Promises After Dark (After Dark #3) (5 page)

“Uhhh…” He groaned as his head dropped, and his eyes closed in pleasure. Resisting was too extreme an effort. “Fuuuuck.” The word sounded wrenched from him. “Just say it, Angel.”

“Fuuuuck,” she repeated with a velvety chuckle and continued to move on him, determined to get him to give in. “Satisfied?” She quipped. Clenching around him, Angel smiled wickedly.

Alex laughed but pulled out all the way, hovering above her, and she pouted. “Hardly. You’re such a little shit!” He sat on his haunches, his legs spread to anchor his position, and he grabbed Angel’s hips and pulled her forward, hard, onto his cock and she hissed. “Okay, you win—this time.”

He used slow, long thrusts, grinding hard into her clit and pubic bone. He could see himself sliding in and out of her, and it drove him nuts. He was reminded of the first time they were together after their first date at Tru. Angel reached up to hold him to her, but he was beyond arm’s length. He was teasing her until it was on the verge of torturing her. Angel knew what he was doing and decided to inflict a little torture of her own. Her hand slid up her own body, cupping her breasts and then tugging on the nipples, sultry, passion-glazed eyes meeting his as he continued to move on her. Angel bit her lip and waited for his response. His eyes fell, hooded and darkened with increased desire, as he watched her. The guttural sound deep within his throat told her how she affected him. Still, he didn’t stop his slow torment—in and out, in and out—nor did he increase his pace, content with the slow building of the incredible pleasure. She reached down to touch herself, but Alex pulled her hand up, and away. It was hotter than fuck to see her do that, but it would send him over the edge, and he wasn’t ready for it to end.

“I want us both to win. More. I need more, Alex.”

“I know what you need.” He grasped her hand and pulled her up until her chest slid along his. He wrapped an arm around her hips, pulling her closer, getting as deep into her as he could. His movements slowed, and his tongue slid up the cord of her neck. Angel’s back arched, her head fell back, and her fingers dug into his shoulders. Alex winced even as his balls tightened, and he got closer to the edge. “And I’m going to give it to you. God, I’m so deep like this. It feels amazing.”

One hand gripped her chin as Alex brought her head down. His mouth plundered then gentled, leaving Angel trembling in his arms. His muscles coiled and tightened, and he felt her thighs start to shake. He kissed her again, his tongue laving hers in between nips and tugs.

“Now, what was it you were going to tell me?” Alex insisted against her mouth.

She sighed, wanting to deny him nothing because he would give her everything in return. And, because more simply; it was the truth. “I’m all yours.”

Alex’s mouth latched onto hers then, and he kissed her over and over again, deep penetrating kisses that fueled the fire between them. Angel’s fingers tightened in his hair, and her body sucked hard on his.

Alex reached between them to brush her clit with his fingers as he exploded inside her. “Come on, baby.” He groaned as his body continued to jerk as he poured into her. “Baby, I want you to come, Angel.”

Soon she was unraveling around him, convulsing and trembling as he pushed her over the edge. He watched her face as she came, hard. Alex had been with several women, most of whom acted out the screaming, porn-star-esque scenes when they came. Angel was silent except for soft moans and panting breaths. He realized all of that was unnecessary. All he needed was this woman calling his name and clenching around his cock to transport him to a place he’d never been; her fingers pulling him closer, winding in his hair as she rode out her climax against him. His head turned and he pressed a kiss onto her temple.

“You are so damn beautiful. It hurts to look at you.”

She was left heaving in his arms as she struggled to regain control of her breathing. Alex lay down on the bed, his hands still stroking her flesh wherever he touched her, his own breath coming out in heaving pants as he pulled her back against him.

“You’re mine, too, you know,” she murmured.

His eyes were closed but he smiled. Love had become a welcome marauder in his life, and he was happy as hell at her words. She couldn’t see it, but she could feel and hear his amused huff. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever.”

Angel laughed and snuggled into his embrace, her head resting on his chest. “You want me to own it; I’m fucking owning it.”

His soft laugh echoed hers as he wrapped both arms around her. “No doubt about it,” he murmured happily as they both fell into an exhausted, sated sleep.

3
Compromise

The week passed much the same as it started. Alex and Angel spent every night together in the city, alternating between their apartments with Cole and Bancroft accompanying her the hours she was separated from Alex. There had been no trouble, and she was starting to get annoyed with the entourage. She could sense Cole getting antsy and bored as well. Who wouldn’t, with the same thing over and over, day-in and day-out? Bancroft and the others were all business and followed her around like the
Men in Black
. She felt ridiculous.

Tuesday night, they were both exhausted from their sleepless weekend sex-a-thon that had spilled over into Monday, so they agreed that abstinence, while it didn’t make the heart grow fonder, was called for. Still, the air around them vibrated and each was acutely aware of the other’s presence.

Alex glanced up from his laptop, his anxious eyes always searching for her. He was working on the contract details Mrs. Dane would add to a deal for a property he was trying to acquire in Monaco. He should have finished it at the office but brought it with him, for no other reason than he wanted to get to Angel as soon as possible.

As hot as sex was between them, they were content to just talk and hang out in each other’s company, teasing or baiting each other. Alex’s eyes followed her as she moved around him no matter which apartment they stayed in, whether she was doing laundry at her place or making dinner at his. Every once in a while, she’d run her fingers through his hair or he’d take her hand to kiss the inside of her wrist without saying a word. Alex was still in awe of his need to be close to her. They didn’t make it an hour without touching each other, and he reveled in it. So what if it was out of character? Being with her felt fucking amazing.
She
was fucking amazing.

After dinner, Angel’s phone rang, and she went into the other room to dig it out of her purse. “Hello?” Alex’s ears strained to hear who might be on the phone. “Hey, Kyle,” she said softly, going back into the kitchen to continue the conversation.

Alex flushed and his stomach clenched. He groaned inwardly. He’d just told Angel to stop worrying, so why the hell couldn’t he do the same? His skin crawled and jealousy blazed, even as he argued with himself. Alex’s chest expanded painfully with his deep intake of breath, and he ran a hand over the stubble on his jaw. He pushed the laptop away impatiently and leaned back in his chair.

He tried to justify that the burning in his shoulders and neck came from hunching over the damn thing for the last two hours and not the fact that Angel’s ex, who was clearly still into her, was on the phone. Alex told himself, over and over again, that Kyle wasn’t a threat, yet he’d seen the other man’s face when he looked at Angel and heard the tone in his voice when he spoke about her. The primeval part of him roared and had his caveman ownership of Angel shoved into overdrive. It was a lack of control and he despised it. He didn’t like feeling threatened, and he didn’t like that his logical mind was unable to quell the tightness in his chest. He hated it.
Fuck.

In reality, though, it was simple. Love breeds insecurity, and insecurity went against every confident bone in his body and everything he knew about himself. But, Alex acknowledged it was the nature of loving someone, of opening up your heart and spilling your guts on the floor at their feet. It was the quintessential giving away of power. When you love, especially in this all-consuming, gut-wrenching way, there would be the possibility of pain… even the absolute certainty of it. He snorted and ran a hand through his thick dark hair again. He even felt irritated to consider the possibility she might be swayed to leave him; let alone for some stupid fucker who’d cheated on her. It dawned on him that Angel’s insecurity echoed his own and he understood. She didn’t want to doubt any more than he did… but it seemed unavoidable. He sighed again.

In general, men don’t dive into sappy, revealing discussions about past relationships, and Alex, being Alex, was even less likely to do so. Mostly, because in life before Angel, he didn’t give a shit about who had come before him and spent zero time worrying the woman would ever end the relationship. If, on the off chance it would have happened, he would’ve simply shrugged it off and not felt the slightest twinge of regret. There were always others.
That was B.A. Before Angel.
A lot of things were B fucking A.

A sardonic smirk slid across his handsome face, and he shook his head at his thoughts. Part of him didn’t want to know any more than he already did about what went on between Angel and Kyle. But, a bigger, masochistic part—deep down in his gut—wanted to know every damn little thing. It was a searing need to know how deeply she’d felt, how far she was invested, how long they were together, and how hurt she was when he cheated on her… and, if there was a snowball’s chance in hell she’d ever want him again. He rationalized he was just sizing up an opponent in preparation for battle.
That
he could relate to.

Anyway, he is one stupid cocksucker,
Alex’s mind railed.
She couldn’t want him now.
Kyle didn’t deserve her if he’d do something as brainless as hurt her like that. Alex huffed again. But, if Kyle was a moron, what did that make
him
? Hadn’t he almost done the same damn thing with Whitney? Thank God, he hadn’t been able to cash that check. And, Kyle
had
snapped Alex out of his jealous rage with a dose of his much-needed reality. He didn’t want to like the guy, but he had to be honest; it appeared he’d learned from his mistake and put Angel first.

He shook his head in disgust. What the fuck was he doing thinking about this crap? That was over.
Long over
.

Kenneth Gant, on the other hand, Alex didn’t see as a threat. Kyle might be because emotion had been involved and Alex was quickly learning that emotion was a selfish, greedy bitch. He glanced toward the kitchen again, hating that he couldn’t help himself. The mere fact that Angel left the room to speak to Kyle in private ignited his anxiety.

He was lost in his thoughts, work forgotten, when Angel came back into the living room and sidled smoothly onto his lap. His arms came around her, and he looked up at her as her index finger slid down his left cheek. She was here with him, in his arms and Alex’s heart began to unclench.

“You look so serious. What are you thinking about?” Angel asked quietly, a gentle smile playing on her mouth.

The words welled up in his chest, as he willed himself not to speak. All he wanted to do was ask why the other man called, but he didn’t need to look like an insecure asshole. Angel bent to kiss him, first his cheek and then softly on his mouth. His mind was working, so his response was distracted.

Angel pulled back and looked into his face, summing up his expression. His eyes didn’t meet hers, and she knew his wheels were churning. She smiled gently. She could ease this worry so easily, but it was somehow endearing and cute the way he was jealous, and he didn’t know how to process it. It put his emotions on the same playing field as hers. Her hand cupped his cheek, trying to bring his mouth into more-active play. Her heart thumped inside her chest.

“Hey—” she began seductively.

Finally, Alex couldn’t help himself. “What’d he want?” he blurted out.

A short laugh made her jerk in his arms. “Shhh… just kiss me.”

Angel’s reluctance to tell him, while it sounded teasing, only pissed Alex off. His hands closed around her upper arms, and he held her away, preventing her from continuing to kiss him. He scowled at her. “What’s so damn funny? Tell me what he wanted,” he demanded, eyes flashing angrily.

Angel smiled openly now and shook her head. “Nothing!” she protested. “Apparently, they’ve had some interest from a record company. He wants me to come back to the band.”

Alex’s brow furrowed further. “That’s not nothing.”

Angel’s head fell back in frustration. When she snapped her gaze back to his, she was resigned. “It is to me.” Her expression twisted derisively. “What part of ‘Kyle and I broke up because we wanted different things’ did you miss, Alex? I’m not going to change careers.”

“Is his deal contingent on you?”

“If it is, he needs to get better at negotiation.”

Alex’s mouth thinned in irritation at the confirmation of his worry. “So, it does. Why can’t you just tell me instead of making me pull it out of you?”

“Because it’s fun,” she said simply then bit her lip playfully. A teasing smile tugged at her mouth.

“It’s fun? Why don’t I agree?”

“Oh, Alex. Come on.”

“Maybe you should do it.” As much as he didn’t want her around a man who was still in love with her and would pull no punches to get her back, it was better than having her work with criminals who had no conscience about hurting her.

“I know you.” She rolled her eyes. “You’d just worry about other crap.”

“In a different way. You wouldn’t be in physical danger, at least.”

“Right, but you know I’m not going back to the band!”

“You said that before. Before you reconnected with Kyle. Before you were almost raped and killed.” His words weren’t loud and expletive, but the serious tone told her everything.

Her eyes softened. She saw the concern and love in his eyes and wanted to comfort him. Angel snuggled further into his lap, her hands closing around his, and began running whisper-kisses along his jaw as she chose to ignore the latter part of his comment. The light stubble that shadowed his skin tickled her lips. “We haven’t reconnected! Not like you mean. One conversation can’t change the course of my life.” Her tone changed to softly coaxing as she spoke against his skin. He could feel her warm breath.

He didn’t move. “Won’t it? Are you sure? One conversation was all it took for my life to change irrevocably.”

Angel pulled back to meet his eyes. “Well, me too. But it wasn’t the conversation. It was you.”

He stared at her unflinchingly, and she was equally unwavering, brown eyes locked with intense green ones.

“Alex, really?” she goaded gently, a giddy smile spreading across her face. Still he was stoic and clearly uncomfortable. “I have to admit it makes me all kinds of happy that you’re jealous, but why?”

“We are still new, and you have history with him.”

“So? You have a bigger dick.”

He tried not to smile and didn’t quite make it. “I’m serious.”

She cocked her head and pursed her lips. “So am I.”

“Angel, stop kidding around.”

“Okay, should I worry that you’ll run back to Malibu Barbie?”

“No.”

“Just like that. No? No question. That’s it. Just,
no
.”

Alex’s thumbs began to rub circles on her hips as his hands spanned her waist.

“Yeah, no. Whitney lacked substance, and I wasn’t in love with her. You were in love with him.”

Angel couldn’t deny it, but why was his word law and hers in question? She had been in love with Kyle, but it was like comparing a spring shower to a hurricane. She tried teasing to make him feel better. The great Alex Avery was feeling anxious.

“I’m not supposed to worry when you bed-hopped across Chicago, but it’s okay for you to think I’ll run back to Kyle? Someone I haven’t been with for more than three years?” She pushed against his chest angrily and tried to get up, but his arms held her fast against him. “If you think so, then why are you suggesting I start playing with Archangel again?”

“Cut it out.”

She poked him hard in the chest with her index finger. “
You
cut it out! Maybe she fucks or
sucks
better than I do. Wasn’t that her
job
?”

Angel widened her eyes to make her point. She pushed her boobs up with both hands, letting them bounce back in place, then batted her long lashes at him in her best airhead impersonation. When he just stared at her, Angel cocked an eyebrow at him in question, trying hard not to smile. “Well?” she questioned and started singing a breathy, bimbo version of
Stupid Girls
.

Alex paused before he finally grinned, his white teeth flashing against his tanned skin. He was so beautiful; he stole Angel’s breath. “You put her out of business.”

Angel was dressed casually in those sexy, holey jeans Alex loved and a burgundy shirt that emphasized the curve of her breasts and left the top swell of cleavage open to Alex’s burning gaze. He bent his head to ghost his mouth over the top swells of her breasts, his hot breath rushing over her skin. A shiver skittered over her skin, and she stopped pulling away from him.

“Some business,” she scoffed.

“It was.” Angel jabbed him in the ribs and Alex howled. “Hey!”

“Well?”

“I know. Being insecure doesn’t sit well with me.”

“Let’s not fight about big dicks and who sucks better. You don’t want me to doubt you; so don’t doubt me. Deal?”

Alex’s face sobered, his hand moved up to push an errant tendril back from her face and behind her ear. “It’s hard to argue with your logic, but I do wonder since you loved him.”

It was Angel’s turn to pause, still straddling his lap as she considered what he wanted her to say.

“Are you saying you want to know what it was like between Kyle and I physically?”

“And Kenneth because he was recent, and I’ve met them both,” he said without pause, taking a tendril of her hair that was on her cheek and threading it behind her ear with a gentle hand.

“Seriously?” She tried to sound nonplussed.

Alex raised one eyebrow and nodded. “Against my better judgment.”

“
And
mine.”

“Though it’s my nature to be fully aware of the competition.” Alex’s eyes shot to hers and demanded she explain.

Angel sighed, knowing that male pride demanded she state the obvious. It was endearing that Alexander Avery—lover extraordinaire—would worry that any other lover would surpass his prowess.
Ever.
Angel realized it revealed he really did love her, and her heart filled, allowing any residual doubt of her own to disappear.

“Well…” she began, “Kyle was like a jack hammer—kind of all over the place, and Kenneth was like white bread.”