Pleasure's Edge (27 page)

“Dylan . . . ” He col apsed on top of her, breathing in hard, rasping pants. “Ah, that was good.”

“Mmm.”

He kissed her earlobe, gave it a smal , nibbling bite. “I’m going to be late for my ride.”

“Yes. What wil you tel Dante?”

“Nothing. He’l know.”

She only smiled at that. She felt too good to care.

Alec pushed off her, helping her to her feet.

He stood back, holding on to her hand. “I like this look on you.” He reached between her thighs and pushed two fingers into her wet heat. She leaned into him, pleasure arcing through her system, sharp and electric.

“Jesus, Alec. You’re never going to get out of here if you don’t stop that.”

“Don’t tempt me, woman. I don’t want to keep Dante waiting too long or I’d take you over my lap and spank your gorgeous ass until it was that beautiful shade of pink I love so much. I could almost get hard again already just thinking about it.” She shivered, picturing what he’d described.

“Are you sure we don’t have time?”

He laughed. “We have plenty of time after dinner tonight. Too long to wait, maybe.”

“Much too long.”

“Come with me.”

“What?”

“Come and ride with me today. Come hiking with us. Dante won’t mind. Do you like to hike?”

“Yes. But, Alec, I’m not getting on your bike.” Her chest was going unpleasantly tight simply thinking about it.

“It’s a short ride.”

“That’s not the point.”

“I thought you trusted me.”

“I do. And I wil do almost anything, Alec, anything in bed, at the club. I’l submit to you in nearly every way, but I wil not get on a motorcycle. With you, or anyone else. It’s not personal.”

“I just thought it’d be nice for you to come with us. To see that part of my life.”

Was he hurt? But she was not going to do it.

“I’m sorry. I can’t do that.”

He shrugged. But she stil didn’t know if he was upset with her.

“It’s okay.” He stroked her hair, pushing it back from her face. “It real y is, Dylan.”

“Okay.”

He leaned in, kissed her mouth, and she relaxed beneath his touch: his hand on her cheek, his lips on hers.

“I have to go. But you’l meet us tonight, Wild Ginger at eight?”

“Yes. Of course.”

He grinned at her. “That wasn’t an order, Dylan.” She blushed, thinking about Dante overhearing this conversation, then realized he would be used to such talk since Alec had mentioned that he was a dominant, as Alec was.

“Al right. I can stil be there at eight.”

“Great.” He zipped his jeans and she realized then that he’d never even undressed, just come at her, al pure, animal sex. And she was stil naked. A trembling desire ran through her system.

“Sorry to have to run,” he told her, taking her hand and brushing his lips over her knuckles.

“It’s fine.”

“Okay. Have a good day. I’l see you tonight, baby.” A smal shiver at the nickname.

Stop being such a girl.

“I’l be ready.”

He slid an arm around her waist, pul ing her close once more, murmured in her ear, “You’re always ready. Have I told you how I love that, Dylan?”

She was wet again, her limbs going warm and loose.

“You’d better go or I’m real y not going to let you out of here.”

“Bossy girl.” He laughed.

“I’m learning from the best. Go on. Have a good hike. I’l see you tonight.”

She was smiling when she closed the door behind him, picked up her robe and slid it over her shoulders. God, she was turning into such a girl. She had to remind herself that it didn’t make her any weaker. She
was
a girl. Alec was simply the first man who had ever real y made her feel like one. Maybe because he was the first one who had broken through the tough façade she felt she had to show to the world. Not al the way through, but he had certainly cracked the armor and looked inside.

And he was stil there. Stil with her.

She didn’t want to think too much about what that meant. Better to ease off and think about the girly stuff, let herself wal ow in it a little.

The one thing she didn’t want to wal ow in was their conversation about the motorcycle. She stil wasn’t sure how he felt about her adamant refusal to ride with him, but the idea was unthinkable. Even imagining him hurtling down the highway on that thing scared her.

Don’t think about that. Think about dinner tonight, being with
him again.

She went into the bathroom to shower and dress for the day.

Her eyes in the mirror were luminous, the pupils large. Her cheeks were flushed pink. And her lips looked as though they’d been bitten. She smiled at her reflection.

Everything was fine. Alec would be fine. She had to get some control over her fears. She’d been carrying them around for far too long.

Right now al she needed to worry about was what dress she’d wear tonight. Maybe she was more of a girl than she’d thought.

The day had passed quickly, and she’d gotten a dozen pages written, plus more edited. Even though she’d kept busy, Alec had been in the back of her mind al day long. She couldn’t stop thinking about him.

Standing in front of the long mirror on her wardrobe door in her black underwear and bra trimmed in pretty purple lace, she wondered which outfit she should wear. She had to meet Alec and Dante in less than an hour and she should figure it out soon. Why was it so difficult to decide?

The soft, purple wraparound dress or the gray cashmere sweater and her black skirt? Both fit her wel , showing off her figure. She held the dress up to her body. The neckline was low, the skirt flaring. She hung it on the door and held up the skirt. They were both sexy but sophisticated.

She always seemed to find her sexiest outfits to wear for him.

She supposed that made sense, since they were sleeping together. But it had never mattered quite so much before.

She hung the skirt back up. Maybe she’d wear the purple dress .

. . She liked the way the layers of fabric crossed over her breasts, leaving a deep V. She liked the softness of the fabric on her sensitized skin, the way it brushed against her legs.

She’d been hyperaware of everything for weeks, every nerve tuned in and on ful volume. Sensations, tastes, scents, sounds, it al came to her amplified, as though Alec had woken her up in every way.

Alec.

She slipped the dress over her shoulders, tied it firmly at the waist. She skipped tights, even though it was chil y outside, and settled on knee-high black suede boots instead, with a high, stacked heel. She added a simple necklace of cascading silver rings and a pair of delicate hoop earrings.

She checked her reflection in the mirror, pleased with what she saw, knew Alec would be pleased. Warmth seeped through her system.

She smiled when her cel phone rang and she saw his name on the screen.

“Alec.”

“Dylan, it’s Dante. I’m using Alec’s phone.”

“Oh. Dante. Hi.”

“Look, I don’t want you to worry, and I’m only cal ing because we’re going to be a little late for dinner.” Goose bumps crept up her spine.

“Worry about what?”

“Alec had an accident—a smal one and he’s fine—”

“An accident?”

“He real y is fine, I promise.”

“Where is he?”

“We’re at Virginia Mason Hospital, in the ER.”

“Oh my God. I’l be right there.”

“There’s no need to come. Real y.”

“I’m coming.”

She snapped her phone shut, her pulse thrumming, hot and sharp with worry. Fear.

She grabbed her coat and her purse and slammed the front door behind her. The elevator seemed to take an eternity, but final y she was downstairs, in her car and racing across town.

Those damn motorcycles. Why must men be so obsessed with them? God, if anything had happened to Alec she’d never forgive him.

She reached the hospital quickly, parked and got out of her car.

She headed for the ER and went inside.

That smel . She hated it—the scent of disinfectant and rubbing alcohol and worry. She hated the click of her heels on the pale linoleum floor. The stark coldness the pretty floral paintings on the wal could do nothing to soften. It al reminded her too much of losing Quinn. She could hardly stand it. But Alec was in here somewhere. She swal owed down the nausea and approached the desk. A nurse looked up.

“I’m looking for a . . . friend.”

“Name?” the woman asked.

“Alec Walker.”

“Dylan.”

She turned and found Alec and a tal , lanky man who must be Dante just coming through the double doors. Alec’s left arm was in a sling. Panic crept over her skin like a cold chil .

“Alec!”

“Dylan, you didn’t have to come al the way down here.”

“Are you kidding? Dante cal ed and told me you’d been hurt.”

“I’m fine. I jacked up my shoulder a little and Dante insisted I have it checked out.”

“You are not fine. You went down on your bike? Is that what happened?”

“It was nothing. I took a turn too fast and there was a pile of leaves on the road. I should have handled it better.” She wanted to tel him he shouldn’t have been on the damn bike at al . But she wouldn’t embarrass him in front of his friend. And she knew she wasn’t being entirely reasonable. But she couldn’t help it. Al she could think of was Quinn’s stil face. Quinn dead.

Her throat began to close up and she felt the hot, prickling tears at the back of her eyes.

Stop it. Calm down.

Alec moved closer, took her hand in his. It was warm.

Reassuring. If only they could get out of there, get away from that smel .

“I swear I am perfectly fine, Dylan. A little sore, nothing broken.”

“Okay. Okay.” She pul ed in a deep breath, then another, trying not to let him see.

“I’m sorry if I alarmed you,” Dante said. His eyes were a light golden brown, their expression kind. “Alec said I should cal you.”

“No, I . . . thank you. I know you were just being considerate. I was just . . . worried.”

“Nothing to worry about,” Alec insisted. “I’ve done worse in my own kitchen. Lots worse on the basketbal court.”

“That’s because you’re too bulky to play bal ,” Dante teased him.

“I kil ed you in footbal , my friend,” Alec said, his mouth quirking in a grin.

“Only because you’re a freaking giant,” Dante answered.

Dylan watched their easy exchange, stil trying to get her heartbeat to normalize. “Can we . . . are you able to leave yet?”

“Yes, sure. We were on our way out when you arrived. We were going by Dante’s place to change.” Alec was watching her, his blue gaze hard on hers. “Are you al right? You’re not going to pass out on us, are you?”

“What? Of course I’m al right. I just don’t like hospitals very much.”

He put his hand on her back, rubbing in smal circles. It made her want to cry al over again. She didn’t understand it.

“Let’s get out of here, then.”

“You can’t ride your bike like that.”

“We went by my place and traded our bikes for my car,” Dante told her.

“We can meet you at the restaurant in half an hour,” Alec said.

“You should go ahead, get yourself a drink.” She nodded. A drink sounded perfect. “Okay.” He drew her in, close to his side, brushed a kiss over her hair.

She stil wanted to cry, but the hard knot of fear in her throat was untying itself, bit by bit.

They al walked out to the parking lot together, and Alec brushed another kiss over her hair before putting her in her car. She put on a classical CD and the music and the drive soothed her, helped to calm her frayed nerves. She parked across the street from Wild Ginger.

It was the same restaurant where they’d had their first dinner date. Is that what they were doing? Dating?

She supposed she was dating this man.

Just dating.

Just sex.

She pul ed in a breath. And now he wanted her to meet his best friend, to get to know him. Did that mean something, or was she reading too much into it?

She’d asked him the other night what Dante was like, and Alec had told her he was great, smart, funny. That she’d like him, that he would love her. And when she’d asked him why he assumed that, he’d answered with “What man wouldn’t?”

Her chest knotted.

What man wouldn’t.

Maybe Alec?

Don’t be silly. That’s not what you want.

What did she want? She wasn’t certain anymore.

She sighed as she got out of the car and went inside, heading for the bar. She ordered a vodka tonic, needing the burn of the vodka tonight, trying not to think while she waited for the two men to arrive.

She hadn’t been there more than twenty minutes when they walked in, both dressed in dark slacks and shirts, Alec al broad, hulking shoulders, Dante al long legs, his dark hair short and spiky.

She saw as they moved closer that he was nearly as great-looking as Alec, with a dazzling white smile, dimples flashing in both cheeks.

Alec leaned in and kissed her cheek, warming her. “Hey. I forgot to tel you how gorgeous you look,” he whispered into her hair.

“I’m sorry we got off to such a bad start,” Dante told her, taking her hand. “I’m usual y a lot smoother.” He smiled at her, and she couldn’t help but be a bit charmed by him.

“It’s fine, real y.”

“Our table should be ready soon. Can I get you another drink?”

“Al charming manners, Dante?” Alec asked, a teasing note in his voice.

“As always, Alec.”

“This one is mine, my friend.”

“Ah, don’t think I’m not ful y aware of that.”
His?