Broken Ground: (Broken Series Book 1) (12 page)

When she moved to exit the limo, I stopped her. "Wait a second." I climbed out and held the door open, offering my hand to help her slip out. She took my hand and stepped from the car, righting herself on the sidewalk and mumbling her thanks as if she thought I was just going to climb back in and drive away. There was no way I was doing any such thing. Instead, I nodded to the entrance. "Please allow me to see you to your door, Miss Walker."

She looked momentarily perplexed by the request but smiled and nodded, threading a hand through my proffered arm and grasping my bicep.

There was a different doorman this time, one that appeared to be more sober than the last, who smiled fondly at Ali, telling her he'd missed her the last few weeks. She pretended to scowl at the older gentleman and told him he was just missing the coffee and snacks she usually brought down for him. He chuckled but told her that the treats were only part of it as he held the door for us.

I could tell she was still upset as we waited for the elevator. Her eyes were once again downcast, and there was a crease between her brows that I had come to recognize. She was still bothered by Keith's accusations and even more so because I had overheard them, which had to have been mortifying for her. Knowing I had very little time left, I tried to conjure the words necessary to fix the situation but continually came up blank.

Nothing.

Nada.

We stood in silence as the elevator climbed to her floor. When the doors opened, I motioned for her to exit ahead of me. As I followed her to her door, I struggled for something to say. Anything. I glanced over that the other apartment, grasping for a source of conversation. "I imagine it's nice only having one neighbor. My last apartment, I had three and one of them liked to have his band over to practice at all hours. Drove me crazy." I hadn't thought about that crappy apartment in ages. I was desperate for something to say.

She looked over at the closed door of 7A and nodded, reaching into her bag for her keys. "Yeah. They're pretty quiet. They're an older couple who don't get out much. Sometimes I go over to check on them and ask if I can pick up something for them at the market. She's always baking things and bringing them over. They're sweet." She mumbled 'aha' and pulled a small keyring from her purse.

She turned to face me, poised to say her goodbyes, when her clutch slipped from her fingers and fell to the floor. It landed at her feet, it's shining metallic color matching her heels. She groaned in frustration and started to retrieve it, but I held out a hand to stop her, signaling that I'd get it.

As I knelt down in front of her and reached for the bag, her breath caught. I glanced up and realized I was eye-level with the deep slit in her dress. The creamy flesh of her thigh peeked out from behind the silky gray curtain of her gown. Crouching there, I was so close I could smell the scent of whatever lotion she had used, one that made her skin shimmer in the light and beg to be touched. Whatever it was, it was making my mouth water.

I turned my face toward the opening, knowing she could feel my breath on her exposed skin. When goosebumps formed a moment later, I knew I had her attention. It wasn't intentional, at least not at first, but there was no doubt that she was aroused. I heard her breathing turn shallow as I leaned closer and picked up the purse, making sure to exhale on the way down, skimming my breath down her entire thigh and calf. She shivered as I slowly stood, our bodies mere inches apart.

I offered her the shiny bag and, when her fingers deliberately brushed over mine as she accepted it, it was my turn to shiver. Her eyes were hooded with obvious desire. Her erect nipples strained against the thin fabric of her gown.

Frigid, my ass.

As if sensing that I'd been thinking of Keith's accusation, her whole demeanor changed, her expression crestfallen. She shook herself and stepped over to unlock the door.

When she had it open, she turned to tell me good night. The look on her face was almost more than I could bear. She looked ashamed and dejected as if she truly fucking believed she was broken. "I'm sorry, Clay. I really can't do this." She smiled sadly. "I don't want to humiliate myself any further, so I'll just say goodnight, and I'll see you on Monday. Okay?"

She didn't wait for my answer, didn't look me in the eye, just closed the door with a soft click.

The look on her face as she shut that door would haunt me forever. It was a good damn thing I didn't know where Keith lived. I'd have tracked him down and broken his worthless fucking neck. But that wouldn't fix this, no amount of payback would change her mind, convince her she wasn't broken.

Revenge wouldn't help, but I knew damn well what would. I'd told Keith Ali had come for me twice tonight. Time to turn that lie into truth.

I took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

I'd been steeling myself for damnation all along... time to jump into the flames.

ALI OPENED THE door, her brows drawn together in confusion. "Clay? I thought..."

I didn't give her time to finish. I stepped over the threshold and placed my hands on both sides her face, tilting her head back so she would look me in the eye. There were streaks of moisture on her cheeks, proof that she'd been crying. I wiped them away with my thumbs and held her there. My tone garnered no argument as I spoke. "Alison, you are not frigid." She tried to look away, a defense mechanism I'd come to recognize. I leaned down into her line of sight. "How can you not see that? Out there in the hallway just now, are you telling me you felt nothing? That you weren't turned on?" She met my eye, and a blush crept into her cheeks. I nodded. "I thought so."

She gasped when my mouth crashed into hers, my kiss firm but slow. She responded instantly, her lips parting and inviting me in. I took my time slowly exploring her mouth, nibbling her lower lip, grazing her tongue with mine in slow, soft strokes. She pressed herself closer, groaning into my mouth and I responded by pressing my body into hers as I kicked the door closed behind me.

The sound of the door slamming caused her to jerk her head back, her lips swollen and pink as she studied me. Her gaze flicked to my mouth, and I knew she wanted more, but I wasn't going to kiss her again until I made my point. I left one hand cupping her face and lowered the other to her hip. When I brushed my fingers across her abdomen, her muscles fluttered involuntarily, making her shudder.

I leaned in so close that I could feel the heat from her lips, but I didn't make contact. Her eyes had drifted shut in anticipation of my kiss. When I didn't follow through, she opened them slightly, and I waited for her to look at me fully before speaking. "What about now? Are you thinking about what it would be like? The two of us together? Because I am, and it wouldn't be the first time." I brought my hand up to caress her breast through her gown paying special attention to the hardened nipple, brushing my thumb back and forth. "How do you like it, Ali? Do you want my mouth here? Sucking and licking until you're ready to explode? Swirling my tongue around that tight nipple while you're pulling my hair and grinding yourself against me?"

She threw her head back and moaned as I rolled the nub between my fingers, my mouth moving down her exposed neck. I took my time as I trailed my tongue over the sensitive flesh, stopping frequently to employ my lips, alternating suction and soft exhalations that caused her to shiver.

I'd wanted to do this for weeks, spent countless hours imagining just how she'd taste... and now I was starved for her. If I didn't go slowly, that thin thread of control would snap, and I'd take it farther than I should.

The feel of her skin on my tongue was addictive, consuming. My entire body was attuned to it, in the same way an addict must feel at the precise moment he gets his fix.

It was euphoric skimming her flesh with my mouth, hearing her fast, shallow breaths as I explored.

When I reached the dip between her neck and collarbone, I flicked my tongue across the crevice over and over, doing exactly what I planned to do when I made my way to her sweet pussy. A little preview so she'd know just how fucking serious I was about making her come.

Her chest heaved under my mouth, her hands on the back of my neck pulling me into her. Soft whimpers escaped as she panted, causing my cock to swell painfully against the constraint of my slacks. Shit. Those little noises she was making turned me on more fiercely than anything I'd ever heard in my life. It was such an honest, pure sound. Nothing forced or attention seeking about it. She wasn't playing a part or doing what she thought was expected. It was genuine enjoyment, and it made me want to rip the expensive dress from her body and bury myself inside her just to see what those moans felt like from the inside.

Her whole body shook with desire, she tossed her head from side to side as she fought to hold herself upright, her legs trembling beneath her. She needed to brace herself against something, fast.

I returned my attention to her mouth as I spun us around and backed her up against the door. She leaned back against it and sighed into my mouth. Satisfied that she wasn't going to fall, she took control of the kiss, gently sucking my tongue before nipping at my lip and starting over. Jesus, this woman could kiss better than most women fucked.

While she drove me absolutely crazy with her mouth, I slid my hand up her outer thigh, tracing the slit in her gown and caressed the warm skin with my fingertips. I barely held back a smile when she shifted to press her core against my leg. She probably hadn't even been aware of it, she was just that responsive.

Not one to disappoint, I pressed my thigh into her, the heat of her body easily felt through the layers of fabric between us. She shuddered and sucked my lower lip. Hard.

Fuck. Who was supposed to be coming, me or her?
I had to focus, or I would forget the point of this.

I pulled my leg back, the loss of heat immediate. She whimpered in frustration, which was just as sexy as the whimpers of pleasure. Hmm... teasing her might be fun.

Next time.

No, there was only tonight. There would be no next time. I'd prove to her that she wasn't broken, and that would be the end of it. But I'd damn well enjoy tonight. Watching her come would be better than any orgasm I'd ever fucking had.

I slipped my hand into the opening in the gown and moved it to make space so I could continue my exploration and rub her through what felt like silk panties. I kept my attention away from her clit, knowing that was exactly where she wanted me but enjoying myself too much to rush things. I skimmed the back of my hand across her mound, realizing that she was waxed completely bare beneath the thin fabric, causing a low growl of appreciation to rumble deep in my throat.

I moved my other hand to the back of her neck, gripping the hair at her nape and softly tugged until she pulled her mouth away from mine and met my eye. "Do you feel that?" I zeroed in on her clit with my fingers, her panties already so damp I could feel her arousal on my fingers. "You're drenched. You're dripping wet and ready for me." Her hooded eyes rolled back as I ran two fingers up her slit, pressing firmly over her clit and circling it over and over. When she looked at me again, I pressed a quick kiss to her lips and held her eye. "Tonight isn't about me, though. This," I licked her lower lip, "is about you. Everything tonight is for you, to show you just how fucking perfect you are." I pressed my forehead against hers, my voice dropping to a whisper. "Did you hear me, Alison? You're absolutely perfect, and I'm about to prove it."

She tried to nod, but I shook my head and raised a brow in question. I needed to hear her say it, no misunderstanding, no mixed signals. Eventually, she found her voice, low and raspy with desire. "Yes, please don't stop."

That was all I needed to hear.

I pushed the slip of fabric aside and plunged two fingers into her dripping pussy, the tightness surprising me. Christ, she was snug. My dick twitched in my pants, protesting its captivity. Ignoring it, I withdrew my fingers and brought them to my lips. Ali's eyes widened as she watched me lick them clean, groaning in pleasure as I lapped up her sweet juices before plunging them back inside her. I worked her with my hand, thumb poised over her swollen clit as I thrust into her again and again.

It wasn't long before I felt her walls tighten around my fingers, her body tensing as the orgasm built inside her. I pressed my lips to the spot just above her collarbone, knowing it was particularly sensitive. I flicked my tongue over it as I dipped my fingers into her and used my thumb to rub slow circles over her throbbing clit.

She leaned her cheek against the top of my head and gasped as the orgasm ripped through her. She threw her head back, and I snapped mine up so I could watch, not about to miss one second. Her expression was a mixture of shock and rapture, as I knew it would be. Her pussy milked my fingers as I continued to stroke her, pushing against the sweet spot just behind her pubic bone and making her cry out as she came. I wrapped my free arm around her waist and held her up, seeing that her legs were starting to give out as she rode my hand, gasping and calling my name. My cock pulsed, and I thought I might come right there.