Wicked Magic (7 page)

Alex reached for one of Chandler’s hands as her body rocked back and forth. “Touch me.”

A few firm circles against Alex’s clit was all it took before she came hard against Chandler’s leg.

When it was over, she fell forward and sunk into Chandler’s open arms. As Alex attempted to catch her breath, Chandler held her close and caressed her as she luxuriated in the warm press of her body.

“Are you are okay?” Alex asked with a touch of concern in her voice.

“I’m good, really good.”

“I’m glad, because we’re just getting started.”

Chandler woke up the next morning to the sensation of a warm, naked body pressed up against her back. Possessive arms wrapped around her, while the exhale of hot breath caressed her upper shoulder. Unlike the other morning, she knew where she was.

As she lay still and tried not to wake up Alex, Chandler sorted through the events of last night. Her stomach flipped and she smiled as she replayed all the things they'd done to one another. She still couldn’t believe it had actually happened. The whole thing was out of character for her, but her attraction to Alex was so strong that she’d found it impossible to resist her.

Now that they’d slept together, Chandler wondered what to expect. Was it only a onetime fun-filled night of sex, or did Alex intend for it to lead to something more? Chandler hated being so inexperienced. It made her feel younger than she was.

Then there was Kara. How would she react when she found out? She didn’t believe her friend would ever disapprove. What worried her was whether or not Kara would manage to keep her mouth shut once she knew. It wasn’t that Kara blabbed on purpose. She didn’t have much of a filter. She’d get caught up in the moment and the information would slip.

Until she figured out how she felt about what was happening between her and Alex, Chandler didn’t want anyone to know. For now, that included Kara. Keeping it from her was going to be tricky.

Chandler was so stuck inside her head that it surprised her when she felt Alex’s hand cover her breast. She sucked in a breath when Alex toyed with her nipple.

“Good morning,” Alex said. Her voice was husky, still heavy with sleep.

“Morning.” She squeezed her legs together, surprised how fast her body reacted to Alex’s touch. Everything she’d been obsessing about was suddenly pushed aside.

“Did you sleep well?” Alex kissed her shoulder as she moved her other hand down between Chandler’s legs.

Chandler closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath. “Y-yes. What sleep I-I did get.”

“Mm, me too.”

“Are—are we just, um, just going to stay in bed today?”

“Unless you had something else more fun in mind.”

“Well, I’m kind of hungry.”

“Yes, we managed to get sidetracked before we had dinner, didn’t we?”

“Yes.”

Alex removed her hands and directed Chandler to maneuver her body so they were facing one another. “Then we’d better feed you.” Alex pressed a brief kiss to Chandler’s lips. “I have an eventful day planned for you. I wouldn’t want you to run out of energy.”

* * * *

It was Sunday evening before Chandler returned to her own house. College classes started the next day, and she wanted to allow Alex some time to prepare. Alex tried to get her to stay, but Chandler knew all she’d be was a distraction if she did. So they parted, and promised to meet up with one another tomorrow evening.

Sneaking across her yard, Chandler made her way up to the front door of her house. She was glad that Kara’s in-laws had been in town to keep her occupied. Otherwise, she would have noticed that she hadn’t been home for the last couple days.

After taking a quick shower, Chandler dressed in her sleep clothes and then grabbed her laptop. She sat cross-legged on her bed with her computer balanced on her lap as she logged into her email. Having spent the weekend with Alex instead of working, she needed to make certain there wasn’t anything pressing that she needed to address before going to bed. Her messages were a mix of personal and business.

It took her about an hour and a half to respond back to everyone. When she was finished, she found herself thinking about Alex, and wondering what she was doing. As her brain was flooded with naughty thoughts, she considered grabbing some things and going back over to Alex’s house. Her big bed felt so empty with only her in it. As much as she wanted to act on her impulses, she didn’t want Alex to be tired on her first day of school. If she went over, they’d end up having sex all night. That wasn’t fair to Alex when she had the freedom to begin her work day at any time.

With her computer still in her lap, Chandler found herself staring at the internet search prompt. Next thing she knew, she was typing Alex’s full name in the box. The mouse pointer hovered over the search button as she hesitated. Was it wrong to check Alex out this way? When they did talk, Alex seemed to be forthcoming about anything she wanted to know.

Before she knew what she was doing, Chandler had activated the search. Several websites came up, along with a few pictures of Alex. As soon as Chandler had opened one website, opening the others was much easier. She sorted through the libraries of Alex’s photos, which showed the men and women she’d photographed as well as the scenic and abstract shots. Alex had a talent for extracting beauty through the lens of her camera, no matter how plain the object was. No wonder they called her
The
Queen of Beautiful Images
.

As she scrolled through the photos, a few stood out. Chandler remembered seeing them displayed in Alex’s home, amongst the other artwork she collected.

When she came to a website that documented Alex’s love life, Chandler found herself obsessed to see who Alex had dated before her. A mix of men and women populated the page. All beautiful people, fashionably dressed, appearing more sophisticated than Chandler pictured herself. The more she looked, the more insecure she felt. When she came across pictures of the woman Alex had been involved with before she left New York City, she became jealous.

Her name was Millie Winters. She was long and lean, at least four inches taller than Alex. She had shoulder-length blonde hair, bright blue eyes and an arrogant smile. It was obvious she was a model. The bitchy attitude was captured in the photo.

As beautiful as the woman was, she wasn’t as pretty as Alex. There was a phoniness that came across in the photo that made her appear to look almost plastic and lifeless. Looking over the picture, Chandler wondered what Alex saw in the woman.
No
, she told herself. It was foolish to go there. Alex appeared to be with her now. That’s all that mattered.

Shutting down her computer, Chandler glanced over at her phone and considered calling Alex. It was only 9:45 p.m. That wasn’t too late. Maybe if she heard her voice it would calm her mind and settle her fears. Somehow, Chandler resisted the urge. She’d see her tomorrow, and for now, that needed to be good enough.

Alex sat on the edge of her bed and sipped a glass of wine while she used her mirror to observe Chandler. She’d been disappointed when Chandler decided to go home, but knew she was correct. If Chandler stayed, very little sleep would be had. Alex possessed a good amount of stamina, but she had to admit she was tired from their weekend of marathon sex. As much as she wanted Chandler in her bed, she wanted to look good for her first day of school a tad more.

Staring at Chandler as she worked on her computer, it took the ringing of Alex’s phone to distract her from the other woman. Recognizing the ring tone, Alex reached out her free hand, eyes still glued on the scene in her mirror, and levitated her smart phone into her hand.

Pressing the phone up to her ear, Alex said, “Roger, dear, how are you?”

“I’m doing okay. How are you managing out there in the middle of the wilderness? Ready to head back to civilization yet?”

“I’m doing rather well. Things out here aren’t as bad as you think. They do have indoor plumbing and talking picture shows.”

“Thank bloody God. I’d hate for you to be roughing it.” Roger chuckled.

“I’ve found a thing or two to keep myself occupied.” Alex grinned as her mind filled with risqué thoughts of Chandler.

“If anyone could, it would be you.” Roger paused. “The reason I’m calling you is because I need a huge favor. I know you’re all settled in Mayberry, getting ready to play teacher, but I was hoping to persuade you to come back to New York for a couple of days. And, before you try to turn me down, I want you to know this will be done around your schedule, double your usual fee.”

“I’m listening.” She took a swallow of her wine.

“My client has asked specifically for you. He refuses to consider any of the other photographers we’ve suggested.”

“How soon?”

“As soon as possible.” When Alex didn’t respond, Roger said, “He’s willing to do whatever it takes to get you. Plus, you’ll get the usual perks. First-class ticket, suite at the Plaza, and a car and driver at your disposal. What do you say?”

“Where is the shoot planned?”

“At the studio. Nothing too exotic. I can email you all the details.”

“Only one day?” She swirled the remaining wine around inside the glass.

“Yes, if even that.”

“Sounds easy enough. I could leave here Thursday night and give you Friday or Saturday. I’ll need to head back here by Sunday afternoon.”

“Does that mean you’ll do it?”

“I’ll need two tickets.” She was unwilling to commit until that last detail was agreed upon.

“Two?”

“That’s right.”

“So, you’ve already made a new friend. Why doesn’t that surprise me?”

“Don’t be an ass, Roger. This one is different.”

There was an awkward pause.

“Okay, two first class tickets. That won’t be a problem.”

“And could you see about getting two theatre tickets? I don’t care to what as long as they’re decent seats. I’ll pay for those myself.”

“No, no. Those will be on me.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“It’s not a thing. If that’s what it’ll take to get you here, I’m more than happy to do it. You’re really saving my ass on this one.”

“No doubt, but I’m also aware you are more than curious to meet my new friend.”

“Well, yes, especially if this one is different. You haven’t had a whole lot of luck in the romance department.”

“I’d say my luck has started to change for the better.” Alex focused on Chandler and smiled. “I do hate to make this short, but I need to get my beauty sleep.”

“Of course. I’ll have Anna email you everything you’ll need to know first thing in the morning.”

“I’ll call if I have any questions.”

“Thanks again.”

“See you later, Roger.”

“Good night, Alex.”

Alex ended the call. She frowned when she noticed Chandler’s pained expression, and wondered what was troubling her. She was going to wait until tomorrow to spring her news, but decided to let Chandler know tonight.

* * * *

Picking up her smart phone, Chandler’s mood altered when she noticed Alex was calling her.

With a smile, she activated her phone. “Hey.”

“Hey yourself. So, you miss me?”

“What do you think?”

“That I’d like you naked and back in my bed.”

“Don’t tempt me.” Chandler’s body reacted to the suggestion.

“I’m actually calling you for a different reason. I’ve accepted a job to do a shoot this weekend for a friend of mine. It’s in New York and I’d like for you to come with me. Since it should only take a day, I’ve also arranged to get some theatre tickets. I figured you wouldn’t mind if I took you out on a few proper dates.”

“Yeah, that sounds like fun.” Then Chandler paused, and hoped Alex wouldn’t take it the wrong way when she asked something that had been consuming her thoughts. “Alex, I hope this doesn’t make me sound like a jerk, but would it bother you if we kept everything that’s happened just between us? Only for the time being. I’d like some time to process everything. You and me. This is such a small town and—”

“It’s okay, Chandler,” Alex interrupted. “I understand. I want you to do whatever you need to do to feel comfortable. But I want you to remember something. What others think doesn’t matter half as much as what you think.”

“I know. It’s just—”

“Please, don’t worry about it.”

“Okay. What day do we leave?”

“I was thinking Thursday night. That won’t be a problem for you. Will it?”

“No. I can bring my laptop with me and do some of my work while you’re working.”

“Great.”

“It doesn’t bother you having to go back to New York so soon after leaving, does it? I mean—”

“I know what you mean. And no, because I’ll have you with me.”

“You say that now, but I must warn you that I don’t have a wardrobe full of designer clothes. Maybe the odd dress or two.”

“I think we need to change that.”

“Oh you do, do you?”

“I don’t care how causal your lifestyle, every girl needs at least one little black dress.”

“Maybe in your world.”

“You’re going to be traveling to my world.”

“You’ve got me there. I guess I can agree to dressing up a time or two.”

“It will be a nice change of pace for you.”

“If you say so.”

“Well, if I can’t coax you into coming over, I guess I’ll call it an early night.”

“I will see you tomorrow.”

“Not as soon as I would like.”

“I know. Until then.”

“Sweet dreams, dear Chandler.”

“Good night, Alex.”

Street lights were turning on when a black town car pulled up in front of The Plaza Hotel. On the drive in from the airport, Chandler had stared out the window, taking in the sights while Alex talked to different people on her phone. Lost in her thoughts, Chandler didn’t hear any of her conversations. All week she’d looked forward to coming to New York with Alex, but now that they were here, she was having second thoughts. Alex was so different from her. She wondered what Alex’s friends were going to think when they met her. Would they be uptight and snobby like her stepmother’s friends? What bothered her even more was what would happen if they ran into Millie Winters, Alex’s ex. She probably should have told her she knew about Millie, but then she would have to admit to looking her up on the internet.