Designs of Love (TP2)

35 - Jen and Alex

Jen and Alex

Jen couldn't believe Alex was there, and she whisked him in. After the day she had, she didn't need anyone to see him with her.

All he could think was she looked beautiful. Finally, she spoke first, "You're here."

"I hope you don't mind, but I needed to see you after... after Kristi's. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pushed you. I should have trusted you. It's just I've been burnt before." She nodded. "It was a long time ago, but it almost ruined people I love."

"I know."

"You know? Tom?"

"Yes, and I understand. I know that if that wasn't in your past things between us would have..."

"Would have progressed. I know what you experienced in your marriage was hard, but none of it was your fault. He had a secret to hide and did it well. I saw pictures and never noticed."

"No one did really. You came all this way to say you're sorry."

He reached for her hand and she let him, feeling the shock pulse through her body. "I came because I can't stop thinking about you. I know you're not divorced yet, but we can be discrete. I know we live in different states, but we have to try. I can't see the future. I only see now and right now we deserve to give us a chance."

He pulled her into an embrace and smelled her hair. He tilted her chin up, and she had tears. He gently wiped them with his finger.

"I never thought I'd ever feel you hold me. I've waited so long for it," she said.

"How long?"

"I don't know. I remember the first time I went to your house. I was following you downstairs after your shower. You smelled so good and I wanted to run my fingers through your damp hair." She lifted her hand to touch his hair.

"If you did that you would have ended up in my bed." He slowly gently kissed her. There was no urgency just enough to taste each other. "That I've wanted to do for longer than I care to admit."

"Just like that?"

"Like this too."

He kissed her again, but this time he pressed harder and parted her lips with his tongue and she responded by meeting every demand his mouth made. Her knees were weak, and she leaned into him to stay upright. He held her tighter, closer. Finally parting, he said, "That was better than anything I imagined."

"I need to sit down."

Looking around he said, "This place is nice. It's your work isn't it."

"Yes, I did it for Avery back when she moved out of our apartment. It was before we started Dixon Design. That was a long time ago though. I was still learning, not that I would change much today." She was rambling.

"You told me you didn't like your apartment. Why did you design your home in a way that wasn't pleasing to you?" He wanted to understand her.

"Because for a long time, I didn't know who I was. I knew how to do my job and do it well, but I was always pleasing others at my own expense."

"When did you start to change?"

"Last summer when I stayed in the Hamptons. I did things I knew would upset Sterling. They were things that Jen liked to do and he felt Jennifer shouldn't do." She knew she would tell him anything he asked. She wanted him to know her so when the inevitable happened it would be pure and without secrets.