Chapter 99: Chapter Two

Alec

Later, watching Nat play in the ocean brought me back to that moment. The first time I saw her. My world had tilted on its axis — and to this day, it has yet to return to normal.

I was always cautious with our relationship — fearful that I would scare the shit out of her with my lifestyle, my past, basically everything that made me the guy that I was.

I should have realized she would take it like a champ. Not every girl can deal with the baggage I brought to our relationship — or continue to bring, for that matter.

Nat laughed and splashed Demetri before diving under the water again. I took a long slow sip of water and sat on the hot sand.

She threw her head back and laughed, exposing her neck and making my heart lurch in my chest. I loved that neck.

“Alec… I love you.” Nat's lips were urgent against mine.

“You're young, Nat.” I pushed her gently away from me. “It's okay to wait. You know I love you regardless, right?”

She glared.

I fought to keep from laughing my ass off. “Nat! How is me being a gentleman earning me a nasty look? I'm the good guy!”

“I want you to be the bad guy. Be the bad guy, Alec.”

I backed away slowly from my bed and went to the window.

Damn it.

I should be sainted for my self-restraint.

“Alec?” Her breathless voice may as well have been my drug. I closed my eyes, memorizing the way my name sounded on her lips. Trust, love, lust — it was all evident in the way she just said my name.

I was losing it.

“Alec?” she repeated. This time her arms wrapped around me from behind.

I froze in panic.

Skin.

Her top was off.

Self-control, self-control. I hadn't planned for it to happen this way.

“Nat.” The gravelly tone of my hoarse voice totally gave me away. I took a deep breath, which was a terrible idea since it smelled exactly like her hot skin.

“Shit.” I took another breath. “Flowers.”

“What?”

“Flowers.” I said it without sounding like the word flower was painful or erotic. “You deserve flowers.

“Rose petals to be exact.” Calming down, I turned to face her but refused to look down; instead, I looked deep into her large brown eyes.

Tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, I kissed her nose softly. “Chocolate, champagne, a beautiful dress, the perfect night… Nat, I want you to have it all for your first time.

“I don't want it to be in my room at the beach house. It's too… normal for you.”

“I'm normal.” She smiled shyly. “Besides, I'm not taking the rock star to bed.”

“You aren't?” My mouth went dry as she reached up and kissed me firmly on the mouth only to pull away and moan. Did she have any idea what her little sounds did to me? Or to parts of my anatomy?

“Nope.” Damn, but she had wicked hands as she slowly unzipped my jeans. I wasn't going to last long if she was going to seduce me. I was already there and she had barely grazed my skin with hers.

“I'm taking Alec Daniels… normal guy… love of my life, the man I want to be with forever. I'm taking him to bed.”

Nat chewed on her lower lip, her eyes hooded briefly as she looked down and with one jerk, had my jeans on the floor. Slowly, she raised her eyes to meet mine and winked.

“You're seducing me.”

“I am.”

“You're making me nervous.”

“I'm the one who's never done this before.”

“Not helping.” I cursed. “Nat, I just—”

And shit, there went her jean shorts. I tried to look away. I really did, but my eyes seemed to have problems following directions.

“Remember.” Nat wrapped her arms around my neck, points of her body touched mine, rubbed against my bare chest, driving me insane. “You said black was your favorite.”

“I—” The words died on my lips as she dipped her thumbs into her underwear and then paused.

Nat reached for my hands and brought them to her hips, laughing she hooked my thumbs into her underwear and moved my hands down, sliding the last bit of material with them.

“You can't go back now,” she stated, bold and very naked in front of me.

“Hell if I want to.” I jerked her toward my body and promised myself I'd go slow, I'd be tender — who knew I was dating someone who had less self-control than me?

Nat clenched my hair between her fingers. “I want this, Alec. I want you.”

“I want you too.” I sighed against her mouth. “I want you so damn bad, Nat. I just… this is irreversible. You know that, right? Once you're mine, you're mine forever.

“Not just for this moment or for this night. But for the rest of our lives.”

“That's what I want.”

“It's what I've always wanted.” What I'd never dared to hope. Someone as beautiful on the inside as out — willing to share the good and bad with me.

“Alec…” Nat grinned.

“What?”

“Stop stalling. I'm yours. All yours.”

“Forever?”

“For always.” Nat pulled away from me and sat on the bed, crooking her finger in my direction.

I wasn't an idiot. I didn't need to be told twice. I almost tripped as I moved to hover over her.

I easily scooted her further back on the bed and began kissing the bottom of her feet, slowly making my way up her perfect body.

She moaned when I reached her inner thighs, and gasped when I licked my way further up. Cupping her breasts, I closed my eyes and relished the moment.

“Alec!” Nat ran toward me, arms flailing. “Tell your brother to stop pushing me into the waves!”

Jolted out of my erotic daydream, I laughed as Demetri chased her, arguing his case. “I didn't push you! She fell, Alec, we both know how clumsy she is!”

“Am not!” This from Nat, as she literally tripped into my arms.

“Right,” Demetri and I said in unison.

Nat flipped Demetri the bird.

“She's just so damn classy.” Demetri laughed. “Alright, I'm off to find a jellyfish to put in Angelica's bed.”

“Good luck!” I yelled.

“What's wrong?” Nat squeezed the water from her hair.

I shrugged. “What do you mean?”

“You seem…” She grabbed a bottled water and sat down in the chair next to mine. “Elsewhere. Like preoccupied or something. You just don't seem like yourself. Is everything okay?”

“It's…” I watched in a trance as she lifted the water to her lips, some of it spilled over her mouth, making me think about sex all over again. “I miss you.”

“Me?”

“Yeah.” I reached for her hand. “Let's go… inside.”

“And do what? There are cameras everywhere!” She swatted me on the chest.

“Not everywhere.” I grabbed her hand. “Don't you trust me?”

“Always.”

“Forever.” I kissed her forehead and jogged with her back to the house, knowing full well that what I was asking her to give me was very different from the first time we'd had sex.

I already had her heart… and for the last few weeks all I'd wanted from her… had been her body.

She had trusted me to keep her heart safe.

And I had failed.