I turned and hopped in the truck, closing the door behind me. Alex and Castillo’s voices lowered, but their expressions and body language never wavered. I could tell that Alex was working overtime to reign in a boiling volcano that was threatening to erupt. The base was still quite populated, and people were coming and going from the gym, so blowing up and causing a spectacle would only make matters worse.

“Look, Alex. I’m not protecting him. Ever since you allowed her to get her claws into you, you’ve turned into someone I barely even recognize anymore. You—”

“I’m done with this fucking conversation, Leti. The last time I checked, you were the last person I owe anything to. I’m putting you on notice. When I find him, his ass is grass. And if you’re still rolling around with him—”

“Alex—”

“Have a great fucking night.”

Alex situated himself in his seat after slamming his truck door shut. His rage was brewing, but he had done a decent job of holding it in. I wasn’t sure what I should say to him…if I should say anything at all, or simply allow the tension filled silence to continue to fester.

He pulled out of the stall and we drove…

And drove…

And drove…

Staring out the window and eyeing the signs showing Yucca Valley, I knew where we were headed. The remote rock post in the middle of the desert had symbolically become our spot. Alex had brought me here the night before he’d left for Florida, further cementing the relationship that should have never been between us. With a heavy sigh, Alex parked in our spot.

He laid against the headrest as the truck idled. “I’m going to fucking murder Vernon,” he mumbled. His eyes were shut, but the venom in his tone laid out nothing but malice.

I reached over and rubbed his hand. He turned his head and looked into my eyes. His face never softened, but his honey-hued eyes glowed, indicating that he was somewhat relaxed.

“Alex, Vernon isn’t really that big of a deal at this point. Who cares what he had to say?”

“I care, Cassie. He’s a fucking pussy. He’s butt hurt from shit that happened long ago, and he’s being a little bitch about trying to get back at me. I’ll fucking destroy that guy if he thinks he’s getting one over on me.”

He was itching for a fight, and I wasn’t in the mood to give it to him, so I sat quietly, never giving in to the voice in my head telling me to point out the ridiculous amount of bravado that had him looking like a class-A jackass.

Before long, he was out of the truck and over to my side, opening the door and helping me out. We walked around to the back where Alex lowered the tailgate, then helped me up before sitting next to me.

“What the fuck has happened to us, Blondie? A couple of weeks ago, no one could have told me that we’d be where we are right now. No one.”

Shaking my head, I allowed his words to sink in. Things seemed to go from bad to worse after the attack. Alex loved hard and with everything he had, and at times it seemed that love clouded his better judgment. Even with the shit storm raining down on us, I’d thought we were strong enough as a unit to withstand it all, but the best of Alex was his ego, and it had gotten to him in the worst way.

“You happened to us, Alex. You and the machismo that lies inside of you.”

He eyed me like a wolf ready to attack its prey. There was a trace of playfulness behind those mesmerizing orbs, though he never allowed it to come to the forefront.

“Cassie, you and I both know it’s a little more than that.”

“You think it is more than that, but I know differently. I think all of this stems from your persistence—“

“A persistence that you once seemed to enjoy.’

“A persistence that I still enjoy. But it’s morphed into something more. It’s turned into an obsession. An obsession that doesn’t allow you to see straight. An obsession that doesn’t allow you to think straight. And certainly an obsession that doesn’t allow you to make sound choices. You’ve flipped, Alex, and that’s what’s brought us here.”

The night air, still heavy and hot, loomed between us. I could tell my words were striking a chord, but Alex was unpredictable, and I really didn’t know what was coming next.

I felt the warmth of his hand on my face as he held my cheek and turned me to face him. “You call it obsession, I call it passion,” he rasped, just close enough to my lips, so I could feel his breath on my face.

“I’ve never loved anyone as much as I love you. You’ve become a part of me. A part that sometimes hurts to love. You drive me fucking crazy. I can’t be with you, but I certainly can’t fucking be without you. So yes, maybe it is obsession, or maybe it’s madness. Whatever the fuck it is, Blondie, it’s us, and after everything that we’ve been through, we need to get back to it because it’s our lifeline. And we both know that regardless of bravado, machismo, stubbornness, or whatever fancy fucking words you want to give it, it’s what we need to survive.”

My body heated with his words. Passion, flares of fire and smoke emanated from Alex as he tightened his grip on me and worked his lips slowly over mine. The lust between us was raging wild at the moment. All of my earlier inclinations to make Alex see the error of his ways had diminished.

“We’ll butt heads all day long, Blondie, but at the end of the day, we both know we aren’t strong enough to stay away from one another.”

Before I could counter his assertions, his tongue was out, tracing the outer lining of my lips, snapping the synapses of every nerve in my body. I felt myself go limp as he worked that deliciously sensual tongue down to my neck, then back up to my mouth where he wasted no time invading my mouth. I put up no fight, simply allowing him in and indulging in the sweet, intoxicating feel of Alex inside of me. He gently laid me down in the bed of the truck, working his dexterous fingers over my breasts as he continued massaging his sultry tongue over mine.

His fingertips caressed my breasts, then snaked down my torso, pushing my shirt up and exposing me to the warm, night air. His tongue dipped further, leaving no parts of my mouth untouched, owning me and relishing the feel of my submission. My body squirmed beneath him, prompting his hand to grab hold of me, holding me in place while he continued his oral assault on my mouth.

Alex finally left my mouth, running soft kisses down my neck, over to my collarbone, then down to my breasts. Small, sting inducing tugs were made as he grabbed hold with his teeth, eliciting a feel of pain mixed with intense bursts of pleasure. I gasped, the feeling consuming me as Alex continued working me into a state of nothingness.

With a quick pause, Alex worked my shirt over my head and hurriedly removed my bra, sending my breasts springing to life with rock solid nipples aching for his touch. Alex pulled back, our eyes meeting and sticking like glue as he ran the tongue that had successfully broken me down over his bottom lip. He laid me back down in the bed of the truck, and his tongue was once again front and center, sending my chest heaving, my breaths ragged, and my hands through his hair. He ran his tongue down the middle of my chest, down to my belly button, then stopped at the hem of my pants. His laugh was haunting as he worked his fingers inside the hem and looked up at me.

“These seem to be in the way,” he commented in a rather condescending manner.

I wanted to rip them off for him and allow him to follow through with whatever plan it was that he had for me, but a glimpse into our previous encounters hit me like lightening, sending the fear of rejection coursing through me. I stopped him, wide eyed and breathing heavily, afraid of what might happen next. As badly as I wanted him, I had been sexually shunned by him and it had taken a toll on me.

“Alex, I can’t handle this,” I breathed, trying to gain control of myself.

His eyes darkened as he took in my flustered state, and he smiled, confusing me much like he always did. “Can’t handle what? I’d say you were handling things just fine.”

“You know what I mean, Alex,” I said, motioning down to where his hand rested inside the hem of my pants.

That cavalier smile that he possessed came back, and he worked his hands further into my pants and began tugging them downward. “Baby steps, Blondie. I’ve asked you to bear with me. I’m working on it… baby steps.”

Alex was certainly an enigma, but I didn’t have long to think about it before he was off the bed of the truck and pulling my pants down. A spark went off in his eyes and his smile turned sinister.

“Either this is for me, or I need to fucking kill someone,” he growled.

“Just wanted to be free.”

“I can fucking see that,” he quickly retorted, looking down at the nakedness between my legs.

Alex grabbed firmly onto my thighs as he dropped to his knees, kissed his way up my legs, over and around my thighs, then stopped at my core. One hand worked underneath me and squeezed my ass as he continued to breathe into me. I needed him badly, but I wanted to let him work his way through it. If we were going to move forward, this was going to be a big part of that process.

Tingles went off inside of me as I placed my fingers on my clit and began massaging. A light moan escaped me, catching Alex’s attention. He pulled my hand away, kissing it as he placed it back down beside me.

“Baby steps, Blondie. My baby steps,” he whispered, then replaced my fingers over my clit with his own and rubbed, sending my body into an instant state of euphoria.

His fingers gently circled my clit, just enough to leave me speechless while only allowing lustful breaths to leave my body. I could feel the build-up coming when the distinct feel of a wet finger slipped into me, followed by another, and my body curled up beneath him.

“You’re so fucking wet, Blondie. I can’t wait to slurp you up.”

His fingers continued to work in and out, moving a tortuously slow pace that left me near tears as the need to come all over him was beginning to torture my soul. His fingers worked my core while his thumb continued the massage of my clit. My body had been deprived for far too long, and the feel of what Alex was doing to it was beginning to make me come undone.

“You better not come,” he warned. “I’ll punish that ass if you do.”

His words sent a chill down my spine. I knew he would make good on the threat, but a part of me almost wanted to test it just to see how far and how creative he would get with his punishment. My mind didn’t have much time to process the thoughts as the thickness of Alex’s tongue invaded my core, sending me jolting as he continued to hold me down firmly.

Soft, strokes of his tongues filled me as his thumb continued to caress my clit. Those earlier tingles now turned into sharp bursts as they went off inside of me. I could feel the orgasm beginning to rise, and my legs went numb as Alex picked up the pace.

Slurping and lapping.

Twisting and turning.

Sucking and tugging.

My body began to convulse violently as thick, creamy spurts erupted from inside of me and onto Alex. He continued to lick, suck, and rub away until he milked me dry.

I stared at the star-filled night sky as I tried to catch my breath and bring feeling back into my lower extremities. He slowed his movements, took a couple more sucks, then stood from his position.

“Are you okay with baby steps?” he asked, smiling at me as he licked the remnants of me away. “I won’t do it again if you don’t want me to.”

I smiled back. The sated feeling overtook me, and I relished it, even if it was only his tongue and fingers instead of his cock.

“I like the idea of baby steps because I’ll get to enjoy getting to know your body all over again,” Alex said. “And you best believe I am going to explore every inch of this treasure.”

He helped me to my feet, then leaned down and pulled my pants back up. I reached behind me for my shirt after clasping my bra, then turned and was surprisingly met with Alex’s warm mouth. He kissed me hard and fierce, extending his tongue deep into my mouth with vigor. He finally pulled away, rubbing the back of his hand over the side of my face.

“It’s been a while. And I thought I would share my favorite taste with you since it’s not something you have access to on your own,” he remarked, smiling while showing off his perfect set of pearly whites. “I want you to stay with me tonight because I’ll be gone all weekend.”