Taming the Boss

Chapter 6

Alexi was already in bed when a soft knock sounded. Kris didn’t wait for her to answer before walking in. Alexi, shocked, pulled the blanket up to her chin.

“What are you doing?” She asked.

“Oh, please, drop the blanket, you have everything I do,” Kris said and grinned. “I brought you something.”

“Okay, what?” Alexi sat up but kept the blanket pulled up to her chin. Kris may have had everything she had, but she was not showing her naked form to Kris. So, she slept naked, that was her thing.

“You’ll need your hands, come on, hold this.” She handed Alexi a tub, kicked off her slippers, and slid on the bed next to her, their shoulders touched, and Alexi took in a sharp breath.

Alexi held the blanket tucked securely under her arms, but with the movement of Kris getting comfortable, it moved down, and the swell of her breast became visible. She looked over to find Kris’s eyes taking in her breasts.

“You’re naked.” Kris’s voice was deep, throaty. The sound vibrated down Alexi’s skin.

“I sleep naked. And I don’t usually have rude people bursting into my room.” Alexi snapped.

“I sleep naked too,” Kris said. She shook her head, dragged her eyes from Alexi’s breasts, and held out a spoon. Friends, friends, friends. She repeated the mantra in her mind. She was going to be a friend to Alexi, nothing more. More would complicate things and hurt the fragile bond they forged today.

“Good to know.” Alexi took the spoon, hiked up the blanket, and opened the tub. “Ice-cream.” She said surprised.

“Yep, a birthday snack,” Kris said and dipped her spoon in. “I couldn’t get you anything, so I improvised.”

“This is amazing, and you don’t need to get me anything.” Alexi grinned as she took a spoonful into her mouth. “Mm, this is good.”

“Joss makes it, she can make anything, really. But her ice cream is heavenly.” Kris said pride clear in her voice. They ate in silence for a while, just enjoying the company and the ice cream.

Alexi dipped her spoon and lifted it to her mouth, as she was about to bite, a drop landed on her breast. “Oh s**t, oh…” She nearly choked on her words and her own saliva as Kris leaned over and dragged a finger over her breast, cleaning up the spot of ice cream. Alexi froze. Kris looked up and met burning eyes. “Kris.” The name on her lips sounded raw, asking for something. Alexi didn’t know what.

“I should go,” Kris said, she pulled her finger back and dipped the tip into her mouth. Her eyes all the while on Alexi. The heat flared in Alexi’s eyes and Kris swallowed hard. What did she want? Kris knew what she wanted, the need to kiss Alexi was burning in her gut. But was that what Alexi wanted? What did she need from Kris?

“Yes,” Alexi said softly. And Kris didn’t know if she was answering the question spoken aloud or the ones, she’d asked herself. There was a vulnerability in Alexi’s eyes, warring with the need. “Please.” It was that one word, spoken breathlessly, need in every syllable, that did it. Kris took the tub from her, set their spoon down, and turned to face Alexi.

“Hold still.” She said. And slowly, deliberately she leaned forward and met Alexi’s lips with hers. It was a soft brush of lips, just a fleeting touch. But Kris felt it everywhere.

Alexi moaned and her hands fisted in the sheet. Kris tasted like warm summers, and the ice cream they just shared. She wanted to lift her hands, slide them into the hair at Kris’s neck, but she didn’t. When she opened her eyes, Kris was standing next to the bed, her eyes burning into Alexi’s. “Stay.”

Kris shook her head, a slow side-to-side motion. “I want to, believe me, I want to. It’s taking everything in me not to get back in there and take you.” She ran a hand through her hair. “But we can’t. I can’t.”

“Why not?” Alexi asked. She wasn’t angry, no, disappointed, confused, yes.

Kris stood, calming her raging hormones, the blood pumping in her head made her feel lightheaded. When she was sure she could take a breath without passing out. She knelt one knee on the bed and took Alexi’s hand.  “I’ve just gotten you to open up to me as a friend. This would complicate things, and I don’t want to lose what we built today over one night of sex.”

Alexi nodded slowly, she understood. She didn’t like it, but she understood. “Okay.”

“Good night, Lex.”

Good night, Kris.”

Kris dragged herself out of the room, and after closing the door leaned against it. She looked up and into her sister’s eyes. “I, ah…”

“You walked away from her?”

“You heard?” Kris stepped closer to Joss.

“Yes, it’s not what she needs right now. She needs a friend more.”

Kris dragged a hand over her face. “That was the hardest thing ever.”

“Maybe, but are you sure it was the right thing?” Joss pulled her back to the kitchen, and they sat at the counter.

“What do you mean?”

“I watched you, and her. The way you look at each other when you think the other isn’t looking.”

“I like her, and just wanted to make sure she was having a good time,” Kris said. Shuffling in her chair. “It’s nothing more than that.”

“Okay.” Joss pulled another tub of ice cream closer and offered Kris a spoon full.

“Crap, I left the ice cream in her room.” Kris stood. “I’ll get it.” She walked toward the bedroom and was about to knock when the door opened. Alexi stood, tub in hand, and stared at Kris. She now wore a white tank top and black boxers.

“You came back.” There was a flash of joy, excitement. Then she saw where Kris was pointing.

“For that, I forgot to take it,” Kris said. She ignored the disappointment in Alexi’s eyes. She would not mess up this budding friendship for s*x. She would not!

“It’s okay, I’ll go put it away,” Alexi said and pushed past Kris. “Goodnight.”

“Night.” Kris walked to her room, Alexi could tell Joss she went to bed. She needed to get away from Alexi until she had her body under control. 

Joss looked up when she heard footsteps and was surprised to see Alexi and not Kris. “I thought you were in bed.”

“I was but wanted to put this back in the freezer.” Alexi walked over and put the tub away.  She turned and found Joss looking at her intently. “What’s wrong?”

“She’s not as tough as she lets everyone think,” Joss said.

“Kris?” Alexi asked and sat. “I don’t know her that well, yet, but I can see that.”

“Good.” Joss looked at her spoon, then back up at Alexi. “She cares about you, you do know that right?”

“I… No, I guess I thought she was just feeling sorry for me and wanted to help relieve the stress of my mother's pressure on me.”

“If you think that, then you don’t know her well enough yet. But you will, she’s set her mind on being your friend. I don’t think that’s what either of you really wants, but I think it’s what you need, she would have given in tonight, if you were anyone else, she’d have stayed in the room with you.” Joss smiled as Alexi blushed. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to embarrass you, I’m trying, in my clumsy way, to tell you she cares, and please don’t hurt her.”

“I don’t plan on hurting her.”

“Good. And if you just want s*x, a friend with benefits thing, please be clear on that too. Don’t string her along, I might like you too, but Kris has been through enough.” Joss smiled and didn’t say more, but Alexi knew the threat was there, hurt her, I hurt you.

Alexi nodded. “I’m afraid.” She heard herself say. She looked down, shocked that she’d said it out loud.

“Of Kris?” Joss asked.

Alexi didn’t know. Was she afraid of Kris? “I don’t know, her, the feelings inside me, being hurt myself.”

“She would never hurt you.”

“Not intentionally, no, but people hurt people, especially when you let yourself care.”

“Yes, that’s true. But here’s a little secret. Kris would rather hurt herself, let herself be hurt, than ever hurt anyone she cares about. And like I said, she cares for you.” Joss stood. “Let’s go to bed, it’s been a long day, and I’ve said too much already.”

“It’s your ice cream, I’m sure.” Alexi joked. Joss smiled.

“It must be.” She watched the other woman leave her kitchen and shook her head. Now she would have to worry about both her sister and the friend with the wounded eyes.