Ignite (Explosive) (13 page)

I slowly
wake in a fog and can’t bring myself to open my eyes due to the pounding in my head. I feel a weight on my chest as the pounding gets even louder. I’m slightly disoriented, so it takes me a few moments to realize that the sound is coming from my door and not just my head. Opening my eyes, I take in my surroundings, remembering that I’m no longer in Kandahar, and I see that somehow I’ve landed in a heavenly place.

Glancing down, I notice Alexa’s gorgeous face, half covered by her messy hair, resting on my skin. Her left hand is just above the rim of my shorts, and I mentally curse whoever is trying to get my attention. I slowly—and very reluctantly—pull myself out from under her and place a pillow below her head. I give her a quick kiss on the forehead, and she shifts underneath my lips. I pause, not wanting to wake her, but I’m satisfied after a moment that she’ll still be out for a while.

Heading towards the front door, I realize that I’m sporting the hardest morning wood I’ve ever had in my life. Seriously, that girl. I shake my head as I do the same to my dick, trying to get some of the blood to go somewhere else in my body. I look through the peephole and immediately let out a groan. This might get embarrassing.

I open the door and slip outside before she can get past me, because there’s no way I want her in there waking up Alexa. She looks at me, half pissed, half smug, and I prepare myself for the barrage of words I’m about to endure. I smile sheepishly at her, hoping to appease her so I can climb back into bed where I can memorize every inch of Alexa for when I’m back in Afghanistan and need to draw up her perfect mental picture for the sleepless nights.

“Am I interrupting something?” she asks, tapping her foot on the concrete floor, looking both amused and annoyed.

“Yes, Sierra, you’re interrupting the best sleep I’ve had in months. Can I help you with something?”

“I won’t keep you, Jace, but Alexa didn’t come home last night and she hasn’t answered her phone. Jeremy swore he saw you two heading to the beach, so I left it alone last night, but I haven’t been able to reach her for almost twelve hours. Please, please tell me she’s in there with you,” she asks with a knowing smile on her face.

“No need to worry, big sis. She’s fine and in my bed. Well, her hangover might be pretty rough this morning, but I’m hoping she’ll keep sleeping it off. Can we meet up with you guys when she’s up and ready?” I plead, hoping she’ll let me get back to her sister.

She cocks that famous eyebrow up at me. “In your bed, eh, Jace?” she questions, poking me in the shoulder.

I just grin and nod my head. I probably shouldn’t admit it, but I can’t help how good those words sound.
In my bed.
And with that thought, any attempt to lessen my erection has been nullified, and I watch in horror as Sierra can’t help but notice my reaction. She covers her mouth with her hand as she tries look away and stifle her laughter. I shake my head and tell myself that any guy who’s been in the desert the past few months would react so easily, too. I remember something Alexa said last night and I can’t help myself.

“I won’t kiss and tell. You know that,” I respond with a wink. “Hey, can I ask you something?”

“Fire away, McAllister,” she says, still laughing at my dick’s expense.

“Alexa said something last night that has been confusing me,” I start, and Sierra’s laughter stops as she anticipates my question. “What in the hell is a blue clit master?”

Sierra looks at me with a blank face, and I swear I can see the exact moment that she understands what I’m talking about. She starts laughing—well, more like cackling—and it’s not long before she’s doubled over, holding her stomach, and seems to be having trouble breathing. Just when I thought things couldn’t get worse, I see Jeremy walking up towards us.

“McAllister, what is wrong what my wife?” he asks as if I have any idea what the heck is going through her brain.

“Banks, you tell me. All I did was ask her a question and she started having a major laughing meltdown. You might want to make sure that she doesn’t need to go to the nut house.”

Sierra stops laughing just enough to get out, “I…think… Oh fuck me… I’m pretty sure Lexi called Jace…a blue… Oh my god… Clit master!” Then she busts into another round of laughter. Jeremy looks at me in horror, and it’s all I can do to not bang my head on the wall.

“Dude, not cool. So not cool!” he says before he joins Sierra in another laughing fit. Then he covers his junk and groans, “Mandy fucking Simpson. Seriously, NOT COOL!” Sierra howls even louder as she smacks him on the ass.

What the fuck is going on? I roll my eyes and decide to leave them to it.

“Umm, I guess I’ll just ask Alexa. If you guys are finished, I’m going back inside. I assure you that she’s fine and we’ll see you both later,” I say as I head inside, closing the door to their lunacy.

I walk back down the hall towards the bedroom, but not before stopping in the kitchen to grab some waters and Ibuprofen. I’m sure she may need it once she wakes up, and I want to be prepared.

When I get back into the room, I notice that Alexa’s moved onto her side, so I slide into the bed behind her and wrap my arm around her. She stirs slightly but settles into my hold easily. I know I won’t be able to fall back asleep, so I just enjoy these moments that I have her all to myself.

I recall the events from the night before and I still find myself somewhat shocked that she’s here, in my arms, in my bed. I know I could’ve been with her last night, but I remind myself that I made the right call when I decided to stop things before they went too far. I give myself a mental high-five for being able to control myself around her, especially after such a long time. I hope that speaks volumes to her about how much I do still care about her. I know it’s crazy, but I wasn’t lying when I told her that I’d never met anyone who could replace her. No one even came close.

The only one of my Army buddies who knows anything about Alexa is Knox. We first met in Boot Camp where we were bunkmates. It just so happened that he was also going to EOD school with me, and somehow we’ve been at the same posts throughout our last ten years. He’s probably the best friend I’ve ever had—aside from Alexa—so it makes sense that I spilled my guts to him one night after a long bender when we were on R&R in Germany.

He was shocked that I was so hung up over a girl I’d never even dated, but after listening to me ramble on and on about her and our friendship, he seemed to get it. I don’t know if he could hear it in my words or see the love on my face, but he didn’t razz me like I thought he would. He ended up buying me a few more shots, mostly because I think he felt bad for me.

Knox was closed off, definitely not an open book, so I think it was easier for him to let me talk so he didn’t have to. Even though I consider the guy my best friend, I don’t know too much about his past. I know he’s Knox Wellington III, and he hates when I mention that. He’s from Belle Meade, Tennessee, where the stars live, but he doesn’t speak to his family. He, like me, joined the military straight after high school. I have a feeling that his family had an issue with this, but he’s never come out and confirmed it. I don’t mind because I can relate with him having problems with his past.

It’s funny, though, how in that aspect Knox and I are so different. I think he’s trying as hard to run away from his past as I’m trying to collide with mine. I’m having a bro moment right now, wishing I could talk to him, because I’m feeling overwhelmed with my emotions and I need to reel it in before I scare the shit out of this girl.

Truth be told, I’m kind of shocked myself that I still feel this strongly for her. Part of me thought that I was using her memory over the last decade to avoid relationships because of how frequently I gone for either deployments or training. It was just easier to blame it on a long-lost love than to tell a girl I didn’t want anything more than a fling because I never knew when I’d be leaving. Deep down I always knew that I still had feelings for her, but it wasn’t until my hand grazed her thigh that I felt the electricity still pulsing between us. And when we danced for the first time? I knew then that it wasn’t a fluke. My heart still yearned for her, and fuck, it probably always will. Am I crazy for thinking feelings can remain the same after ten years? Probably. But you know what would be even crazier? Not acting on them when I finally have the chance.

I wake
up wondering why in the hell it tastes like I’ve been chewing cardboard. Seriously, my mouth is so dry and my head is spinning and my stomach is churning. Holy freaking hangover, Batman. Where’s Robin with a hangover cure when I need him? I open my eyes to see the sun glaring through the windows, the light blinding me. I’m on my side with a firm arm around my waist. All of the sudden, the events of the previous night come rushing back to me. I close my eyes as I wait for the guilt to flood over me. A moment passes and all I feel is…contentment. Happiness. Excitement.

I shiver as I try to contain the giddy squeal I want to let out, but I don’t want to wake up Jace. For the first time in so long, I did something for me. I went after what I wanted. For the first time in almost a year and a half, I feel happy. I let the feeling wash over me. Happiness. I forgot what this felt like.

I give a silent laugh and scold myself for being surprised. As if Jace McAllister could make me feel anything else other than happiness. Okay, arousal, excitement, thrill, and maybe, possibly, renewal? Is that what this new feeling is? I sigh in contemplation as I push myself back against him, not knowing that he’s awake and can feel my movements. Suddenly I’m on my back and Jace is hovering over my body.

“Morning, baby,” he whispers, giving me an extended kiss on my lips, apparently not giving a shit if I have whiskey hangover breath. His fingers move the hair out of my face and trace along my jaw as he lifts it towards him, allowing him to go deeper with his kiss. My hands find their way to his neck, drawing him in as close as I can. We kiss for a few moments before he pulls back, flashing me that sexy grin that I’ve missed so much. I study his face for a minute, not having been able to take in the dimples on his cheeks in the darkness last night. His gorgeous blue eyes dance with amusement as he notices me checking him out.

“Like what you see?” he asks, causing me to laugh and slap his arm.

“As if you even have to ask. You’re Jace McAllister. Second baseman with the tightest ass in Santa Rosa County. Girls from all over came just to see you.” I wink at him.

Jace chuckles and rolls on top of me. “Well, I didn’t care about any of them. The only woman I’ve ever cared about coming was you,” he whispers as he nuzzles my neck, and I fully understand his innuendo.

I let a slow, sexy smile fall on my face. “I was always there, Jace. I just…was never close enough,” I murmur, pushing him off of me and getting out of the bed. I need to remove these now uncomfortable jeans and brush my teeth, and I know it would probably be a good idea to get some food in my stomach.

I head towards the bathroom and grab his toothbrush. We made out, so I can use it, right? I begin to brush my teeth when I notice him grinning at me from the doorway. I may be crazy, but I having a feeling that he actually likes the intimacy of sharing a toothbrush. And if I’m honest with myself, I love it, too. I finish up, rinse my mouth out, and run water over my face. Surprisingly I don’t feel as bad as I thought I would. I smile at myself in the mirror, and as if Jace can read my thoughts, he proclaims, “Score one for the PB&J. Dr. McAllister’s diagnosis and prescription were spot on!”

I flick water at him and watch with fascination as his abs ripple while he laughs. It’s all I can do to not look away. My eyes wander to his right bicep where I finally get a chance to check out the tattoo I could see peeking out from underneath his t-shirt sleeve at the bar. It’s a list of numbers, and there are three lines. Before I get a chance to study them closer, he grabs a t-shirt from his suitcase and puts it on. I guess I’ll have to get up close and personal with it later.

I make my way out of the bathroom and we both head towards the kitchen. He pours us both a glass of orange juice, which I down gratefully. Glancing at the clock on the microwave, I see that it’s after 11:00 a.m. I mentally freak out and run to the bedroom, looking for my phone.

Jace trails after me and asks if I’m okay. I let him know that I need to get a hold of Sierra when he starts laughing out loud. Confused, I stop what I’m doing and look at him.

“What’s so funny, Jace?”

“That’s what I want to know. Earlier this morning, I woke up to pounding on the door. I didn’t want to wake you, so I slipped out of bed and went to answer it. I looked through the peephole and groaned when I saw Sierra standing there with her hands on her hips,” he replies.

“I know exactly what you mean. Been there, done that!” I laugh, remembering all the times she’s shown up unannounced.

“It wasn’t a big deal at first. She just wanted to find out where you were and make sure you were okay. Then I asked her a question and she about lost it.” He looks at me with confusion.

Oh, Lord, what in the hell could he have asked her? I might as well get it out now. “Umm well, what was the question?” I ask, not exactly knowing if I want to hear this.

He takes a deep breath before responding, so I have no idea what to expect. “Please don’t get mad. Promise you won’t get mad,” he pleads, completely confusing the crap out of me.

I press my forehead to his and let him know that whatever it is, it’ll be fine.

“So…she mentioned you being in my bed, and all of the sudden, I thought of something you said last night. It was attributed to Sierra, so once she was on front of me, I knew I had to ask.” He stops, pausing as if waiting for me to understand.

Understand? Oh yeah, I understand. Oh, god. He didn’t. Umm, have you read all those FML posts on that stupid website? None compare to this. I close my eyes and brace myself for the rest of his question.

“Babe, I asked her what the hell blue clit master meant. I mean, you wouldn’t tell me last night, and I was so confused. You’d said that Sierra was right, so when I saw her this morning, I took the opportunity to ask her. It fucking backfired in my face, though,” he says, looking confused, distraught, and downright terrified.

Although I felt horrified, I was also pretty damn amused at how uncomfortable he seemed.

“Oh, Jace. What’d she say? Do I even want to know?”

Jace rubbed his hands through his short hair and down his face. He looked at me with blank eyes before responding. “She laughed. And when I say laughed, I mean she was full-blown body laughing. Bent over at the waist, stomach hurting, barely breathing laughing. That’s it. Then Jeremy came along and mentioned some chick’s name and said it wasn’t cool. Neither of them said anything else, so I slipped back into the condo because I couldn’t stand to be around them anymore.”

I resist the urge to slap my hand to my forehead. I already know that my face is beet red. Jace is looking at me curiously, and I’m not exactly sure how to start this conversation. For once, it would’ve been easier for Sierra to butt herself into the situation and explain. But no, this one time, it’s all on me. Of course.
Thanks, Sierra
.

I decide that I’m going to take a page out of Brady’s handbook and make this into a seriously non-serious matter. After all, dry vagina is just as bad as blue clit. I mean, well not really because one affects a guy and the other affects a girl, but you get my drift.

I grab Jace’s arm, pull him over to the couch, and sit him down. I turn to face him with dramatic pause, and I swear, the look on his face is priceless. It’s a combination of both pure terror and utter confusion. Blue clit is definitely messing with him.

I look him in the eyes as I grab his hand. I run my thumb along his fingers before speaking. I can tell that his breathing has become unhitched. Is it completely evil that I’m enjoying this? Hey, that’s what he gets for bringing it up to my sister! After a couple of moments I decide he’s been tortured enough.

“Where do I begin? I’d never heard of blue clit until yesterday. Have you heard of blue balls, Jace?” I ask seriously.

His inhales sharply, and I think he may have an idea where I’m going with this. He looks at me and slowly nods.

“Well, here’s the thing. I made the stupid mistake of telling Sierra what happened that night, but before I could get it all out, she dubbed you the blue clit master,” I wince.

He looks at me with widened eyes, probably mortified by this new title, because we both clearly know that he’s anything but that.

“Don’t get a complex! That was before I told her that I tackled you and practically forced myself on you. She knows you didn’t leave me high and dry. Well, high and wet would be more accurate,” I snicker, laughing on the inside at my joke.

Jace looks at me in disbelief. Like he has no idea how to comprehend anything I just said.

“So when you called you me the blue clit master, you were basically saying that I was the master of giving females blue balls?” he asks hesitantly.

I blush, but I have to agree. “Come on, Jace. You have tried to turn away from me on both of the sexual encounters we’ve had.”

He looks at me, mortified, and in an instant he walks out of the room. Well shit. This definitely did not go as planned. I track him down to the balcony, where his tight biceps are flexed as he grips the rails. He’s looking out at the ocean, ignoring my presence.
Great going, Lexi. Now you’re going to give yourself blue clit.
I shake my head, pissed as all hell that I even know that expression. Damn Sierra! I walk over to Jace and wrap my arms around his narrow waist, burrowing my face into his tight back muscles. He shudders slightly, letting me know that he’s still affected by me.

“So it was a joke? I don’t understand, Alexa? Is all of this a joke?” I pale at his questioning as he turns around to face me.

I let him shift in my arms as I press my face to his chest. Breathing in his scent, I love the saltwater smell that fills my lungs.

“Jace, you’ve never been a joke. Never. I… It was stupid,” I say, pulling back and wishing I could be looking into his eyes so he can see that I’m serious. “No one ever knew about us, and yesterday, when Sierra was grilling me, I broke down. It was totally my fault, but she got it out of me.”

He looks down at me with a grin that helps calm my racing heart. He picks me up, carries me inside, and walks into the kitchen. He sets me down on the counter and places both hands on either side of me. He stops within inches of my face when he finally speaks.

“Alexa, tell me that I am not the blue clit master, nor have I ever been worthy of such a title,” he growls.

Not wanting to give in to him, I lean forward and try to capture his lips with my own. He turns his head to the side just in time for me to connect with his cheek. Oh, so that’s how he wants to play this?

Jumping down from the counter I begin to make my way out of the kitchen when Jace places his hands on my waist. I’m immediately right back on the counter with Jace hovering over me. I refuse to look into his eyes, so I stare at the tight t-shirt that’s stretching over his chest. I’m suddenly not sure how long I can hold out.

I tremble ever so slightly as he whispers in my ear, “Say it, Alexa, or we’re not leaving this kitchen.”

We’re perfectly aligned due to the height of the counter, and he could take me right here if he wanted to. I draw him into me as I scoot to the edge and I can feel his erection press against my jeans.

“I’m beginning to think I don’t ever want to. This feels pretty good to me, and I could stay here all day,” I whisper back, hoping I sound more seductive than silly.

I object when he separates us, and I have a feeling I know who’s going to win this match.

“One last chance, babe. I can’t do the things I want to do to you unless you take that title away from my name,” he replies as he brushes the hard spot in his shorts against my jean-clad thigh, and I know I won’t last much longer.

I look up and I know I’ve lost. His eyes are trained on my mouth as his tongue runs along his bottom lip. He then sucks it in and I imagine him doing the same to me.

I let out a deep sigh as I mumble, “You’re not a blue clit master.”

“That was so lame and unbelievable. Say it like you mean it, Alexa,” he responds.

I tug him towards me so that we’re connected again. I pull his face closer to mine and I breathe against his lips.

“You, Jace McAllister, are not, have never been, and will never be considered a blue clit master. Not that you didn’t almost lose your mind once upon a time when you tried to join the club. Thank goodness you had me there to advise you,” I tease.

He steps back, but not before I wrap my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck, forcing him to take me with him. Heading towards the bedroom, he plops me down on the bed as he pulls out board shorts and a navy blue t-shirt before going into the bathroom. As much as I want to watch him change, I stay parked on the bed. Then he starts to talk to me through the door.

“Do me a favor, babe. Never suggest that I got sex tips from a small green alien. I think you know I can use my ‘light saber’ just fine, thank you very much,” he says loudly, causing me to blush.