Alec's firm arm encircled my waist, dragging me back to where I had just been. This time I was on my back with Alec perched over me on his hands and knees. I could barely make out his features in the thin band of moonlight that peeked around the curtains. "You know what, sweetheart? For someone who writes romance novels, you're clueless when it comes to reading a man."

I blew out an exasperated breath in his face. "Oh, well enlighten me, oh wise one. You just said you're smarter about knowing when a relationship would be better as a friendship, and let's not forget, it wasn't that long ago that you flat turned me down. What would you expect if you were me, except that you were trying to let me down easy? Well, message received."

"Hush up a second," he said, resting his lower body so he was cradled between my legs. Every inch of him was still hard and ready with desire. I couldn't help lifting my hips, pressing myself against him. My toes curled under and gripped the blanket. "Does that feel like someone who wants to let you down easy?" His hand reached out for the side of my face before he paused. "Are you okay with this?"

I knew what he was asking. A lot had transpired in the last day or so. Maybe what happened to me in the hallway should have made me gun shy about intimacy, but what my attacker had tried to do felt nothing like this. That had been a violation. What Alec was asking was worlds apart.

I nodded my head and without hesitation, his lips captured mine. A thousand sensations flooded my mind at once. Like the way his tongue entered my mouth with finesse and ease, tangling with mine and stroking it boldly. How it moved in my mouth in such an intimate way that I felt we were already making love. The heat between my legs rose to a feverish fire as my hips began to grind against him. I pulled relentlessly at his shirt, wanting to rip it from his body.

He reached out and captured my hands, chuckling as he pulled back slightly. "Baby, slow down. I've been obsessing about this for weeks. I'm not ready for it to end before it really gets started. Trust me. I'm going to do you the way you deserve." He nearly brought me to climax with his statement. He raised his body and pulled his shirt over his head.

I placed my hands on his expertly sculpted abs, but he captured them again, placing them back over my head. I began to think he was deliberately toying with me until I felt him lifting the hem of my shirt. Moments later his mouth found the sensitive skin of my stomach and I almost came up off the mattress. Gripping the sheets with clenched fists, I arched my back as his lips left a fiery trail over my abdomen. I moaned, begging for more of his tongue that stroked over my ribcage, traveling up my side. His tongue moved over the swell of my breast, taking me fully in his mouth. He tugged gently at my hard nipple with his teeth and my hands moved instinctively to his hair, pulling me closer against his mouth. I wanted so much more, which sounded greedy, but I didn't care.

"Please," I begged.

He listened but continued tormenting my hunger as he swirled his tongue around my nipple before releasing it and looking up at me. "Please what, baby? What do you want?" His voice was husky and sexy as hell. He knew exactly what I wanted. My body felt like it was coming apart at the seams, and we were just getting started.

My breathing began to rise like I had been sprinting and I panted the words out, trying to tell him what I wanted. "You," I finally said, pulling his mouth to mine. I tried wrapping my legs around him to drag him back where I needed him to be, but he took control again, anchoring me in place. He rested again on top of me and I moaned in pleasure. Every nerve in my body was alive and seemed to be seeking the same release.

I reached for his shorts, trying to pull them off his hips. He lowered his body, taking them out of my reach. Just as I was about to display my displeasure, his mouth returned to my lower stomach again, taking a southern turn while dragging my sweats and panties with him. Yes, god, yes, I chanted. He was a magician with his mouth, making everything from my hips down quiver with need.

He lifted his head for a moment. "You like?" He didn't wait for an answer as his mouth returned to the part of me that throbbed out of control.

The wave of pleasure that had approached time and time again, only to be squashed when he pulled away, began coming at full force. The faster his tongue moved, the more intense it felt. I was no stranger to orgasms, but none that ever came from my own hand had felt like this. This was no fantasy. It was real and beyond my control.

Alec lifted his mouth and dropped another hot kiss on my stomach. He stood and shed his shorts, pulling a condom from his pocket before dropping them to the floor. I watched with hooded eyes as he rolled on a condom. The anticipation was almost more than I could take.

He climbed on the bed again, settling himself between my legs. I could feel his hard cock pressed against me and I spread my legs farther. "I don't want to hurt you," he said raggedly.

"You won't," I responded, coaxing him forward by looping my legs around his waist. I felt the tip of him waiting hesitantly to slide into me and I welcomed the intrusion by lifting my hips.

"Sweetheart, it's going to hurt," he panted. He was trying his best to make my first time as pleasurable as possible. The sentiment was sweet, but I needed him inside me. I ran my hand along his neck, bringing his mouth down to mine. My tongue parted his lips as my hands moved smoothly down his back, cupping his tight butt. Without warning, I lifted my hips, thrusting him against me.

He groaned against my mouth as I bit back a gasp of pain. A burning sensation had replaced the tingling between my legs as my body struggled to accept his size.

Alec held himself still as I began to adjust to having him inside me. His tongue gently tickled my lips, coaxing my mouth to open. He kissed me and the burning sensation began to disappear as desire began to stir in me again. My eyes found his as he slowly began to move inside me. My body, which seemed to reject him at first, began to open and accept him fully as my wave of need rose. His hands gripped mine above my head, holding me in place as his movements increased. I lifted my hips, not wanting him to stop.

He moaned, thrusting faster and faster. "How can you feel so fucking good?"

His words sent me over the edge as my orgasm ripped through me like a freight train. I yanked my hands from his grip, tearing into his back with my nails. He moaned loudly, pushed into me one last time before collapsing on me.

Alec stroked his hand over my hair as we both struggled to catch our breath. After a few seconds I was able to talk again. "Holy shit, why didn't I do that years ago?"

He chuckled on top of me, which nearly made me jump from the tingling sensation between my legs. "I hate to break it to you, sweetheart, but it's not always like that."

"It's not? So, are you telling me you're like some sex god or something?"

"No, I'm saying you must be. It's never been like that for me before."

"Shut up." I knew he was trying to make me feel better, but I appreciated it anyway.

"I'm not kidding. I'm thinking we're going to have to do it again so I know for sure."

We continued making love for the rest of the night, stopping only to give him a chance to recover in between. By the time the sun was beginning to rise, I was afraid I had put him out of commission for a week. It was as if my body wanted to squash years of pent-up sexual frustration into one night. "Did I break you?"

"Let's put it this way: I don't think I have any fluids left in my body," he laughed, looking completely spent. I kissed him across his chest, loving that he looked so content. "I've never worked out that hard at the gym."

"And to think we have to catch a plane in less than four hours," I said, making him moan. He managed to drag himself out of bed and got dressed to go downstairs to grab us a couple of lattes. I snatched up my phone, seizing the opportunity to call Olivia.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" She sounded like I would have had I not just had the best night of my life.

"I know, sorry. I only have a few minutes and wanted to give you the big news." I could barely contain my enthusiasm enough to tell her. "Alec and I did it last night." The phone was quiet for a second and I pulled it away from my ear to make sure I hadn't lost the connection.

She moaned before the impact of what I had told her sank in. "Wait. Did you just say what I think you did?"

"Yes," I squeaked.

"Oh my god. I freaking knew it!" she yelled exuberantly. Her voice was so loud I had to pull the phone away from my ear. "How was it? Is he hung like a horse?"

"That's disgusting, but pretty much, yeah. And it was good."

"Just good? Come on, give me more than that."

"I only have a minute before he comes back. It was excellent, okay? It kind of hurt at first, if you know what I mean, but after that, I didn't want to stop." It was a little embarrassing giving her the dirty details, but we had been waiting for this moment forever.

"See, didn't I tell you? Now just keep doing it. It only gets better and better."

"All right. Well, go back to sleep. I have to go before he gets back with our coffees."

"You got him to fetch your morning coffee too? Damn, you go, girl." We both laughed and said goodbye. Before I hung up, she made me promise to call her again when I had the chance to give her more details.

Chapter Sixteen

Alec and I left behind Nashville and all the bad reminders of my attack. Needless to say, we had created some new memories that trumped anything else. We flew into New Orleans for the second stop on our book signing tour. Since the Wicked Fantasies Book Festival didn't officially begin for another day and a half, we pretty much locked ourselves in my hotel room to see if we could create the same magic we had in Nashville.

The necessity of sustenance to replete our drained bodies coaxed us out of bed the next morning. We showered together, bringing a whole new meaning to the process. There was something incredibly sexy about a man's soapy hands skating smoothly around every curve of your body. Repaying the favor was even better. Feeling lethargic and relaxed, I flopped down on the bed, wrapped in a towel. I tried luring Alec to join me, but his stomach was threatening mutiny. Plus, he was anxious to explore the city since I had never been to New Orleans. He said he would give me the expert tour. Begrudgingly, I allowed him to drag me up to my feet so I could get dressed. After twenty minutes and one last longing look at the comfort of the room, we left to head downstairs.

"I think I've created a nympho," Alec teased as we stepped into the empty elevator.

"Pssh. I think I've always been one. You just helped release the beast. Does that disturb you?"

He tugged me into his arms. "Not on your life. If anything, it makes me want you more." He lowered his voice to a deep, seductive whisper. "I want to touch every inch of you, letting my fingers lead the way before my mouth follows the same path." His mouth moved across my neck and up to my earlobe where he nipped gently. "I want to take you every way possible and make you beg for more," he growled lightly before his mouth took mine.

His actions sent a shudder of pleasure rippling from my head to my toes. "You better stop or the only part of the city you're going to see is the view from the room," I said, pulling away.

"Babe, you have no idea what's coming. We're going to turn our tour of the city into a giant foreplay session." He trailed his hand across my chest, making my hardened nipples tingle beneath my lacy bra. I snatched his hand, pulling it tightly against my bosom.

"Careful. You think because I'm new to this I don't know how to play?" I slid my hand down to his crotch, rubbing him until he became rock hard under his jeans. "You want me to take this right here, right now?" He watched me intently as I began lowering myself to my knees, reaching for the clasp of his jeans.

"Too late," I said, standing when the elevator dinged, signaling our arrival at the lobby. I breezed through the doors when they opened, leaving Alec to walk awkwardly past a group of women waiting to get on.

Alec caught up with me outside the hotel before I could reach the three shallow steps that led to the sidewalk. "Touché," he said, lacing his fingers through mine. "Obviously you've got game. Who would have thought?" I threw my head back, laughing.

The air outside in New Orleans was thick and muggy. Alec tucked me under the crook of his arm as we made our way along uneven streets that were littered with tourists. Having never been to New Orleans, the city was different than what I had envisioned. It had been almost nine years since Hurricane Katrina and everywhere you looked there was still evidence of the storm's destruction and damage that still had not been repaired. I remembered being in middle school when the storm hit and watching the coverage on TV with my parents. I felt so sorry for the people the news stations would show who had lost everything they owned.

Alec laughed, seeing the sour expression on my face as we sidestepped a pothole filled with murky water. "Why do you keep wrinkling your nose?"

"Because it's stinky here," I whispered so I wouldn't offend any of the locals.

"That's because it's pretty much a party town. There are nicer areas. Bourbon Street here is just a whole different experience," he said as an attendant standing outside a strip club tried to entice us inside with the offer that ladies got in for half price.

"Oh lord," I muttered, scooting closer to Alec, who chuckled again.

"You don't want to go check it out?" I could tell by his tone that he was teasing, but he placed a soft kiss on my cheek to leave no doubt. I shivered with delight. I'd discovered during the past couple of days that Alec was a hands-on kind of guy. He was always finding excuses to touch or kiss me. I liked it more than I probably should have. He made me feel wanted and desirable. Hell, even irresistible. Being with him was a heady experience. Women openly admired him as we strolled down the street, but he didn't seem to notice. Or at least he didn't let on. He appeared to only have eyes for me.

"Do you want to see some boobs?"

My question obviously took him by surprise because he nearly fell down laughing as he clapped his hands.

I stopped and crossed my arms across my chest. "What?" I knew my question was direct, but I was curious whether he was into places like strip clubs.

"Did you really just ask me if I wanted to see some boobs?" He could barely choke out his words. "You should work as an attendant outside one of the clubs. That's a great line to get people inside," he said, practically coming to tears from laughing so hard.