies.
“Fuck,” he grunts, resting his forehead on mine. We’re still sitting up, with me on top of him, embracing in each other’s arms.
“What happened?” I ask him between heavy breaths. “Why did you take so long to come?”
He sighs. “Because I was enjoying myself. I didn’t want this to end. If it was up to me, I would stay here like this with you forever.”
Despite the rollercoaster of physical and emotional feelings I experienced in the past hour, I still feel a flutter low in my stomach.
I feel the same way about him.
???
We clean up and head inside just as the sky begins to darken. Still naked, we climb into bed and embrace each other. Alonzo can’t seem to keep his hands off me.
As much as I enjoy spending time with him, I know I’m just a blip in his existence. He is a player who knows how to sweet talk girls. I shouldn’t let it get to my head.
Still, just like he can’t keep his hands off me, I can’t keep mine off him. I rake my fingers into his dark, curly hair. His hair is thick and lush and smells of sweet sandalwood.
“That feels nice,” he says in a sleepy voice. We’re lying on our sides, facing each other. Alonzo’s eyes are closed, but he caresses my hip. His hand is warm on my soft skin, awakening a flutter in my stomach again.
Even with the lights off, I can see the muscles around his eyes and forehead relaxing.
“Midterms are coming up,” I say. “I won’t be able to stop by your office or here for a while.”
“You can study here,” he says without opening his eyes. His voice is soft, like he’s dozing off.
“I think you might be too much of a distraction,” I tease.
“You can use my study,” he says softly. “I promise not to distract you too much.”
“Your study?”
No response. His hand rests on my hip, no longer moving. Alonzo is fast asleep.
I slowly withdraw my fingers from his hair. This isn’t the first time I caress his hair until he falls asleep. He often tosses and turns in bed. Last week, I got the urge to play with his hair and before I knew it, he had fallen asleep. It’s now something I do regularly to help him fall asleep quicker.
It’s hard to believe that such a handsome man can be so dangerous. Alonzo looks so peaceful in his sleep, like he isn’t carrying the weight of a terrible memory on his shoulders. Something horrible must have happened to Esmeralda, but I don’t dare ask him about it.
Is this why you sleep around with so many college girls? I wonder. Are you trying to distract yourself from that terrible memory, even if it’s for a brief moment?
Gently, I lift his arm from my hip and slide out under it, placing his hand on the bed next to me. I lie on my back and stare at the ceiling, thinking about what to do next. After long, passionate nights of sex and after Alonzo has gone to sleep, I usually climb out of bed and roam the cabin in search of a hidden room or location where he stashes his money.
So far, I haven’t found anything that seems out of the ordinary. The only room I haven’t searched yet is his private study. That room is always locked. Maybe that’s where he keeps the money.
That’s why I’m surprised Alonzo suggested I use the room to study for midterms. Somehow, I managed to convince this dangerous man to trust me. Even though I have never seen him do anything I would consider dangerous, I know exactly who he is.
There is a beast hidden inside him that he has learned to tame. But the beast is all too alive and waiting for orders to destroy anything in its path.
I have to be careful with my next move.
Still, looking at the ceiling, I can’t help but wonder how Alonzo is going to react when he realizes his money is gone. He’ll probably be pissed. I’ll have to play it cool after I take his money. I can’t afford to look suspicious.
As quietly as possible, I slide out of bed to search for the money. There are a few rooms I have yet to search. If the money isn’t in those rooms, I’ll know for sure it’s in his study.