Piece by Piece

Chapter 52

Sebastian

Like the gentleman I am, I open the door for Aliena and help her out of the car, only to sling my arms around her waist and lift her over my shoulder as soon as she's on her feet. She yelps, demanding I let her down, but I just laugh and shake my head.

On the elevator ride up, she doesn't stop slapping her hands against my back. Her protests only falter when we're in my apartment, nearing the stairs. Then, she holds on to me for dear life.

"Seb, please. You can't carry me up there. We're going to fall," she tries to reason. I pat her thigh softly.

"Come on, Sweetheart, a little trust, please. You know I won't let anything happen to you," I say, taking the first few steps. I work out every day for a reason. Surprisingly enough, the girl over my shoulder doesn't protest anymore, going pliant in my arms.

Once I'm atop the stairs, I head straight for the last room down the hall, throwing Aliena on my bed once I reach it. She bounces twice before getting up on her elbows to glare at me. I smile down at her, my heart racing a mile a second as I wonder what to do next.

I want to kiss her. Fuck, I've been wanting nothing more than to kiss her in a long while now. I just hope that today is the day she actually lets me.

I climb over her, nearly groaning when she smiles and lets her knees fall apart to make space for me. My hips settle between her legs and my arms brace on either side of her head, one hand caressing her cheek.

With a voice so hoarse I barely recognize it, I ask, "Can I kiss you?"

She nods. "You said I was dessert. You can taste me wherever you want."

With an anguished groan, I smash my lips down on hers, the caress on her face becoming a possessive grip. The kiss isn't slow or gentle. No, it's a desperate press of lips, deepened by her when she arches her neck to come closer to me.

I nip at her lips, letting my body melt further against hers, and she opens her mouth with a sigh. My tongue seeks entry immediately, greeted by her own as we settle in a fast pace.

God, the times I've imagined this. Imagined her beneath me, her soft body pinned to the mattress as I learn all the ways to touch and please her. My imagination had nothing on the real thing, though.

Aliena's hands unbutton my shirt, never once breaking the kiss, and I follow her lead, rolling up her dress. My fingers brush against the hot skin of her outer thighs, over the lace underwear I know to be green, and finally squeeze her waist. I let go of the black fabric to take in the feel of her, enjoying the way my fingertips almost touch as I encircle her waist.

I take my hands off her only long enough for her to rip off my shirt. Then, she lifts her upper body, a silent command for me to take off her dress. I do, and when she tries to pull me back down to connect our lips once more, I deny her that and lean back, wanting to take her in.

And what a sight she is. Smooth, fair skin, interrupted only by the occasional beauty mark. Almost without my notice, my hands reach out again to touch her again, to caress her tummy and feel the sway of her hips.

At the gentle contact, something enters Aliena's eyes and she shivers. Reaching out to grab my wrist before I can reach the waistband of her panties, she breathes, "Seb." A command to do what, exactly, I'm not sure. All I know is that my name on her lips is enough to make my blood run hotter.

"Let me look at my present," I protest softly, leaning down to kiss her. "You're beautiful," I whisper against her lips. She shudders again.

I press another chaste kiss to her lips, turning my head before she can deepen it. Her gentle fingers find her way into my hair and once she realizes what I'm doing, she goes along, meeting every short contact of my lips readily.