Beautifully Twisted (17 page)

“What did you expect me to do? You told me to leave, that I meant nothing, and you would find another toy before I was even out of the state of New York. Your words, Scotty. Remember?”

“I loved you even then. I know I did.”

“That’s how you talk to someone you love?”

Scott stares at Alexa for a moment, his mind racing with a million words he wants to say. Whether it’s the alcohol in his blood or just the overwhelming emotion building in him, his eyes begin to well with tears, something he is positive has never happened before. He walks back to her and puts his arms around her waist, pulling her close, thankful when she doesn’t back away.

“Alexa…” he says, shaking his head. “Would you have taken this opportunity if I told you I loved you? If I told you I couldn’t imagine my life without you in it? Would you have left if I said that I would rather die than wake up in a bed that you weren’t in?”

Alexa studies his face for a moment, wiping a tear that falls down his cheek. She almost doesn’t believe this is happening. “Scotty…” she whispers, moved that he was revealing such emotion.

Scott buries his face in her hair, inhaling the pleasant scent of it. “I had to say those things or you wouldn’t go.”

“Why did you want me to leave?”

“We’ve been over this,” he says, looking up at her. “I knew you were getting the call for London and I promised you. I gave you my word. It would have been selfish of me to hold you back just so I could keep you. If I had any idea you loved me too, I would have tried harder to keep you. But I don’t know how you feel.”

“I don’t either. You spent so much time teaching me how to hide my feelings, sometimes they hide from me too.”

“You’ve never let anyone else be inside you. Why?”

“I told you.”

“Tell me again.”

She stares at him. As good as he is at getting her to hide her emotions he’s just as good at getting her to explore them.

“I couldn’t.”

“Why?”

“Because.”

“Because why, baby girl?” He smiles, his sobriety starting to settle back in.

Alexa sighs, knowing she simply can’t avoid this any longer. Even though she fought it, she wants to say these words to him. She wants to see the look in his eyes. Those beautiful dark eyes filled with emotion for her. “Because, Scotty. I belong to you.”

His face lights up. “Tell me, Alexa, tell me you’re back.”

She stares in his eyes, praying that what she sees is reassuring and it is. “I’m back, Scotty. I couldn’t walk away now if I tried.”

Scott kisses her forehead. “I’ll take care of you this time. I’ll make up for all the bad things that happened. I swear it.”

Alexa leans her head against his chest as tears stream down her cheeks.

“I can’t shake the feeling that we’ll end up apart again.”

~ Alexa

“Lexi, baby girl, let’s go to bed now. Just sleep, we’ve both had a long night and I just want to be with you, hold you in my arms, and enjoy this time. I want your face to be the first one I see when I wake up tomorrow, like how it used to be.”

She nods her head in a daze. She cannot believe what just happened between them. Scotty loves her? Now he wants to go to bed with her without sex? She has a sudden desire to look outside to check for end of the world meteor showers.

“In the morning, I want to take you to breakfast before work. Then I will give you the space you need to work while I go and take care of things with Brett.”

“What are you going to take care of, Scotty?”

“I owe him an apology.” She looks up surprised. “He owes me one too.”

“Why?”

“Because he pursued you after I asked him not to.”

“He said he didn’t know how involved you were with me until today. Is that true?”

He nods his head. “Yeah, I played it cool for many reasons. One, that was between us and I didn’t want it altering his view of you. Also, we’ve always had a rivalry, you know, which one could get the girl first. I figured if he thought I wasn’t interested in you, maybe he wouldn’t chase. I should have realized you’re hot enough to make him chase anyway. It’s the reason I never wanted him to meet you before.”

“I don’t think he was doing it to be mean to you.”

He shakes his head. “No, he wasn’t. He pursued you, not to piss me off or compete, but because you’re so fucking beautiful. He got a hard-on the minute he laid eyes on you.”

She crinkles her nose. She knew this already. “I honestly didn’t mean anything to happen with me and him. I initially said yes just to piss you off, you know that.”

He nods. “But then you liked him?”

“I’m going to be honest. If I didn’t feel the way I do about you, I think I would like him. He’s a really nice guy.”

“I know. Much nicer than me.”

“Different than you.”

“Did he excite you as much I used to?”

“Is he the one lying next to me right now?”

“No.” He grins. “But he wanted to.”

“Yeah, he did. Big deal. A lot of guys want to fuck me.”

“I know. I love it and hate it all at the same time.” He brushes his finger across her cheek. “How far did he get? I just need to know.”

“Why, Scotty?”

“How far? Tell me now and I won’t ask again, I promise. It will drive me crazy until I know.”

“Just kissing. A little touching. That’s all. I swear.”

She watches his temple twitch as he sucks in his breath and then slowly releases it. “Did you touch him?”

“Not at all.”

“You swear?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. I can deal with this. You didn’t give anything to him. You’re still just mine?”

“That’s right.”

“Thank you for telling me.”

“You’re welcome. You know, you’re lucky I don’t know how many women you’ve had after me, Scotty.”

“That’s easy. None.”

She laughs. “Don’t fucking lie to me. I’m being very honest. Even though I know you don’t want to hear about me and Brett, I told you the truth because you wanted it.”

“I’m telling you the truth, baby girl. No one. I think we’ve been acting out in exactly the same way. I pick up the girl, take her out, and take her back to the playroom. Tie her up, smack her around a bit, and then send her packing.”

“You’re serious?”

“Very. A few times,” he shakes his head, “I couldn’t even get it up. I wasn’t turned on. After about the tenth incident like this, I knew I had to either get you back or give up women for good. Then Brett tells me he wants to meet you because of how well the London office was doing. Two things went through my head: that I knew I was in love with you and that I couldn’t let Brett have you. I knew once he laid eyes on you, he would go after it.”

“You were right.”

“So, if I wasn’t here, if I never came back, you would date Brett?”

She shrugs her shoulders. “I have no idea. I reacted to Brett the way I did because of you. For all I know, he could’ve just been another play thing for me that I used and abused. No way to know at this point.”

“I don’t know if Brett would be up for that.”

Her lips curl into a smirk. “I can be very persuasive.”

“That I know.” He lifts her hand to his mouth and kisses it. “I’m so happy to be here with you…this way…not fighting and battling each other.”

“I’m glad too.”

“Are you?”

She nods.

“Come away with me this weekend. We’ll go to the castle and make love, and talk, and just be together. We’ll start over. Would you like that?”

“Yes, I would. There’s just one thing I haven’t figured out yet.”

“What’s that?”

“How this is going to end well. You live in New York and I can’t shake the feeling that we’ll end up apart again.”

“Alexa, sweet girl,” he leans over and kisses her neck, softly, “I didn’t come all this way just to let you go again. We’ll figure it out together. You have to trust me, like you always have.”

He’s right, she did trust him. So much so that she would let him do anything to her. She’s not sure how many crazy things he suggested over the years, but she always knew he wouldn’t hurt her, wouldn’t go too far. It’s just that it was never about her heart before. It was always about sex. This was a new place for them.

Alexa looks into his eyes, astounded by their warmth and sincerity. She’s never seen Scott so tender before and it warms her frigid heart.

“I trust you, Scotty.”

He gives her a big smile. “Good, let’s sleep now.”

Alexa blinks her eyes open, hoping for Scotty to be there. He’s not. She pulls herself up and walks to the bathroom to brush her teeth. Staring at herself in the mirror, she sees an expression that is foreign even to her. She looks… happy.

She walks out to the living room, then to the kitchen. It’s still dark outside and she wonders where Scotty went. Her first instinct is fear that he panicked and left before her eyes catch the note sticking to her coffee machine.

“I’m coming back. Just getting coffee and food. I love you. SP”

She leans back against the counter and smiles. He’s coming back. She heads back to her bedroom to start the shower. Stepping in, she stands under the hot water, letting it wash over her. She notices him entering the room. He pulls the glass door open and stands before her, his nakedness on full display, a grin across his lips.

“Good morning, baby girl. Did you sleep well?”

“I did, but I’d like to wake up and have you still next to me.”

“I’ll work on that. I wanted to get breakfast before we had to head out to work.”

He steps in behind her, running his hands down her back. “Let me wash you.”

She hands him the body wash and turns towards him, soaking in his glorious body. His hands begin at her shoulders, massaging gently as he moves down her back, pulling her closer to him. She looks up and stares into his eyes. He smiles at her and kisses the tip of her nose.

His hands glide over her breasts, squeezing gently, before moving down her backside. She leans into him, wanting him so badly. She reaches her hands out to touch him but he pushes her arms down.

“You can’t touch me. If you do, I won’t be able to control myself.”

She kisses his chest. “You don’t have to. You can have me, Scotty.”

“I want to make love to you, not just fuck you in the shower.”

“Hey,” she slides closer so he’s forced to look at her, “making love is defined by us. I want you and I want this between us, very much right now.”

He runs his hands through her wet hair and tugs gently. She leans her head back, baring her throat for him and he kisses it, sucking softly.

“You are so fucking beautiful, Alexa. I can’t believe I’m holding you right now.” He shakes his head and kisses her neck again.

“You are holding me, Scotty. Just please… make love to me now.”

Scott grabs her by the waist and lifts her up, pressing her back against the shower wall. He kisses her, sucking her lips into his mouth, nibbling softly as he does. She wraps her legs around his waist, feeling small and weightless in his powerful arms. She grips his neck tightly, holding on to him with all her might. He breaks away from kissing her and stares in her eyes.