Alex’s Perspective 2
The First Night
I was away closing a major acquisition in Tokyo when Jake found Autumn’s old wish tag at Wishing Hill. The urgent tone in her voice when she called made my
heart race.
“He showed up at my door, Alex,” she said, her voice hollow. “Soaking wet, holding that old wooden tag I threw into the ocean. He’d been searching the rocks for
days.”
“What did you tell him?” I asked, already packing my suitcase with one hand while holding the phone with the other.
“I told him the truth. That I only see him as a friend now.” Her voice grew stronger.
“I told him to stop wasting his time on me.”
The echo of Jake’s own words to her wasn’t lost on me. “Are you okay?”
“I am,” she said, and I could hear the surprise in her voice. “I really am. It was
like… closing a book I’ve been reading for too long. I just feel relieved.”
I changed my flight and arrived at her apartment late that evening. When she opened the door, something had shifted in her demeanor. The shadow that had lingered in her eyes since I’d known her–that perpetual look of someone waiting
for something just out of reach–was gone.
I found her working at her desk, fingers flying across the keyboard. She was radiant, filled with creative energy that seemed to illuminate her from within. “Don’t stop on my account,” I said, dropping my bag by the door.
She looked up, her smile genuine and uninhibited. “I think I finally found the
ending.”
I moved behind her, placing my hands on her shoulders, massaging gently as I glanced at her screen. The story’s protagonist was walking away from a toxic
relationship, toward a future of her own making.
“Perfect,” I murmured, bending to kiss the top of her head, inhaling the vanilla
scent of her shampoo.
She saved her work and swiveled in her chair to face me. “You know, I realized
something today.”
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“What’s that?”
“I’ve spent so much of my life waiting for Jake to see me. To really see me.” She
stood, wrapping her arms around my waist. “But you’ve always seen me exactly as
I am, haven’t you?”
I nodded, emotions tightening my throat. If only she knew how long I’d been watching her, waiting for my chance.
“From the moment Jake introduced us, you’ve understood me in a way no one else has,” she continued, unaware of how much deeper our connection truly went. Í tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, resisting the urge to tell her everything- about seeing her that day on the street, about orchestrating our reunion through Jake. Those were secrets I’d keep for now. Maybe someday I’d tell her, but not yet. “I feel like I’ve finally let go,” she said softly. “Like I’m free.” “Are you sure?” I asked, needing to hear it. “Completely sure?”
Her answer was to rise on her toes, pressing her lips to mine in a kiss that held promise rather than desperation. When she pulled back, there was a certainty in her eyes I’d never seen before.
“Completely,” she whispered against my lips. “Take me to bed, Alex. Help me start the next chapter.”
I lifted her effortlessly, her legs wrapping around my waist as I carried her to the bedroom. The weight of her against me, the scent of her hair, the flutter of her pulse at her throat–it was intoxicating. This moment felt fundamentally different from our previous encounters. There was no hesitation, no phantom of Jake standing between us.
The bedroom was bathed in the soft glow of moonlight filtering through the
curtains. I laid her gently on the bed, my eyes locked with hers as I slowly unbuttoned my shirt. Her gaze traveled deliberately over my exposed skin, lingering on the definition of muscle beneath. When my shirt fell to the floor and I reached for my belt, she sat up.
“Let me,” she said, her voice husky with desire.
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Her fingers were warm against my skin as she methodically undid my belt and slid it from the loops. The subtle brush of her knuckles against my abdomen sent electricity coursing through me. When she finally unfastened my pants and guided them down, I stepped out of them, standing before her in only my black boxer
briefs.
Her eyes darkened at the visible evidence of my desire. Instead of the shyness I’d seen before, there was a new boldness in her expression as she reached out to trace the outline through the thin fabric. I couldn’t suppress the groan that
éscaped my throat.
“Your turn,” I managed, my voice rough with restraint.
I knelt before her, taking my time with each button of her blouse. As I revealed her smooth skin inch by inch, I followed my fingers with my lips, leaving a trail of warmth in my wake. Her breathing quickened as I reached the delicate cream lace that contrasted beautifully with her skin.
“You’re wearing this for me?” I asked, tracing the edge of the fabric with one
finger.
She nodded, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. “I bought it after the meteor shower. I’ve been waiting for the right moment.”
Something primal stirred inside me at the thought of her selecting lingerie with me in mind. I reached behind her, releasing the clasp with practiced ease, letting the garment fall away to reveal her completely. Her body responded to my admiring gaze, and I couldn’t resist leaning forward to express my affection. Autumn gasped, her back arching off the bed, her hands flying to my hair to hold me against her. I paid equal attention to each side, learning exactly what made her writhe beneath me. The sounds she made–soft moans and breathless sighs-
formed the most beautiful symphony I’d ever heard.
I moved lower, unbuttoning her jeans and sliding them down her long legs. Her matching lace undergarments were already showing evidence of her desire. I pressed my lips to the inside of her thigh, so close to where she wanted me but not quite there.
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“Alex,” she pleaded, her hips lifting slightly in invitation.
“Patience,” I murmured against her heated skin. “I’ve waited twenty years for this.
I want to memorize every moment.”
I continued my methodical exploration, studying her body like a sacred text I wanted to commit to memory. When I finally removed her last piece of clothing,
she was trembling with anticipation.
I looked up the length of her body, drinking in the sight of her completely bare beneath me–her chest rising and falling rapidly, her lips parted, her eyes half-
fidded with desire.
“You’re so beautiful,” I said, my voice thick with emotion. “I want to taste all of
you.”
