AKA Lexi Frost (Lexi Frost Series) (9 page)

“
I’m just curious about your . . . mixed reaction to my cock.”

Lexi groaned in embarrassment and tried to turn away. Paul held her close and pressed his lips to hers
, letting his tongue tease hers with gentle caresses. He took her hand in his and slowly led it down his body, letting her feel the firm muscles under his skin and the smooth, sleek, hard shaft of his penis as he wrapped her hand around it.

On impulse
, she tried to jerk away, but Paul held her there with a small moan of pleasure.

“
See? Interesting reaction don’t you think? Tell me about it,” he said.

Lexi sighed
, there wasn’t any getting around it. He was going to laugh at her.

“
It’s been awhile,” she hedged.

“
And?”

“
Everything was different. Very different. Don’t get me wrong, it was great, I like it. But then I saw . . . and I wondered . . . because I remember it differently.”

Paul paused as if considering this
, then grinned. “Different how?”

Lexi blushed
. “I remember it being furrier.”

Paul laughed.

“Oh, stop it,” Lexi said. “I know it’s reasonably common for women to get waxed. I don’t photograph men. I’ve heard of it, but I’ve never . . . never mind.”

Paul nodded
, but he was still laughing. Lexi froze in momentary fear that maybe Paul had expected it of her. Perhaps she disappointed him by being
au naturel
. In truth, she never really gave it much thought because she didn’t date, let alone have sex. Like now.

She was behaving out of character and he was laughing! And she still had one hand around his cock. Lexi gave it a squeeze and Paul froze. His jaw dropped and eyes flew open in surprise.

Paul released Lexi’s hand on his cock, but only it seemed so he could push her thighs apart as he rolled over onto her. It was so fast, Lexi quickly put both hands on his shoulders to keep Paul’s body from crushing her. Her movement freed him and Lexi remembered Paul planned things, and things almost always went according to plan.

A single draw of breath by Lexi
’s ear that seemed more sensual than it should was her only warning to the penetration that followed immediately after. Hands on her hips held her to him as Paul continued his slow drive inside her. To Lexi, it felt he was aiming for her very core.

More measured and controlled than before
, Paul moved with exquisite care. His agile strokes made Lexi want to writhe on the bed in torment or frustration. It was so different from the hard thrusts of not long ago, and yet Lexi felt a similar feeling of urgency. She wrapped her arms around Paul’s neck and held him close as confused tears welled in her eyes.

Lexi temporarily forgot her tears as lightning struck and she cried out involuntarily. She was sure she
’d passed out; it was the only explanation for the lost time other than alien abduction. The next thing she knew, she lay snuggled in Paul’s arms as they breathed heavily and he wiped a thumb over the tear stains on her cheeks.

An orgasm. Lexi recognized it now
, it was just so much stronger than what she was used to. Staring at the ceiling, she tried to work it out. Suddenly she was capable of the much-hyped g-spot orgasm? And she was sure she was part of the population that was unhappily immune to that phenomenon. Maybe there was hope for her after all.

Paul rolled onto his back
, pulling her on top of him and jarring her thoughts. Lexi rested her head on his chest as she lay there. Paul caressed her back as he held her.

“
You look deep in thought. Happy thoughts from the look of that little smile,” Paul said, tracing a finger along the curve of her bottom lip.

“
That’s never happened before,” Lexi whispered.

“
What hasn’t?”

“
At the end.”

Paul laughed
, apparently surprised. “You’ve never had an orgasm? So where did the interest in nude photography come from? Before that you did accidental porn. Please tell me you’re joking.”

Lexi sat up a little to look him in the eye. There was no humor in her face. Paul sat up
, quickly pulling her back into his arms as he dislodged her.

“
You’re serious.”

“
Not that way I didn’t. Little ones every now and then, I suppose. My mother raised me conservatively and Allen’s family is very old-fashioned. There wasn’t a lot of experimentation going on.”

“
Well, my love, it seems I have to work on educating you.”

“
I’m not sure if you’re more endowed or not being furry just makes you look that way . . .” She gave him a questioning look, then almost slid off Paul as he started laughing again.

“
I’m a big fish in my little pond, so I can honestly say I never felt the need to start comparing the length of my rod against the other fishermen. Sorry, can’t help you there.”

“
Then why now?” Lexi demanded.

“
If you didn’t experiment much before, I’d say technique. But that’s only a guess,” Paul kissed her lightly. “Don’t dwell on it.”

Lexi thought about it
, deciding she couldn’t afford to risk letting this ruin her memories of Allen. Paul was right, she needed to let it go. Lexi nodded and snuggled into his arms.

The blanket she had before was pushed aside in the activity. Paul snagged it before it could finish sliding off the bed and pulled it up over Lexi
’s full length, covering only his legs and waist. He wrapped his arms around her again, letting her head rest on his bicep.

“
Warm enough?” he whispered in her ear.

“
Uh-huh.”

Paul held her gently while she basked in glow from their lovemaking. Even though it was still only the early evening
, they were content and eventually dozed off.

Lexi woke to Paul’s kisses on her neck and shoulder. Turning her head toward him, he pulled her over onto her back and pressed his lips to hers. She pulled away almost immediately.

“
I have morning breath!” Lexi protested.

Paul laughed and reached behind him. Kissing her neck
, he held a mint. She sat up and bit the mint out of his fingers.

Paul slowly ran his hand down her side and his arms brushed over her breasts. Lexi
’s nipples were hard and he’d just started.

Lexi slid her hands around his broad shoulders and pulled him to her. He pushed her legs open and shifted to center himself over her. She lifted her hips to meet him
, but Paul hesitated.

Opening her eyes
, Lexi couldn’t figure out why he’d start then stop so suddenly. She ran her fingers quickly through her hair then across her face to remove any shine.

Pushing himself up
, Paul looked down at her face. She bit her bottom lip slightly in anticipation. Paul smiled and grabbed her close, rolling onto his back and pulling her on top of him, making her swallow her mint in surprise. Sitting up, he swung her legs around him and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist.

“
Feeling adventurous?” Paul asked, his voice hoarse as he whispered in her ear.

“
Um, I suppose.”

Standing
, Paul carried Lexi a few steps and firmly pinned her between his body and the wall. He thrust inside of her as part of the same movement and pushed deep and hard. Lexi gasped sharply, her nails digging into his back at first before she repositioned her hold to steady herself without drawing blood. Paul continued to push up and into her.

Lexi knew there was a range of tastes and sexual preferences out there. She catered to it and did several
photo shoots focused on specific fetishes. That Paul liked it energetic bordering on rough surprised her, but as she moaned and wrapped her arms and legs around him, Lexi decided it was a pleasant surprise. He wasn’t hurting her. In fact, he seemed meticulous in how he positioned her before penetration. And he was definitely getting the job done, Lexi realized as she braced herself in anticipation for an explosion of pleasure.

It didn
’t come. Moments before the orgasm overtook Lexi, Paul held her tight to him and swung her back onto the bed. He lay over her, pushing deep but softer this time, surprising her yet again. Lexi went with it, keeping her legs wrapped around him, and her lips sought his. Remembering the way he made her feel last night, whatever he wanted was fine with her.

He kissed her and started teasing
, slowly pushing just the tip in and out. Lexi tried to slide down to the edge of the bed toward him, but he stayed shallow. She tilted her hips up, hoping to tempt him.

“
Do you want more?” Paul asked her, an edge of laughter to his voice.

“
Are you going to tease me or fuck me?” Lexi demanded in frustration.

“
Well, when you put it like that,” Paul suddenly started thrusting harder into her again. Standing, he held her hips and pushed deep. Lexi arched her back to accommodate him. With barely a break in his stride, Paul lifted first one calf and then the other so her ankles were by his head. He leaned forward, holding tightly to her thighs.

Power emanated from him
. Lexi never imagined being possessed like this. Her knuckles were white as she breathlessly held his wrists. The fire building inside her wasn’t surprising this time and she welcomed the release. Her stomach tightened, Paul slowed his thrusts and pushed deeper. Muscles clenching and spasming, she orgasmed immediately, screaming out. Paul moaned as he came inside her, holding her close.

Lexi snuggled against him after he guided her back up to the pillows and lay down beside her. The musky smell of him filled the air; a warm
, pleasant scent and she breathed deep. She suspected she’d find it exciting if she wasn’t already satiated.

Dating
, sex . . . love. Paul said he loved her last night. He wanted her to love him too. At least he was realistic that she needed time. Time to fall in love with him, apparently not to fall into bed with him. This wasn’t like her.

She looked up at Paul
, not surprised to find him watching her. His eyes, usually such a piercing blue, seemed softer and his lips curled upward slightly at the corners.

“
This isn’t like me.”

“
I know. I didn’t plan this. I didn’t want to rush you.”

Paul reached over with his free hand and brushed her hair away from her face. It wasn
’t in the way, but the gesture touched her regardless.
He
touched her.

“
Any regrets? I understand if you need to take a step back, slow down.”

Lexi thought about it for a moment
, then shook her head. “No. Let’s see where the week takes us.”

“
Paris. One of the most romantic cities in the world,” Paul smiled. He leaned over and kissed her softly, making it last. “But first things first.”

He pulled away with a different smile
, almost mischievous. It reminded Lexi of when they first met, the first time she saw the sheer delight of the boy inside the man, and it tempted her. Stripping away his businessman persona, Paul was a warm, caring man who loved her. A man she wanted to know better.

“
You have a look in your eye,” she teased.

“
I approve of the black dress. Now go try on the red one.”

“
Good morning, Tim, what’s going on?” Paul answered his phone as he held Lexi in his arms the following morning. She didn’t seem inclined to continue sightseeing so they just stayed in after Paul ensured the red dress met with his satisfaction. He wanted to take it slow today. It’d been a long time since Lexi was in a physical relationship. Or any relationship. He thought maybe now that they got some good sex behind them he’d slow it down a little.

Paul smiled as Lexi idly ran her fingers through his chest hair and the slight tickling kept him in a good mood despite whatever so-called emergency made Tim disturb them. Unfortunately
, even only half-listening to Tim’s explanation was enough. Duty called at the most inconvenient times. And having an efficient assistant could be occasionally annoying.

“
I take it you’re not joining me in Paris,” Lexi whispered when he hung up.

“
I’m sorry, honey.” Paul kissed the top of her head. “I’m buying a small specialty paper company and the deal is threatening to go south on me. I’d let it go but I have too much invested in it and have plans riding on the purchase. It was moving smoothly, although slower than I liked, so I didn’t see this coming. I can’t leave it to someone else at this point.”

“
It’s okay. I wasn’t expecting your company anyway. It’s been a nice surprise. I’ll just hop over to Paris, do my job, then head home.”

“
We’ll come back and tour European hotels another time,” Paul promised.

“
European hotels? Not Europe?”

“
I’m capable of multitasking. I suppose we could do both.” Paul got up and started to get dressed. “Tim didn’t leave much room for goodbyes. I have to head out.”

“
Not even a shower?” she asked.

“
Not even the kind I take alone.”

“
Perhaps I’ll head out too.” Lexi got up and started to get her things together.

“
I’m sorry, Lexi.” Paul pulled her into his arms. She was being a good sport, but he could see her disappointment. Slipping her arms around him in turn, she looked up into his face.

“
It’s okay, really. You have your job just like I have mine. And I think, at this point, you’re allowed to call me Teri.”

Nicholas waited for Teri’s arrival at the train station. He was more than happy to leave her in Paul’s care to roam around London while he took the equipment ahead to Paris, but he was a little concerned at Teri’s composure and expression now.

“
Obviously I got your message,” Nicholas said as he took Teri’s suitcase. “So Paul had to go home? I hope that’s the only reason you’re looking so down.”

“
Yeah. Sorry, I was alone for a long time. Now I’m lonely all over again,” Teri said.

Nicholas didn
’t like this line of thinking. “That’s easily remedied. We’ll get you checked into the hotel, then I’ll show you the shoot sites. Maybe a little touristy stuff while we’re at it.” Teri rewarded him with a weak smile.

Nicholas kept Teri distracted with light chatter until they reached the hotel. He thought she was going to break down when she saw the single-occupancy room. Paul would have found something more opulent
, but he wasn’t here and they couldn’t splurge on a suite.

“
Get your camera and walking shoes,” Nicholas prompted when Teri began to stall. “I’ll take you to the sites. We’ve got the permits to rope them off and what’s-her-name has security arranged. If you’re going to be an exhibitionist, definitely have the money and pull to do it legally.”

Teri laughed.
“All right, and thanks for keeping me distracted.”

“
I live to distract.”

Nicholas already had the outdoor locations scouted. Leave it to the French to want n
ude shots in a public setting
and
be able to get the permits for it. He should be grateful they weren’t trying for The Louvre, Nicholas decided with a sigh.

The shoot was spread out over several sites throughout the entire day. Nicholas knew Teri was familiar with
Paris, although not the locations he escorted her to now. She was here years ago with Allen on a second honeymoon. He anticipated a meltdown with those memories closing in on her. Nicholas thought he was off the hook when Paul showed up, and wasn’t sure if it was going to be better or worse now that Paul left.

Teri walked around each site to get a feel for it while Nicholas took notes. After viewing the sites
, Teri switched the order and bumped the shoot up an hour to get some early morning shots on the bridge instead of in the garden. The garden would be pretty in the mist that was sure to be hanging there, but the lighting at that hour lent itself to enhance the bridge shots more than the garden’s. Besides, not all the flowers would be open that early. She could add the mist digitally later if she wanted it.

Paul called while they were having dinner and Nicholas waffled whether to stay or quietly excuse himself. Tears brimming in Teri
’s eyes decided for him. He handed her a tissue and reviewed the remains of dinner. Her pasta would be cold by the time she finished, so Nicholas quietly signaled the waiter.

“
Can I see your dessert cart please?”

The waiter nodded
, and a minute later Nicholas carefully considered the various temptations for what might cheer Teri up. He finally settled on a baked meringue with fresh raspberries and chocolate. By the time it arrived, Teri was reluctantly saying goodbye to Paul.

Nicholas took Teri
’s phone away as soon as she hung up and gestured to the dessert in front of her.

“
Thought you might need a sugar buzz.”

“
Thanks, Nicholas.”

Teri took a bite and her expression indicated he
’d guessed right. If he could get her through the next few days, maybe he could drop her off in New York on the way back.

Nicholas regretted his suggestion for Teri to spend a couple of days in New York the minute he stepped off the plane in Seattle. His truck was at Teri’s house, so Jess was waiting to give him a lift. Nicholas was always torn when he dealt with Jess.

The lead singer of the band that took over Teri
’s basement had a lot going for him. The kid looked like a model and girls flocked to him. He had an infectious, good-natured attitude and a natural talent for singing. Jess was also dimwitted, in Nicholas’s opinion. Teri said he was just out of practice in using his brain. Nicholas thought she was being kind as only a mother could.

“
Cassie said Teri’s delayed in New York. When’s she coming back? We’re not done yet,” Jess asked as he helped Nicholas carry their equipment back to the car.

“
Done with what?” Nicholas asked in his best no-nonsense tone.

“
Doesn’t matter. When’s she coming back?”

“
Couple of days, but I can probably call her back sooner.”

“
No! I mean, no, she’s got other things to do.” Jess stopped walking for a second.

Heaven help me
, Nicholas thought, the kid can’t walk and think at the same time.

“
Why is she in New York when her camera stuff is here?”

“
Keep walking,” Nicholas prompted. “She has a camera with her, Jess. Teri always has a camera with her.” It wasn’t an answer, but he didn’t expect Jess to notice. Nicholas smiled as Jess let it drop.

He thought of Cassie and Dev at home and stopped smiling. Dev wasn
’t as easily fooled and tended to be difficult about – well, about things like this. Cassie already knew. Nicholas heard Teri giving a brief explanation that she had met someone, but he didn’t hang around to eavesdrop on how much Teri told her daughter. In retrospect, he really should have. Luck was with Nicholas as he arrived at Teri’s house. Dev wasn’t home and he managed to corner Cassie alone in the kitchen for a moment.

“
Teri’s in New York,” Nicholas began carefully.

“
For a couple of days with a guy she’s known for a while but just started seeing. Yeah, I know,” Cassie rolled her eyes at him. “Chill Nicholas, Mom deserves a little at this point.”

“
Deserves a little what?” Jess asked, walking in and opening the refrigerator.

“
Milk.”

Nicholas and Jess both looked to Cassie in confusion
, the only difference was it looked natural on Jess’s face. Cassie sighed.

“
Drink the milk, Jess. It’s going to expire soon.”

“
Oh. Sure.” Jess pulled out a half-full gallon of milk and walked off, drinking straight from the jug. Cassie stepped forward and closed the refrigerator door for him.

“
I would swear he was dropped on his head as a baby, but he’s just too cute. There would be a sign.” She turned back to Nicholas. “Don’t worry, I don’t care that Mom’s taking some personal time.”

“
Just the same, Dev . . .”

“
Would have a coronary. Yeah, I know. I’ve got her back.” Cassie smiled and turned to leave. Nicholas followed, but as they walked into the dining room, Kenny cleared his throat. Startled, Nicholas looked over to see him lounging at the dining room table with application forms spread out in front of him.

“
You handle him,” Cassie patted Nicholas on the shoulder and went upstairs. Nicholas stood across from Kenny and looked him over.

The band
, or “the boys” as Teri and Nicholas usually referred to them, consisted of Jess, Kenny, Bryan, and Dev. Bryan was the middle child to his very core: an intelligent, quiet peacemaker. Dev was undoubtedly the baby of the crew: spoiled and used to getting his own way. Part of that was because Dev was also probably the smartest despite being the youngest. There was never a doubt Kenny was the leader of their band. And Jess was simply there; they never asked more of him than that.

While Dev
’s genius was spread out over a variety of interests and subjects, Kenny’s was all musical. If it wasn’t related to music in some form, he wasn’t interested and wouldn’t waste his time with it. He could glance at sheet music and correct notes without picking up an instrument and playing it, and played multiple instruments well. He could sing too, although not as well as Jess. What’s more, Kenny knew he was a going to be a rock star someday, accepting it with an unshakable belief that it was his destiny.

Kenny was practical in running his band
and thought of the future. Bryan played bass guitar reasonably well, but when Dev came along, Kenny didn’t think twice before getting Bryan drum lessons and letting the new boy take the bass guitar spot. Even then Dev attracted more girls to their few shows than Bryan did. And the number was increasing as Dev got older. Of the boys, Kenny never turned heads and probably wouldn’t have wasted time with girls even if he had. He was too committed to his music.

With that in mind
, Nicholas sat down at the table and picked up one of the applications Kenny was filling out.

“
You’re applying for a job at a home improvement store?” Nicholas asked with interest.

“
No, I teach private guitar lessons. I’m filling them in for Jess.”

“
I thought he was working for a landscaping company.”

“
The owner has a daughter, Jess met her, fill in the blanks.”

“
Of course,” Nicholas nodded, they were back on familiar ground now. Teri didn’t mind the boys living there, but it made money tight. Jess and Kenny had to earn their own way as far as any little extras were concerned or for things the band needed.

“
Teri’s got a boyfriend, huh?”

Nicholas thought he liked it when people got straight to the point. He made an exception in Kenny
’s case.

“
It’s a new development.”

“
Cassie knows.”

“
Yes, and Dev doesn’t.”

“
She didn’t tell him.”

Nicholas wasn
’t sure if Kenny was referring to Teri or Cassie. It was the same answer either way. “No.”

“
Bitch.”

Kenny was referring to Cassie then. They had an almost
unprecedented dislike for each other, but Kenny liked Teri. She let him use the basement for his band and didn’t fuss about the hours if it wasn’t a school night.

“
Well, it’s Teri’s job to break it to him, so let’s leave it to her, shall we?”

“
I’m not telling him, he’ll go nuclear,” Kenny agreed.

“
An apt description I suspect. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll get out of here before Dev comes home and is reminded I’m back and his mother isn’t.”

Kenny looke
d at the clock on the wall over Nicholas’s head. “Better hurry. He’ll be back soon.”