The day turns out to be pretty damn awesome.After Central Park, we visit the Museum of Natural History, Times Square, and then the Rockefeller Center. We ride all the way to the top of the Empire State Building, and when we come down, Alex takes me around the corner to a little bakery that has the most amazing cannolis I've ever tasted in my life. We eat so many that we're both too full for dinner, and even then, I'm wondering how many I might be able to fit in my purse and take back with me.Even though it's a bit of a walk back to Alex's apartment from here, we decide to skip a cab and enjoy the beautiful evening. A soft summer breeze dances around us, making my dress flutter around my legs as the sun sinks behind the skyscrapers.When we get to the edge of Central Park again, I stop. "Do you hear that?"Alex pauses and listens. "They must be having a concert in the park tonight."I'm exhausted - and my feet ache something fierce - but something about the music calls to me. "Sh
The beat blasting through the speakers vibrates through the air, and we're so close now that I swear I can feel it beneath my skin. All around us people are dancing, waving their arms, cheering and spinning and shouting along with the lead singer. I sway along with the rest of them, raising my arms and throwing my head back as if I might catch the song floating in the air. Alex is pushed forward by the crowd behind him, and he puts his arms around me from behind, gripping my waist as if he could protect me from everyone around us.But I don't need protection. I need to feel this, to breathe in this energy, to give myself over to this strange spell. I want to take Alex's advice - to trust the truth of my feelings.When the song ends, the crowd explodes into whistles and cheers. Alex keeps his arms around me as I shout right along with the rest of them."Next," says the lead singer into her mic, "I thought I'd do an old favorite."The moment the first chord is played, everyone begins
Hearing Alex admit that he wants this makes my heart start to gallop. The rest of my body feels frozen."I want it, too," I whisper.I'm not sure if he even hears me over the band, but he seems to know my answer either way. His hand moves again, skimming over the tender place where my thighs meet before sweeping back up my stomach again. His head dips lower, and his lips press against the bare skin next to the shoulder strap of my dress. I try to twist my head, to kiss him on the lips, but his arms tighten around me, keeping me where I am. His mouth brushes against the place where my shoulder meets my neck, then against the side of my throat.My legs are starting to go wobbly, but his grip keeps me upright. His hand is moving up my body again, toward my chest, but once again he stops just short of my breasts."Not here," he says into my ear.I nod. Even if I were okay with having an audience, there's not much we can do pressed up against other people like this.He releases me, an
I grab Alex's free shoulder for support. I can't believe we're doing this here, now. "I can stop," he says roughly against my thigh, as if sensing my thoughts. "Just say the word, and I'll stop."I know I should say it. This is wrong in so many ways. But I can't stop it. I don't want to."Don't stop," I whisper.There is no stopping now. My body has been taken over by desire, and everything else has faded away. There's only me and him and this. Alex presses another kiss to my skin, and this time, his mouth lingers. "Fuck, Mae, you smell amazing. Even better than I imagined."My face floods with heat. I swear, I've spent most of the last few days flushed as red as a tomato."You imagined how I might smell?" I say with a small laugh, trying to diffuse the embarrassment rising in my chest."Yes." He looks up at me. "Have you never imagined anything about me?"After last night, he should know the answer to that question already. The funny thing is, I've never even considered the
My heart stops.Alex pulls his face away from mine, and behind him I can see the dark silhouette of a man."Now!" the man says. "Or I'll shoot!"Oh, God. He has a gun against Alex's back. My stomach tightens and panic wells up in my chest. What do we do? How do we get out of this?I need to call for help. Need to let someone else know that we're down here and that we're being - "Scream and I'll shoot," the man snarls, somehow guessing my thoughts. "One sound and I'll blow out your boyfriend's brains."Oh, God. What do we do? What the hell do we do?Alex still has his fingers laced through mine against the wall, and he squeezes them gently. I have no idea how we're going to get out of this, but somehow, that small gesture calms me."I'm going to reach for my wallet," Alex says, and I can't believe how calm he sounds. "Okay?""Do it fast," the man says. He looks over his shoulder, probably trying to make sure that no one is coming.Alex releases me then drops his hand to his p
I can't believe that Alex is calling himself an idiot."What's that supposed to mean?" I ask him, my heart beating in my throat. "Why are you an idiot now?"He straightens his shirt, not seeming to notice that half of his buttons have come undone. "Let's get back to my place. I think I'm ready to clean up and relax for a bit.""You have a real knack for ignoring my questions, you know that?" I say lightly."And you have a real knack for asking questions that are very difficult to answer." He extends his arm to me. "Come on."I hook my hand through his elbow. "I thought you said you like that I always said what I meant."He glances down at me. "That doesn't mean I always have answers for you."I spend most of the way back to his place trying to figure out what he means by that.When we get to his place, he pulls out his phone. "Are you hungry? I can order something.""I'm still stuffed from those cannolis," I say. And so confused about everything that's happened this evening th
There's something strange in Alex's voice. Something I don't understand."Alex...?" I say, but before I can ask him what's wrong, before I can figure out what he means by that comment, he buries his face between my legs.And sensation explodes through me, overwhelming everything else.He doesn't give me a chance to think. To do anything but react to the sensual prowess of his tongue. I writhe beneath him, moaning, and his hands press down against my thighs, trying to hold me in place.I should tell him to stop. Ask him to tell me what's wrong. But I can't seem to find the words. Everything in my awareness has narrowed down to this: to him, to his warm wet tongue, to the energy passing between us. It's electric, and it makes me dizzy. I can only cry out as the pleasure builds in my core, as Alex brings me quickly over the edge.My fingers grip his hair, tangling in the thick strands. I feel myself unraveling again, feel the whole world crumbling around me. His tongue is everywhere
I can't even wrap my head around this. One moment Alex was practically feasting on me, and the next he was ready to call the whole thing off. What sort of guy does that - or, more accurately, what sort of guy does that two nights in a row? What horrible, shitty game is he playing?One thing's for sure - I'm not playing along any more. I storm across the room, ready to throw open the door and bring the ceiling down around his head, but I freeze when my hand touches the doorknob.None of this makes sense. As much as I'd like to give him a piece of my mind, what I'd really like to know is why. Why would he tell me he wanted this, bring me to the brink and back - twice - and yet not want to go any further? I mean, unless he's one of those guys who cares only about pleasuring his partner - and let's be real, I'm not even sure those guys exist - something really weird is going on. He seems to very much enjoy having his hands and mouth all over me - hell, he said he'd thought about it a tho