Chapter 38
CHAPTER
THIRTY-EIGHT
EMMA
Alex opened the door, looking truly startled to see me standing there.
“Emma? What’s wrong?” Concern was etched into his beautiful face.
“I’m not sleeping alone tonight. No way.” I shook my head and stalked past him into his room.
He stayed where he was, holding the door open as he turned to look at me with both surprise and unease. “Has something happened?”
I stopped and stood at the foot of his huge king-size bed, not sure where to start.
“Someone has been in my room.”
He frowned, closed the door, and came to stand in front of me. “The staff would’ve been in there to clean. But no one else has access. You don’t need to worry.”
But I was worried. Worried, confused, and very pissed off.
“Cleaning is one thing. But the rose you left me, that was decimated. Why would anyone do that?”
The way his frown lingered showed he didn’t get where I was coming from or understand the magnitude of what I was implying.
“Maybe it fell on the floor and got caught up in the vacuum cleaner, I don’t know, but I’m sure there’s a logical explanation.” He took a step closer. “Emma, you’re blowing this all out of proportion.”
I stepped back.
“No. I’m not. Something happened in my room and I’m not exaggerating or making it up...”
“I didn’t say you made it up...”
“And yet, you’re still not listening to me.”
He hung his head. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I’ll ask the staff tomorrow about it and let them know they need to report any future issues directly to me. I don’t want you to feel any sort of way...”
“But I do feel a sort of way,” I snapped, unable to hold my frustration in any longer. And with a disgruntled sigh, I asked, “What’s happening here?”
He looked taken aback.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, what’s happening here, between us.” I gestured between the two of us, moving on from destroyed roses to the state of my heart.
And then I couldn’t help it, everything I’d been keeping inside came tumbling out.
“You’ve pursued me, stalked me even, tracking me down in the street, coaxing me into your car and doing everything you could to pull me into your life, and now...
I get forehead kisses and pecks on the cheek.
Sweet gestures, which are beautiful, but Alex, what the fuck is going on?
Why are you treating me like this? You’re handling me with kid gloves as if I’ll break at any moment.
But I won’t. I’m not fucking fragile, and I can handle myself. ”
“I know that,” he said, pleading as he looked at me in shock. “I’ve always told you how strong you are. I know you can handle yourself.” He spoke with quiet urgency, willing me to listen and believe him.
“Okay, maybe not fragile, but the way you’ve been with me has changed.
What happened to the Alex who won’t take no for answer?
The one who told me he’d never let me walk away again?
” I shook my head, staring at the ground.
“You haven’t had any trouble walking away from me the last few nights, though, have you?
” I looked up now to see the anguish in his eyes.
“You’ve walked away from me more than once. ”
“Physically, maybe,” he uttered, his tone breaking slightly with emotion.
“But mentally, you’ve never left here.” He tapped the side of his head.
“And I don’t think you’re fragile, vulnerable, or any of the things you might think, but what I do see is something real here.
And I didn’t want to fuck it up. Maybe I’ve been more in my head about it than I should’ve been.
Perhaps I’ve let outside factors cloud my judgment, but it’s not because I don’t want you. ”
“If you think there’s something real here, then be real.
Be yourself. Not the watered-down version you think I can handle, but the one I met that night at the gallery.
The one who stood in the rain in a side street and told me he was seconds away from throwing me over his shoulder and carrying me away like a caveman. I don’t want to play games, Alex.”
“I’m not playing games.”
I sighed.
“I don’t need to have my hand held to get me to wherever you think I need to be before you start showing me who you really are.”
“You want me to show you who I really am?” he asked, and I could see his eyes darken as he moved closer. That darkness became predatory and it made the exasperation I’d been feeling morph into anticipation.
“I want honesty,” I stated, standing my ground. “And I want authenticity. And despite everything in my life being a shit show right now... I want you. I know you’re not being yourself and I don’t want that anymore.”
“But are you sure you’re ready...”
“Stop overthinking it, Alex,” I snapped.
“I was trying to go slower tonight because I thought...”
“You think too much,” I interrupted. “At least, you do when it comes to this. And I love how thoughtful you are and how considerate, taking the time to arrange special things for me, but I’m here to tell you, you can let go. You can be yourself.”
“Let me get this straight...” He moved closer still, his body mere inches from mine as I watched him breathing deeply in anticipation for what might happen next. “You’re giving me the green light to take this further?”
“Yes,” I answered as I took a slow breath.
“And you want me,” he stated, with the hint of a proud smirk that he tried to hide.
“Yes.”
He leaned forward, cupped my cheek with his hand, then brushed his thumb across my bottom lip as he sighed deeply. Then he moved his hand to my shoulder and stroked his fingers delicately over my skin, touching the strap of my dress as he whispered in my ear, “Then take. This. Off... Now.”
The commanding way he spoke made me shiver, and I didn’t react right away. I was slightly stunned and a whole lot turned on by the shift in gears, and it took me a moment to catch up to speed.
“What are you waiting for?” he repeated, his voice calm and authoritative, as I peered up at him. “I said, take it off.”
I reached around to the zip at the back of my dress and pulled it down, letting the straps fall from my shoulders as I shimmied out of it.
Slowly, it drifted to the floor, leaving me standing in my underwear, exposed, and yet, so free I felt exhilarated.
This was a new side of me, and I couldn’t lie, I kind of liked it.
He gazed appreciatively at my body, and then reached forward, taking one of my breasts in his hand.
My chest pounded, breaths coming shorter and sharper now as I leaned into him, revelling in the feel of his huge, warm hand as he squeezed and massaged me.
The beat of my heart began to match the gentle beat between my thighs as my core grew slick and needy.
And I closed my eyes to savour the feel of him all around me, consuming my very soul.
“You’re so fucking beautiful, Emma. Now get the rest of this off and lie in the middle of the bed. I want to see you. All of you.”
His voice was gruff, low and sexy as he commanded me to do what he wanted.
My eyes drifted open, my body spiralling in a haze of lust as I watched his hand drop to his side and he took a step back.
“Come on, Emma. Don’t keep me waiting,” he urged, and the feral look, the hunger in his eyes spurred me on.
I wanted to please him. I wanted to do anything to keep this going.
To throw the old Emma out of the window and embrace this new-found confidence.
This Emma was ready to throw caution to the wind.
Her life had been a disaster lately, but now, she was ready to set a different kind of blaze alight.
A fire that was currently burning inside me, growing and spreading rapidly, promising the sweetest explosion at the end.
Hopefully more than one, if I was lucky.
I unhooked my bra and let it fall to the floor, exposing myself to him, and I swear he gave a low growl before telling me, “I always knew you’d be perfect. You’re fucking stunning.”
Hearing those words made me feel so special. Out of everyone, he wanted me. That realisation made me bolder, tempting me to tease him more. I slid my fingers under the fabric of my panties, but I didn’t take them off yet.
“Are you gonna...” I was going to ask if he would take his clothes off too, but he tutted and shook his head.
“Did I say you could speak? No. Not yet. Clothes off. Get on the bed. Then you can make all the noises you want. But until then...”
Fuck.
He was taking what he wanted and I loved it. The dominant side to him was coming out to play and I couldn’t wait for more.
With my eyes pinned to his, holding his stare, I did as I was told, pulling my panties down my legs.
Briefly, he broke eye contact to watch my movements, scanning my body and focusing on my bare pussy with fire burning in his eyes.
I stood in front of him for a second, completely naked, feeling so fucking powerful as he took deep breaths and smiled to himself.
He was picturing all the things he wanted to do to me; I knew that. I was doing the same.
My body thrummed with need as I climbed onto his bed and crawled seductively to the middle, my bare ass swaying, giving him a show. Then I turned around and lay down just like he’d asked.
“Good girl,” he praised, standing at the bottom of the bed, prolonging our pleasure by making me wait for him. “Now open your legs and show me that pretty pussy. I want to see how wet you are.”
I opened my legs, and his breath caught in his throat.
“Wider,” he commanded, and I obliged. “Stunning. So fucking stunning... and soaked too. I knew you would be.” He tilted his head; eyes fixed between my legs. “A hot, dripping wet pussy made just for me. Now show me how you make yourself come.”