from Pain to Pleasure (Gainesville Book 1) by Bella Jeanisse Page B

he finally asked. His arms had started to ache. “I gotta put her down.”
    “Sorry.” Alex couldn’t think straight. He quickly swiped his card, and then handed Logan his card. Logan brought Marie into their room. Too focused on Danielle, Alex barely even noticed.
    “Let’s go get the bags,” Alex said, glad she was there. He took her hand in his and pulled her to the elevator. When they reached his car, he was shocked to realize she hadn’t pulled her hand away. Maybe they were headed in a better direction.
    Before she opened the doors, Danielle looked up at him. “You think Diego is here, too?” She tried to hide that she worried Brian would know Alex was up there with them.
    “No.” Alex winked. “Don’t worry.”
    He held her again and thought of why he knew Diego was still in Florida. He had made sure Diego and Sebastian could not make the trip, at least not in their cars. They both had four flats, courtesy of his hunting knife. He had brought it to display, but it came in handy that morning. He just hoped they hadn’t found another ride. Jeff’s tires had met a similar fate, thanks to a contact in Orlando.
    Danielle had her arms around his waist. She let him ease her fears yet again. Her heart told her to never let him go, but it wasn’t that easy. There were so many obstacles.
    “It’s late,” Alex whispered. “We both need to get some sleep.” Although he didn’t want to, he released her. “Pop the trunk.”
    They walked back to their rooms in silence. Neither of them knew what to say. Alex followed Danielle to her room and helped her with the suitcases. Briefly, she scanned the room for Marie. Then she remembered Logan had taken her to his room.
    Alex stood in the doorway for several minutes without a word. He wanted to kiss her goodnight. However, he feared he would take it too far. His dick was half-hard as always around her, and he wanted her more than he ever had before. He decided on another hug. That’s safe. Isn’t it?
    “I really missed you,” he said as his fingers raked her hair. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
    She sighed when she felt his erection grow larger. “I’m glad I came. I missed you, too.” She closed her eyes and moved her body closer. She wanted to feel his hardness press into her. She fought the urge to kiss him again, but it wasn’t easy.
    He pulled away a bit and kissed her forehead. “I have to get some sleep. I gotta be up pretty early.” Then he kissed her cheek. “Good night, Danielle.”
    “Good night,” she replied as he walked into the hallway.
    When she closed the door, she felt lonely and empty. She wished she could spend the night with him. Not to fuck him, just to have him hold her. She ached to have him close again. It didn’t make any sense, but nothing about her feelings for Alex did to her. His arms helped her forget about Brian. It was the only time she truly felt safe.
    She rifled through her bag and took out a long T-shirt to wear. Then she searched for the pajama bottoms she packed. They were gone. She glanced around again. Marie would probably sleep in Logan’s bed, so no one would see her scars if she didn’t wear pants. She was paranoid that someone would ask questions if they saw her legs. It was not something she wanted to explain.
    Alex slowly headed to his room. He was annoyed at himself for not pushing just a little with Danielle. She seemed so eager, and he just left. When he approached his door, he heard a sound. It was almost like a muffled moan. They were in a hotel, so sounds of passion made sense.
    He opened the door, and the moans got louder. His eyes opened wide when he caught sight of Marie as she rode Logan. He stared at her naked body while it lifted and dropped. Her small breasts bounced just a bit with each motion. They were oblivious to him, and he couldn’t look away. Then her head went back as she let out a cry. He winced as his erection pressed against his zipper.
    Just as Danielle lay down, there was a