The Ice-Breaker Ch. 02

Normal couple, she repeated to herself and bit her bottom lip, sneaking a glance at Alex. Are we a couple? She liked to think so and since Alex had been calling her every day since they'd run into each other in Joel's lounge, she thought he'd agree.

They hit the big department stores first, Alex giving careful consideration to every piece Kaitlyn suggested. He didn't want too much, afraid of making his place look cluttered. She agreed, more of a minimalist person herself. As they worked their way from store to store, Alex ended up selecting just one or two pieces for each room. They left the mall behind and Kaitlyn laughed all the way back to his house over the fact that he'd refused to try another stop.

"I've got all I need," he told her firmly.

Back at his house, Alex offered her something to drink and she gratefully accepted. She'd eaten lunch around eleven that morning and was starting to feel hungry.

"Do you want to go out for dinner?" she asked and drank almost half the bottle of water in one long sip.

Alex smiled at her and downed some of his own water. "I didn't think you had this kind of energy."

Laughing, Kaitlyn nodded in agreement. "Must be the vacation. Why? Are you too tired to go out now?"

He shrugged and Kaitlyn moved past him to open the fridge. "Why don't we see what we can make here," she suggested and laughed when she saw the nearly empty interior of his fridge. "Wow. Nothing but beer and condiments. How do you even survive?"

"I order in a lot," he told her, a sheepish smile on his face.

Kaitlyn looked over at him and grinned. "Well, I guess we can do that. But tomorrow, we're going to the grocery store."

"When did you get so bossy?"

"I've always been bossy," she replied, which was the truth. "I just know you well enough now that I'm showing my true colors." Pausing, she shut the fridge door and gave him a shy smile. "Do you still like me?"

Instead of answering out loud, Alex set his bottle of water down and stepped close to her, crowding her against the front of his fridge. She sucked in a breath as she looked up at him, watching his eyes darken just before he bent low to kiss her.

As always, his kiss swept away all rational thought. She held onto his arms, loving the feeling of his muscles bunching and relaxing beneath her touch. He parted her lips deftly with his tongue and swept inside, turning Kaitlyn's knees to jelly. The arm around her waist kept her on her feet and it was all Kaitlyn could do to remind herself to keep breathing. She met his tongue with a tentative stroke and, when she felt his arm squeeze her, she did it again.

He broke away from her lips and pressed his forehead to hers, breathing hard. Before she could draw enough breath to speak, he was kissing her again, moving so that he had her pinned more firmly against his fridge. She felt the hard muscled length of his thighs pressing into hers and raised herself to her toes when his arms lifted her. Helpless in his grasp, she slid her hands to his shoulders and weakly circled their broad width.

This time, his kiss was ruthless, stealing her breath clean away and making her body sing in response. He twisted his mouth over hers, tasting and teasing her. She felt his fingers open against her back and then he was pushing his hand beneath her shirt. When his fingers brushed her bare skin, she jerked against him and gave a tiny moan when she felt the rigid length of him pressing into her abdomen.

With a strangled sound of his own, Alex tore his mouth from hers and stared at her. His expression must have been a mirror of her own bewilderment. Neither of them spoke for a moment. Alex kept his hand splayed across the slope of her lower back and she held onto his shoulders, still shocked by the throbbing muscle against her stomach.

As though realizing his physical state, Alex flushed and took a deliberate step back. He lowered his hands to her hips and swallowed hard, the muscles in his jaw flexing as Kaitlyn looked up. She straightened in front of him, dropping one hand to pull the bottom of her shirt down self-consciously.

"Are you..." Alex began but stopped, his voice hoarse. He cleared his throat and tried again, smiling at her. "Are you hungry?"

God, yes, she answered silently, licking her lips and recalling just how he'd tasted to her. "Sure," she said out loud.

Chuckling, Alex dropped a kiss on the corner of her mouth, careful to keep some space between them. Then he turned and opened a drawer beside the fridge. He listed the places nearby that delivered and let Kaitlyn decide. She chose pizza and they decided on a large pepperoni and mushroom.

While they waited for the pizza to be delivered, Kaitlyn followed Alex around his house as he hung his new pictures. He used her to make sure everything looked straight and then they did one more walk-through once everything was done.

"It looks great," she told him, touching his arm as he scrutinized the picture he'd hung in the kitchen.

He smiled and nodded. "Thanks for all your help."

"Of course. Men need a woman's perspective for this sort of thing."

He chuckled and bent to kiss her just as the doorbell rang. After digging into the pizza, they decided to watch a movie upstairs. He had one couch upstairs but Kaitlyn was more than happy to settle back against him as the movie started. She told herself she wasn't going to fall asleep this time.

However, her body seemed to have a mind of its own and she felt her eyes growing heavy as comfortable warmth settled over her. Alex was cradling her against his chest and the steady thump of his heart under her head was hypnotic. He eased his palm up and down her bare arm and the room was very dim, the only light coming from the television in front of them.

When Kaitlyn's head lolled to one side, she jerked back to full awareness. She sat up straight and looked down at Alex, who gave her a curious smile.

"Sorry," she mumbled and touched her cheek, still warm from his body. "I was falling asleep."

He chuckled and sat up beside her. "I know." He eyed her and gave her a playful wink. "I should be insulted."

Laughing, she shook her head and laid her hand against his chest. She leaned close, smiling as she watched his eyes darken. "Don't be. I can't seem to help myself around you. You make me feel so relaxed."

Alex grasped her hand and drew it up to his lips, pressing a warm kiss to the underside of her wrist. She followed the movement with her eyes, shivering when she met his hot gaze. Sitting back, she pulled her hand away and smiled at his pout.

"I need to use the restroom," she said. "Do I have to go back downstairs?"

"No, go ahead and use the one in my room," he told her, waving a hand in that direction.

She thanked him and walked away, grateful for any excuse to put some distance between them. She may be hot, and more than ready for him to jump her, but it was disorienting being so close to him. As she shut the bathroom door, she looked over at the big tub and smiled. She chewed her lip, considering and then decided she didn't have anything to lose.

Walking back out to the other room, she stood shyly in the doorway and smiled at Alex as he flipped through his movie selection. "Hey, Alex?"

He looked over and grinned when he met her eyes. Straightening to his full height, he turned and walked towards her. "What's up?"

"This may sound like a strange request," she said, looking down. "But I just have to ask."

"Go ahead and ask me anything," he encouraged, coming closer. To her, his voice sounded husky and she had to fight the urge to laugh out loud.

"Can I use your bath?"

He drew back and gaped at her. "My... bath?"

"I told you it was strange. It's just, you have such an amazing bathtub and I've always been a bath person but my apartment has the shallowest, crappiest tub you can imagine."

Alex stared down at her, a muscle working in his jaw. Kaitlyn kept her face serious, kept herself from giggling like a ninny. "You want to have a bath." He paused and she nodded. "In my bathtub."

"Can I? I promise to make it up to you."

He barked out a laugh and turned away from her, running his hands through his hair. "Christ almighty, gorgeous," he groaned.

Kaitlyn had to cover her mouth to contain her mirth. His reaction was stronger than she'd expected but it was still going according to her plan. "Please, Alex?" She resisted the urge to take his hand, knowing that if she touched him, her sexy plan would go down the drain.

"All right," he grumbled, giving her a lopsided smile. "I'm going to go downstairs while you do. Just... just let me know when you're done." Without another word, he walked away.

Letting a little giggle escape at last, Kaitlyn watched him go before darting back into his bedroom.

She shut the door and turned the water on over the tub. She watched it filling for a minute before looking around. Running her hands over the towels, she bit her lip, anticipation making her feel weak. First, she began to undress, carefully folding her clothes and placing them in a neat pile on the counter. She swept her medium-length hair into a ponytail high on her head, leaving several short strands sticking out around the nape of her neck. Last, she grabbed a towel off the rack and bent to check the water in the tub.

The drawback to these gigantic tubs was how long it took them to fill up. It left Kaitlyn with far too much time to second-guess herself. She perched on the edge of the tub and dipped her feet into the water that filled the bottom half. Her thoughts wandered until the water reached her calves then she turned her mind to how she wanted to arrange herself.

God, Kaitlyn, you're being ridiculous! she told herself, stifling another semi-hysterical laugh.

Her mind was racing and her heart was pounding furiously. When she held a hand up before her eyes, she saw her fingers trembling. All over, from head to foot, she was vibrating. She hadn't been so worked up since she'd gone through puberty. Oh, she'd had lovers as an adult, a couple good ones, a couple not-so-good ones, but Alex felt different. She didn't know what it was about him but she liked it. In spite of her frazzled nerves, she liked what he did to her.

As the water at last neared the top of the tub, Kaitlyn turned the taps off and drew in several fortifying breaths of the steamy air. Then she stood up and crept to the door, holding the towel closed at her chest. She opened the door a crack and peered out, then leaned her head around the side, listening. She thought she could hear him moving downstairs.

"Alex?" she called. Clearing her throat, she tried again, louder. "Alex?"

***

Alex paced around his kitchen aimlessly. He wasn't even aware he was doing it, focused instead on keeping his thoughts innocent. Not that it did any good; all he could think about was Kaitlyn naked, reclining naked in his big bathtub, naked as the steamy water softened her skin and made her... wet.

God help me, he thought, dragging his hands through his hair for the tenth time since she'd asked to use his bath.

He should have refused her. So far, they'd always been honest with each other, if somewhat more than playful at times. She would have blushed and maybe made some joke back at him. Then they would have sat back down on the couch and Alex would have held her close, not caring if she fell asleep or not.

He'd take that over this God-awful torture any day.

Then, as if it couldn't get any worse, he could hear her voice crying his name. Groaning, he sagged against his kitchen island and covered his face with his hands.

"Alex?"

There, he heard it again, and this time he knew he wasn't imagining things.

"Alex? Are you there?"

"Yeah?" he called back, already heading up the stairs.

"I think there's something wrong with the fixtures," she told him and he paused near his bedroom door, not wanting to just burst in.

"Oh. OK, I'll come have a look." He tapped on his bedroom door before entering. "Are you decent?" Please, please have some clothes on, he begged silently, not sure if he'd be able to stop himself from having his way with her if he found her naked.

Her soft laughter reached his ears and he pressed a closed fist to his eye. "I'm in the bathroom," she replied.

OK, not exactly a confirmation of her state of dress but he didn't think she'd let him parade in if she wasn't. He walked into his room and felt the brush of steam against his skin as it leaked from the barely open bathroom door. He walked over, tapped again on the door - to be polite - before pushing it wide open.

He stopped short just inside the doorway, his body frozen in place as his eyes took in the sight before him.

She must have had the water on full hot as she filled the tub, because steam had already misted the mirror over. He saw the steam first, curling over the edge of the tub and over her knees - her bare knees. Gradually, he took in the rest of her, bare thighs resting on the porcelain edge of the tub and bare arms holding one of his towels around her body. She held the corners of the towel in front of her and looked over her right shoulder as Alex entered the bathroom. The towel dipped down in the back, revealing the full expanse of her creamy skin from shoulder to waist.

Alex sucked in a breath and blinked, almost afraid the vision would disappear. His eyes met hers and she grinned, a glow in her eyes that had him hardening instantly.

"You... said... you... what's the problem?" he stammered, trying hard not to move.

Kaitlyn bit her lip and lowered her lashes. Alex took a step closer before he even knew he was doing it. "The problem is that I was in here alone," she murmured.

Again, all Alex could do was stare. She'd caught him completely off-guard and he wasn't even sure he could recite his own name if asked at that moment.

Then her words sank through the fog of his desire and a slow smile spread across his face. He watched her eyes pop open wide and then she smiled back. As he continued to stare at her, she lifted one hand and crooked a finger at him, beckoning him closer.

"Can't have that," he muttered and closed the distance between them with two long strides. He lifted her into his arms, choking back a groan when the towel slipped from her grasp. She laughed and didn't struggle against him as he covered her mouth with his. He carried her blindly out to his bed, glad when he didn't run into the wall.

As he laid her down on the bed - she was wonderfully naked - he knelt beside her, drinking in the sight of her.

"You're just going to waste a good bath?" she asked, propping herself up on her elbows.

He nodded mutely, incapable of speaking. He'd always known she was gorgeous, it's why he called her by that endearment, reminding her every time. Here and now, naked, pink from her knees down from the hot water, she was more than gorgeous. She was breathtaking. Apparently his avid scrutiny was making her uncomfortable because she drew her knees up together and rolled to one side, hiding her face against a pillow.

Oh no. She wasn't going to get away that easily.

Alex stretched out beside her, forgetting that he was still fully clothed. He pulled her into his arms and sighed when she went willingly into his embrace.

"You're beautiful," he murmured, brushing delicate kisses over her forehead and down her cheek. He cupped her jaw in his hand and kissed her on the mouth, parting her lips with his tongue and sweeping inside. She moaned, her fingers fisting in his shirt and her body arching back over his arm. He groaned into her mouth to feel her breasts pressing against him.

Wrenching himself away from her, he raked her naked form with his eyes before meeting her foggy gaze again. "I don't want to rush you, gorgeous," he murmured, still so close that their breath mingled.

"I know," she whispered and smiled, her fingers playing with the collar of his shirt.

"I want you so badly," he added and kissed her again, losing himself in her warm, soft mouth. She lapped at his tongue with hers, teasing and tracing his lips until he again broke the kiss with a sharp breath.

"Take your shirt off," she demanded breathlessly, and he complied with a grin.

Leaning away from her, he went on to pull his jeans open, shoving them, and his underwear, over his legs. She reached for him, hauling her body over his before he'd pushed his pants all the way off. He laughed and caught her close to his chest, happily kissing her back when she sought his lips with hers.

He held the back of her head, tangling his hand through her hair. He yanked the hair elastic free and smiled apologetically when she yanked her mouth away with a startled sound.

"You could have asked," she muttered.

Chuckling, Alex pulled her head down and kissed her temple. "I'm sorry," he whispered and slid his lips across her cheek to kiss the corner of her mouth. "I'll make it up to you."

"Mmm," she murmured and opened under his seeking tongue.

He kicked his legs, jostling them both as he removed his jeans altogether. Free at last, he rolled, pinning her under him. She stared up at him, her face flushed, her eyes so darkly green in the light pouring from the bathroom. Looking away from his face, her eyes flittered down his throat, over his shoulders to his chest. There, she placed her palms flat and slid them out.

He watched her hands move over his body, holding himself off of her and giving her room to touch him. Her touch was soft, taunting, and it raised the hairs on his arms. She slipped her hands around his ribs to his back and then down until she was lightly scraping her nails across the top of his ass.

"Oh Christ," he moaned and kissed her, pressing in fiercely and swallowing her sound of surprise as he claimed her.

Drawing her bottom lip between his teeth, he nibbled and then licked the same spot. She gasped, her mouth falling open as he did it. Grinning wickedly, he thrust his tongue inside as he slipped his hand down her side, digging his fingers possessively into her hip. She jerked against him and wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him close. The move caught him by surprise and he fell on top of her with a gasping laugh. Their lips parted and Kaitlyn met his cloudy gaze with an impish smile.

"When did you get so demanding?" he asked breathlessly, brushing a kiss on her lips before moving lower.

As he sucked on her throat, she sighed and tipped her head back, letting him have more room. "I told you before," she murmured. "I've always been bossy."

He nipped the skin where her neck curved into her collarbone and she gasped, her arms squeezing as tight as she could. Lifting his head, he put a hand against her cheek and met her eyes. "I think I like it when you're bossy," he told her.

She laughed and shook her head. "Liar."

"I'm not," he insisted and kissed her to punctuate his remark.

"All right," she breathed when he released her. "Then kiss my neck again."

He obliged, dropping his head as he stroked her jaw with his thumb. Using his hand, he tilted her head back and lapped at her warm skin, savoring her sweet scent. She shuddered as he traced swirling patterns over her skin with his tongue. At first he just used the tip of his tongue, teasing her with gentle strokes. Then, when she squirmed beneath him, he pressed his tongue flat and started to suck at the pulse point just under her chin.

Lifting his head, he smiled at her. "How's that?" he asked smugly, seeing the color high in her cheeks.

"Good," she replied, her voice hoarse.

"Now what?" he asked, his hand tracing similar patterns on her naked hip.

"Now what, what?"

Laughing, he squeezed her waist and rested on one elbow just to her side, easing some of his weight off of her. "Now what do you want me to do?"