Page 35 of Collide (The Rhapsody of Heartbeats #1)

And when I lean back down, pressing my lips to his again, he meets me there, without hesitation, without pretense.

I’m thankful that when the food arrives, Riley is still asleep in her room. Alex and I wheel the trolley into mine and close the door behind us.

While we eat, he talks about his show, Alex finds it amusing that I’ve somehow managed to avoid watching it. And judging Riley’s reaction, she’s clearly a fan. I've never been much of a TV person, though I used to enjoy movie nights with my mom and Jack, especially adaptations of books I’d read.

I learn he’s been acting for most of his life, starting out as a child actor in Sweden before breaking into the U.S. market, initially as a model, which makes sense, because he’s impossibly handsome. But then, his big break and success in other roles followed.

The remnants of breakfast lie scattered across the room service tray, the rich aroma of coffee still lingering in the air.

But I barely register any of it. Because Alex is watching me, his eyes fixed on mine as we lie in bed together side by side.

His gaze is heavy, filled with something that coils low in my stomach, sending a ripple of anticipation through me.

“You’re staring.” I try to sound unaffected.

“You’re beautiful,” he counters, his voice smooth and certain.

Heat creeps up my neck, a blush burning beneath my skin.

I roll my eyes, but he doesn’t let me look away.

Instead, Alex leans forward, brushing a lingering kiss along my jaw, trailing slowly down the sensitive slope of my throat.

A soft sigh escapes me before I can stop it, betraying my anticipation.

He eases me onto my back, his weight pressing deliciously into me, warm and solid. His fingertips skate along my thigh, featherlight, teasing, sending electric shivers dancing through my limbs.

“So soft,” he breathes.

I tense beneath him, nerves and curiosity mixing into something potent, irresistible.

“Alex…” My voice hitches, breathless and uncertain.

“Mmm, I’m still hungry,” he growls wickedly, as though he didn’t just demolish a towering stack of pancakes and enough sausages to feed an army.

His lips descend again, mapping a path downward, slow and deliberate, tracing the dip of my collarbone, the swell of my chest, the soft curve of my body. His hands are already slipping cheekily beneath the fabric of my robe, the material whispering against my skin.

A rush of nerves floods through me, tangled up in excitement, anticipation, a thousand feelings I can’t name. Alex pauses, his fingertips pressing slightly harder into my skin, reassuring and possessive.

“Let me taste that sweet pussy,” he murmurs against my skin, the words warm along my hip, sending another wave of heat crashing through my veins.

I bite my lip, staring into his darkened eyes.

“I want to feel your thighs quaking on my shoulders, until you’re dripping down my chin and begging me for mercy,” he murmurs roughly, his mouth trailing fire over my skin. “Tell me you want it, Elena.”

My pulse thuds unevenly in my ears as I nod, a little breathless. “I want you… Please , Alex.”

His smile curves against my skin, wicked and full of promise. “Good girl, so polite. Let me take care of you.”

A trembling sigh slips past my lips as his strong hands gently guide my thighs apart, exposing me slowly, reverently.

He dots tender, maddeningly delicate kisses along the inside of my thigh, each one lingering longer, pressing deeper into my skin.

My breathing turns ragged, eyes fluttering shut as his mouth travels upward, teasing closer with exquisite patience, torturously slow.

“Spread those pretty legs Darling.”

His breath ghosts across the tender spot between my thighs, making me shiver and ache. When his tongue parts me, grazing my clit with aching softness, a gasp tears from my throat. The sensation is sharp and bright, exploding like fireworks behind my eyes.

Holy shit.

I pull at the sheets beneath me.

Fingers are great, but fuck, this is ecstasy. I would happily have him live between my thighs, all day, every day.

“Oh, God—Alex,” I whisper, fingers twisting urgently into his hair, anchoring myself to reality, terrified that the dizzying sensations will sweep me away entirely.

He chuckles against my center, which only makes me squirm. He steadies my hips with his hands.

His tongue moves with devastating skill, slow circles giving way to deeper, hungrier strokes, then he sucks with his lips, soft and tender, exploring every sensitive nerve, coaxing every trembling reaction from my body.

Pleasure coils tighter inside me, building relentlessly until it borders on pain.

My hips instinctively rise to meet him, chasing every electrifying touch.

I tug on his hair, holding on as his mouth claims the tenderest part of me.

“Just like honey,” he mumbles, buried between my thighs, moaning with satisfaction as he devours me—stroke after languid stroke of his tongue—until stars burst, blurring my vision. My eyes roll back as I unravel beneath him, gasping, shaking, coming undone in waves of white-hot sensation.

I bite my lip, stifling my moans, knowing we’re not alone in the hotel suite.

My body arches sharply, trembling uncontrollably as he continues his sweet assault, drawing every last ripple of orgasm from me.

I grab a pillow and smother my face, crying out in ecstasy, screaming his name until my throat is ragged.

My chest heaves, my heart hammering wildly, thighs quivering around him as he slowly eases me back down, pressing gentle, lingering kisses to my sensitive flesh, softening the intensity with tender care.

Alex remains between my thighs, kissing my skin delicately. I’m still floating somewhere above the bed, limbs boneless, heart racing, when?—

The door swings open.

“Hey, I was thinking we—Oh my God!”

Riley’s voice cuts through the haze, sharp and horrified.

I scream—an honest-to-God, mortified scream—as I yank the covers over me.

Alex, to his credit, has the nerve to look amused. He sits up slightly, wiping his glistening mouth with the back of his hand before looking over his shoulder at a very pale, very shocked Riley.

“Jesus Christ, Riley!” I curse, scrambling to sit up.

Her eyes are wide as she takes in the sight of us, me flat on my back, Alex between my legs, then she slaps a hand over them. “I didn’t know you were having a religious experience in here!”

“Oh my God, get out !”

“I’m trying!” she shouts, eyes closed, arms flailing as she stumbles backward. “I can’t see where I’m going!”

Alex chuckles, completely unbothered, like he isn’t partially to blame for my current state of exposure and embarrassment.

I shove his shoulder as I scramble to sit up and recover what’s left of my dignity. “Stop laughing, this isn’t funny!”

“Oh, it’s a little funny,” he says, eyes dancing with amusement.

I glare at him. Then back at Riley, who is still standing there, shielding her eyes like she’s been permanently scarred.

“Why are you still here?!” I shriek.

She turns blindly toward the door, arms extended like a tragic, stumbling zombie. “I’m leaving, I’m leaving!”

And with that, she slams the door behind her.

A heavy silence lingers in her absence.

I collapse onto the bed, groaning. “Fuuuck.”

Alex grins, leaning over me, his lips tracing the shell of my ear. “Well…now that the moment’s ruined,” he murmurs, completely unfazed, “want to see if we can get it back?” I shove him, laughing despite my lingering mortification.

After the events of the morning, Alex and I dress, and I see him out.

“I’ll see you back in New York.” His eyes search mine, as if making sure we’re still on the same page.

“Yeah, we fly back tomorrow.”

He lingers in the doorway, his hesitation warming something inside me. Then, without a word, he leans down and presses a soft kiss to my lips—gentle, unhurried, like a silent promise.

And then he’s gone.

I close the door, exhaling deeply, my body still buzzing with the weight of the last twenty-four hours. It all feels so raw. So new.

From the other side of the hotel suite, Riley’s muffled voice rings out. “I’m coming out now!”

“It’s safe, he’s gone,” I call back, rolling my eyes.

Her door swings open, and she practically skips into the room, her expression a mix of pride, amusement, and sheer entertainment.

“Girl.”

I groan, already blushing as I run a hand over my face.

She collapses onto the couch, grinning like she’s won a prize. “You two clearly made up. There is so much to unpack here,” she announces, folding her legs beneath her like she’s gearing up for the premiere of a new movie.

I hesitate, shifting my weight from one foot to the other. “Riley…”

Her eyes widen. “Oh my God, are you about to tell me that was your first time?—”

“No!” I cut in quickly, heat creeping up my neck. “I mean, that was a first. That has never happened before.”

Her jaw drops. “And with Alexander freaking Westerberg, of all people?!”

I blush beet red.

“How does it feel having a literal A-list actor on his knees for you?”

It felt amazing, for all the reasons. But it also made me feel desired. It’s thrilling to feel this way.

I chuckle, taking a seat beside her. “Why do I tell you anything?”

“Because you refuse to go to therapy, because I’m your best friend, and because you love me.

” She yanks the pillow away and leans forward, eyes sparkling.

“And also because I live for this kind of gossip. Don’t hold out on me now.

I’ve been waiting years for you to finally get some real action. Let a girl be happy for her bestie.”

They’re all valid points.

I shake my head, but my lips betray me, curling into a small smile.

“Fine. On our date at the aquarium the other night, he, you know…” Taking my two middle fingers, I insert them into a loose fist, mimicking what Alex did to me. “And…you obviously saw what he did this morning.”

“Okay, it’s good you’re taking things slow.” Riley’s eyes are wide, and she nods.