Unexpected Chance (11 page)

Alex walked off the stage and everyone applauded. The band
started playing as the wait staff brought out our salads. I stood when Alex
reached our table. “That was really nice. Are you okay?” I worried about him
and how difficult that had to be.

“Having you with me makes everything okay, even dealing with my dad.
I hate public speaking, and he makes me do it every year. Every year, I say the
same thing. I hate it. What I want to say is take care of your loved ones, be
there when you need them, and put them first. I think my dad would get the
message then that I don’t want to speak about it in front of people. I love the
cause and donate to it, but making me talk about it . . . Well, it pisses me
off quite frankly.

I nodded and we sat down to start on our salads. The rest of the
food made its way around, and it definitely was a seven-course meal. I was
starting to wonder how much each plate cost. They had to make a lot of money
tonight.

The food was fantastic as was the company. I didn’t eat too much
for fear that I would pop a seam in my dress. Our plates were cleared, and the
band was starting to get people on the dance floor. Brett and Julie left the
table first. I felt bad for Mark. I was going to ask Alex if he would be upset
if I danced with Mark, when I heard a familiar voice. I looked up and saw
Valerie.

“Alex, that speech was lovely.” I rolled my eyes and looked over
at Mark, who was looking at Valerie. She was rubbing Alex’s shoulder.

Mark then looked at me and I shrugged. “Valerie, you remember my
girlfriend, Aubrey, and this is Mark.”

“Yes, hello, Aubrey, I didn’t realize you came with a title now.”
She looked toward Mark and nodded.

She was such a bitch to me, but on some level, she seemed nice. I
idly wondered if she knew Leah.

Alex stood and held his hand out to me. “Dance with me.” It
wasn’t a question, and I was more than happy to get away from Valerie.

I took Alex’s hand and looked to Mark. “Excuse us.” Mark smiled. I
knew he was genuinely happy for me.

On the dance floor, I looked at Alex and then back to the table
where Valerie was now sitting next to Mark.

Alex ran his fingers through my hair and looked into my eyes.
“What’s wrong?”

“Oh nothing, well, no, that’s not true. I’m wondering if Valerie
plans on going for Mark now or if she is going to continue coming on to you,
even in my presence.”

He twirled me and spun me around, making me laugh. “Aubrey, I
don’t care about Valerie that way. I want you, and if she wants to go after
Mark, I have no problem with that.”

“I guess I just don’t want him getting hurt.” What I really
wanted to say was, if they get together, I wanted it to be because of Mark, not
as an excuse to hang with us.

We danced another song and walked back to the table. Mark was
getting up to leave. “Thanks again, Alex, this was very nice.”

Shaking hands with Mark, Alex said, “I’m glad you could make it. I’ll
have my driver take you home.”

“That’s okay; I can grab a cab, but thanks.”

I wondered what happened to Valerie, but I took it as a good sign
that she was gone if she was into Mark for the wrong reasons. I hugged Mark
good-bye and told him I would see him when I came back from my trip.

Alex pulled me into his arms. “Want to get out of here?” He
smiled, and I could feel myself throb between my legs.

I looked at his beautiful eyes. “Most definitely.”

Chapter 13

We said our good-byes to Jack and some other guests. We
spotted Julie and Brett looking as if they were going to start dirty dancing at
any minute. Julie caught my eye, and I nodded toward the door. She smiled and
whispered in Brett’s ear, and they left with us.

The leather seats of the limo were a welcome feeling. The event
was nice, but draining. I knew it took a toll on Alex. The relationship with
his father was definitely strained and so were the looks I was getting from
women of all ages. Julie must have picked up on it too since she blurted out, “Boy,
Aubrey, you were not a favorite among the ladies tonight.”

The three of us looked at her. Brett grabbed her hand, and I
looked at Alex then back to Julie. “I picked up on that too. Alex, what is the
deal with that Nancy woman? She did not look pleased at all to hear that I was
your girlfriend.”

Alex looked at Brett with a worried look, and Brett shrugged his
shoulders. “Your man is popular, Aubrey. All the moms in town want him with
their daughters. You just took one of New York’s most eligible bachelors off
the market.”

My mouth fell open a little. I knew that women liked him and I knew
why, but to hear he was considered one of New York’s most eligible bachelors? I
had no idea. I guess if I had gotten out more and took my head out of my books,
I would have known this. All I could say was “oh.” I was so eloquent.

Alex picked up my hand and kissed the back of it. “I could care
less what anyone thinks or who they want me to be with. I know what I think and
who I want to be with.” He smiled that panty-wetting smile of his. I rested my
head on his shoulder.

The car came to a stop; I looked out the window and noticed we
were at the guys’ apartment building. I looked back at Alex.

He winked. “I thought we could spend tonight at my place.”

I smiled and the driver opened the door. We all got out and
headed toward the elevator. Julie and Brett were laughing about some guy who
was drunk at the bar, telling bad jokes. I was so happy for Julie. She was totally
falling or had fallen for Brett. We got in the elevator, and Alex invited Julie
and Brett up for a night cap. Part of me didn’t want them to come, but I really
needed to spend time with my best friend. I looked at Julie with pleading eyes;
she answered for them and said, “Yes.”

We walked into Alex’s apartment. It was gorgeous, really not what
I expected. It was spotless, and I thought he must have a cleaning person. The
palette of the apartment was gray, black, and white. It was crisp and
contemporary. There was a picture of a white orchid hanging in the dining room.
He had a black leather couch in the middle of the living area with glass coffee
and side tables. There were travel books on the coffee table and a little
statue of the Eiffel Tower on his mantle, which reminded me about our impending
trip. His kitchen was off to the left. It was large for an apartment, but then
again the apartment wasn’t like any apartment I had ever seen. I thought
Brett’s was large, but compared to Alex’s, it didn’t seem that big anymore. I lazily
wondered what his bedroom looked like, but thought I would stow that thought
for a while.

Alex poured Julie and me a glass of wine and grabbed beers for
himself and Brett. Brett and Alex were sitting on the couch when Brett noticed
one of the brochures for the winery we’d be visiting in Tuscany asked Alex
about it. This opened a window of opportunity for me because I needed to talk
to Julie. We excused ourselves, and I pulled Julie toward the sliding glass
door leading to the balcony. I told the guys I wanted to see the view, and what
a view it was. I could see Central Park, and the skyline was adorning it.

I closed the door behind us. Julie looked at me curiously.
“What’s up? You look as if you’re going to burst.”

“I’m just so happy, Jules. I really am. I had no idea I could
find this with Alex; I really think he could be the one! I just wanted to share
that with you.” I thought my cheeks were going to explode from my wide smile.

She grabbed me and hugged me. I almost spilled my wine. “I’m so
happy for you guys! It’s really soon though, are you sure?”

Way to burst my bubble of bliss! “Yes, I’m sure. I didn’t expect
it at all. When this started, I had one intention and that was to write my book,
but that doesn’t even matter anymore. I don’t see romance the same way anymore.
All the sweet things Alex does are romantic: a kiss on my cheek, his smile, and
the way he looks at me. He is romance; he is my romantic hero. I don’t need to
write about a fictional one; I have a real one in him.”

Julie had a giddy look in her eyes. “Wow, you got it bad! Did you
tell him about the book? He’d probably laugh about it.”

“No, and I am not going to. I don’t know if he’d laugh about it. He’s
been let down before by someone who loved him. I can’t do it again.” I was
thinking about his father. “I thought about it, but what good would it do,
especially if writing is the furthest thing from my mind right now.”

Julie looked down and grabbed my arm, looking at the wrist with
the bracelet on it. “Um . . . What’s this?”

“It’s gorgeous, right? Alex gave it to me tonight.”

“It’s beautiful, Aubrey.” She was examining it and turning my arm
in all directions. “Let’s get back to our men. All this happy talk is making me
want to get into Brett’s pants.” We both laughed and walked into the living
room.

“There they are.” Brett stood and grabbed Julie and kissed her
hard. “Ready, babe?”

Julie and Brett left. Alex swept me into his arms, carrying me. He
carried me down a hallway leading to his bedroom. He walked in, put me down,
and I looked around the room. It was gorgeous. He had a beautiful king-size bed
made of dark wood that looked inviting.

“I’ve wanted to get you in here all night.” He kissed me, and our
tongues were twisting with each other’s. I loved the way he tasted, and I could
smell the orchids that I noticed in a vase on our way in and wondered if he
bought them assuming I’d see them. He reached around my back and unzipped my gown;
it fell to the floor and landed around my feet. I stepped back and out of my
gown, standing in my royal blue corset and garter set. Since I was still
wearing my high heels, I felt amazing. He stood back and looked at me. “Aubrey,
you are breathtaking.”

“I want you, Alex. I want you so much. I’ve been fantasizing
about getting you out of this tux. May I?”

He was moving his hands up and down my arms. He smiled and put
his hands out to the side. “Be my guest.”

Biting my top lip, I dragged my tongue over it, my eyes never
leaving his. I took his jacket off and tossed it, untied his bow tie, removed
his cufflinks, and slowly unbuttoned his shirt, which not only frustrated him
but me as well. I didn’t want to rush this. I opened his shirt, and the sight
of his abs made my mouth water. Deciding to tease him a little more, I put my
right hand on his chest, ran it down to his waist band, and back up to his
broad shoulders. I brought my hand around to his chest and then his back,
leaving a trail of kisses where my hand had just been. I closed my eyes and
could feel every muscle. When I opened my eyes, I noticed a tattoo on his back
near his left shoulder. It was an orchid with angel wings. Each wing had a name
in it: Angela in one and Ellie in the other. I kissed his tattoo and he
shivered. He must have realized what I had just seen. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t
noticed it last night.

I continued my pleasure circle until I was standing in front of
him. I glanced at him and went to my knees. “Aubrey . . .” His breath was
ragged; I loved it.

“No talking, Alex.” I unbuckled his belt and unbuttoned his pants,
pulling them down along with his boxers. He sprung free. I couldn’t help but
smile. I gripped him and moved my hand up and down his length. I licked the tip
and around the ridge of its crown. I was running my fingertips up and down,
teasing, and I could feel him stiffen as I continued my exploration. I took him
in my mouth, my tongue now where my hand was. I really wanted to do this for
him and for me too.

Alex’s hands were now threaded through my hair, and he was
holding me to him. He was moaning, which was giving me the encouragement to
continue my ravishment. He tasted so good. I was moving quicker now, licking
and sucking him as if he were going to disappear. I held his ass in my hands
and what a fine ass it was! God, I loved this man with everything I had.

“Aubrey . . . If you don’t want me to . . . Mmmm . . . Oh . . . I’m
going to . . . Aubrey . . .”

I moaned and sucked harder. My tongue was moving on its own up
and down his vein. He gripped my hair and I felt him explode. His salty warmth
slid down my throat and on my tongue; it was amazing. I sat back on my heels
and just looked at him as if he could go again. He helped me up and put his
arms around my waist. I glanced up, and the look on his face was one I had
never seen before.

“That was . . . I don’t know what that was . . . fantastic, amazing,
the best . . . Aubrey . . .” Alex exhaled, ran his fingers across my forehead,
and brought his knuckles down my cheek.

“I am glad you enjoyed that.” I couldn’t help but sound prideful.
“I’ll assume by your reaction that it was good for my first time doing that.” I
glanced up at him and licked my lips.

“You’ve never done that before?”

I shook my head. “Nope, I never wanted to. I never wanted anyone
the way I want you.”

Alex was smiling, and his eyes were full of lust and hunger. “I’m
glad that I’m the one you want, and speaking of wanting, you are way over
dressed. I love what you’re wearing, but I’d rather look at your naked body.” He
kissed my shoulder. His hands went to my back and unfastened my corset. It fell
away to the floor. His mouth went to my right breast while his hand was squeezing
and pulling on my left nipple. I felt myself get hot between my legs. He
alternated between each breast, and I didn’t even notice he was walking me
toward the bed until my legs hit it, making me sit on the edge. Alex knelt down
and removed my shoes one at a time. He unhooked my stockings and rolled them
down, sending goose bumps up and down my legs. He picked up my foot and licked
the instep and ran his tongue up my right leg. He pulled my thong down and
tossed it next to my gown. “Lie back, Aubrey.”

My back was on the bed, and my ass was hanging half off of it. He
put my right leg on his left shoulder. He brought his mouth closer to my center
and blew lightly on me; I could feel my juices releasing just from that move. I
moaned and he lifted my left leg, bringing it up on his other shoulder. His
thumbs spread me open, and they were gently rubbing me. I was feeling totally
exposed. No one had ever done this to me or made me feel as if they wanted to. Garrett
was a wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am kind of guy. Alex most certainly wasn’t, so I
was unsure what to expect. “You’re so amazing, Aubrey.”

“Mmm hmm” was all I could say. I knew I was ready. I could feel
myself throbbing as if I were calling him into me.

He ran his tongue from the bottom of my slit to the top and
around my clit. He started rubbing his thumbs on the outside of my entrance. He
slid one in then pulled it out and replaced it with his tongue. My hand went
into his hair. He was thrusting his tongue in and out while his thumb was
rubbing me. My hips moved in unison with him, and the building pressure felt
incredible.

“Alex, I’m going to . . .” I didn’t have the words. I was literally
panting. This felt better than any experience I’d ever had. I could feel my
body respond to everything he did.

“Give it to me, Aubrey; I want to taste every bit of you.”

That did it. I exploded and yelled his name, and my legs vibrated
on his shoulders. My eyes were closed and I saw spots. I opened my eyes, and
Alex was moving us both onto the bed until our heads were on the pillows. He
rolled toward me and kissed me. I could taste myself on his lips. I wasn’t sure
if I liked the taste, but I did like that we were mixed together. He moved the
comforter and sheets, until we were under them.

His hand was running through my hair, and he was staring at me. I
wanted him so badly. I needed to make love to this man. “Make love to me.” My
request was out there, waiting for him to comply.

He kissed me and said he needed to go grab a condom. I didn’t
want him to. I wanted to feel him. “Alex, it’s okay. I’m on the pill, and I’ve
only been with one other man, and we used protection.”

“I’ve always used protection, Aubrey. I’ve never considered being
with someone without it . . . until now, until you.”

“Well then, I guess we’re all set.” I smiled and kissed him.

He rolled me on my back and looked at me as he entered me. I was
so slick and he was so hard that we fused perfectly. He rocked back and forth. The
feeling was amazing and something I’d never forget.

“Aubrey, you feel as if you were meant for me. I can feel every
inch of you around me. You feel so perfect.”

He was thrusting faster, licking from my neck down to the swell of
my breasts and back up my neck to my sensitive spot, making me flinch. He chuckled
and caressed my breasts with his tongue. He teased, kissed, and licked every
inch of me. I felt the buildup that was happening in my core and pulsed around
him.

“Aubrey, I’m going to come. My God, Aubrey, are you ready?”

“Yes, Alex, now please.” We both came together, and with our
bodies slammed together, we both cried out. My fingers grabbed his ass and
moved up until my arms were tight around his neck. Our sweat was slick, and we
were both breathing heavily. I let go and rested against the pillow. He lowered
himself so he was on top of me and kissed me. He held my head between his hands.

In my head, I was thinking, “I love you, Alex.” I just couldn’t
say it out loud.