Dancer in the waves, p.34
Dancer In The Waves, page 34
“Is it just me, or is he becoming less and less restrained?” Matts teased her.
Alice grimaced. “He’s in a hurry all of a sudden, and I can’t understand why.”
Matts smirked as he drove them to the beach house. He could think of no better way to spend his last vacation day than with Alice in the pool, just the two of them.
“It’s probably because of me,” Matts teased. “He’s clearly threatened by your intense attraction to me.”
Alice laughed. “Someone had a bowl of ‘you wish’ for breakfast.”
Matts grinned. He loved to tease her like this. He searched the GPS for a place by the coast where he could have a private conversation with her.
“Everything all right?” Alice asked as Matts parked the car at a lookout point facing the ocean.
“There is something I want to talk to you about.” Matts kept both hands on the wheel, to avoid the temptation of touching her.
Alice politely waited for him to start.
“Gabriel has been kissing you a lot lately,” Matts said. “Are you in love with him?”
Alice’s eyes opened wide and her jaw dropped. “That would be between me and him, Matts.”
He grabbed her hand and held it between his own. Her cheeks flushed and she tried to take her hand back, but he didn’t let her.
“I know there is a lot of pressure for you to accept Gabriel as a mate. A real mate, I mean,” he told her. “But I want you to remember that you can still choose me if you want to.”
“Is that what you want?” Alice asked. “For me to choose you over Gabriel?”
“Isn’t that what every man in love wants?” Matts argued. “For the person he loves to choose him?”
“Love?” Alice laughed, but it was humorless. “You don’t know what love is, Matts. Love comes from knowing someone, from understanding them. What you have is infatuation.”
“Maybe at first, when I saw the opportunity to have an omega for myself. But not now, Alice. I have grown beyond that. I was hoping you could see it.”
Her eyes followed as he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it gently.
“You don’t know me well enough to be in love,” she half-whispered.
“Don’t I? I have spent the last two years learning every facet of your soul. I know you, Alice, and I see you for what you are.”
His free hand touched the rabbit necklace on her chest.
“What do you want from me, Matts?” Alice’s voice shook and her cheeks were even redder.
“I don’t want anything from you. I want you,” he said, letting go of his control just enough to let her taste his true emotions. He leaned into her, bringing her hand to his heart and holding it there. “I want to show you the world. I want to be everything you need from a man.”
Alice stayed quiet, her breathing rapid and her eyes focused on his. Matts’s free hand slid to the back of Alice’s neck and drew her closer to him. He could feel her heartbeat through her skin, beating at a furious pace.
“And I want to kiss you,” he muttered, their lips dangerously close. Slowly—shyly, even—Matts pressed his lips to hers, but her mouth remained closed. Her hand pressed against his chest, undecided between pulling him closer or pushing him away. To his dismay, she chose the latter.
“I can’t…” Alice said, sounding out of breath. “Matts, please.”
“I won’t apologize for letting my intentions be known, Alice. You know what my feelings for you are, and I want you to keep in mind that you can choose me.”
With his cards on the table, Matts drove them to the beach house.
Alice’s attention drifted far away from him, but he didn’t mind. He knew what she was thinking about, and all he could wish for was a chance.
Alice
All sound muted, floating in an ethereal blue so dark she couldn’t see the bottom, Alice let the water push her body back in the wake of a wave she had just dived into. Two flips of her feet and she was back at the surface, the crash of the ocean waves raging back against her ears. A new wave came thundering her way, and she dove under it. All noise muted and her vision blurred. As soon as it passed over her, she opened her arms, let go of her body, allowing the water to command her movement. One fluid motion that pushed her toward the beach. She was flotsam in the ocean, letting the water dictate her movements.
The tide was coming in, and bringing with it ferocious waves that hit the sand with the fury of a thousand dead sailors. Maybe they were asking, what are you doing, girl?—not understanding the water was her home. The ocean wouldn’t take her life. It had refused her once before, when she was a child and swam out so far from the beach that she couldn’t hear the crashing waves anymore. The ocean had cradled her and rolled her back to the beach and onto the sand, into the frantic arms of a mother who’d thought for sure her child was dead. That moment stole forever all the fear she should have of the water. It would not take her life, and it lulled Alice back and forth with each wave, like a mother would rock her child. So Alice opened her arms and danced in an ethereal water ballet, with elegant movements pushed into her arms and legs by the water currents. Her body danced effortlessly in the waves as her mind struggled with a decision.
The water pulled back to gather its strength for another wave. The ocean was breathing in and out, Alice was breathing in tandem with it. The ocean swelled and a wave loomed over Alice. Taking a deep breath, Alice dived in and let go.
Gabriel… He was so worried lately. He tried so hard to hide his fear from her, but his emotions betrayed him. She didn’t understand why in the last three months, he had become so desperate. Holding her and kissing her with fake aloofness, flirting with her while fighting the waves of anxiety that poured from him.
Still, he never demanded, never pushed her beyond her limits. And, like he had promised, he had given her time.
Another wave came in, and Alice dove once again.
Matts… He was the opposite of Gabriel’s feelings, radiating calm and confidence, as if he was sure of an outcome Alice couldn’t fathom. He had given her a lot of gifts these past few months. Norwegian cheeses and chocolate, comfy wool sweaters and coats—which confused her immensely with the heat wave they were having—a miniature Viking boat, and books. So many books. Books about Norway, stories set in Norway, and the history of Norway.
Had Jerome agreed to let her and Gabriel visit there? Maybe as long as it was with Matts, it was okay?
Another wave, another dive, another pirouette in the water.
Matts had been hinting about that possibility. He would often talk to her about wondrous valleys, incredibly blue lakes, pristine snow, and the Aurora Borealis.
How she longed to see it all.
The trip to the Azores had shaken up how she viewed her life. She had thought it over, that her shot at happiness was done, and all that was left was to go with the flow of the events around her. She had thought that second chances were not for those who had lost the love of their life. She had seen no future after Bruno.
A smaller wave washed over Alice, weaker than its predecessors. The ocean’s strength was dying out, the tide becoming gentler.
Gabriel or Matts. Two futures lay before her. One of comfort and familiarity. The other of adventure and unknown. Both full of promise.
The waters had pushed her back so much that her toes touched the sand. Alice made a gesture she had learned in dance class, a graceful motion that turned her body with the current, flowing with it as one. When another wave passed, it was as if she was jumping effortlessly, in a watery ballet. As if following her movement, the wave curled around her as it withdrew. Oh, to command the waves instead of being dragged by them. To command the currents of her own life.
She couldn’t command the sea, but she could take hold of her own life again. She wanted to break free from her mourning, from the ghost of Bruno, and put her heart at risk again. It was time to let go of the past, and open the door to new possibilities. But she needed the right key to do so.
Gabriel or Matts? Deep down, she knew she had already chosen.
Gabriel
He closed the lid of his laptop with a snap and tried to relax into his chair. Jerome had just sent him an email reminding Gabriel of the deadline of the claim. As if he didn’t know. As if he hadn’t watched each day pass on the calendar with dread.
Three weeks to go.
Matts was already making plans for Alice’s security in Norway. Henryk had let it slip that everyone on Matts’s team was looking forward to it. And although Matts hadn’t said anything to Gabriel about her move, he had asked some questions that assured Gabriel he was planning for it. What temperature Alice liked in her room, how often her friends took time off work, and even what kind of food Boss ate.
The bastard was so sure he had won.
Gabriel flirted with the idea of telling Alice the truth. That she was going to Norway unless she bonded with him. But even just thinking it sounded like an ultimatum, forcing her into something she didn’t want, and that ultimately would consume any feelings she had for Gabriel. It would be like Sophie and Marcel.
You are not the same with Alice, are you? Sophie’s voice echoed in his mind.
No, he was not Marcel.
He got up and went looking for Alice. His feelings were in turmoil, his alpha instincts yelling at him and commanding him to take Alice as his own. He needed her peace to center himself. Would he be able to maintain his calm after she was gone? Or would he sink into despair, and take the country along with him?
He shuffled through the beach house, not turning on any of the lights. The sun was setting and the light from outside tinted the walls with shades of orange and purple.
He found Alice in the living room, sitting on the couch, watching the sunset. He sat next to her, so close that their legs touched, and ran his hand through the soft, woolly texture of her oversized cardigan. The cold October weather was just around the corner, and Alice liked to bundle up as soon as a chill ran through the air.
Her mind was far away from him right now, her dark eyes betraying nothing of her thoughts.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked her, his curiosity compelling him.
“About letting go…”
“Funny,” he said without humor. “I was thinking the same thing.”
She fully turned to him on the couch, a serious expression on her face, her dark eyes mesmerizing him, piercing into his soul. The light filtering through the window lit her hair in a halo. He was on a precipice, and Alice was a sphinx about to ask him a riddle in exchange for safe passage.
She touched his face with both hands, her fingers lightly caressing his cheeks. And then she slowly leaned into him and kissed him.
Taken by surprise, it took him a few seconds to react. It was the first time she’d seized the initiative to kiss him, without being addled by the heat. He slid her into his lap and wrapped his arms around her. His want, his need, unleashed into his body like a flash flood. He drew her so close that he lost the sense of where she ended and he began.
Breaking the kiss, she leaned away from him to gaze into his eyes. He took a deep breath, unaware that he had forgotten to breathe.
“Are you sure this is what you want, Gabriel?” she asked, sounding breathless herself. “Once it’s done, there is no going back.”
Shouldn’t it be him asking her this?
He replied by pulling her back into the kiss, his hands traveling all over her body. Passing his tongue over her lips, he begged to explore her mouth. She opened to him and explored in return, her tongue trailing his upper lip. She twisted in his embrace and straddled him on the couch. He opened her cardigan and felt nothing but smooth fabric over her skin. Underneath the sweater, she was wearing nothing but a gauzy black T-shirt and shorts. His pulse raced as he explored her over the fabric. His hands followed the curve of her generous hips, up toward her waist. He teased the underside of her breasts with his thumbs, and she bit her lip in response. Lifting the light fabric until it revealed one breast, he cupped it and licked her nipple, a sudden hunger for her skin making him want to taste every inch of her. A small whimper urged him on, and he sucked and teased her as he fondled and pinched her other breast. She kissed the top of his head, and let her hips grind his erection.
“I’m sorry it took me so long.” Her breath tickled his neck, followed by her tongue. “I was so afraid… I’m still afraid of what will happen.”
He guided her back so he could look into her eyes again. There were sparkles in the dark depths, and her pupils were large.
“I would’ve waited until the end of times,” he confessed. “I want you—you, Alice. I’ve wanted you since before we converted.”
Eyes wide, she gave him a short nod, but seemed unsure of what to say next.
It didn’t matter. All that had happened before no longer mattered. With their confessions out of the way, they fell back into each other’s arms, a fog of need and lust enveloping them. Gabriel’s heart soared.
Alice squealed in surprise when he got up, holding her in his arms. He grinned wickedly at her, mischievous thoughts running through his head. With her legs around him and his hands under her ass, he carried her to his bedroom.
Placing her carefully on the bed, he dragged down her shorts with a single movement. He wanted to taste every inch of her skin and feast between her legs for hours. Blood was pulsing in his eardrums, an instinctual need to make her his pushing him towards dominance. But he would take his time and lavish her in sensual affection until she screamed his name.
Alice
Alice’s heart raced as Gabriel towered over her. Exposed from her hips down, blood rushed to her cheeks, and the heat of arousal rushed between her legs. She could feel Gabriel’s control hanging by a thread. His lust, his need to take her were overwhelming his judgment. She loved it.
She tried to sit up straight and help him remove his clothes, but he guided her back down, one hand on her shoulder commanding her to stay put, his eyes glossy with desire. She recognized what he was going through—she had seen it before— so she let herself be commanded by him. He needed control over her so he could control himself.
He took off his thin sweater and tossed it to a corner, his beautiful blue eyes snapping back to her as soon as he was free from the garment. She wanted to take off her cardigan, but he pinned her to the bed. His gaze traveled over every inch of her, drinking in the sight. There was wonder mixed with his lust, as if he couldn’t quite believe he had her.
Reaching out slowly, tentatively, for the muscles in his chest, she grazed his skin with her fingertips. She had wanted to explore his body many times before, and perhaps he had known that, with the amount of teasing he did. He caught her hand as it explored the ridges of his stomach, and guided it lower, between his legs. She could feel how aroused he was through his jeans. She tried undoing the top button, but he brought her hand up to his lips.
“No, not yet,” he said as he ran her palm over his face. “I won’t be able to hold back if you unleash me too soon. There is something I want to do first. I’ve been dreaming of this for the longest time.”
“Dreaming of what?”
But he didn’t reply; instead his mouth got busy exploring her navel. He teased her belly button with his tongue, making her squirm with tickles, and with a chuckle he let his mouth slip all the way down. He teased and nipped between her legs before he let his tongue twirl over her most sensitive spot.
Alice gasped, grabbing the sheets as if they could save her from the overwhelming pleasure climbing up her skin. She squirmed and agonized with the sensations he was eliciting from such a small piece of flesh. And just when she thought she couldn’t take it anymore, he slipped a finger into her. Slowly he explored her opening, pushing into her rhythmically, further and further inside, pleasure building up and coming undone when he found a spot that made her nearly jump off the bed.
“Gabriel!” She gasped as she came, the air in her lungs not enough to make it a full scream.
He stood up straight, quickly undoing the buttons of his jeans and pushing them down his legs.
“Fuck it, I can’t wait any longer.” He grunted and he kicked the offending garment off his feet.
Giving her no time to explore him in return, he grabbed her hips and pulled her down towards his erection, pushing himself through her folds, grazing her mound with the head of his hardened member. A million sparkles ran across her skin, from her sex to her nipples.
It was wonderful. It was heaven.
One hand on the mattress and the other between her legs, blue eyes pinned on hers, he adjusted himself until he found her entrance. Alice braced herself. It had been so long since the last time she had sex, she couldn’t even remember the feeling of having someone inside her. He pushed in and she stretched around him, a gasp escaping her throat at his size. His entrance was so slow, so controlled, that she instinctively pushed forward with her hips.
“Shit, Alice,” he cursed and pinned her down by her waist. “I don’t want to hurt you. This is… this is different.”
He kept thrusting in at an excruciatingly slow speed until his groin joined her ass and he was filling her up completely. Alice closed her eyes and let the sensations flood her. How had she forgotten this feeling? Then he began to thrust into her harder, in and out, over and over, building up a pleasurable tension where they were joined.
It had been so long…
Closing his eyes and hooking one of her legs over his shoulder, he thrusted faster, the corners of his mouth curling in a mischievous smile with every gasp and moan he elicited from her. A weight began to tug on her chest, a link fighting for space with the cut bond. She could feel snippets of his emotions through it, far more accurate and pure than what she felt with her omega senses. Pure elation was flooding through him, overwhelming her with every movement of his hips. His pleasure mingled with her own, and she wondered if he could feel hers as well.
