Temptation In Lingerie Page 3

  He sunk his lean body into the soft couch. “Yup.”

  “I think buying out the lingerie store was pretty risky.”

  “Yes, but that’s business. I’m talking about other things, your personal life.”

  “You don’t think I’ve met my quota of losers to date, is that it?”

  “You’re maxed out actually. It’s time for you to find Mr. Right.” He winked. The simplest

  movement of his eye heated her insides. “I can help you with that.”

  Carrie eyed his body. He looked positively yummy. The band tattoo on his bicep peaked out from under his shirt sleeve. She remembered when he got it. The same day she got the spool of thread tattooed on her hip. Aleks had been scared, so she’d gone first.

  Shaking off the distraction, she returned to their conversation. “Help me with what?” “Finding Mr. Right.”

  “Since when are you an expert on my love life?” She took a swig from her beer bottle. “Since I’ve had to watch you date douche bag after douche bag who don’t have a hope in hell of keeping you around.”

  After years of worshipping the ground Aleks walked on, after years of wanting him to say he loved her, here she was letting him tell her how to date.

  “I know how to date, Aleks.”

  “I know you know how to date. But you’re special, Care.”

  “Special? Right. More like controlling, uptight, and I believe Rob once called me the fun-

  killer.”

  “Technically you’re all of those things.”

  She gave him a snide face. “Most people would have lied.”

  “I’m not most people.” He grinned. “Most people also wouldn’t say you’re generous, beautiful, creative, and have a head for business.”

  Did he say beautiful?

  “You need a man who will make a big deal about the little things, like getting excited when the blush pink colored zipper thingy is finally available for retail.”

  How did he remember that?

  “Or be patient with you even though it’s been years and you still haven’t mastered the easy level of Guitar Hero. Or that you’ve personally fitted twenty-five brides for their wedding underwear.”

  “Wedding underwear?”

  “You know what I mean.”

  She smiled at his attention to detail. Carrie always thought Aleks and her brother tuned out every time she spoke.

  “You need a man who will let you be you in all of your jittery glory.”

  The more he spoke the harder it was to convince herself she was in lust, not love. She wanted him–sexually–but it wasn’t the lack of sexual contact that made her heart shrink three sizes. It was the reality of knowing she could never have him, all of him, to call her own.

  He scooted over to where she was sitting.

  “Don’t look like that. I have a feeling he’ll be coming sooner than you think.”

  “Great! Let me know when you find him, because I’ll probably be too busy to notice.”

  He caught her chin between his thumb and forefinger. She could smell the slightest hint of his aftershave. His eyes again. Lustful. Deep emerald.

  “You’ll notice. I’m sure he’ll make it real clear.”

  Her eyes widened. She was so confused. One minute he was talking to her about other men

  and the next he was five inches away from her face with a look that made her want to trail her tongue along his neck, his collarbone, and down to the zipper of his jeans. Aleks inched his way closer, tilting his head to the right, guiding her in to meet his lips. He moved closer, inch by slow inch.

  She was breathless. This was the moment she had dreamed about. And it was finally here.

  * * * *

  “Aleks, dear.”

  The whimsical voice from the stairway made them jump, and Aleks hurled himself to the opposite end of the couch.

  Damn! He quickly rearranged his pants to try and loosen some of the pressure against his erection. What a great way to greet Mrs. Taylor. Hi there, how are you? Want a glimpse at my teenage boner? Aleks turned his body straight ahead when he noticed Carrie watching him shift in his seat.

  “Yes, Mama T.”

  They heard the footsteps. “Do you know where...oh! Carrie, you’re down here.” She glanced at the table. “Good. You have food.”

  “We’re just going to watch a movie.” Aleks had to clear his throat twice before he got out the full sentence.

  “Okay, I’ll leave you two alone. Just wanted to let you know my meeting was cancelled and that I made your favorite this afternoon, Aleks. There’s a carrot cake in the fridge.”

  He nodded and mumbled his thanks. Mrs. Taylor headed up the stairs, leaving the scent of Chantilly in her wake.

  Aleks glanced at Carrie. They needed a distraction from the almost-kiss neither of them wanted to acknowledge, so he suggested they start the movie. It had been the perfect moment for him to see if their relationship could survive a jump to the next level but instead of going in for the kill, he chickened out.

  He felt the couch dip as Carrie settled in beside him, pulling her legs up under her body and wrapping a blanket around her lower half. Aleks sat close, but not too close. He didn’t want to overwhelm her.

  Minutes ticked by and as they laughed, they relaxed and nuzzled closer. Usually Rob was sitting between them. It was certainly different to have her body leveraged up against his own. Aleks could smell her sweet perfume, orange blossoms, and he could hear her uneven breaths. Suddenly, the movie wasn’t so interesting.

  Out of the corner of his eye, Aleks noticed Carrie reach up to brush a strand of hair behind her ear. He grabbed her wrist before she had a chance to rest it on her lap. The urge to take hold of her came without warning. Her arm trembled in his grip. Her long, slender fingers curled downward. He kissed the center of her palm.

  “Aleks?”

  He turned and met her lazy stare, but only for a second. “Shh...no thinking. Not tonight.” He saw the confusion in her eyes. The want. The fear. She was feeling everything that he was times two. That was exactly why he looked away. Nudging closer, he leaned in further and then... went for it.

  Carrie let out a high-pitched squeak as he captured her lips. She had a palm on his chest, as if wanting to push him away, but after a few seconds she relaxed. She melted into his embrace, letting their tongues dance in a sweet, slow rhythm. He explored this unfamiliar territory with firm sweeps of his tongue, tasting her, taking her for himself.

  Aleks couldn’t stop the all-consuming hunger that took over his body. After months of pent up frustration–months of tiptoeing around the fact that he had feelings for Carrie–it all came down to this moment. This night. Letting their relationship heat up to the next level might be something they could never recover from, but he had to know.

  Carrie was fully engaged now. Her hands searched his body, grasping and grabbing at clothes and skin. Urging her back, he laid her down. His lips continued to tangle with hers while his hands roamed south. He lifted her shirt and took one of her full, round breasts in his hand. Aleks pulled away from her lips when he realized her hand had found her other lace covered peak. They both massaged her through the fabric.

  She embraced the pleasure of the moment, her face flushed pink, her lips moist from their kisses. Watching her, Aleks didn’t know how he could have been so blind for so long. He was glad she had her eyes shut tight, because he was afraid of what she might see in his.

  Aleks lost himself in her pleasure but came to when he felt her hand touch his and guide it down under the blanket then between her legs. She lifted her pelvis to increase the pressure of his grip. He massaged her core on the outside of her track pants.

  He heard the soft whisper of his name. It was a whisper of approval. Suddenly, she sat up and pushed herself onto his body, leaning him against the arm of the couch. He pulled at the waistband of her pants.

  Carrie devoured his mouth as he slid his hand inside, slipping past her satin panties. She spread her legs wider, givi
ng him access to take what he wanted. She was smooth, not one hair covered the heavenly skin that led to her warmth.

  He cupped her sex with his hand and immediately felt her arousal. His middle finger found her entrance and slipped inside. Then his index finger did the same. Carrie ripped away from his kiss and rode his fingers. Pumping her body up and down, she threw her head back. Aleks seized the opportunity and pulled down one of the lace cups to suck at her nipple.

  Her left hand gripped his shoulder, the other found his erection and massaged it through his jeans. Aleks was ready to come at that very moment. The caress of her hand and the look on her face was enough to set him off, but he held back. What he wouldn’t give for her to take his cock, to finish inside her warm mouth, but that was not his intention.

  Aleks positioned the pad of his thumb so it hit her clit every time she pumped.

  “Aleks!” It was exactly what she needed because he felt her canal squeeze his fingers. “Don’t stop, I’m coming.”

  “Not a chance.” With his free hand, Aleks brought her head back to his and captured her lips. She came with a shudder, and he let her breathe hard against his mouth.

  When the last convulsion left her body, Carrie rested her forehead against his as if needing a minute to regain her composure. Her hands found the fly of his jeans. Just as she went to release the zipper, the basement door opened and the overhead lights turned on putting them in the spotlight, shedding light on what could have turned into a very large mistake.

  “Al!” Rob barreled down the stairs, and Carrie hurled herself to the other side of the couch just in time to pull down her shirt and smooth her hair.

  “Yeah. Down here.”

  “Oh hey, Care.” Rob stopped short, but only for a second, then strode further into the room, sitting himself between them on the couch.

  “Do we have a plan yet for this party?” Rob inquired about the preparations for their parents’ thirtieth wedding anniversary. The Taylor children, along with Aleks and Martina, were throwing them a party. The idea was to mimic their Hawaiian honeymoon.

  “Everything is pretty much set,” Carrie explained. “But I need you guys to come over so we can finalize some details.”

  She continued, but Aleks could no longer decipher the words. His attention was focused entirely on her soft lips and imagining them on his body. She refused to look over at him. Instead, she stared straight ahead, looking like a deer caught in headlights, a deer with radiant skin, the after-effects of an orgasm.

  Maybe Rob showing up was for the best. Maybe they were interrupted for a reason. Whatever the reason, he was glad Rob had come to the rescue. In the light–with their actions no longer under the cover of dark–Aleks realized he had been minutes away from making a huge mistake and ruining his relationship with Carrie forever. Not only with Carrie, but with Rob and his family. The family that Aleks had come to love as his own. The Taylors gave him a sense of belonging, something that had been missing with his own family.

  “I can’t believe she roped you into watching this movie again.” Rob shut off the movie then scrolled through the digital directory, most likely trying to find something they would all enjoy.

  She shot up faster than a bullet. “I think I’m going to go. I have some work to do.”

  Aleks feared their relationship was already strained even though they hadn’t gone all the way. Her awkwardness made it very clear that taking things to the next level would not be a good idea. It was at that moment Aleks made the decision to refrain from pursuing Carrie. He would forget the sweet smell of oranges she left lingering in the air. He would ignore the intense urge to suck his fingers into his mouth and taste her arousal. In the interest of friendship, he would keep his distance.

  Chapter 5

  “I’ve decided I’m going to sleep with Aleks.” Carrie let out a huge breath after finally gathering the courage to make the exclamation.

  The water that Amie just sipped flew out of her mouth. “Excuse me? What?”

  “Aleks Turko?” Martina calmly tried to understand the situation.

  The three of them were huddled on the wood floor of the yoga studio. As an attempt to relieve

  some of her stress and nervousness, Carrie had reluctantly agreed to join her two friends for a yoga class. Out of breath and sore from Amie pushing her to the limit, Carrie tried to stretch out her pain.

  “Yes. Aleks Turko.”

  “Hottie?” Amie spit out. “Your best friend since you were ten years old? Did I say hottie?” “I think Amie is trying to make sense of it all.” Martina was always so rational. “I think I need an explanation as well.”

  They were going to make a big deal out of this. Well, it was a big deal but they were going to make it bigger.

  “Okay,” Carrie began her confession, “so I’ve never told anyone this. You’re my best friends and Martina–” Carrie glanced in her direction. “–I’m going to have to ask you to break the couple code and not tell my brother.”

  “You mean I can’t tell him you’re in love with Aleks.”

  Amie laughed out loud at Martina’s comment just as Carrie’s jaw dropped to the floor. “Come on, Care. We’re not blind. I’ve known you were in love with Aleks from the day I tried on lingerie in your living room,” Martina explained.

  “I don’t love him.” Yes, you do. “It’s a teenage crush that I haven’t been able to let go. That’s why I’ve decided that in order to get over him, I have to sleep with him.”

  “Do you really think that’s going to work?” Martina looked skeptical.

  It sounded good in theory. It sounded good before he completely confused her and gave her

  the best orgasm of her life not twelve hours earlier.

  “This is crap! When are you going to admit you’re in love with him?” Amie asked.

  Carrie gave both of them an unimpressed look and let out a disgruntled huff. “If I was in love with him, and I am not saying that I am, it would never work out anyway.”

  “I think you need to tell him how you feel. I think you’d be surprised at his reaction.” Amie was being cryptic. Like she’d spoken with Aleks and knew that this was something he’d thought about too.

  “No way. I couldn’t. I clammed up when he walked in on me the other day, and then after what happened in the basement–”

  “He walked in on you?” Amie interrupted.

  “What happened in the basement?” Martina asked.

  Her friends were frothing at the mouth for details.

  “Earlier this week he barged into my room and saw me wearing a corset and garter for the show tomorrow.” Both women looked at her, barely able to contain their excitement. “He was a little shocked at first, but then he turned back into his cocky self.” Carrie made the attempt to mimic him. “What’s the point in covering up now, Care Bear? I’ve already seen everything.”

  “Everything?” Martina questioned.

  “Not everything, but I wasn’t wearing any underwear.”

  “So he saw your hoo-ha?” Amie asked.

  “Must it be such a big deal?”

  “Yes, it’s a big deal!” Amie’s excitement level was too over the top.

  “Is that what happened in the basement?” Martina was just as bad.

  “No. That was last night. Short version, we were alone watching a movie and yada, yada,

  yada, Rob walked in and interrupted.”

  “This is not an episode of Seinfeld. You’re going to have to explain the ‘yada, yada, yada.’”

  Amie was furious. It was as if Carrie stole something from her. In a way, she did. She stole the truth. “There was touching, crazy sexual tension, and a really good orgasm.” Both girls lit up with excitement. “But it was just weird. There was a bit of awkwardness between us afterward.”

  “I think I know why.” Amie sat back, resting her upper body on her forearms. “Reiki.” Both Martina and Carrie gave her a curious look.

  “Aleks told me himself he was feeling different. Reiki align
s your chakras and puts you in touch with your true self.”

  “So, it’s like he felt this all along but just never acknowledged it?” Martina inquired.

  “He was just horny,” Carrie spit out. “Frankly, so was I. That’s all I need him to be. I can put

  my plan into action and move on. End of story.” That’s right. She needed to fuck him and move on. “Are you sure this is what you want, Carrie?” Martina asked.

  “Yes, I’m sure. I can’t spend the rest of my life wondering ‘what if.’”

  “When are you going to make your move?” Amie asked.

  Carrie gave them a devilish stare. “Soon. Very, very soon.”

  “Good because it would be nice to have confirmation about his rumored skills in bed since Martina here doesn’t share...” Amie clapped her hand over her mouth just as Martina pinched her thigh. This time it wasn’t in jest. They both looked horrified.

  “What do you mean Martina doesn’t share?”

  “Nothing.” Amie tried to take back her words.

  “I slept with Aleks,” Martina blurted, just barely above a whisper. The confession was like a

  kick to the stomach. “I should have told you a long time ago, but I knew how you felt and it didn’t mean anything so I figured...”

  “What I don’t know won’t hurt me.” Carrie was stunned. Shocked. Flabbergasted. Her two best friends kept some major information from her. For as much as she would regret asking, she needed details. “When? Why? Does my brother know?”

  “Last year when we first met. Your brother knows. He was there.”

  “I think I’m going to puke.” Carrie rolled over onto her side and lifted herself off the floor. “Remember when I told you I wanted to fulfill my fantasies, and one of them was to be with two men?”

  Carrie thought back to the night Martina tried on her very first design. She did say that. “Your brother set it up. He wanted to fulfill all my fantasies. It was just sex. Nothing like being with your brother. In fact, Rob hated it.”

  “I’m sure Aleks enjoyed himself.” Of course he did. Beautiful woman. Kinky situation. That was his M.O. Carrie was too goody-two-shoes for his liking. Maybe that’s why he had backed off. Screw him. She could be kinky. She could be daring.