Page 28 of Twenty Years Later

Oh, boy, was I really going to cry about Blake in front of Alex? And then he was right next to me, wrapping his arms around me, pulling me in close to him.

"Sorry," I said, my voice muffled against his shoulder.

"Don't be sorry."

His arms squeezed me in tighter, and I tried to breathe through the tangle of emotions I was feeling, something I'd been doing for years. As he held me close, I thought of those early days right after Blake had died when I was a tortured mess of hormones and grief and how I had cried pretty much all day every day.

Thankfully, those times had eventually passed, and the pure agony had gradually lessened to a dull ache. But the tears still bombarded me at the strangest times, like a certain familiar look from Audrey, a song at the grocery store, or sympathetic words like Alex had just offered.

My own arms went around him as I sought comfort from his big solid body that felt so strong, so healthy, like he was indestructible. And I selfishly started to crave that closeness, that intimacy, with him.

Slowly, I lifted my head and dared to glance at him, unsure of what I'd see. But when our eyes met, he seemed to look into my very soul with such sweetness and compassion that the tears threatened to come back.

But instead of giving in to the sadness, I leaned forward, determined to show this man in front of me how grateful I was for his thoughtfulness. I brushed my lips against his almost in an invitation, and his low groan was my answer. For a moment, our mouths moved together slowly as I savored the taste of him, the wine on his lips.

His tongue traced my lower lip, and his hands moved to my cheeks, drawing me nearer. Our kiss turned into something different, something fierce and fiery. He hauled me onto his lap, and the angle was even better as our kisses became more heated and carnal. My head was spinning at what this man was capable of, how he made me feel, how he made me abandon all other thoughts.

Leaning his forehead against mine, Alex paused, his breathing heavy. "God, what you do to me."

I closed my eyes at his words, almost the exact thing I had been thinking. He leaned back, and I opened my eyes to see him staring at me.

"What?" I asked, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

"Just thinking how beautiful you are, how sweet you were with my daughter, how much I... how much I want you."

That ache in my chest spread throughout my body as the need for him became something alive. "I want you too."

Those words set off a firestorm as his mouth returned to blazing kisses and his hands explored my body. He stood up with me in his arms and slowly carried me down the hall, holding me against his strong chest, kissing my cheeks, my forehead, and then my lips again. I could feel his heart pound along with mine in anticipation.

We entered his bedroom, where he gently let go of my legs and pulled my body flush with his. I stood on my tiptoes as my arms reached around his neck, my hands in his hair drawing him closer, wanting more, wanting all of this man.

He nibbled on my lip, sending shockwaves down my body while his hands worked the buttons on my shirt, his fingers brushing against my bare skin adding to my trembling.

A muffled noise from down the hall made us pause, looking at each other, frozen and waiting to see what would happen.

"Dadadada?" Gabby called out.

Alex sighed the sigh of a very frustrated man. "Sorry."

I shook my head. "Don't even worry about it. I've so been there."

More noises came from Gabby's room, and Alex looked uncomfortable, dragging his hand through his hair. I wondered whether to leave, suddenly feeling kind of awkward and in the way.

I reached for my cell in my back pocket. "Maybe I should get going."

"Please don't go," Alex said, his deep voice vibrating through my body.

While I debated what to do, Gabby's fussing grew louder.

"Will you wait for me?" he asked, his eyes pleading.

The sensual promise in his voice was impossible to resist. "Sure."

He let out a sigh and kissed me softly on the lips. "Thank you." Pointing to the closet, he said, "Feel free to grab a t-shirt or something more comfortable."

I nodded as he rushed off to help a very loud Gabby. Still feeling a little strange, I opened the closet and saw a bunch of nice shirts hanging up but no comfy t-shirts. Next, I noticed some drawers and tried opening those. Lots of boxers thrown in there and... was that a pair covered with Santas? I stifled a giggle.

With the next drawer, I hit the jackpot—tons of casual shirts. I pulled out a worn Dolphins t-shirt and slipped it on, debating whether to take off my bra or not. Still undecided, I sat on his bed and noticed a small video baby monitor similar to the one I had. I flipped it on and smiled at the sight of Alex walking around holding Gabby, singing something in a slightly off-key voice.

---