Alex carried me all the way back to the hotel, then set me on my feet once we were in the privacy of the hotel room. We were both soaked to the bone, but neither seemed to mind as he pulled me into his arms and pushed my back gently against the closed hotel room door. My hands moved up and curled into his damp hair, our mouths locked together in a heated kiss. The cold air we’d encountered upon entering the room didn’t seem to bother himself or me as the passion between us intensified and he pressed the length of his body against mine.

I pulled him closer and groaned into his mouth, that strong urge to have him fully against me, hot skin pressed to hot skin starting to envelope over me. He responded with a thigh quivering sound of his own and pulled back just long enough to locate the zipper down the back of my dress.

“Wh…what is it?” I questioned in a breathless whisper as his brows drew together and he tugged some at the garment.

“The…zipper…” he rasped out, accentuating the words with a swift tug of the dress.

“What?” I peered behind me where his fingers were still trying to get the zipper lowered.

Alex gave a frustrated sound. “I think the zipper’s stuck.”

I chuckled and reached for the back. “It’s stuck? Let me try.”

“No, fuck the zipper.” He pushed my hands away then quickly reached and lifted the skirt of the dress up over my legs. “We’ll just go this way.”

“Alex!” I laughed and pushed some of the fabric away so I could see his face. “The dress is too long to do that.”

He chuckled then sighed and dropped the skirt. “Damn.”

I laughed low and slipped from between him and the door. “C’mon, I’ll get the zipper down. We wanted to take a shower anyway.”

“Yeah, that was the plan after I nailed you at the door.”

“Oh, what an eloquent way of saying that.” I sent him a teasing look and reached for the zipper, trying to tug it down.

Alex carefully steered me toward the bedroom. “I wasn’t trying to be eloquent. I can’t wait to get my hands, mouth and other parts on you.”

“Ooh.” I shivered and giggled some, still trying to work the zipper down, but it was stuck fast. “I don’t think it’s working.”

“We might have to cut you out of it.” He got us into the bathroom then flipped the light on. “Let me see it”

“No!” I jerked away and spun to face him. “We are not cutting this dress. Do you know how much it cost?”

He blinked. “We can buy you a new one.”

I pouted. “It’s brand new. I bought it specifically for Hawaii and this is the first time I’ve worn it.”

“Well,” He slowly advanced on me, “I’ll tell you what; you let me get that thing off you anyway I can and I will buy you ten brand new dresses. Any kind you want; money being no option.”

“But…I love it.”

He reached for my arms. “I’ll get you another just like it; two more if you’d like in case this happens again.”

I sighed and let him pull my hands from the back. “Just…try not to rip it.”

“Okay, my love.” He gently turned me around and swept the hair from the back of my neck. “We’ll get it off you without destroying it, but only because you’re so cute when you pout and I can’t tell you no.”

“Thank you,” I murmured, shivering as his fingertips grazed my bare skin and goosebumps flashed down my arms.

“Though, it might already be ruined from the ocean’s salt water.” He fumbled with the zipper and I could feel him trying to wiggle it free from whatever was keeping it in place.

“It’ll dry clean.”

He chuckled low then placed a soft, feathery light kiss to the back of my neck. “You have an answer for everything, don’t you?”

His breath tickled my neck and my eyes fluttered shut. “Mmhmm,” it came out softer than intended.

“One of the many, many reasons I love you.” He skimmed his lips down and over my bare shoulder, nipping lightly at the skin and sending tingles all through my body. “And if we can ever get this dress off you, I could show you just how much I do love you.”

I giggled and reached back, smoothing my fingers along his cheek. “I know how much you love me.”

One hand smoothed flat across my tummy, dipping lower to my pelvis and pulling me taut against his front. “I’m going to show you that and much more.” His teeth caught my lobe and I nearly felt my knees buckle when his mouth sought that tender spot just behind it.

“Alex…” I breathed out in but a whisper.

“Hm?” He nipped the soft skin behind my ear then flicked the tip of his tongue against the sensitive area.

“I…” Words were not coming to me and I grabbed at his head, that longing to have him possessing me growing stronger in my belly.

He sucked the skin and my legs wobbled. “You…what?”

“I…” My voice rose to a squeak. The affect this man had on me made my head spin and my thoughts go right out the window.

“You…what?” He twirled his tongue then nipped at that spot gently with his teeth. Oh, he knew exactly what he was doing.

My eyes flew open and I gave the dress a firm tug. “Just get this damn thing off me; I need you.”

Alex laughed lowly at that and pulled back some. “Yes ma’am.”

I heard a ripping then felt cool air as the dress fell free from my body. I used my hands to push the damp fabric completely off me and revealed the pale pink panties and bra underneath.

“Now that’s more like it,” he grunted then quickly unlatched my bra and pulled it from my body. My panties were next and soon I was left completely nude and watching his reflection behind me in the mirror.

Slowly, I turned to face him and reached for his shirt. “I can’t be the only one in the buff here.”

“No, you can’t.” He quickly helped undress himself then took my hips and lifted me onto the counter.

The marble was cold, but I ignored it and pulled him closer, smoothing my fingers back up into his hair and pulling his mouth to meet mine.

Alex fueled the kiss and tickled his fingers along my inner thighs before grabbing my hips again and pulling them right to the edge of the surface. “I need you now,” he mumbled against my mouth before catching my lower lip and giving it a tug.

“I…need you,” I managed a reply.

“Good.” And then he was pressing himself against me, forgoing any teasing and slowly pushing into my warmth.

“Shit,” I breathed as our mouths broke contact and our eyes met. My hands found his back and I pulled him even closer, wrapping my legs around his hips and drawing him in even more.

His eyelids fluttered at that and his hands tilted my hips some. “Damn, you feel so fucken good.”

“God, yes,” I groaned, smoothing my hands down over his back and feeling his warm skin. He pressed fully into me then wrapped his strong arms around me. I could feel his heart beating in his chest and traced a line of kisses along his throat. The way his body began to move with mine sent chills racing through me and the room quickly began to heat up.

“Shit, Morgan.”

I shuddered and pressed my fingers into his back, giving a squeeze with my legs and urging him on; I needed more of him, to have him completely washed over me. Our time apart had left a longing aching inside and only he could be the one to quiet it.

He responded with a throaty growl and pushed me back some, grabbing my hips and giving a swift yank towards him.

The hard marble beneath me didn’t faze me as our bodies moved together and he possessed me the way I needed him to. It was raw and hot, nearly animalistic as hands roamed and when his mouth sought out my breasts, I nearly came undone.

Somehow, though I don’t know how, we made it to the floor. The luxurious floor mat protected us from the cold tile and Alex rose above me, holding himself up with his hands. He thrust into me with enough force to push my hips up and I held to him to keep from slipping away. Our cries and sounds mingled together and echoed off the walls, but sounded faint against the roar of my heart pounding in my ears. I was lost in the moment; we both were, as the sensations and feelings spurred us on.

It felt like never before; the heat that was seeping through my veins, that slow building of pressure low in my belly, the feel of his body against mine and the intense look in his gaze that caused my toes to curl. “A…Alex…” I managed out in a panted breath.

“I…I know…” he responded as our eyes locked. He reached back and drew my thigh up higher, sinking even more into my heat and eliciting a new sound from me.

“I’m…I’m getting close,” I whispered, grabbing for his head and curling my fingers into his hair. That need for sweet release was growing more and more fervent and it drove my hips to grind harder to his.

“Shit,” he panted before lifting up on his hands again and rolling his hips to mine in an exotic dance. “You want it, baby?”

I nearly came at the look on his face. “Ye…yes, oh yes.”

He smirked and dipped his head, nipping his teeth along the soft skin of my neck. “Mmm, beg me for it.”

Was he serious? Right now? But I don’t think I could have denied him; the need was too strong. I would have given him whatever he asked in that moment. “Please…Alex,” I pleaded in panted words.

“That’s it, baby.” He nipped at my ear. “I want you to cum for me.”

And that’s exactly what I did. His hot breath tickling my skin helped to push me over the edge and I grabbed him tight, arching up from the floor as that much needed release surged hard and fast up my legs and exploded throughout my body. It sounded like a freight train as the deafening roar filled my ears and urged my hips to buck against his. Brilliant white burst before my eyes and my lids squeezed so tight tiny black dots mingled with it. The heat burned through me, my muscles twitched and it felt like my entire body was on fire.

Alex propelled me on, taking me farther than he’d ever taken me before; it was like I was seeing Heaven and then shooting out past it. And then his release surged over him and he gripped me tightly, repeating my name over and over. His hips pushed into mine with such force we scooted on the mat. My lungs were squeezing in my chest and crying out for air as I begged and pleaded, not even aware of what I was saying. Every sense was heightened and I tried to move against him, but it was so intense I could only hang on for the ride.

Finally, when I was reduced to whimpers and breathless sounds, his hips finally lessened and he slowly brought us both back down to Earth. It left me trembling and I held to him so tightly, afraid to let go for fear of slipping away.

“Mm, you ‘kay?” He slurred against my neck. He shifted us gently and slipped his arms completely around me, holding me so close I felt his heart thundering against his chest, mirroring my own.

“Uh huh,” it was all I could manage out.

“Good.” He kissed my neck then my shoulder and lifted his head and kissed my lips.

I smiled at that and caught his bottom lip gently in my teeth. “Mmhmm.” Then I smoothed a trembling hand into his hair and turned the kiss up a notch.

“Mm, you wanting to go again?” Alex lifted his head, a slight smirk on his lips.

I giggled low. “Maybe.”

“Maybe?” He pressed his hips into me.

“Ooh.” Goosebumps began to spread over my body. “I do want to go again, actually.”

“Good, cuz so do I.” He kissed my lips again then slowly shifted and pulled back, reaching for my hand. “But this time, let’s try it in the shower.”

“I like the way you think.” I stood with his help, making sure my legs were steady before heading over to the large see-through doors of the shower.

“You like a lot more than that.” He came up behind me and pinched my butt then pulled the door open and got the water going so it’d be nice and warm for us.

I giggled and trailed my fingers along his back, admiring the soft skin. “I do and I want you to show me over and over and over again.”

His smirk sent a shiver straight down my spine. “You’re on.” Then he reached and caught my hand in his, pulling me into the shower and closing the door securely behind us.

~*~*~*~*~

“Do you think I could just tell Dixon I don’t want to go to the conference today?” I lifted my head just slightly from Alex’s chest and glanced to his face.

“Hm…” he smoothed his fingers through my hair, “if you wouldn’t get in trouble then go for it.” A smirk. “I wouldn’t mind having you all to myself for the day.”

I chuckled and pushed myself to my elbow. “You had me all to yourself last night.”

“Over and over I did.”

I laughed. “I don’t think Zoe would mind. I mean, I did get a lot of information yesterday and on the flight home I’m going to organize my notes and figure a plan for all the new things I want to try.”

Alex caught my wrist and gently pulled me back to his chest. “There are a few things I’d like to try.”

“Is your mind always on sex?” I laughed and gently swatted at his chest then pulled myself up again. “Are you hungry? I’m famished.”

He chuckled and rose into a sitting position. “With you, yes. And yes, I’m starved after last night.”

“Mm, me too.” I slipped from the bed and grabbed my thigh length robe from a chair nearby. “Let me call Dixon and see if he’s good on his own today and then we can figure out what we want for breakfast.”

“Sounds good.”

Alex watched me with a cute grin and I cinched the robe then leaned back over the bed and kissed him softly. “Maybe we could even go out somewhere. It’s so beautiful outside.”

“Ooh, I like the way you think.” He brushed his fingers through my hair and kissed me again then pulled back. “Okay, go make your phone call before I pull you back into this bed and neither of us leaves this room for the rest of the day.”

“Yes, sir.” I giggled and strolled from the bedroom into the main room. Taking the phone up, I placed a call to Dixon’s room and talked to him for a few, easily getting myself out of the conference. After replacing the receiver I wondered if Dixon might be skipping out as well and taking a day to explore the beautiful island with his weekend buddy. Shrugging the thought off, I sauntered back into the bedroom. “Okay, where should we go for breakfast?”

“I’m sure the hotel has a nice restaurant; maybe somewhere outside with a view of the ocean.” Alex tossed the covers back and rose from the bed, lifting his arms above his head to stretch his body.

“Mm, that sounds nice.” I slipped up behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist, kissing the middle of his arched back.

“Ooh,” he glanced back to me then smoothed his hands along my arms, “that feels good.”

I kissed his warm skin again then pulled back. “Let’s get dressed and get down there.”

He sighed and grabbed up a pair of his jeans. “Such a slave driver, I swear.”

“You didn’t seem to mind last night.”

“Last night you were a cowgirl, not a slave driver.” He smirked and pointed his jeans in my direction.

I laughed and grabbed up a pillow from the bed, gently lobbing it in his direction. “Go get dressed.”

“Whoo, we’ll play that tonight, okay?” He laughed then hurried into the bathroom when I reached for another pillow. “Okay, okay, I’m going.”

“Good,” I called to him before sinking down onto the bed and hugging the pillow to my chest. Things at that exact moment could just not get any better and hopefully it’d stay that way for a long, long time.

Surprisingly, we were both able to get ready and make it out of the hotel room within a decent amount of time. Hand in hand, we strolled out of the elevator and through the lobby, stepping out into the bright sunshine and taking a left towards the veranda where they served a delicious breakfast; the hotel had made sure to inform us of that.

We were seated at a quaint little table in the shade with a magnificent view of the crystal clear waters of the Pacific.

“This is really nice,” I commented after the server had taken our orders and we were left to finally take in the view.

“It is.” Alex reached for my hand across the table and gave it a squeeze. “If the flight wasn’t so damn long, I’d live out here somewhere.”

“I know right.”

He chuckled. “The thought of having to get on a plane to go anywhere doesn’t appeal to me.”

“It’d be good for someone who wants to just stay in seclusion and hide away from the world.”

“Exactly.”

“Or someone who hates flying.”

He looked at me. “How would they get out here?”

I chuckled. “Take a boat.”

“Touché.”

I giggled low then pulled my hand back to reach for my water glass. “So, how’s your mom doing?”

Alex leaned back in his seat. “She’s doing good. She’ll be thrilled to know that we’ve made up. Every time I talked to her it was ‘Alex, have you talked to Morgan yet? You need to get over yourself and go see her’.”

“Aww,” I laughed low and sipped my water. “I’ll have to give her a call.”

“You really will because she absolutely adores you.”

I smiled. “I really like her too. At first, I honestly thought we were never going to be able to get along, but she’s wonderful and she’s very smart.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, yeah. I listened to her; I’m here, aren’t I?”

My eyes danced at him over the top of my glass. “Yes you are. Thank God for your mother.”

“Hey,” he faked a scowl, “I’d like to think that I had something to do with it too. It was my decision.”

“You’re right, I’m sorry. It was completely your doing. What was I thinking?”

“Thank you.” He chuckled and sighed some, just watching me with a grin on his lips.

“What?” I set my glass back down and brushed some hair behind my ear.

“Nothing,” Alex shook his head, “I’m just watching you. You’re so beautiful.”

A slight blush crept over my cheeks. “Thank you.”

He smirked. “You’re welcome.”

I chuckled and cleared my throat. “How’s Bernie? Is he still cancer free?”

“Damn straight.” He sat up and reached for his mug of coffee. “And as soon as we get back to Cali, we have to get them together, he misses Daisy like crazy.”

“Ooh, you can bet we will. Daisy will freak out she’ll be so excited.” I giggled at the thought of seeing the two animals reunited. “We won’t be able to pry them apart even if our lives depended on it.”

“I know right.” He shook his head then took a sip of his coffee.

“And we’re going to have to do a double date with Dianna and Manny. She was bugging me about it before everything went to hell in a hand basket.”

He laughed and set his mug down then relaxed in the chair again. “Of course; just name the place and give me a time and date and I’ll be there.”

I smiled. “Okay, I’ll let her know.”

He sent me a wink the same time the server arrived with our breakfast dishes. We both took a few minutes to prepare them the way we wanted then I tucked my napkin into my lap and dug in. It was delicious and the fresh pineapple was nearly mouth watering. There wasn’t much conversation because we were both caught up in the exquisite meal and enjoying the explosions of taste that the food provoked, but once our plates were nearly cleared and I was slumped back in my chair wondering if I’d eaten too much, a thought hit me.

“Oh, what are you doing Fourth of July weekend?”

Alex looked to me over his omelet. “I’m not sure yet, what are you doing?”

I took a sip of my water before giving an answer, “My sister-in-law invited me to come out to Arizona and see their new place; visit with them and see a fireworks show.”

“Candace, right?” When I gave a nod, he continued, “That sounds really nice. You gonna go?”

I fiddled with the fork on my plate. “I was wondering if you wanted to come with me.”

Alex ate the last piece of his sausage and wiped his mouth. “I’ll try to, baby, but I need to check my calendar before I make any promises.”

I gave a nod. “I understand.”

“Good.” He flashed a grin. “And if I’m free, you know I’ll go with you. You know where we could swing by on the way to or from?”

I pushed my plate to the side. “Where’s that?”

“Vegas.”

“You want to go to Las Vegas? Do some gambling?”

“Hell yeah,” he dug into his omelet, “play some cards, roll some dice, win a lot of money.”

“Or lose a lot of money.”

“Don’t be so pessimistic,” he waved his fork at me, “I know how to play ‘em.”

I chuckled. “Okay, if you go with me to visit Grayson and Candace then we’ll stop in Vegas for a few days.”

“It’s a deal.” He winked at me and took a big bite of his breakfast.

I giggled at that and relaxed back in the chair. “We can’t forget Mimi and my parents are planning to come out and visit us sometime towards the end of July or beginning of August.”

“Ooh right, and we’re gonna take them up to wine country.”

I gave a nod. “If you’re comfortable with that.”

“Of course. Aren’t we taking them sailing too?”

“I believe you promised that.” I tilted my head some, trying to remember back on the conversation from a few months ago. “Yeah, you did.”

He flashed a charming grin. “And I always try to keep my promises. We’ll do that; wine country and sailing.”

“They’ll be so excited.” I took the cloth napkin from my lap and set it next to the plate.

“We won’t have any drama this time though, right?” Alex reached for his coffee and met my gaze.

I chuckled and offered a genuine, worry free smile. “No drama; that’s behind us.”

“Right.” He reached and took my hand, smoothing his thumb over the back of it. “We’re okay now.”

I laced our fingers together, watching our hands before lifting my eyes to his. “That’s right. And I don’t know about you, but I plan on staying that way.”

“Me too, baby.” He lifted my hand and kissed my knuckles. “Me too.”

And I knew that whatever problems lie ahead were not going to tear us apart, but just make us stronger, together. Life was good again.