Taking Chances (17 page)

Alex brushed the hair away from her face, tracing his finger down the side of her cheek and neck. “What are you thinking about?”

“Oh I don’t know, the future, what will happen while you’re gone.” Clair opened her eyes. The darkness of the room barely made his eyes visible but she knew he was watching her. “A lot can change in two weeks, you know?”

His hand stilled on the side of her face, his thumb caressing her cheek. “You’re right; a lot can change… but only if you let it.”

“I don’t want it to change.”

“I won’t let it,” he whispered.

Clair smiled. She was tired, but knew once she allowed herself to
sleep, the time they had left would be over. “I’m not ready for this night to end. Don’t let me fall asleep.”

He pulled himself closer, so that his body was lying against hers and Clair weaved one leg between his. Pressing his lips to hers, he softly kissed her, as if each kiss were a treasure for his keeping. She slid her hand up his neck and ran her fingers through his wavy hair. Clair knew, as long as his lips were on hers, sleep would not find them tonight.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Alex

Pinned to the mattress, Alex couldn
’t move.  Clair’s legs tangled between his, and an arm was thrown across his shoulder. Her head rested on top of him and he slowly turned to read the alarm clock on her nightstand - four thirty-seven. Damn it, he thought, one hour and he’d be at Stu’s house with barely a couple of hours sleep. He lay there, combing his fingers through the ends of her hair, taking comfort in her soft breathing against his neck. It had only been a little over an hour since they fell asleep and Alex didn’t want to wake her. He could still feel the tingle in his lips from the hours they spent kissing and talking, content to be in each other’s arms until they both surrendered to sleep.

It was ironic that finally after being so dedicated to his work and proving to Stu how reliable he was, now would be the time he wanted him to “learn the business.” Alex hoped Stu wouldn’t be making it a habit of sending him out of town on a regular basis. If what he had with Clair continued, he wouldn’t be able to stay away from her for so long.

Alex gently rubbed the back of Clair’s head, “Clair, baby, we’ve got to get going.”

Clair stirred and buried her face into the crook of his neck. “No,” she mumbled.

“I know. Maybe Roz will let you leave early so you can come back and get some sleep.”

Clair turned her head to the side and traced her fingers over his chest. Even though her touch wasn’t meant to be sensual, it didn’t stop the desire that swept over him.

“Oh I don’t care about that, I’ve managed on less sleep,” she said. “It’s the getting up and getting dressed part. It feels like it’s over. Do you realize how long two weeks is?”

Alex clutched her roaming hand and she looked up. “Yes. It will be the longest two weeks of my life. But we’ll get through it. And it’s probably not a good idea to be touching me like that or we’re both going to be late.”

“Yeah, I know,” Clair huffed as she rolled out of Alex’s arms and stood. She walked to her dresser, and opened several drawers before finding what she needed. Clair changed in front of him and quickly put on a pair of jeans and simple green shirt. Sitting on the foot of the bed, she sighed heavily, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees, cradling her face with her hands.

Alex stood up, pulling his pants on from the night before. He walked to the end of the bed and knelt down in front of Clair. When he pulled her hands away from her face, she was flushed, eyes red and glassy. She looked upset but was doing a good job of holding back her tears. Holding her hand between his, he rubbed the back of it with his thumb.

“Clair, it won’t be as bad as it feels. We’ll talk every night… whenever you have time and I’ll be back before you know it.”

She looked at their hands, “I know, it just sucks. Whenever things start going good, something happens… things change and something bad always happens.”

A tear quickly slid down her cheek and she tried to turn away before he saw it.  Alex pulled her face toward him with the tip of his finger but she still wouldn’t meet his eyes.

“Look at me,” he said softly but firmly, while he wiped her cheek. “You’re right about one thing… it does suck. But when I get back, we’re going to take some time off work.”

That seemed to get her attention and she looked up. “Why is that?”

Alex grinned, “Because we’re spending those days in bed. I’m going to need to get reacquainted with every part of you and I plan on taking my time.”

“Oh,” Clair said, a little surprised. Her spirits lightened and she laughed. “Well, now you just made it worse! Now I’ve got to wait two weeks anticipating what you’re going to do to me. You’re trying to torture me on purpose, aren’t you?”

He looked over at the clock. Thirty more minutes to get Clair to work and meet Stu. Oh what the hell, he thought as he stood up and looked down at her. “That’s not torture, this is.”

She let out a shriek as Alex scooped her up and laid her back across the bed. He covered her body with his, cupping her face between both his hands. Before Clair could protest, he crushed his mouth to hers and kissed her hard. Clair’s muffled moan vibrated against his mouth, which only teased his own desires. Alex knew he didn’t have time to please her like he wanted. What he just started only caused him the same amount of torture when he forced himself to slow their growing kiss. He slid his right hand down her neck, while gently playing with her tongue, kissing her softly and long. When he moved back, he lightly pulled at Clair’s bottom lip with his own, and a high-pitched moan left her mouth.  He traced small kisses across the bottom of her jaw and down her neck before whispering in her ear, “Now I really have to stop because if I don’t, I might not have to worry about going to Pittsburgh after all. Stu will fire me. And that is the worst torture, because right now, I don’t even care if I get fired.”

Alex convinced himself that this had to wait. They would get too carried away and time would fly by. But Clair gripped his shoulders and placed the palms of her hands on his chest. She ran her fingers down his stomach and slipped the tips of them under the waistband of his pants. Lightly, she tickled the sensitive skin beyond his waist, making him groan. He shut his eyes at the intense sensation that settled deep inside. Her hand moved back to his neck and she grabbed his jaw between her fingers, forcing him to look at her.

“Right now,” she said, in a voice seductively arousing, “I don’t care how much time we have, or how mad Stu or Roz get. I’m not waiting two weeks for you to make love to me again, I want you now.”

Her gaze was intense, full of desire and Alex knew there was no way in hell he could tell her no. Not when his body told him how much he wanted her too. Without much thought to what he was doing, he unzipped her pants and pulled her jeans and panties down in one fast movement. She sat up and reached for
him, his hands slipped up under her shirt and swiftly pulled it over her head. Alex kissed her neck while his hand worked behind her back to unlatch the hook to her bra. Clair reached for the button on his pants in an effort to pull them down, while Alex leaned to the side, quickly kicking them onto the floor.

Urgently, Alex grabbed the back of her head with a handful of hair and tilted it back, angling her mouth toward his. He pressed his chest against hers, kissing her hard, forcing his tongue deep into her mouth. His breathing increased as she roamed his body with her touch, sliding her hand up his arms, gripping them as they kissed.

Clair slid her hands up over his shoulders and down his back. She dug her fingers in his skin when he leaned over and cupped her breasts in each hand. Lowering his mouth to her nipple, he teased it with his tongue, nibbling at it with his teeth. She gasped and arched her back in response, pushing her body against him. Alex traced his hand down her stomach, finding the moist, sensitive area between her legs and slipped his fingers inside, plunging them deeply into her. Clair bent forward, breathing hard against his neck. She rocked her hips hard against his hand and Alex could feel she was ready for him. He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her onto his lap. Holding each side of her waist, he moved into her easily. Clair gripped his shoulders, looking at him with wide, bright eyes. She exhaled hard against his lips and she kissed him softly as he slid his hands down to cup the bottom of her butt. In the position they were in, they were the closest two people could physically get. He had never been more intimate with another woman than he was in that moment. His chest pressed against Clair’s, and he moved her hips, pushing her back and forth against him. But she wanted more and moved her hips harder against him. Clair threw her head back and cried out, “Yes, don’t stop.” Hearing the moan escape her mouth, Alex couldn’t take anymore. He pulled down on her hips, pounding her into him over and over.  Wrapping his arms around her waist, he buried his face in the crook of her neck. As his body shook beneath her, he released himself, filling her with more of him.

Breathing heavily on her neck, he kissed it, moving his
lips to her ear. “I don’t think I really need my job after all. This is the best way to spend my time,” Alex said, kissing her jaw. “I’d be content to stay in this bed and make love to you over and over again for the rest of my life, if I could.” He kissed her mouth, pulling her lip between his with his teeth. Clair smiled against his lips.

“Yes, I think I could live with that too… but,” she said, pushing him away slightly, “someone has to work or we’d both starve to death.”

Alex kissed the other side of her jaw. “Not possible, I can’t starve if I’m eating you… and you taste so, so good.” He kissed his way down her neck.

“
Mmm… that feels so…” Clair pushed on his chest, making him stop and he looked up at her. “No really, stop. You’ve got to get to Stu’s house and I’ve got to go to work.”

Alex sighed. “I know. I just can’t help myself. You’re too tempting. I’m going to go jump in the shower. Maybe that will help.”

Exhausted from nearly no sleep and making love to Clair for a second time, he hoped the cool water would perk him up for the six-hour drive for which he wasn’t prepared.  After getting dressed, Alex walked out of the bathroom to find Clair sitting on the couch with her eyes closed. She opened them when she heard him walk across the floor and a smile brightened her face. She stood holding her hand out to him. 

“Feel better?” she asked.

“Yep, I think that did the trick, for now at least,” he said as he ran his hands through his wet hair. “You ready to go?”  She nodded, and picked up her bag from the floor.  Alex could tell leaving was the last thing she wanted right now but there was nothing he could do to postpone his trip any longer.

He pulled up across from the diner. The clock on the dash read five-forty a.m. and he knew Stu would be calling him anytime. As if on cue, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He fished it out and flashed Clair a knowing look when he saw Stu’s name on the display.

“I know, I know. I’m late,” Alex said, greeting Stu on the other end of the phone. “I’m on my way; I just had to make a stop. I’m at the diner; would you like me to get you a coffee?”

“You know I don’t have all day, right?” Stu said, “We have to get on the road.”

“I don’t know why you have to be in such a hurry. I couldn’t just leave without… you know? I had to at least say goodbye.” Alex looked over at Clair, a bit shy about mentioning her while she was sitting beside him. She grabbed his hand and squeezed, giving Alex a comforting smile and reassurance. “You know how it is. Or did you say your goodbyes to Roz and leave her home alone last night?”

“Of course not!”
Stu yelled, “She’s here right now, sleeping… but that’s none of your business.” He sighed before speaking again. “I get it okay? Just do what you have to do and hurry up.”

“Uh huh, at least someone got some sleep last night, because we… I mean… I sure didn’t. You’re driving, in case you didn’t know already. I don’t think I can.”

“Alex, I don’t care to know the details of how you spent your night. Now hurry up and bring your ass… and coffee; two sugars and one cream.”

Alex shook his head and laughed before he disconnected the call.

“He’s not mad at you for being late, is he?”

“Nah, he’s fine. He wants coffee though. Can you make me two cups real quick? With two sugars…”

Clair cut him off, smiling, “Yeah I know, two sugars, one cream. What about Stu’s?”

Alex looked at her, surprised. “He likes his the same way. But how did you know how I liked mine?”

Clair grinned, “I’m very observant. It seems you pick a thing or two up when you’re a waitress.”

Alex leaned back on the seat and crossed his arms over his chest, “Oh really? This I’ve got to hear. What have you observed about me?”

“Oh well, that’s easy. You always get a Coke with your lunch. You like to play with the straw wrapper and curl it around your finger; but most times, you never even use the straw.”

He laughed, “Okay, that’s a good start… What else?”

“You’ll eat ketchup on your burger, but only eat your fries with mayonnaise, which I thought was weird, by the way. But I tried it once out of curiosity and it’s not half bad. Anyway, you always carry your plate to the back when you’re done instead of leaving it on the table, like most customers.”

Wow, Alex thought, how does she know this? I’ve never seen her watch me before. She’s always so busy whenever I’m there.

“Oh, and this is really important,” Clair said, pointing at him with her finger. “You never get the peach pie, which is pretty significant, because that’s how I know if a man has his head screwed on right. I’m a little leery of the ones who eat peach. Good thing you passed the test,” she teased.

“Oh, is that right? Yes, I’m glad I passed too because I definitely prefer the apple pie. Anything else you’ve observed?”

“Let’s see, what else is there? Oh yes, when you’re at home or at my or Roz’s place, you always take your shoes off at the door, but only if you’re staying for a while. You always open the door for me and wait for me to sit down first. You’ve developed a habit of drawing tiny circles on my palms when I’m worried or upset. You care for Roz like she is your mother, even though she’s not. Shall I go on?”