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“About Keira? Not particularly.” I had to stifle a laugh at his blunt honesty. “But your concerns are my concerns and I don’t want her pain becoming yours. Perhaps it would be good for you two to have some space from each other. You’re adults, you don’t need to be attached at the hip, especially if she isn’t supportive of your choices.” It pained me to admit it, but he was right. She wasn’t supportive. She’d tried to come between us, and all for her own selfish motives. My best friend. I didn’t want to face the possibility of not having her in my life anymore, and yet she had done this, not me. Why couldn’t she have just been happy for me?
“Baby, you can call her and we can have her flown out to see you any time you like.” I nodded and tried to put her out of my mind. I didn’t want to lose anymore people but if Keira wanted to drive a wedge between us then that was her choice.
I shifted in the water. Adam was no longer coursing through my veins but I was left with a restlessness I didn’t understand.
“I feel like I need to go for a run or something.”
“It’s the adrenaline, but a run is out of the question.” He shifted behind me, kneeling over the edge of the tub so my head rested against his shoulder. “Though, I can suggest analternative solution.” His arms enveloped me but I couldn’t help the fear that spiked inside.
“Alfie…”
“Don’t confuse me with him, Lola. His hands didn’t belong on you. Mine do.” He pressed his lips to my temple. “You need this. Open your legs, now.” He was right. He was always right. I flung myself into the abyss with him once more and opened myself up. His arms constricted around my torso, holding me secure. It felt strange to have porcelain at my back instead of his chest, but it was as if he knew I couldn’t bear to have too much contact right now.
I floated in the water, bathed in moonlight and coated in steam.
His hand left me, reaching for the shower head that had been spraying muffled under the water. I raised my eyebrows, curious.
“Don’t get excited, baby,” he murmured as he switched off the water and placed the shower head out of the way in its holder. “Your pleasure belongs to me, not a fucking shower head.” Of course. I should have known that Alfie would never cheat.
“Hold onto me,” he whispered. I followed the contours of his forearms up until I gripped his cotton-clad biceps. My toes curled in the water as his hand drifted lower, over my mound, and dipped into my folds. I expected invasion. I expected those three fingers and that particular manipulation of my G-Spot that would have me exploding, releasing all of my tension. But of course, as always, he surprised me. It started slow, with such a feather-light touch on my clitoris I could barely feel it. His free hand explored my breasts, gently stroking them, dripping water onto my nipples. I tilted my head, allowing him to plant soft kisses along my neck, my throat, my shoulder. No part of me wasleft unattended. It was a slow, decadent seduction, designed to cleanse my mind, body and soul.
Minutes passed by and his patience didn’t wane. He just continued to drive me slowly to that inevitable peak.
His middle finger, so gentle on my clitoris, picked up the pace just a little, enough for me to writhe, to moan. He tweaked one nipple and I gasped. I felt him everywhere. My grip tightened on his biceps and I cried out. It was becoming too much. I was too hot, too overwhelmed, too everything.
“Breathe, baby. Let it come.” His words echoed, sounding far away. He upped the pressure, just a little, but now that I was so sensitive I could feel everything. Minutes ticked by, long minutes where he didn’t tire, didn’t grow impatient. He let me float and feel as he coaxed it all out of me.
My core was tightening up, my toes curling. I was so close, I was right there. I needed more pressure, not this tantalising manipulation. I didn’t know how much time passed but he kept it up until I could feel myself spiral in need, in panic. I was scared to let it go, scared of the vulnerability that came afterwards.
“Lo.” I opened my eyes and found him gazing down at me. “You’re going to come for me now.” My body responded and I held on as Alfie exorcised Adam from my body. I cried as I came, thick hot tears spilling down my face with the relief of letting go. He worked me down slowly, holding me until it was over. Until it was all gone.
I didn’t fight when he lifted me from the tub and wrapped me in a towel. I felt like I was floating. He had blown me out into the stratosphere where I didn’t need to think. He set me down by the sink and gently towel dried my hair.
“Thank you for taking care of me,” I murmured. In response he pressed another kiss to my temple but left my mouth alone.I was grateful for that too. Easy silence enveloped us as he brushed my hair.
Adam didn’t feel like a ghost between us anymore, he felt like something so infinitesimal it barely existed. That was the power of Alfie Tell. He could make all other men disappear.
When I slumped against him, too tired to stay upright anymore, he carried me to bed, my body limp with relief that this day was finally over. This brutal fuck of a day.
Adam. Keira. Mark…Oh shit, Mark.
Alfie placed me under the covers before disappearing into the bathroom. I listened as he brushed his teeth, and tried to figure out what I was going to say. The thought of facing another day trapped in that cabin with Mark turned my stomach. The store of resilience that I’d once had was depleted.
Alfie stripped out of his shirt and I watched as he folded it over the chaise-lounge, his hands going to his belt buckle next.
“Alfie, I need to ask you something…It’s about Mark.” He gazed at me in the darkness, his eyes scrutinizing mine as he removed his shoes and dropped his trousers. He said nothing as he got into bed. I was pushing it. We’d discussed three men in the bedroom today. I was surprised by how well he seemed to be handling it.
“He came in today and he didn’t do anything to me but I just…I don’t want to see him.” The silence lingered. I’d hoped he wouldn’t make me ask but of course he would. He needed to hear me acknowledge that his decisions were always the better ones. I bit my lip. What I was about to ask was setting a precedent that I wasn’t sure I wanted to set, but Alfie had already bent me in so many other ways, this small thing was just a drop in the ocean.
“Can you keep him away from me?” I sounded small, so not like myself.
“Of course. I’m pleased that you asked me, though I would be keeping him away from you even if you hadn’t.” He pulledme to him, settling in behind me. We were okay. My world had fallen apart today, butwewere okay so I felt safe. It occurred to me then that he was my world now. All the other stuff had faded away. As he’d said to me once, nothing existed for me but him. “Have you noticed that the more amenable you become the happier we are?” he teased me and I felt his smile buried in my hair.
“Don’t be smug. I’m too tired to do verbal combat with you right now,” I grumbled and he gave a small chuckle.
“Then just sleep. I have you and I’m never letting you go.”
Sixty-Eight