Chapter 34 Birthday Wishes
Chapter thirty-four
Birthday Wishes
I wake up in the middle of the night sweltering hot. I try to turn my head but realize I'm weighed down. Disoriented, my heart races in my chest before I realize it's Alexander wrapped around me again.
His arm is wedged under my neck and bent at the elbow. One hand is cupping my breast, and his other hand is wedged tightly in the leg of my shorts that had ridden up and is currently trapped between my legs, cupping my pussy. Like, all of it.
My breath hitches as heat suddenly floods me all the way from my cheeks to the flesh between my legs that he's encompassing in his wide hand.
Biting my lip hard, I realize that's why I’d woken up; I'm aroused.
I bite back a whimper, feeling one of his fingers pressed deeply against me, resting against my clit and in between the lips of my sex.
Holyyyy shit. Oh my God, how do I get his hand out without waking him up?
I force myself to be still, realizing my shorts and panties are snagged tightly around us both, and every wiggle of my hips ensures I'm a hair's breadth away from waking him up.
I try to move gently, cutting off a surprised cry with a hand to my mouth as he suddenly tightens around me, pulling me flush against him as he buries his head into the crook of my neck on a deep groan before settling back into sleep.
How does he sleep so deeply? I wonder, feeling my entire body catch on fire.
“Alex! Alex, I have to pee,” I whisper, lying.
Taking his arm and moving it firmly, I grasp his wrist and pull it out from between my legs and roll off the bed in one smooth motion.
“Uh-huh,” Alexander breathes, rolling to his back and flinging his arm across his chest. I watch carefully as he settles back deeper into sleep, unaware of what just happened.
I frown, giving him an incredulous look as I stay crouched there next to the bed for a moment just watching him.
I get up, walking to the little bar area and quietly get myself a glass of water.
Looking at the open door of our bedroom, I sip my water, putting a hand self-consciously to my hair.
Hating that I didn’t feel comfortable enough to be able to sleep in a scarf or bonnet around him, and now my hair routine is going to suffer because of it.
Putting my glass down, I crawl back into bed quietly.
Laying there, I silently watch the clock, determined to suss him out.
It's not even three minutes before I feel him getting closer.
It happens gradually, and I bite back a giggle as he wedges his arm under me to cup my breast and feel him adjust himself minutely until I'm back in the nook of his body.
His hand moves incrementally until it's in a comfortable position against me, and then it's only another minute before I feel his hand sliding along my hip slowly before cupping me over my shorts.
It's exactly fifteen seconds before he make a displeased noise in his throat and restlessly moves his hand, searching until he finds the leg of my shorts and shoves his hand through and presses against my warmth with a deep sigh. As if it settles him to be as close to me as possible.
Wow, this is freaking crazy, I think to myself.
After a couple minutes, I realize I'm completely relaxed and find myself blinking lazily.
Also finding that I quite enjoy the heavy feeling of his hand on my pussy, and it's comforting. I close my eyes, feeling Alexander’s breath wash warmly over my neck and cheek and lulling me rhythmically back to sleep.
I let go and drift off in the silence, feeling completely safe in his arms.
The next morning I wake up very early, carefully extracting myself from Alexander's hold.
I place the comforter back over him and smile at how peaceful he looks.
My fingers shake a little as I reach forward, letting myself stroke the hair back off his forehead.
Turning, I grab my phone and make my way into the bathroom to start a bath, sitting on the toilet while I wait and flicking through my messages.
Reading them all, I smile, feeling very fortunate for my friends.
David: Happy Birthday Sarah Beara!
Nessie: Hey baby girl, you're 29, can you believe it?! Almost to the dirty thirties! Wish you were here, we could have gotten mad drunk!
Jerome: Sarah Beara, Happy Birthday boo! Tell me, I haven't heard from you, you bitch. Do that man's hips do what I dream they can do? Whew!
Mom: Happy Birthday my darling, sweet, exceptional girl! I love you, sending you big hugs all the way from California! Let me know when you're about to fly back and I'll ship your gift to you!
Christopher: Oh SJ! What was your birthday wish this year?
My eyes widen at the reminder, and I pull my robe back on quickly, hastily making my way out of the bathroom, back through the bedroom, and to the balcony outside, not even casting Alexander a glance.
With my heart pounding, I blow out a relieved breath when I realize there are still some stars in the sky.
Finding the brightest one, I tilt my head back, close my eyes, and make my wish.
Feeling something cool touch my neck suddenly, I startle. My hands fly up, slapping at it.
Awareness that Alexander's behind me hits me hard, and I calm quickly, feeling a chain begin to settle alongside my neck. I reach up and brush my hands over his, feeling his strong fingers manipulating a necklace slowly underneath my hair.
He was so quiet I hadn't even heard him come out behind me.
As he fastens the clasp at my nape, tears flood my eyes, and I'm grateful that I'm facing away from him because right now I'm so vulnerable I don't know that I can look in his eyes.
I hadn't been expecting anything from him. Or anyone, really.
He got me a gift? I think, as my fingers trace the necklace delicately, trying to feel what it is. My fingers clasp on a circular stone.
"Alex," I whisper, "what's this?"
Touched, I close my eyes, feeling a lone tear slip down my cheek as he places his lips tenderly against the back of my head.
"Happy Birthday, Sarah." Do I imagine his usually cool demeaner softened with warmth as he speaks to me?
Alexander's muscular arms loop around me from behind as he cradles me carefully to his front and begins to quietly sing the “Happy Birthday” song in his deep, strong, and clear voice.
He rests his chin on the top of my head and rocks me through it while we stare at the fading stars together, watching the sun rise over the Pacific Ocean.
My heart swells too big to maintain my emotions, and I bite back a sob and turn, throwing my arms around him. "Thank you so much. You know you didn’t have to," I whisper in his ear, giving him an extra tight squeeze.
He's bare chested, and my fingers slide over his naked skin that’s almost too familiar, as if I've touched him like this a million times.
His muscles jump under my fingertips, responding to me.
My breath hitches as I feel his strong arms band around my body, splaying against my back, and pull me into him slowly. Molding my curves into his hardness.
He knows just how to touch me. Like he's done this a million times.
My nose grazes his neck, and I tense, getting a welcome whiff of his scent.
His lips graze my temple and, not able to help myself, I let out a little moan, praying he doesn't hear.
But from the sudden and unexpected hardness I feel pressing into my belly, I know he did, and everything in me wants to tell him to take me inside and take me to bed, but this isn't what he brought me here for.
And I instinctively know that some, if not most of this, needs to be on his terms emotionally, just as much as it needs to be on mine.
Throwing abandon to the wind, not caring about propriety and unable to help myself, and just daring to let myself lean into the one thing that I've always wanted but never have been able to attain, I melt into his embrace.
Letting myself go at the feel of his hands softly stroking down my hair and my back, while he rocks me gently side to side as the sun rises over the ocean behind us.
But right now, all we have eyes for is each other…
His touch ends at just the curve of my lower back, and I'm reminded of Jerome's text as a shiver of desire makes its way up my spine. It's been so long since I've felt like I've desired another person.
Pulling back reluctantly, I pray my nipples aren't poking through my robe, revealing my desire to him. But his eyes are unwavering on my face, grasping my chin between his thumb and forefinger and then tilting my head up to him.
"Look at me," he says, tilting his own head down to meet my gaze.
As our eyes clash, the pure blue sucks me in.
It reminds me of the unmistakably vibrant hue off the coasts of California during some of my happiest times when I would surf without a care in the world, traveling through a wave, headed toward the azure of nothingness to come out on the other end exhilarated that I managed to ride a wave all the way to the end.
Even though its waves often pulled me under, I never felt unsafe. Only happy. A pure, innocent joy. And in this moment, unbeknownst to Alexander, he's taking me on a unique ride that feels like home.
I wet my lips, wanting to say something, to put a voice to how I feel.
His eyes go slightly hooded, his knuckles brush over my cheek as he gives me this smile that makes my tummy flip, and I swallow hard.
I bite my bottom lip as he tilts his head, flickering his eyes between mine.
Silently communicating, no words needed.
In our profession, where we build our trust with others by talking, it's so intimate that this is all we need.
He strokes my cheek, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear before encompassing the side of my face in his broad hand. We're just staring into each other, letting our souls weave a masterpiece that words don't need to interrupt.
The wind blows just right, ruffling my robe around my thighs and making me realize just how much of the robe was gaped open, exposing rather a lot of my bare cleavage to his gaze.
I can't help but notice his stare turn hot as he looks at me unashamedly.
His eyes flicker down slowly, and I see his chest tighten minutely as the seconds tick past without a word.
This desire seems to be mutual.
Alexander's eyes flick back up to mine, and he gives me a sexy, knowing grin. He grasps my chin in his hand once again, stroking me slowly.
"Good morning, sweetness," he says softly. I think it's so endearing that even though we've been out here for probably a good ten minutes or more, he's just now saying good morning. Ever the gentleman. "I turned your bath off so it wouldn't overflow."
I can't help the little grin I feel break across my face. I think I'm the one overflowing.
I scoff, peering up through my lashes at him. "You play entirely too much with this nickname because you know I don't like sugar," I tease.
His grin becomes even more devilish. "Now, what have we talked about in regards to balance, Sarah?" Alexander's eyes crinkle as he smiles down at me.
Shyly meeting his gaze, I will myself to hold it despite how intense it is. Burying my fingers in my hair, I take a second to think about my attraction to him. Feeling desire that I didn't think I'd feel again for another person, I tilt my head and lick my lips.
"Thank you. Sorry." I lift a shoulder, looking away shyly. "I was trying to get out here to make my birthday wish before the stars went away," I admit.
I bite my lip as he takes another step into me and puts his own fingers into my hair, right above mine, and slides the strands through his fingers. Gliding over my hand lightly.
I shudder when his fingertips brush feather soft across my nipple as our hands lower through the strands to the ends, where he gives me a cheeky little tug and makes me jerk on a slight squeal.
"We're forgetting a birthday tradition," he says suddenly.
I feel my heart skip a beat at the absolutely hungry look that crosses his face. I swallow hard. "Oh yeah? And what would that be?"
"Turn around, and let me show you." He grins. "Everyone gets birthday swats on their birthday."