Chapter 19 Oscar
OSCAR
Ican't stop kissing her. Twelve years of wanting, of wondering what could have been, and now Alice is in my arms, her body pressed against mine as we stumble through the hotel corridor.
Her lips are soft but insistent, her hands gripping my shoulders like she's afraid I might disappear if she lets go.
"Room key," she whispers against my mouth, and I fumble in my pocket, reluctant to break contact even for a second.
The card slips into the slot, and as the light turns green, I push the door open, guiding Alice inside without breaking our kiss. The door clicks shut behind us, and suddenly we're alone — truly alone — for the first time in twelve years.
I pull back just enough to look at her, needing to make sure this is real. Her lips are swollen from our kisses, her brown eyes dark with desire as they meet mine. The dim light from the bedside lamp casts a golden glow across her skin.
"Alice," I breathe, her name like a prayer on my lips.
She reaches up to touch my face, her fingers tracing the line of my jaw. "All these years," she whispers, "I've been so angry at you. I never let myself admit how much I missed you."
I turn my head to kiss her palm. "I never stopped thinking about you. Even when I tried to convince myself I had."
Her hand moves to the back of my neck, pulling me down for another kiss. This one is different — slower, deeper, more deliberate. I wrap my arms around her waist, drawing her closer, feeling the heat of her body through the fabric of her dress.
"I want you," she says against my lips, and those three words ignite something primal inside me.
I walk her backward toward the bed, our mouths still connected, tongues exploring, tasting. When her legs hit the mattress, she breaks the kiss to look up at me, her expression a mixture of desire and vulnerability that makes my heart ache.
"Are you sure?" I ask, needing to hear it.
In response, she reaches for the zipper at the back of her dress and slowly pulls it down. The fabric falls away from her shoulders, revealing smooth skin and black lace. My breath catches as she lets the dress slip completely, pooling at her feet.
She stands before me in nothing but a matching black lace bra and panties, and I drink in the sight of her — the curve of her hips, the swell of her breasts, the flat plane of her stomach. She's even more beautiful than I remembered, even better than I imagined during countless lonely nights.
"Your turn," she says, her voice husky.
My fingers tremble slightly as I loosen my tie and begin unbuttoning my shirt. Alice steps forward to help, her fingers brushing against mine, then against my skin as she pushes the shirt off my shoulders. Her touch leaves a trail of fire in its wake.
When her hands move to my belt, I have to stifle a groan. She looks up at me through her lashes as she unbuckles it, then slowly unzips my pants. I step out of them, now in just my boxer briefs, my arousal impossible to hide.
I see her eyes widen slightly, and a small smile plays at the corners of her mouth. "Some things have definitely changed since college," she murmurs.
I laugh softly, then pull her against me, savoring the feel of her skin against mine. "Some things haven't," I whisper, kissing the sensitive spot just below her ear that I still remember. "Like how much I want you."
She shivers in my arms, and I guide her onto the bed, laying her back against the pillows. I hover over her, taking a moment to simply look at her — this woman who has haunted my dreams for over a decade.
"You're so beautiful," I tell her, and she reaches up to pull me down for another kiss.
My hand slides along her side, over the curve of her hip, up to cup her breast through the lace of her bra. She arches into my touch, a soft moan escaping her lips. I trail kisses down her neck, across her collarbone, to the swell of her breasts above the lace.
Reaching behind her, I unhook her bra, drawing it down her arms and tossing it aside. Her breasts are perfect — full and firm, with rosy nipples that harden under my gaze. I lower my head to take one into my mouth, circling it with my tongue before gently grazing it with my teeth.
Alice gasps, her fingers threading through my hair to hold me closer. "Oscar," she breathes, and my name has never sounded so good.
I lavish attention on both breasts, alternating between them as my hand slides lower, tracing patterns on her stomach before reaching the edge of her panties.
I look up at her, seeking permission, and she nods, lifting her hips to help as I hook my fingers into the waistband and slide them down her legs.
Now she's completely naked beneath me, and I take a moment to appreciate every inch of her. My fingers trace the curve of her calf, the inside of her knee, up her thigh. She parts her legs for me, an invitation I've dreamed of for years.
I slide down the bed, positioning myself between her thighs. She watches me, her chest rising and falling with quick breaths, her lips parted in anticipation. I maintain eye contact as I lower my head, pressing a kiss to the inside of her thigh.
"Please," she whispers, and I can't deny her anything.
My tongue finds her center, and she cries out, her hips bucking against my mouth.
She tastes divine — sweet and musky and distinctly Alice.
I explore her with my tongue, finding the spots that make her gasp and moan.
When I focus on her clit, circling it with firm pressure, her hands grip the sheets.
I slide one finger inside her, then two, feeling her wet heat clench around me. Her breathing becomes more ragged as I set a rhythm, my fingers curling to find that spot inside her while my tongue continues its relentless attention.
"Oscar," she gasps, "I'm close—"
I increase the pressure and speed, wanting to watch her come undone. Her thighs begin to tremble around my head, and then she's crying out, her back arching off the bed as pleasure overtakes her. I work her through it, gentling my touch as the waves subside.
When I look up, her face is flushed, her hair a wild tangle across the pillow. She looks utterly wrecked and completely gorgeous.
"Come here," she says, reaching for me.
I move up her body, claiming her mouth in a passionate kiss. She moans against my lips, tasting herself on my tongue. Her hands push at my boxer briefs, and I help her remove them, kicking them off the bed.
Now we're both naked, skin to skin, and the feeling is overwhelming. My erection presses against her thigh, hard and aching. She wraps her hand around me, stroking firmly, and I groan into her neck.
"I want you inside me," she whispers, and it takes all my control not to come right then.
"Protection," I manage to say, reaching for my wallet on the nightstand. I extract a condom, tearing the package with my teeth.
Alice takes it from me, a mischievous smile on her lips as she rolls it onto my length torturously slowly. I close my eyes, trying to maintain control.
When I open them again, she's watching me with such raw emotion that it steals my breath. I position myself between her legs, the tip of my cock teasing her entrance.
"I've wanted this for so long," I confess, my voice rough with desire.
She cups my face in her hands. "Me too. Every argument, every heated moment between us… this is what I was really feeling."
I press forward slowly, entering her inch by inch. She's tight and hot around me, and the sensation is almost too much. When I'm fully inside of her, we both pause, adjusting to the overwhelming feeling of finally being connected this way.
"Okay?" I ask, searching her face.
She nods, wrapping her legs around my waist to pull me deeper. "More than okay."
I begin to move, setting a slow, deliberate pace. I want to savor this, to remember every second of being inside her. Alice meets each thrust, her hips rising to meet mine, her nails digging into my back.
"Faster," she urges, and I comply, increasing my tempo.
Our bodies move together in perfect synchrony, as if we've been doing this for years instead of for the first time. I watch her face as pleasure builds, memorizing every expression, every gasp and moan.
When I feel myself getting close, I slip a hand between us, finding her clit with my thumb. She cries out, her inner muscles clenching around me.
"Come with me," I whisper, and it's as if my words are the permission she needs.
Alice shatters beneath me, her body convulsing in pleasure, my name a cry on her lips. The sight of her coming undone pushes me over the edge, and I follow her into bliss, burying myself deep inside her as my release hits me in powerful waves.
For several moments, we stay like this, connected, breathing hard, my forehead pressed against hers.
Eventually, I roll to the side, bringing her with me so she's cradled against my chest. I discard the condom in the wastebasket beside the bed, then pull her close again, unwilling to be separated from her for even a moment.
Alice traces patterns on my chest, her touch gentle. "That was…"
"Worth the twelve-year wait?" I suggest, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
She laughs softly. "I was going to say 'incredible', but yes, that too."
We lie in comfortable silence for a while, our legs tangled together, her head on my shoulder. I run my fingers through her hair, still not quite believing that she's here in my arms.
I kiss her again, slowly, savoring the taste of her lips. When we part, I can see the tiredness in her eyes, despite the happiness there.
"Sleep," I tell her, pulling the covers over us.
Alice snuggles closer, her body fitting perfectly against mine. "Promise you'll be here when I wake up?"
The question breaks my heart a little, knowing it stems from the fact that I left her years ago. I hold her tighter, making a silent vow never to let her go again.
"I promise," I whisper against her hair. "I'm not going anywhere."
As her breathing evens out and she drifts off to sleep in my arms, I find myself more awake than ever, watching her, memorizing this moment.
Tomorrow will bring its own challenges. There will be complicated conversations about work, about our future, about how to blend our lives having been separated for so long.
But for now, with Alice warm and safe in my arms, I know with absolute certainty that whatever comes next, it will be perfect.