We Never Kissed

Chapter 14

Ava

Like two horny teenagers, Alex and I had been making out in the front seat of his car for the last ten minutes. Sure, one of us would try to get a word in here and there, but it always came back to our mouths needing to be connected, and his hands wandering dangerously close to the point of no return. We hadn’t even started our first date yet, and I was letting him open me up like a cheap bottle of wine. Going slow was your idea, hoe . The reminder floated to the back of my mind, and in about ten seconds I was either going to climb onto his lap and literally screw that idea completely away, or I would have to jump out of the car and walk all the way home from Huntington Beach…a city I had no clue why we were in.

Thankfully, Alex saved me from either choice. Pulling away from me, he ran a hand through his thick dark hair. “Fuck, Ava…” Then he laughed. “I knew we should have gone right up.”

I cocked my head. “Up? Just exactly where are we going?”

“You’ll see.” He opened his door, then turned back to me. “Wait, don’t get out.”

As Alex exited his black Mercedes, grabbed something from the trunk, and then came around to my side, I couldn’t help but chuckle. “You’re not serious with the chivalry thing, are you?” I said when he opened the door.

“I am actually.” He reached his hand out to me. “But hey, if you don’t like it, I’ll shut the door, and you can do it yourself.” His tone was stern. “I mean, I thought you’d like the best of both worlds, and I don’t want to be a hypocrite when for all these years I told you every guy you dated wasn’t good enough.”

I eyed him from the passenger seat. “Interesting… And what would that look like exactly?” I could get behind a little perch on a pedestal. Shooting my arm out, I bent my wrist down like a princess waiting for a hand kiss.

“You know,” he said, taking my hand and pulling me out. “My respect and admiration, my acknowledgement of you as my equal, while at the same time, treating you like a queen.”

“Hmm.” Suspicious, I moved past him, and he closed the door. Then he grabbed my hand, and we jay-walked across the dark street, which was lit only by two of the four street lights that were supposed to be on.

I couldn’t remember a time where we’d held hands, and it took me by surprise. The feel of it was so… I couldn’t describe it, but it was almost like foreplay, and I grinned like an idiot. It was such a simple thing—holding hands—but it made me feel like…I belonged to him. Something I’d always secretly longed for.

We walked down the sidewalk until we came to a four-story building. He stopped us in front of the entrance and turned to me. His dark eyes squinted down at me. “Of course, there’s one thing I left off…”

“You mean that whole chivalry thing?”

“Yes.” One side of his mouth lifted, as if he were visualizing whatever he was about to say. “That doesn’t include the bedroom, Ava,” he said in a deep tone. “I’ll worship your body, for sure, and I might let you take a little control…but if I want to take charge of you, whether that means I have to spank that sassy ass of yours to do it, then I damn well will. ”

My whole body flushed with heat, and my heart thrummed. This side of Alex terrified me…and I couldn’t wait for it. “I, um…” My chest heaved, and there was a part of me that was irritated by that, and I fought the feeling because I didn’t want him getting the best of me. That little girl mentality I’d grown up with around him would be tough to overcome. I drew in a breath and said, “Your offer sounds enticing. I’ll let you know. Now, open the damn door and let me see what this surprise is.”

We went up a few flights of stairs by the light of his phone, and to my surprise, Alex had a key and opened a door. I expected pitch black, but there was a faint glow coming from inside that let me make out a few features in the room.

“Oh, nice, so our first date is in what…an abandoned dentist office?”

Alex took me by the hand and guided me farther into the space. “Actually, it used to be a quaint little pub. Our firm facilitated a deal for this building—”

“And not only could you get fired for bringing me here, but you thought it would be fun to make out with trash and rats?”

Pressing up against my back, he slipped his arms around my waist. “Will you give it a chance? Look…”

My gaze scanned the room and landed on an area near a glass window, and I gasped, sliding out of his grasp. Beautifully lit by electric candles and string lights, a small space was set up with a couch and a coffee table that was set for a meal, wine glasses and all. My heart clenched at the sight, and I turned back to him. “I can’t believe you did all this.” I shook my head as he moved toward me. But then he veered off to the side to something else that had lights on it, but I wasn’t sure what the large object was that I was seeing. “Wait? Is that…”

Alex stood next to an old jukebox and nodded.

“It doesn’t work, though, right?” I asked, hopeful.

Shrugging, he pressed a button, and music began to play but something sounded off, and I narrowed my gaze at Alex. Then he held up his phone and pointed to a portable speaker. “No, it doesn’t.”

I burst out laughing as he came over to me, then I snaked my arms around his neck. “It’s perfect. All of it. Thank you.” We kissed, slow and sensual, to the beat of some soft R&B tune. His hands delivered just the right pressure as he moved them over my back and hips and ass. I moaned into his mouth, and he lifted my thigh slightly so it draped over his. I wanted him so badly my head grew dizzy just from kissing him. But when his mouth moved to my neck, I saw a male form standing in the doorway, and I gasped .

“Alex, someone is here?” I whisper-yelled.

Alex moved swiftly, spinning around to face the doorway while at the same time, pushing me behind him, shielding me with his body.

I gripped his biceps and felt them tighten under my fingers, but a moment later, he said, “Bro, you’re early.”

I peeked around Alex to find someone stepping forward, a young blond man wearing a suit. I could see now he was holding a couple of bags that looked like it could be take-out food. “You actually got someone to deliver food to us? At this place?”

“This is one of my analysts, Eric,” he said as the two walked toward each other. Slapping Eric on the shoulder with one hand, Alex accepted the bags with the other. “Thanks, man. I appreciate it.”

“Did I have a choice?” Eric said.

Laughing, Alex replied, “No.”

I stepped up to them, about to introduce myself, when Eric stuck his hand out. “Hey, Ava, nice to meet you.”

I couldn’t hide my surprise so I just shook my head, grinned, and said, “You too. And thanks for doing this.” I wasn’t sure what kind of situation this was or how Alex had somehow coerced this young up-and-comer to drive all the way here, but I didn’t know much about his business either .

“So, you’re not worried about Eric telling people about us?” I said after he’d left, a hand on my hip.

Alex scoffed. “He knows I’d beat his ass.” When I shot him a look, he corrected with, “In the figurative sense, of course.”

I pointed to the food. “Let me guess, burgers?”

“Do you even know me?” he said, lifting his brows.

Twenty minutes later we were sitting on the floor amongst poofy pillows, finishing the last remnants of my favorite dish, Vietnamese fajitas, cartons, plates and napkins scattered across the coffee table.

“I’m just going to say it… That was one of the best dinners I’ve had in a long time.” I leaned up against the front edge of the couch, where Alex had his long arm draped across the cushion. He closed his hand around my shoulder, the small gesture making me so content. I turned my face up to him, letting my smile show. “I’m impressed…”

“To be honest, I can’t believe it all came off without a hitch.”

“You went to a lot of trouble, and I appreciate it.” I brushed my lips up the column of his neck.

“Well, you did challenge me,” he said against my hair.

“See what you can do with a little motivation,” I teased.

As punishment, he slid his hand under my armpit and pinched my side, making me squirm. But he also tightened his hold on me so I couldn’t get away.

I squealed “Stop” through my laughter.

He pulled me halfway on top of him, the hard ridges of his chest so inviting. He brushed his open mouth over mine as my giggles died. We kissed for a few moments, his hands running along my back, before he suddenly repositioned us so I was with my back against the pillows and he was lying against my side.

“Do you know how long I’ve dreamt of this?” he asked, delivering feather-light kisses to my mouth, my cheek, my neck. His hand teased the edge of my blouse, sending chills over my whole body. It only took moments of Alex painting me with his lips before I was panting with need, but my rational brain was fighting for attention, too. Before my voice of reason could step in, however, Alex pulled back and gazed down at me.

“God, you’re beautiful, Ava. I don’t think I’ve ever said that to you.”

“You haven’t,” I said in barely a whisper. “Well…not like that, anyway.”

“I’m sorry. I just… I couldn’t ever let myself go there. It was better for both of us.” He brushed a lock of hair away from my eye. “Now…I can’t take my eyes off you.”

That stole my breath away. If he kept talking like that, I wasn’t sure I could stick to this whole taking it slow thing. Still, I found myself starting, “Alex…”

He grinned and ran a thumb over my bottom lip, his eyes pinning me like he hadn’t just eaten an entire meal, and I was dinner. Bending down, he kissed me once, softly, “Ava…” Then he laughed. “Give me some credit, huh?”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “What?”

“I know what you were going to say.” He propped himself on an elbow to gaze down at me. “What, did you actually think I was going to make our first time together be in some old abandoned building? I’d hope you would give me more credit than that.”

“Well you did transform it into a little bit of paradise with these blankets and fluffy pillows but… I don’t know.” I shrugged, uncertain what else to say.

Alex took my hand and laced our fingers together. “Ava, I did not bring you here so we could have sex. And if I really wanted to impress you, and get you in my bed at the same time, I would’ve taken you to a five-star hotel and gotten us a suite.”

I perked up at the idea, unable to hide my interest or my smile.

“Ah, come on!” He collapsed back onto the pillows so we were side by side, but he still held my hand.

“I’m sorry, this is way better,” I said, giggling. “Continue. ”

“I wanted somewhere where we could spend time together… not worry about being seen by anyone, and alleviate some of your anxiety over us sleeping together.” He brought my hand to his mouth and kissed my knuckles.

Taking my hand away, I lifted up and leaned on his chest, saying, “Hey. First of all, I don’t have anxiety over sleeping together.”

When he didn’t seem convinced, I added, “I have thoughts and maybe concerns , but definitely not anxiety. I would say it’s more…excitement.” To prove my point, I leaned over and kissed him. Then I unbuttoned the top button of his dress shirt and slipped my hand inside, smoothing it across his chest as we kissed.

“You’re playing with fire, little girl.”

“So…what do we do now?”

My hair fell across his cheek, and he tugged at a piece of it. “Spend as much time together as we can.”

Without a word, I moved his shirt aside, so I could rest my cheek on his bare chest, a small consolation.

“I don’t just want you, Ava,” he said, stroking the back of my head. “I want you in my life.”

“I want that too. And I hope that means we can share every part of ourselves.” I ran my finger over the scar on the left side of his chest. I knew how he’d gotten it but only minimal details, and he’d never wanted to discuss it .

There was a long pause before he said, “You know that part, too…”

“Not all of it. And not how you feel about it now.” I hesitated. “About her… You never want to talk about it.”

“I still don’t.”

We were quiet for a long time after that, and as I fought against my heavy lids, so safe and relaxed against his solid frame, I heard him say just as I drifted off, “Maybe someday…”