Wanted (Addicted Trilogy Book 3) (6 page)

He chuckled and shook his head. I knew the state I was in was
going to be enough for him to hold over my head for years to come. Not since we
were in our early twenties had I drank to such an excess.

“No. Unlike you, I haven’t had much to drink, so I’ll be fine to
get home on my own.”

“Okay, dress yourself then.”

“Don’t you mean suit yourself? Boy, you’re really gone aren’t
you? Do you need me to hold your hand and put you to bed?” he teased.
 

“Fuck you.” I laughed, giving him the finger as I situated myself
in the backseat of the town car.

 
Once I made eye contact
with the driver, I spouted out Sara’s address and settled in for the ride.

I hope I don’t pass out.

Sara

A loud crash in my living room woke me from a sound sleep. I instantly
shot up in bed, clutching the covers under my chin as if the material was going
to protect me somehow.

I strained to hear something, anything, but it was quiet. A few
seconds into my paranoia, I heard someone walking down the hallway, running
their hands along the sides of the walls as they approached my bedroom door.

The handle jiggled before the door crashed open.

There in the hallway stood a tall figure and at first I was
terrified, until I realized it was Alek. Reaching for the bedside lamp, I
flicked it on, illuminating the room enough to see his looming form.

He didn’t move, just stood there staring at me. His hair was
disheveled, as were the clothes he wore. The black tie around his neck was
lopsided, his white dress shirt sloppily hanging over his suit pants. He looked
a mess, yet still completely sexy.

It wasn’t until he was near the bed did I notice he was swaying, barely
exerting enough energy to remain on his feet. When I glanced up into his face,
my breath rested in my throat. The look in his eyes was daunting. Hopelessness
had taken over, and I wasn’t quite sure why.

We were doing so well lately, all things considered, and I didn’t
want anything to upset our delicate balance. Sure, he still had his demanding
ways but I was used to dealing with him, so whatever tiffs arose were quickly
resolved. All I wanted to do was move forward with our lives.

I’d planned to have a conversation with him over the next few
days about moving back in with him. Officially and for good. He had been asking
me more frequently as of late and I’d refuted him each time, not wanting to
upset the progress we’d been able to make in our relationship. Many things had happened
during the short time we’d known each other but thankfully, we’d been able to
forge ahead.

My decision to live with him made sense. If I wanted our
relationship to move forward, it would be the next logical step. Plus, I hated
traveling back and forth between my place and his. I wanted one location we could
both call home.

There was something else I’d been holding back, as well. Three
words. I tried to tell him I loved him once before but he’d been sleeping. I
wanted him to hear my words, to see the affection for him shining in my eyes as
I spoke those words to him. I wasn’t holding back any longer, especially
glancing at the look of despair etched into his face. I wanted to rid him of
whatever was bothering him, and I knew my words would do it. Professing my love
for him while he was drunk wasn’t ideal, but I didn’t want to shut myself off
any longer. Although, if I’d thought about it, the first time he told me he
loved me was not perfect, either. The important thing was we
did
love each other and those feelings
should never be stifled, no matter what was happening around us.
 

 
Alek moved closer until
his knees hit the bed, reaching down so he could touch my face. “I love you,
Sara. I always will, no matter what.” The last few words were slurred, but I
heard him clearly enough. He sounded conflicted about something, and it was obviously
bothering him. Anguish and heartache were evident in his beautiful green eyes,
even as he professed his love to me.

I reached out and tried to pull him next to me but he remained
standing, which was a feat considering he looked like he’d drank himself into
oblivion.

His next words rang out into the silence of the room, confusing
me even more. “I need to protect you, but I can’t…not this close to you.”

My heart skipped a beat.
 
“What are you talking about, Alek? Why are you being so weird right
now?” He was starting to freak me out but instead of delving into whatever he
meant with his words, I decided to ignore it, against my better judgement, and
switch the subject. “Why don’t you let me help you undress, then we can go to
bed,” I offered. Looking into his gorgeous face, I silently pleaded with him to
comply.

Letting out a breathy sigh, he replied, “Okay.”

I moved to the edge of the bed and helped him remove his suit
jacket. He kicked off his shoes and socks as I unbuttoned his shirt. My
fingertips grazed his skin as I pushed the expensive fabric off his shoulders. He
stood in front of me and waited for me to remove his pants. Slipping his belt
through the loops, I yanked it free and tossed it to the floor. The clink of
the buckle rang out across the room, the only other sounds coming from our
anticipating breaths. My hand grazed over his erection as I slipped the pants
down his muscular thighs. Before I could free him from his boxer briefs, he
whipped them off so fast I was surprised he didn’t fall over in his haste to
toss them aside.

Running my hands all over his chest, I parted my lips and leaned
forward. I wanted to kiss and suck his sinewy skin, but before I made contact,
he gripped my arms and pulled me into him, crashing his chest against mine.

“I want to make love to you, Sara. I want to cherish and remember
this.”

Again I chose to ignore his statement, instead moving my face
close to his. “I don’t think you’re in any state to do such a thing right now.”
Truth be told, I was shocked he was able to become hard. I’d never seen Alek intoxicated
before, but I had assumed men couldn’t perform if they had too much to drink. Alexa
had complained about it before with previous sexual conquests. But I should
have known Alek would defy the typical circumstance.

“I’m as hard as a rock. All I need is your sweet pussy to take me
home.” His mouth claimed me, nipping and tasting as if he hadn’t kissed me in
weeks. He turned and flopped on his back, laughing as he took me with him. My
fingers weaved through his thick hair, holding him in place as I returned his
relentless passion. Breaking the kiss briefly to inch up the bed, he pulled me
along with him, moving me so I was straddling his lap. I had nothing but a
flimsy pair of panties covering me, a tiny camisole shielding my chest from his
eyes. His hands moved from my waist, up my body and searched for my breasts. When
he’d made contact, he pinched my nipples, teasing and tormenting me until they
pebbled under his touch.

“Do you want me to take this off?” I asked as I bit my lip in
expectation.

“Uh-huh,” he mumbled. His eyes were glassy but he was fully in
the moment, never taking his gaze from my face. His tongue snuck out to wet his
lower lip. The sight spurred me further, lowering myself so I could taste him. While
he smelled like liquor, my need for him pushed me forward until our tongues
danced together, dueling and vying for dominance over the other.

He was winning.

Coming up for air, I quickly pulled the cami over my head and tossed
it to the side. Before I could remove my last piece of clothing, he moved his
hands back to my hips and ripped the material from my body with one swift motion.

“Oops. So sorry,” he garbled. His grin gave him away, trying to
be playful and in control all at the same time.

“I’m not.” I tried to make a joke, but there was nothing funny
about the need pulsating between us. I wanted him to bury his beautiful self so
deep inside me, it would be impossible for one of us to move without the other.

Before I could plead for him to take me, he raised me up and
placed me so I was hovering over the tip of his cock. “Aren’t you forgetting
something?” I asked, a look of confusion playing on his face.

It took him some time but it finally registered he needed to put
on a condom. My need to connect with him wouldn’t deter us from being safe.

“Oh, yeah.” I half-expected him to roll his eyes or make a
comment, trying to convince me otherwise, but he didn’t.

As soon as the protection was rolled all the way on, he entered
me in one quick thrust, causing both of us to cry out. I thought in his current
state he was going to take me hard and fast, but instead he stayed true to his
word.

He made love to me.

Slow and sensual.

“Come here, baby.” He pulled me close to his mouth so he could
savor me. “I love you so much.” His lips were gentle against my own, his teeth
coming out to play every so often, nipping my swollen lip. He was driving me
crazy; so much so I tried to increase the pace but he would slow down even
more.

I found my perfect opportunity to express exactly how I felt
about the man who was deliciously driving me crazy. Placing my hands on his
chest, I slowed our movements until I made him stop. The look on my face caused
him to tip his head to the side in confusion.

“I love you, Alek. I’m so sorry I haven’t told you before now. I
tried to tell you once, but you had fallen asleep. Then…the next day…” I
couldn’t finish my sentence. I didn’t want anything from the past to taint the
tender moment happening between us right then.

He remained silent, staring at me as if I was a stranger. He
looked perplexed, as if he was battling a war inside his head. “Alek? Are you
all right?”
Maybe it’s the alcohol
jumbling his brain.

A few of the longest seconds passed before he answered me. “You
love me?” he asked, a sexy smile tipping up the corners of his gorgeous lips.

“Of course I do. I’ve loved you for some time.”

“Not as long as I’ve loved you.” He groaned before pulling me in
for another heart-stopping kiss.

My body rocked on top of his, the gentle friction against my clit
driving me insane. There was definitely something to taking it slow. His hands
reached further down my body and gripped my ass, driving himself in deeper,
pulling me even closer. He rained kisses along my jaw, moving to nip his
favorite spot below my ear before making his way back to consume my mouth.

My breathing changed, my heart ramming against my chest as my
fingers dug into the thick of his hair. The sweetest pressure built inside me
and I chased the feeling like I’d never done before. He knew I was on the
precipice of exploding soon, so in one fluid movement he flipped me on my back,
thrusting into me with a need he’d been holding back until right then. Gone was
the sweet and slow, but I wasn’t complaining. I loved when Alek couldn’t
contain his passion for me, taking me hard and fast until he pushed me toward
the edge of bliss.
 

“Alek,” I panted. “I’m so close. Are you almost there? I want you…to
come…with me. Please.” I buried my face in his neck, letting his essence invade
my nose, intoxicating me with his masculine scent.

“Yes…but I don’t want this to end. Ever. I love being inside you.
I can’t function without it.” His hips plunged forward, increasing his pace as
he chased his orgasm. “Tell me you love me again. I need to hear you tell me,”
he demanded as he punished my body with his need.

“I love you, baby. I love you so much.” Our mouths crashed
together, our breath mingling, muffling our cries as we both fell over the
cliff.

I would never get enough of his exquisite touch. He knew exactly
what to do to make my body come alive. And the way he was able to affect my
emotions was incredible, the good
and
the bad. In reality, he was the answer to every prayer I’d ever had, and I knew
my heart would never be mine again.

It belonged only to him.

Forever.

After we came back down from our high, he moved so he was cradling
me from behind, his fingers caressing the soft skin of my belly.

We fell asleep wrapped in each other’s arms.

The next morning, I woke up to an empty bed and an uneasy feeling
wrapped around my heart. He said some pretty strange things the night before,
and I prayed his words were solely a result of the alcohol he’d consumed.

Don’t become paranoid now,
Sara. Not after everything you’ve been through together.

The next couple of days Alek seemed distant, evasive even.
 
When I asked him if there was anything wrong,
he would placate my concern by telling me he was stressing about a building
issue with a new hotel.

I believed him.

Alek

I continued to struggle with the dreaded emotion which seemed to
snatch my very sanity. Everything swirling around inside me barely made sense. I
knew in order to keep her completely safe I would have to take a step back, but
of course, I was finding the feat extremely difficult.
 

How could I walk away from the only woman I’d ever loved?

How could I breathe if she wasn’t in my life?

But something had to give. And I feared it was going to be my
heart.

I tried to keep as busy as possible, slowly distancing myself
from her, first physically then emotionally. I quickly learned both were nearly
impossible. I had to keep drudging on, though, if I was going to ensure nothing
bad would ever happen to her again.

I was grateful for every single moment Sara bestowed on me,
putting up with my ranting and mostly unreasonable demands. She didn’t
understand the protective need I had over her. She would never fully understand,
I suppose, no matter how many times I tried to explain it to her.

My promise to her grandmother so many years before started off
innocent enough but it turned into something deeper. It turned into my need to
save her from the dangers lurking behind every corner, to save her from
herself.

I knew Samuel was her biggest threat and he’d been extinguished,
but the tragic situation only drove home how unfocused I’d really become those
past few months.

I knew I sounded paranoid, but it was the way it had to be if I
was going to protect Sara once and for all.