AKA Lexi Frost (Lexi Frost Series) (8 page)

Paul smiled.
“Everyone drinks caffeine and takes anti-histamines. I understand the anti-anxiety pills with the crowd you have at home. I wonder if you even still need the anti-depressants. It’s been awhile now since you lost Allen. Is it still so bad?”

The question brought Lexi up short. She wasn
’t prepared to discuss her late husband. Instead, she reached for her glass of water.

“
I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought him up. Clearly it is still affecting you.” Paul reached across the table and took Lexi’s other hand. She flinched briefly at his touch, but then forced herself to relax. Lexi set down her water to watch as Paul slowly stroked her fingers, the inside of her wrist, and traced the lines on the palm of her hand.

“
Are you going to tell me my future?” she joked uncomfortably at his tender caress.

“
I’m going to let you get to know me better. Then you’re going to fall hopelessly in love with me and we’ll be blissfully happy together,” Paul smiled. He turned her hand over and fingered the empty spot where her wedding ring used to be. Lexi fidgeted uncomfortably.

“
Paul, can I be blunt?”

“
You’re asking?” Paul raised his eyebrows in disbelief. She waited and he sighed. “Of course, say or ask what you will.”

“
You don’t really seem like the stalker type.”

He laughed.
“You would certainly know.”

She froze in surprise and then rolled her eyes in realization.
“Your research was pretty thorough.”

“
Of course. You had quite a figure in college with a pretty face. Coupled with your unusual wit it’s not surprising a few of your would-be boyfriends demonstrated some distinctly stalker-like tendencies. Amateurs, thankfully.

“
I’m glad I learned that tidbit early on. I’ve deliberately avoided going to Seattle to see you because I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“
Thank you. I think that would have freaked me out a bit.”

“
Please keep traveling so I have other opportunities, okay?”

“
What would you do if I decided to become a hermit?”

“
Become an investor in the kids’ charter school, I imagine. Then you’d have to deal with me on the PTA.”

Lexi gave a dramatic shudd
er in response and Paul laughed. She smiled at him. “Seriously Paul, you do
not
want to deal with our PTA.”

“
I believe you. I did look at the school, it’s amazing it’s still afloat. I would like to give you a hand with that someday.” He paused, watching her and her eyes grew wide. “But I think it’s just a little too close for comfort just now,” he finished.

“
I’m sorry.”

“
Don’t be, a
responsible
stalker needs to respect boundaries.”

She laughed
, and he watched her. His gaze sobered her quickly and she picked up her water, looking away.

“
That you married your fourth would-be stalker didn’t exactly discourage me, you know.”

“
Is that what your goal is?”

Paul smiled.
“For now, my goal is dinner.”

Lexi gave him a grateful smile as a waitress showed up with their meals: lasagna
, one of her favorites. A silver ice bucket with a pair of Dr. Pepper bottles in it was added to the table with champagne flutes, and Lexi laughed. Paul winked as he dramatically opened one of the bottles and poured her a drink.

“
You really don’t miss a thing, do you?” she asked.

“
How could I pass up this golden opportunity?” He raised a glass in the way of a toast. “To getting to know you better, Lexi Frost.”

Paul spent the rest of lunch keeping Lexi talking about the charter school the kids went to, and the inspiration for her and Allen to found it. The trials and pitfalls and stress it gave her to get it started surprised Paul. Now that it was established, she backed off to allow the board to run it, and quietly pulled her hair out during the meetings. Paul gave her some insight from a businessman’s point of view. His free advice and candid critique earned him dinner, in part because they’d talked so long they were still at the table when the dinner hours started.

Paul returned Lexi to her hotel later
, but wouldn’t let her go until she promised either a nightcap or breakfast. Since he knew she rarely drank, breakfast was a given, and he picked her up at seven the next morning. It took only a little coaxing to get her to admit she’d been up all night and hadn’t actually gone to bed yet. After breakfast, he took her up to a rooftop garden to feed the pigeons.

The warmth of the day
, gentle breeze, the shade of the vine-laden gazebo set a relaxing scene. Paul held Lexi beside him on a padded bench as he quietly told her the complexities of international business and how they differed from small, local business practices. As expected, she fell asleep on his shoulder and he smiled to himself in satisfaction for almost two hours as she napped.

Of course she missed her flight home. He made it up to her with lunch and drove her to Miami International for another flight.

While conversing regularly via emails and calls, Paul didn’t get to see Lexi again until he crashed her trip to London over a month later. She had a photo shoot in Paris, but decided to visit London for a couple of days first before crossing the channel.

Although she didn
’t mention her trip specifically, Lexi failed to look surprised when Paul walked on the plane and sat down beside her, giving Nicholas his first-class seat in trade. Before they landed, Paul and Lexi had a new joint itinerary arranged and Nicholas was sent ahead to Paris to wait for them.

Lexi just wanted to look for interesting architecture
, not sightseeing in the traditional sense, so Paul hired a cabbie to show them London from the natives’ point of view. In their wanderings they discovered a fashion show for new and upcoming designers cleverly concealed as a charity auction. Paul purchased two dresses as Lexi rolled her eyes and muttered insults at him. After the second she told him that she wasn’t going to let him take her out anymore if he wouldn’t behave.

Paul arranged for a few rushed alterations on the dresses and they were waiting by the time he hauled her back to his penthouse for a catered dinner on the balcony. Lexi s
ighed in frustration at the sight of the intimate, candlelit dinner.

“
All right, it’s romantic and thoughtful. And somewhat amusing. Out of curiosity, does anything ever
not
go according to your plan?” she asked, crossing her arms and staring him down.

“
I have backup plans and a really amazing assistant.” Paul reached over to pull her closer. She turned so her back was to him and left her arms crossed, refusing to let down her guard.

“
That didn’t answer the question.”

“
Occasionally things don’t go according to plan,” Paul whispered softly in her ear from behind. Lexi relaxed to reward him for conceding the point. His arms wrapped around her waist and she laid her hands on top of his.

Paul shifted to the side slightly
, and when she turned her head to look at him he kissed her gently. She was hesitant at first. He kissed her again and she responded. Finally, she turned in his arms to face him and slipped her arms around his neck.

“
Much better,” Paul said and kissed her again.

The bustle of dinner preparations subsided and Paul gracefully pulled away and led Lexi out to the table. They ate as the light faded
, taking in the view of the rooftops of London.

“
After dinner, I want to see you try on those two dresses.”

“
From the auction? You can’t be serious.”

“
Of course I am. If they need further alterations, I need to know before we leave for Paris.”

“When am I ever going to wear either?” Lexi asked, giving him a dubious look.

Paul sighed. “Humor me.”

When she didn’t respond, he tried again. “Fine,
think of it as doing me a favor.”

The first dress was a variation of the
“little black dress” concept as a pauper might have managed it. The bodice was suspended by ridiculously thin ribbons and held together by artistically placed safety pins. The ribbons and dress were torn so that the pins just barely held the ensemble together - or so it appeared.

Lexi suspected the
“almost falling apart” image the dress projected was achieved because it was indeed ready to fall apart. If she walked too close to a powerful magnet that removed the multitude of safety pins, she’d be in trouble. Luckily there weren’t too many super magnets around. As it was, the dress sent a plea to the wealthy men of the world: rescue this poor waif forced to wear a $1,800 dress that gave the seductive illusion it was hanging on by its last thread and would soon surrender to gravity and leave its wearer baring all.

Lexi sighed
. Apparently men liked this look. She just couldn’t quite wrap her mind around it when she thought of Paul. Watching carefully in the mirror as she bent, twisted, reached, and gave an experimental bounce, Lexi confirmed she wasn’t actually going to fall out of the dress. Taking a deep breath, she finally worked up the courage to leave the bathroom.

“
So you like this type of thing, do you?” Lexi teased as she modeled the first dress.

“
Not your normal attire, but yes, I like this very much.” Paul gave her an appraising look. He quickly crossed the room and put his hands on her waist. His hands slid down and behind Lexi to lift her slightly and pull her firmly against him. His mouth sought Lexi’s and her arms slipped around his neck as he kissed her.

Lexi pulled away from the kiss
, gasping. “Are you trying to get me into a compromising position?”

“
I wasn’t yet, but it sounds like a plan. Do you mind?”

Paul kissed her neck and shoulder
, leaning her back slightly. His lips on her collarbone made Lexi’s brain almost shut down. He moved one hand farther up her back to support her, and guided her back to the low buffet cabinet against the wall.

Braced against the cabinet
, Lexi felt Paul’s growing arousal against her leg. The realization alarmed her, almost as much as the heated response between her own legs. She couldn’t do this, not yet. But Paul returned to kissing her mouth before she could formulate a protest. His hands crept up under her dress and grasped the back of her thighs. He lifted her effortlessly onto the cabinet, pushing a candelabrum out of the way.

Lexi
’s hands slid down to the front of Paul’s chest to keep him at a distance. He countered with sliding his hands around to her inner thighs and pushing them apart firmly.

Paul pressed his body against her again
, his hands returning once more behind her and pulling her hips forward. Lexi felt Paul’s erection pressing against her, not just her leg this time but her more intimate areas, and it woke her mind from its euphoric haze. She tried to pull away with a reluctant groan.

“
Paul, what do you want from me?” Lexi pushed against his shoulders, but the effort felt weak even to her. She knew what the answer was, for the immediate question anyway. But she wasn’t a teenager responding to hormones. Lexi felt hot, feverish, her resolve was slipping even as she braced herself to walk away.

“
Aside from the obvious?” Paul kissed her shoulder as he answered, keeping her body held tightly against his. “Lexi, you quit college when you started a family. You sacrificed your identity to provide for your children.”

Lexi tried to turn
away; she didn’t want to hear this. He was too logical and he was going to reason her right into his bed. Paul held her close, whispering almost directly into her ear in his proximity.

“
Things happen, it’s no one’s fault. You rose to the challenge. Did what you had to do. You juggle finances and time. Even with success, you’re stretched thin.”

He kissed her again
, his tongue a teasing distraction against hers. Lexi’s mind cleared and she squirmed as Paul untied the ribbon around her neck. They were pressed so tightly together the dress didn’t fall. Paul kissed her neck where it curved into her shoulder. The sensuality enticed her.

“
I love you and I want you to love me back. I want to take care of you and I want you to let me.” Paul kissed her mouth firmly. Lexi returned the kiss, not wanting it to end both for the dazzling field of emotions the complex act conveyed, and the fear of what would follow.

Paul pulled away. He broke the kiss and left Lexi
’s lips hovering in space as he held her face in his hands. “I’ll be honest, honey,” Paul’s lips brushed hers as he spoke. “Right now I really want to fuck you, and I want you to want that too.”

Lexi froze
, terrified. She knew of course. She wanted it. Oh, how she wanted it. Ached for it. But . . .

She nodded
, her body acting of its own accord.

Paul kissed her again and she cooperated
, her passion growing with his. Faster now that he put his cards on the table.

He loved her? She believed it. He went through a lot of trouble to get to this point. He wanted to take care of her too. It was too early to talk of commitment
, but that was close enough for now.

Lexi opted for honesty in lieu of actually knowing what to say.
“Paul, it’s been –”

“
A long time. I know.” He slid both hands down under her calves and wrapped them around his hips. Then he reached under her thighs and picked her up, her arms automatically wrapping around his neck in response. “Relax, trust me.”

She nodded and kissed his face and neck as he carried her to the bedroom.

Lexi
felt she would hyperventilate as Paul set her on her feet. He laughed and pressed his lips to hers, and it took her a moment to respond. That old adage about learning to ride a bike or whatever must not apply here. The thought made her nervous.

“
Breathe, honey,” Paul whispered.

She nodded and started unbuttoning his shirt with trembling hands. He smiled and resumed kissing her: her mouth
, her face, her neck. His hands reached up and caressed her breasts. Paul pulled off his shirt, and Lexi took in his toned chest and arms. She knew he turned forty-five recently. He looked good for his age. Her hands ran across his chest and rested on his shoulders. She pulled him closer.

Moving his hands up to the top of her loose dress
, he slid it down past her waist and let it fall to the floor. It was Lexi’s turn to be relieved she’d kept in shape.

Paul smiled at the sight of her full breasts. He kissed the top of each
, then ran his tongue around the edge of each nipple. The tickle of his tongue on her areolas made Lexi suck in her breath so Paul did it again, upping the stakes by gently sucking one nipple, then the other until she almost writhed uncontrollably beneath him.

Beneath him? Her eyes flew open and Lexi saw they were on the bed already. She didn
’t remember getting that far. She realized she still had her panties on, but that was all. Paul had his pants.

Lexi started to breathe rapidly again at the sound of Paul
’s belt being unbuckled. He chuckled as he finished unzipping his pants, slid out of them, and lay down beside her. Paul placed one hand gently on one side of her neck and kissed the other side. He let a hand wander to cup a breast and squeeze gently. She inhaled sharply, pushing her breast firmly against his hand.

“
Relax, honey. It’s going to be fine. We’ll take it slow,” Paul whispered reassurances in her ear.

“
This is silly. It’s not like I’m a virgin. I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” Lexi apologized, tears burning her eyes. She wanted this, she didn’t know why exactly, but she did. And she didn’t want to stop and analyze it. For some reason, making love to Paul scared her, and she didn’t want to stop and analyze that either.

Paul moved on top of her
, letting her feel part of his weight. “It’s been awhile. Perhaps I’m taking it too slow, giving you too much time to think.”

He kissed her passionately again
, sealing their lips together and sliding his tongue expertly across hers. Paul pulled her right leg up around his hip, Lexi responded with a matching movement of her left leg. He pushed against her, only her panties and his boxers separating his pulsing heat and hers.

Lexi arched slightly as she pushed back against him and laughed.
“So close, and yet, so far.”

“
That is easily remedied.”

Paul kissed her firmly
, holding her in place as he slipped the fly of his boxers open and slid her thin panty aside. Lexi started to pull away with a surprised gasp as the tip of his penis parted her damp, swollen lips. Paul would have none of it.

Already positioned
, he braced both hands on her hips and pulled her back to him as he pushed again. She arched her back and moaned as she felt him slide deep inside her. Paul pulled back and thrust into her again. His cheek brushed hers as their bodies moved together. He kissed her temple as he pushed into her again, and she started to take up the rhythm now as her body remembered what to do.

Lexi wrapped her legs around Paul
’s hips. Her action pulled Paul deeper inside and she moaned. Instead of pulling back, Paul buried himself in her belly like a sledgehammer. That invoked a different reaction. Lexi’s eyes opened and she sucked in a deep breath.

Paul withdrew slightly and hesitated
, looking at her.

“
Are you okay?”

Lexi nodded.
“More.”

Paul grinned and bent forward to kiss her. She wasn
’t quite expecting him to resume when he did, and it stole her breath yet again. Holding tight, and tighter, Paul seemed to read her mind and drove into her deeper and harder with each stroke.

Lexi didn
’t expect it to be like before. Paul was a different man, but she didn’t expect . . . she didn’t know what to expect. A strangled cry escaped her and she tried to hold it in. She failed, crying out louder in a joyful release of pure energy.

Paul held her
later as she trembled slightly with the excess adrenaline. Lexi clung to him, partially for security, partially in confusion as well. Actually, the more Lexi thought about it, the more her confusion grew. She decided to stop thinking about it.

They
’d slid down the bed and Paul’s feet were on the floor again. Lexi accepted his directions as he guided her back up to the top of the bed. They lay there quietly for several minutes. Paul seemed content to just hold her and must have thought her shaking was because she was cold because he produced a soft blanket from somewhere and tucked her in. Then he lay beside her and simply held her, stroking her hair or occasionally kissing her forehead or temple as their heart rates returned to normal.

After a while reality invaded Lexi
’s peaceful cuddling with Paul. Somehow Paul had relieved them both of their underwear somewhere along the way. It’d been a while since Lexi was faced with having to look at male genitalia. From an artistic standpoint, she was always grateful to be a woman because the female form was more aesthetically pleasing. She always thought the whole cock-and-balls setup was a little crude. Biologically it got the job done, but it wasn’t worth photographing. Except, as Lexi stared at Paul’s, she realized she remembered the whole package a little differently.

Paul
’s laughter got her attention and Lexi blushed when she realized she was sitting up staring at Paul’s penis. What was worse, it was coming back to life under her scrutiny. Lexi collapsed back to the bed and hid under the blanket, which of course only made Paul laugh harder.

She didn
’t fight him when he peeled back the blanket to expose her face. Paul just watched her for a moment, a smile more in his eyes than on his lips, although Lexi suspected that was because he was making an effort to suppress it for her sake. Finally, he shook his head in defeat.

“
I give up, I have no idea what’s going through your mind,” Paul said.

“
Can we skip it and get back to that compromising position idea?”

His brow furrowed briefly and he slid under the blanket beside her. Now hyper-aware of Paul
’s penis, Lexi immediately identified it against her thigh. She wasn’t sure if it really was bigger than she remembered, or if it was just that it was . . . Lexi closed her eyes and tried to think.

Paul started to kiss her gently
, her mouth, neck, shoulder, breasts; a routine Lexi recognized that seemed to work as she involuntarily arched in response, pressing her body against his. The penis resting against her thigh twitched awake as if answering her movement. Lexi flinched away from it.

“
Before I continue on to getting you in another compromising position, can I ask you something? Off the record?” Paul asked as he continued to gently suck a sensitive place at the base of her neck.

The thought of Paul asking permission to ask her a question instead of just asking it outright made Lexi nervous. It wasn
’t like she could say no. Opening her mouth, Lexi decided maybe it was better not to talk at all. Instead, she closed her mouth again and simply nodded.