Chapter 22

         They hailed a cab on the street outside of the bar within minutes. The whole time that they waited Nick's hands never once left Alyssa's waist. Nothing was said about the kiss that had just happened moments ago. It seemed like an unspoken agreement between the two not to talk about it. In fact, the two hadn't exchanged a word since then.

         As the taxi pulled up towards the curb, they climbed into the backseat. Without a moments hesitation Alyssa rattled off the address to her apartment and they drove off.

         While they sat in traffic, Nick couldn't help but to glance over at Alyssa beside him. Still she hadn't said a word to him and it was driving him absolutely crazy. He found himself desperately wanting to touch her, but he was unsure if she would be comfortable with it. She'd been rather quiet since they had left the bar. He doubted she had even said two words to him since then.

         He couldn't stand this any longer. He had to make some kind of move. Sliding closer to her, he draped his arm around her shoulder. "Alyssa..."

         She looked up and their eyes locked for a moment. Bad move, she told herself, as she recognized the same desire mirrored in them that she was trying so hard to fight. 

         Why can't I barely seem to look him in the eye? she wondered. Could it be that deep down she actually wanted him as much as he seemed to want her?

         Her eyes quickly flashed back down into her lap, breaking their gaze. "Alyssa," he pleaded again, as he reached forward to cup her chin. "Look at me."

         Alyssa had no choice, but to do just that, her heart pounding wildly in her chest the whole time. Before she had time for any other rational thought, his lips were on hers again, at first soft and gentle, but gradually getting more intense. This is crazy! Not only is it crazy its also completely wrong! You're never supposed to hook up with an ex. It's like asking for trouble!

         Yet her body still responded, seemingly unaffected by her hesitant thoughts.  It had been way too long since she had shared any type of physical intimacy with a guy and as their kisses grew deeper, the protests in her mind began to grow weaker and weaker.

         Before she knew it, she could feel herself leaning back against the door of the taxi. Nick was now pressed over hers, his fingertips exploring her curves. His mouth momentarily left hers, and traveled to her neck where it gently nipped, searching for a sensitive spot. Alyssa felt her body go limp with every kiss. He must've remembered how her neck was definitely her weak spot. An involuntary moan escaped her lips loud enough for the cab driver to glance back at them through his rearview mirror.

         Alyssa could feel her face flush for a moment, but then remembered that it was an early Sunday morning in New York City. She was pretty sure that she and Nick had not been the first couple that the driver had picked up at this hour to not be able to keep their hands off of each other. He probably had lots of interesting stories to tell.

         It was then that the absurdity of the situation hit her. She was in a taxi cab sitting in the middle of New York City traffic totally making out with her ex and enjoying every minute of it.  It had probably been about two years since the last time she had been with a man and only after a few minutes of making out she was left wanting more. Don't think, she chastised herself as she aggressively reached up to kiss him. Just do.

         A few moments later, Alyssa found herself sliding into his lap, straddling him the best that she could in the confined space.  He still has an amazing mouth, she thought as she gently tugged at his bottom lip. His hands snaked around her waist to stroke the sliver of bare skin that lay exposed at the small of her back sending shivers throughout her body. As her hips grinded up against his,  she could already feel his hardness beneath her and bit back a moan. She hoped they weren't too much farther from her apartment.

         She could tell that Nick was a little shocked with her sudden change in attitude, but definitely not complaining. Back when we used to date I'd never carry on like this with him in a taxi cab, she thought with a smirk. Might as well make it worth his while. While they continued to kiss she let her hands drift down his chest before finally settling on the hem of his shirt. Slipping them underneath the material she reached up to run her fingertips over his bare stomach, immediately feeling him squirm a little bit. That had always been an extremely sensitive area for him. She then let them float even lower until her hands were resting on the top of his jeans. With a devilish glint in her eyes she hooked her thumbs inside and let them teasingly rest there, lightly stroking his skin. This elicited a frustrated groan from him. "God... Alyssa."

         She grinned at his response, delighted at the way in which he had said her name. At least he had gotten it right this time. She was just playing with the top button on his jeans, when the cab came to a sudden stop, nearly throwing Alyssa off of Nick's lap.

         "Uhh this is your stop right?" the cab driver interrupted them.

         Alyssa looked up and realized that they had indeed arrived at her apartment building. Scrambling off of Nick and opening the door to the taxi she got out her body still reeling from the events of the past ten minutes.

         Nick followed after her digging into his back pocket for his wallet. He handed the driver a crumbled twenty dollar bill. "Keep the change."

         The driver's face lit up. The meter only read that the fare was a little bit over seven dollars. Evidently the extra money seemed to make up for their performance in the backseat. He smiled and gave the pair a wave. "You two have a good night!"

         But the two never heard him. They were already halfway inside the building not bothering to take their hands and mouths off of each other the whole way. Once they reached the elevator and stepped inside, Nick pressed her against the wall with such force that Alyssa wondered if they would even make it up to her apartment. Already the kiss that he had enveloped her in was making her knees weak. Thank God, we're the only ones in here, she thought.

         They reached her floor much to soon. After fumbling down the hallway, they finally reached her door. Retrieving her key and trying to get it in the door proved to be a difficult task for Alyssa in her half drunken state. Of course Nick nibbling at her ear wasn't helping matters much either. Finally, Nick became impatient and grabbed the key from her, unlocking the door.

         "Thanks," she breathed in as she stepped inside the dark apartment. She hesitated for only a moment. If she was going to back out now was her last chance.

         She didn't want to. Before she could change her mind, she slammed the door shut behind him and led him towards the direction of her bedroom. "I thought we'd never get here," Nick confessed as he pulled her down onto the bed with him.

         "I know what you mean," she sympathized, as she straddled his stomach and immediately got to work on the buttons of his shirt, gently sucking at his neck while she slipped it off of his shoulders.

         Nick was amazed at how brazen Alyssa seemed to be. So different from the Alyssa he had known a few years ago. He wondered what had changed in her.  He could tell by her aggressiveness that perhaps it had been a long time since she had last had sex.  Guess I shouldn't keep her waiting, he thought,drawing her down towards him with a deep kiss.

         Within moments he had slipped his hands underneath her tank top and was easing it up over her body.  She momentarily broke away from his lips just long enough to allow him to pull it over her head, before going back to exploring his mouth.
        
        Alyssa's lips strayed from his and paved a trail of kisses down his chest as her fingers clumsily fumbled with the button of his jeans. Finally getting it undone, she began to work them off of his legs. Nick took a sharp intake of breath as her fingertips lightly brushed over the growing bulge in his boxers. This definitely wasn't the Alyssa he remembered, but he sure as hell liked it. The more he thought about the fact that she probably hadn't had sex in awhile, the more of a turn on it  became for him. I could have some fun with this, he decided with a smirk as he flipped them over so that he was on top.

         "Nick," she whimpered. "What are you doing?"

         "Shh..." he told her, cutting her off with a kiss as he fingered the lacy outline of her black bra. "Don't say anything."

         She gave in without anymore protest as he lingered kisses over the top of her breasts and down around her stomach. She bit down on her bottom lip as his fingers rested over her belly button ring.

         "Handcuffs huh?" he asked as he examined the ornament. "Looks kinda kinky."

         Alyssa just shrugged beneath him. "I couldn't resist buying it."

         "It's very sexy," he admitted as he gently tugged on the piece of jewelry with his teeth causing her to shift beneath him and moan. Seeing that she enjoyed the sensation he dipped his tongue into her navel lightly pushing against the barbell. He'd always found the piercing extremely attractive on a woman.

         Alyssa let out another moan as she felt her body temperature starting to rise. As much as she loved having him play with her piercing, she began to get impatient and finally led his hand downwards to her hip hoping that he's get the hint. He did, and finally began to peel down her gaucho pants from her waist revealing the matching black thong she had on underneath.

         Nick glanced over her body before refocusing his attention back upwards. His mouth connected with her collarbone, gently nibbling at the delicate area as his hands reached around her back to unclasp her bra. The garment came off her shoulders with ease and Alyssa could feel her body slightly shiver. Almost instantly his hands reached upwards to take turns cupping each of her breasts, making sure to explore every inch of them. Her back arched in response as he bent down to softly flick his tongue against one of her already hardened nipples. Seeing her reaction, Nick grinned devilishly as he pinned her arms down against the sheets and dropped a few light teasing kisses down her chest. Alyssa squirmed beneath him, but found that she could not wriggle out of his grasp. He was just too strong for her.  His tormenting continued as his mouth engulfed one of the buds gently sucking on it. This produced several frustrated cries from her not being able to withstand the sweet torture. Finally he took pity on her and let her arms free which immediately slid down his back.

         "That wasn't very nice," she pouted, her hands lingering about the waistband of his boxers. "Teasing me like that."

         "And your performance in the taxi earlier, was?" he retorted.

         He didn't even give her a chance to respond because he was quickly distracted by the outline of her butterfly tattoo peeking out of the top of her thong. Nick remembered his longing only that very morning to catch sight of it again. If only I knew how soon that time would be, he thought to himself with an amused grin. Lowering the material off of her hip, he let his fingertips slowly glide over the pattern, his mind being swept up in old memories.

         He was jolted back to reality by Alyssa's hands wandering inside his boxers. "Nicky..." she whispered into his ear. "Just fuck me already."

         For a second Nick seemed to be frozen there in shock. There's no way that just came out of Alyssa's mouth was there? Am I hallucinating? He definitely was floored by her bluntness, and in a perverse way extremely turned on by it. How could he turn down a request like that?

         Pushing his surprise aside, he pressed his lips over her in a passionate kiss as he completely lowered her thong off of her body. Alyssa wasted no time in tearing off his boxers as well. It was painfully obvious that she couldn't wait any longer, and Nick had to admit that he was feeling the same. The minute she first felt him against her thigh, she moaned in anticipation. He couldn't resist teasing her just a little bit more by hovering only inches above her wet folds.

         "Nick..." she whimpered again. By the expression on her face Nick could tell that she was clearly impatient.

         "Hold on one second," he told her as he reached for his wallet to retrieve a condom.  Alyssa grabbed it from his hand and after a few moments of rustling she had  torn open the packaging and expertly slipped it on him. Her heart raced as she felt him position his weight above her and gasped in pleasure the moment she felt him ease himself inside of her. It had definitely been much too long since the last time she had experienced this. I can't believe that I almost forgot how good this feels, she thought as he slowly began to move.

         In her mind, his first few thrusts felt excruciatingly slow.  Relief flooded through her body as it automatically responded to him, causing her hips to roll up against his. Already, her hands pressed up against his back, begging him to venture deeper inside of her. As their pace finally quickened, Alyssa found that she was amazed at the familiarity of his body. Every touch, every kiss, every caress made it seem like they had never spent the last three years apart. He just felt right.

         "Damn baby... You feel amazing," Nick breathed, seeming to read her mind.

         Alyssa could  feel her cheeks flush, but she wasn't certain if it was because of his comment or the sudden heat beginning to radiate throughout her body, or a combination of both. She could already feel the beads of sweat beginning to form on her skin. Sneaking a glance upwards at him, her mouth lifted upwards into a satisfied grin. Just by the expression on his face she could immediately tell that he was enjoying it just as much as she was.

         Nick caught her gaze and returned her grin not being able to even fully believe what was happening. It was taking all of his self control to hold himself back, wanting to extend the moment as long as he possibly could, knowing that he probably wouldn't get a chance  like this again with her.  He dropped a few light, teasing kisses on her lips, before looking for a new area to explore. Finally, he settled for a spot right behind her earlobe. His lips had barely made a connection when he felt her body start to crumple. Realizing that it was a sensitive spot , he grinned mischievously and flicked his tongue against the area producing a load moan from Alyssa.

         "You like that, huh?" he murmured into her ear.

         All Alyssa could do was nod her head vigorously as he continued to run his tongue along the spot.  Her body writhed beneath him as the feeling of pleasure swept throughout her. Between the sensation of his mouth on her earlobe and the motion of their bodies, her mind began to grow fuzzy as the passion overtook her. She knew she wouldn't be able to wait much longer.

         "Nick..." she managed to gasp out. "I'm-"

         "It's okay," he interrupted, silencing her with a kiss. "Just let it go."

         Running his hands over her thighs, he grabbed her legs and pulled them around his waist, allowing him to deepen his thrusts. Realizing that he wasn't going to be able to hold out much longer either, he let his hand slip in between their bodies. The moment Alyssa felt his fingertips stroke her throbbing clit her body  trembled, the extra stimulation pushing her to her limit.  Her arms clung tightly to his neck  as her orgasm washed over her, his name echoing off her lips. After a few more thrusts she felt Nick's body collapse against her as he finally reached his peak.

         For a full minute or two neither of them spoke. The only sound that could be heard in the room was the sound of them both panting for air, trying to calm down the racing of their bodies. What the hell just happened? Alyssa wondered trying to  convince herself that what had just transpired had actually been real.

         Finally Nick shifted his weight and rolled over so that he was laying beside her. Just when Alyssa thought that she was going to scream from the awkward pause, he finally broke the silence. "Alyssa?" he started out seriously. "Can I ask you a sort of personal question?"

         "Okay," she answered feeling a little bit confused at the question.

         "Don't smack me or anything, but I was just wondering... Was I the last guy you slept with?" His face broke into a playful grin, which was a great relief to her. Suddenly the ice was broken.

         She pretended to think carefully for a moment before playfully answering. "What makes you ask that?"

         Nick looked a little sheepish. "It just seemed like maybe it had been a while for you. You were a lot more aggressive than I remember. I don't think I ever saw you so..."

         "Horny?" she supplied.

         Nick laughed as he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. "I was going for needy, but horny will work."

         "Well, I think you flatter yourself. I slept with other men after you."

         "Oh yea?" he asked, his interested piqued. "How many?"

         "How many girls have you slept with since me?"

         "Honestly, you don't want to know," he replied. "And I don't think I could tell you."

         "You're right. I probably don't. I'm glad we used a condom," she teased. "Who knows what-"

         "Hey now! If I remember correctly I thought I asked you the question. What's the big dark secret? Are you trying to hide something?"

         Alyssa bit her lip. In reality her sex life since Nick had been nearly non existent and she felt just a little embarrassed about it. She'd rather Nick think that she had no problem getting laid. Of course considering that he already suspected that she hadn't exactly had sex in a while it was kind of hard to pretend otherwise. Knowing she was trapped she sighed. "Ok... Ok... There were two."

         "Two?" Nick repeated. It was obvious from the expression on his face that he was begging to know more.

         "Yea. Two. They weren't serious or anything. After I moved back to New York I tried the random hook up thing, but it wasn't for me," she confessed, her eyes darting away from him.  "I always wound up feeling used and the sex wasn't even that good. So I stopped."

         Nick was a little surprised by her answer. Ok... He had no right to knock her for trying the one night stand thing. Hell, he'd be the worlds biggest hypocrite if he did. Still, he didn't like the idea that she had hooked up with two random guys just to try to get over him. He felt like the worlds biggest asshole then. "How long ago?" he demanded to know.

         Alyssa's face blushed.  "Last one was over two years ago."

        Over two years? Damn... Just the thought of going that long without sex seemed unfathomable to him.

         "I know what you are thinking. How can a person possibly go over two years without sex?" she continued, reading his mind. "It may seem like a pretty unbelievable concept to you, but it can actually be done."

         Nick didn't know how he should respond to that. Feelings of guilt were already clouding his thoughts. Maybe he should've put a stop to things before they started. Somehow at the back of his mind he knew that their relationship, whatever it might be, would never be the same again.  By giving in to their desires they had definitely surpassed the comfort zone that they had been in, and the idea of not knowing what was around the corner was kind of scary to him. He had been right in his thoughts earlier that night. Alyssa wasn't just a girl he could sleep with and then toss aside the next morning. There were sure to be consequences with her. Consequences that could ruin their friendship for good.

         "Do you regret what just happened?" he finally asked, working up the courage to do say what was lingering in the back of his mind.

         Alyssa smiled as she fought back a yawn. "Not right now, but tomorrow morning might be a different story," she lightheartedly joked.

         He reached out to brush a damp strand of hair away from her face. "Tired?"

         She nodded as she curled up against him. "Yea a little bit. You wore me out. I'm out of practice."
        
         Grinning, he moved his hands upward to stroke her back. "Well then enough talking for one night. Get some rest."

         "Okay," she agreed, closing her eyes. Between the warmth of his body and the events of the past evening she found herself drifting off to sleep almost immediately.

         For the second night in a row, Nick watched her as she fell asleep in his arms. Tomorrow he'd have to get on a plane and go back to LA and in another week he'd be overseas for the European leg of the tour. Who knew when the next time he would be able to see would be? He sighed as he asked himself for what felt like the ten billionth time, What exactly do are you doing?

         It was the first time in his life that he had to admit that he had absolutely no clue.