Chapter 31 #2
“Ma’am, to the airport please,” he rumbles in his deep voice, quickly snapping his seatbelt.
I stay still in my seat, blinking and contemplating how on earth he manages to take over all the space in the backseat, especially when he moves to stretch a leg, and then leans to the side to grab his phone from his back pocket.
Our driver pulls off, and I watch, amused, as he turns on the flashlight.
"Wh—What are you doing?" I ask, furrowing my brow with a curious grin.
To my surprise, he reaches over and picks my right hand up in a gentle hold before shining the light on my fingers. "Squoval is quite the sexy shape," he mutters, taking me completely aback. So much so my vocal chords freeze. The traitors.
As if he can tell, he flicks me a rather wicked grin and smooths his thumb over my fingers, making my skin tingle.
"Thanks," I say, blinking rapidly and feeling heat creep up my neck.
"Oh, I got you something." Alexander lets my fingers go and reaches to the seat between us. "Here you go, sweetness," he says, handing me a travel coffee.
I'm still not sure how to feel about this nickname I've acquired. But I can admit, it sets me on fire in places that are truly making me suffer because I can't ask him to quench them.
"Oh." The heat creeps from my neck to my cheeks as I take it from him and wrap my hands around the warmth.
"Thank you so much…I should have brought you something…
" I shake my head, feeling stupid. "I wasn't thinking.
It's early, and I'm not an early bird I'm afraid.
" I huff a sigh and throw him an apologetic look.
"You're getting the room and everything—"
"You like to sleep in, hm?" he interrupts quickly and gives me a chuckle, dropping his gaze to my lips before he turns his face back to the front. "Leyla, when are we supposed to arrive at the airport?"
“We’re set to be there in twenty minutes, Dr. Richardson,” she replies, turning onto the highway.
We fall quiet, but I can feel his gaze on me. I try to ignore it, a little intimidated by him still. However, Alexander continues to stare at me until I relent and turn to face him.
“Did you get your toes the same color?”
“No, my toes are blue," I giggle. "Party on the bottom, professional on the top.” Leaning back into the leather seat, I cross my legs, happy that it doesn't pull as bad on my back anymore.
He gives me another slow, assessing look. “Why are your cheeks so red… are you okay?” he enquires with an arched brow.
I quickly avert my face from his piercing gaze, embarrassed at having been caught in the after effects of pleasuring myself.
“No reason. I guess I’m just excited is all,” I answer softly, hiding a smile.
His eyes bore into the side of my face for a long second, and I fight breaking out into a full on sweat because I feel like he knows what I did.
“Hmm,” he hums, finally looking away and setting me free of all his intensity.
He swipes his phone unlocked, pulls up his itinerary, and begins to scroll through it. I pull out my own phone when it dings with an incoming message from Vanessa, who I nicknamed Nessie.
Nessie [3:06a]: Hey lady, I emailed you a demo to listen to. I know it’s early, but I figured that you guys are heading to the airport right about now, right? Unless you slept in and missed your flight. In that case, that SUCKS.
“So have you been working on any songs on your cello?” I ask him kindly, not wanting to be rude while I'm tapping back a reply. Alexander side eyes me curiously, but I keep my attention on my phone. "Like, do you know a lot of songs?"
“Yes. I can play a lot of pieces, actually. Any you want to hear or you’d recommend?” he replies.
Sarah [3:09a]: No, we didn’t sleep in. We’re in the uber headed to the airport now. I’ll give it a listen while we’re waiting to take off. This the one for B, right? I’m so excited for you! You’re so lucky!
Sarah [3:10a] Why are you up so early anyways?
“Well, that really depends solely on if you can do Braveheart justice?” I tease, throwing him a wry grin and giving a little laugh before looking back at my phone that dings with Vanessa’s reply.
Nessie [3:11a]: Soooo what do you mean “we” didn’t sleep in?
You and Alex spent the night together? Also, got a baby remember?
He takes his feeding this time of night normally.
Yes, it’s for B. I hope you like it. Also, are you and Alex for sure coming to the pool party next weekend? We need to expand our friendship group.
Alexander grunts softly. “You don’t have to insult me,” he says quietly, giving me a scowl before looking back at his phone.
"Shouldn't be an insult. Your fingers look insanely talented when you play." I look over to see him now flipping through pictures of the resort. His eyes suddenly snap to mine. My heart skips a beat, and I swear all the air leaves the car as we stare each other down.
“Very talented. In more ways than one," he replies lowly.
My eyes widen in shock, and what air that is left in the car thickens between us, causing my lips to part as I attempt with everything in me to breathe normally.
By some act of divine intervention, I manage to turn my face away and fight back an embarrassed smile when I see our driver eyeing me with a little grin of her own in the rearview mirror.
Flushing, I peek over shyly at Alexander. He wets his lips, his eyes darting down to mine before turning his attention smoothly to his phone.
He clears his throat, sounding a bit hoarse as he says, “So, I looked up that hostel you were telling me that you had originally booked, and I’m so happy I made you leave that place.
Did you see the reviews?" He taps rather hard on his screen. "It’s barely two stars and looks like a place someone takes you to kill you,” Alexander mutters, pausing on a picture of the resort's pool next to the Pacific Ocean.
“Look, beggars can’t be choosers, and we can’t all have deep pockets, you know? It would have been fine. You just didn’t want to see me in a run-down hotel with your snobby self,” I tease, shamelessly flirting while typing out a quick reply to Vanessa.
“You’re damn right about that." Alexander glances over at me for a second before looking back down. "And it wasn’t even a motel; it was a hostel. You were about to share a room with a stranger. A potential ax murderer.” He pulls up another picture of a dining room and narrows his eyes, giving it an interestingly close inspection.
He's quiet for a second when a picture of chocolate cake pops up on the screen, and I swear that I see his fingers shake ever so slightly.
Grinning, I tilt my head, thinking this guy's really got a thing for food. It's kind of cute because you'd never tell it by looking at him. “Aren’t you kind of a stranger, though?” I say, purposefully digging at him.
Grinning down at my phone, I ignore him. The sound of my nails tapping lightly on the screen fills the silence while I go back and forth with Vanessa. In my peripheral I see him look at me sharply. He recoils his head slightly in obvious offense.
“See?" I whisper quietly, still concentrating on my phone. "Cancer baby.”
The energy that emits from him shifts slightly, making me burn up even more somehow with a mixture of nervousness and arousal. I'm ashamed to say that it pleases me that I'm able to get under his skin just a little.
“No, no Cancer nothing. I am not a stranger, Sarah.
" The way he says my name makes a shiver roll through my body, but I keep my eyes studiously on my phone in an attempt to appear at ease. "We’ve known each other since you were in grad school, technically,” he continues.
His deep voice sounds out harshly across the small space between us, and I can tell I've touched a pretty sensitive nerve.
I turn my face and give him my best smile. That burn deepens when his eyes lower to my mouth before sliding back up to my eyes. I try to keep my gaze from wavering at the intensity because, man, I wonder if he truly knows just how deep his pierces when it's trained on you.
“Nooo, I’ve known your colleague David since I was in grad school," I correct, twisting my lips at the way his brow lowers.
"You know, the psychiatrist who actually bothered to give me the time of day? You I just met. For real.” Not able to help myself, I smile softly, wondering just how deep I can dig.
I don't know how it's possible, but his eyes turn even more stormy.
He narrows them at me before clearing his throat and looking back down at his phone. “Hm. Alright, well, we’ll be seeing about that. Won't we?” he mutters, still shifting through pictures on his phone.
Sarah [3:19p]: No, Vanessa, we didn’t sleep together. He picked me up from my place in an uber. I’ll text you back when I listen to the demo. Can Alex listen to it?
Nessie [3:20a]: Yes. So, are you two sharing a room at the resort?
Nessie [3:20a]: Is it a king bed?
Sarah [3:21a]: Why do I have a feeling you’re trying to get me laid so bad? LOL!
Nessie [3:21a]: Becaauusssseee. It seems like you two have mad chemistry, and I want to know when it finally happens!
Sarah [3:22a]: Vanessa, I’m trying not to. Like so hard. Please don’t tempt me!
I shove my phone back into my purse on a deep exhale and lean my head back on the headrest. I stare out the window, watching the lights whiz by as I lose myself in my thoughts.
I know Alexander and I have chemistry; I just don’t know if I have the energy to trust again.
I don’t know if I want to trust again. It just seems like too much of a risk.
My last relationship cost me everything.
When we exit the ramp, and the runway lights of the airport shine brightly in the distance, I yawn widely. Alexander chuckles as if amused.
I turn to face him. “Hey, you want to listen to Vanessa’s new demo? It’s the one for B. She just sent it,” I say, plugging in my earphones. I don’t want the driver to hear it in case of some sort of confidentiality rules.
“Oh, man. Why’s she up so early?” Alexander queries, accepting the ear bud and leaning in closer so it’ll reach.
His warm, clean scent hits me even harder along with the minty scent of his toothpaste, and I feel myself slicken between my legs.
It surprises me because it's been so long since I've felt desire like this.
“Baby feeding,” I whisper back, hitting play right as we pull into the terminal. We have to wait a bit in line before being dropped off, but not that long because we're pulling up to the curb right when the song ends.
“Damn, I can’t wait to hear that in concert,” Alexander says with a short smile.
He hands back the earphone when our driver comes to a stop to let us out.
He unloads our bags, and we stay quiet while we check our bags in and make our way to the gate.
In a companionship so comfortable that I'm afraid I've made a monumental mistake agreeing to come on this trip with him, because I feel myself falling.
And the last time I fell like this, the glass shattering wasn't near as loud as my heart splintering to pieces.