Page 65 of Where the Dark Knelt
He began teasing me about something that had happened during one of our sessions and grabbed me playfully by the neck, pulling my head down and into his chest.
Everyone laughed, and Will squeezed me in a hug, saying, “Only kidding, you know I love you, Lily.” Alfie’s expression darkened, his brows furrowing. He looked unimpressed with both of us.
Alfie’s beautiful plump lips were drawn into a thin line as he stared at me. Shrugging this off because I thought that he’d be thinking that Will was my new ‘buddy’ in his sense of the word, I largely tried to ignore him.
Mandycame through and turned her attention to Alfie, asking him something about the gig he had just performed at. He was forced to shift his focus, leaving me free to move around without him being able to follow me.
She thenwent around picking up paper plates and placing them in a garbage bag, still talking to him. Mandy asked about the band he was opening for in a few days. I didn’t wait for his answer, pushing myself out of the chair, and using her distraction to make my way to the kitchen.
Willwas right behind me, placing his hand on my shoulder. I tensed, but when I turned and realized it was him I smiled. “Sorry, I couldn’t resist telling them about that, it was too cute when you did it at the time.” He grinned, referring to the story he’d told.
His hand lingered on my shoulder, and Will began rubbing circles absentmindedly, while he was talking to me. I smiled widely at him and started giggling, because in hindsight, the story he was talking about had been funny.
It was nicethat he made sure I was okay with him sharing the story. “It's fine, it didn’t bother me at all.” He cuddled me close in a bear hug, rocking me from side to side.
“You know it’s been lovely just to spend time with all of you withoutSaffygetting the wrong idea.”
Agreeing it had been nice, I still felt sad forSaffy. Pushing myself from Will’s chest, I had just broken the hug and he was still smiling at me, when Alfie appeared in the kitchen, waving his empty beer bottle between two fingers, and walking in our direction.
“You’re very tactile for‘friends’.” He used quotation marks with his fingers on the word friends to accentuate his point. “Where do I find another one of these?” he asked, waved his empty beer bottle at us.
Will moved away from me, looking a little stressed by his comment, and ran his fingers through his hair. “There’s plenty in the box over there.”
Will motioned with his head and signaled by pointing at the patio door that he was going back to the garden. He walked away, leaving me alone in the kitchen with Alfie.
As I went to walk past him to follow Will, Alfie slammed the palm of his hand down on the counter. It made me jump and effectively blocked me from leaving. My heartbeat picked up pace, and my breathing was fast and shallow. I tried tocontrol the feelings of both excitement and dread at being so near to him again.
“Excuse me, I’d like to pass, please.” Alfie bent to make eye contact with me, and I inhaled his scent.I realized I hadmissed it.
“Is that what youreallywant?” He gave me a seductive half smile. “You wouldn’t rather come back to my place and let me make you feel good, Lil?” His use of the shortened version of my name made my breath hitch. Just being near him did crazy things to my heart, and he stole my breath away every goddamn time he was in the room.
Pressing my hand to his hard chest I pushed him back. In my heart, I wanted to grab his T-shirt and pull him closer, not push him away.
“Stop it.I’ve had enough of your games. I don’t want you, Alfie,” I hissed, my eyes darting to the patio doors to make sure we weren’t being watched.
He grabbed ahold of one of my hands and placed it over his heart. As he reached out, invading my body space again, he placed his other palm over mine. It wasn’t a sexual touch. My voice may have been saying one thing, but my body couldn’t lie to him. My heart was pounding in my chest, as was his.
“Forgive me, but I’m hardly convinced by that. We drive each other crazy with want.” Giving me a smug smirk, he nodded his head toward his palm. He dipped his mouth to my ear and whispered to me, “I don’t think you’ve had nearly enough of me, sweetheart, and I know I’ll never get enough of you.” Alfie’s soft breath fanned over my ear and my neck.
Smiling sexilyat me, his eyes held that sensual gaze that usually melted me. He ran his small finger ever so lightly along my thumb, as he continued to hold my hand in his.
I flinched and tried to moveit away, and he let his hands drop by his sides. He was right, of course. Alfie knew exactlywhat he did to me. Turning to walk away, I fought back tears, blinking rapidly.
Grabbing my arm andswinging me around, he pushed me back into a corner of the kitchen with his body, out of sight of the window. He placed his palms on either side of me on the wall, again blocking my escape.
Alfiemoved closer, slightly parting my knees, and leaned against me, hip to hip, his face bending toward my neck but not touching it. His breathing was ragged, and I could feel his arousal as he rubbed himself against my pubic bone.
Inhaling my hair, Alfie’s mouth then found my neck.“I want you so much.” Swallowing hard he stared into my eyes. His words and the sensation of his touch became too much for me. I was being overpowered, and I could feel myself letting go. Melting into his body, my eyes closed in surrender to him.
Distracting me, as his tongue traced up my neck, his mouth stopped near my ear, “Say it, tell me to take you.” He rested his forehead on mine.I had stopped breathing, frozen.
Alfiepulled his head back and opened his eyes. We were looking intensely at each other. I could see the lust there in his hooded eyes, his breathing was ragged. Burying his face in my neck he groaned again, and his tongue licked up to trace my jawline, while I fought to control the release of the breath I had been holding. The tight feeling in my chest reminded me of the stunt he’d pulled at college in the rain.
Removing a hand from the wall, hetraced it down the front of my body. I inhaled sharply, my body reacting to the heat of his touch. I bit my lip and he licked his. “Oh yeah, sweetheart, you most definitely want me,” he murmured softly.
My defenses weregone, his for the taking. All he had to do was kiss me. His fingers traced my lips with a featherlighttouch. He leaned closer, and I closed my eyes expecting his kiss.
I waited… and nothing happened. I opened my eyesand saw Will. I was confused, Alfie was just here, and now he was nowhere in sight. Will was standing looking concerned at me.
