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He considered that for a moment. “That would have depended on how reasonable you were. If you were going to be unprofessional then yes, I would have taken it away. I can’t have anyone compromising my business.”
I closed my eyes and took a steadying breath. This wasn’t how I thought this morning was going to go but, then again, I’d gone to bed with a notorious playboy with no promise of commitment. Had I really thought we were going to spend the morning eating pancakes and reading the paper together?
“I think I should go,” I said quietly.
“Stay.”
“Why?” I asked, flicking my gaze up to his. “So you can finish working me out of your system?” He opened his mouth, then closed it again.
“I don’t know why I want you to stay.” I watched his brain working a million miles a minute, trying to make sense of colourful me in his monochrome mind.
“You’re freaking out,” I said and his head snapped up.
“What? No I’m not.” His eyes narrowed as if the very idea was a grave insult. Despite how dire this conversation was, I found a smile growing on my face.
“Yeah, you are. You’re having a freak out.” I let out a small giggle and his eyes widened. “You’re always Mr Control-Freak and you thought, ‘Hey, I’ll just multiple orgasm this girl into the solar system and get her out of my head.’ But ha! I’m stuckin there and you’re freaking out like a malfunctioning robot. Cannot. Compute. Human. Emotions.”
He scowled at me, eyes glistening. “I don’t appreciate being laughed at.”
“Well, I don’t appreciate you hacking my medical records, tracking me via GPS, or treating me like I’m some pest to be fucked out of your system.”
He opened his mouth, closed it again, and let out a small sigh.
“Fair point.” He sat on the bed, looking up at me. “I’ve never had a relationship, O’Connell. I’ve never met anyone that I wanted to spend more than a few nights with. Just because I didn’t get you out of my system last night doesn’t mean that I won’t tonight. I can promise you nothing.”
“I know. I’m not exactly promising you anything either.”
“Why did you come with me last night, Lola?” He sounded genuinely curious and I was surprised he didn’t just assume it was because I couldn’t resist a night with the infamous Alfie Tell.
“I don’t know. Maybe I was trying to get you out of my system too.” It was true, he had seduced me. I’d wanted him beyond rhyme or reason and even now, being with him just felt so inevitable. I knew the pain of separation was coming, whether it was today or tomorrow or whenever, yet I couldn’t make myself leave. Maybe a part of me had hoped that going to bed with him just once would just get him out of my head.
“It’s going great, by the way. I’m completely cured of you now.” The corner of his mouth twitched and he clenched his jaw, suppressing the smile. “Is there a reason you aren’t allowed to smile around me?” I asked and his eyes flashed in surprise. “You always stiffen your face before you let yourself smile.”
“You know, for someone who has accused me of being psychic, you’re rather perceptive yourself.” He looked away fromme and waved a dismissive hand. “Being overly emotional is a bad habit.”
My anger over what he’d done to me seemed to melt into the box at the back of my head—the box that held all his other crap that I hadn’t been able to resolve yet. I walked my overly emotional self towards him. My instinct was that he needed something from me. My instincts told me to go to him. Alfie Tell was a multi-layered enigma. I wasn’t going to solve him in one conversation. I cupped his cheek and tilted his head up to look at me.
“You’re a big faker, Alfie Tell.” I searched his handsome face, though I wasn’t sure exactly what I was trying to find. I lifted my fingers to trace the small scar that ran through his eyebrow, the only thing that dared to mar his beauty. “How did this happen?” He took my wrist, halting my touch.
“Enough talking.” He flipped me onto my back, his weight pressing me into the bed, leaving me breathless. My body was awash with warring emotions and, looking in his eyes, I could see his was too.
“Trying to fuck me out of your system again?”
He didn’t answer, only stared down at me, clearly trying to gauge my thoughts. I wondered if he really wanted me out of his system. I wondered if I wanted him out of mine. It would be a lot safer without him in it, but did I really want to slip back into the slumber I had been in before I met Alfie? I didn’t know, but I could already feel his tendrils twirling around my bones, deep inside me. If he wanted to fuck himself free of me, let him try.
I shifted underneath him. The towel fell open. My cheeks heated at my nakedness but I didn’t try to cover myself. Holding his dark gaze, I spread my legs—an invitation. A challenge.
Twenty-One
I’d thrown down the gauntlet and Alfie picked it up without hesitation. He dropped his face to mine and I opened my lips to him, allowing him to seduce my mouth. I ran my tongue across his lower lip and gave it a gentle bite, feeling him shudder over me.
I hooked my toes into the waistband of his trousers and pushed them down over his hips, helping him kick them off. To my delight, he was commando underneath. I felt his length against me, his velvet shaft gliding through my plush folds. Every inch of my skin sang with pleasure.Thiswas how I should have woken up this morning.
His hand trailed down the side of my body, gripping my thigh and hitching it around his waist, rolling himself against me. I gasped, desperate for more. This man was driving me crazy. His touch was heroin to me and I couldn’t get enough of it.
He rose up onto his knees, spreading me open as if for inspection. My heart thrummed at being so exposed. Alfie left no stone unturned. There was nowhere to hide. He placed gentle thumbs on me and opened me up.
“You’re more resilient than I thought. I thought you might be too sore to take me again so soon.” Unable to wait any longer,I reached a hand between us and guided him to my opening. His eyes flashed, excited by my boldness. He obliged, sliding effortlessly into my wet folds. He withdrew and plunged once more, stretching me. I bit back a whimper.