Women's Studies Ch. 15

No longer fighting against the discomfort, I pressed down harder. I could feel his hands resting very safely above my ass, holding tightly to my hips, but letting me do all the work. It was sweet, and just the kind of gentlemanly thing I should have expected from him, but I needed more of him. I reached back, and grabbed one of his hands, moving it lower. He caught my hint, I could almost feel his desire to slip his hands underneath to my ass, but instead, he squeezed me through the fabric causing me to moan into his lips.

He felt so good! I felt incredible in his arms. Feeling this great, it only showed me how bad I'd been feeling recently, how alone, and it felt wonderful to have this again.

One of his hands slid from my ass, around to my hip, and then down to my bare thigh. He held it there for a moment while we kissed, but as I gyrated on him, he let his hand travel up the top of my thigh in infinitesimal increments. He was so slow that I might not have even noticed it, had I not been aching for him to move a little faster. I was so hard that I hurt, and I was sure he knew it as well. Ever so slowly, he worked his way underneath my skirt, and up my smooth thigh. He was so close I could almost feel his touch on me. Just a little more...

*BRRRINGG!*

The sound of my phone ringing broke the spell surrounding us and I nearly jumped out of my skin. Remembering where we were, I quickly looked around to see if anyone was watching. Thankfully, it seemed as if no one even noticed us. Kicking myself, I climbed off his lap and grabbed for my clutch as I sat awkwardly beside him, carefully crossing my legs over my erection to keep it from tenting my skirt. I wanted to keep going, to lose myself in that moment with him, but I needed to get ahold of myself. I couldn't just fuck him right there on the park bench, could I?

"Sorry, I should take this," I blushed, pulling out my phone. "Shit!" I exclaimed, seeing the caller ID. "Hello?"

"Hey Lexi! I just got off the plane, where are you?" Audrey asked. "I might need some help with my bags."

"I am soooo sorry!" I said. "I was leaving to go and pick up my car from campus, and then there were all of these people shouting..."

"Are you okay?" she asked quickly.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said, smiling at Trevor. "Someone came to my rescue."

"Is he hot?" Audrey asked. "Or is it a she? Are Kennedy and Abigail back?"

"It's not them, and it's definitely a he," I said. I felt like I was stalling, and I didn't know why. I had told Audrey about Trevor, we had talked about him several times, and in great detail. Taking a deep breath, I told her. "I'm with Trevor!"

There was an ear-splitting squeal of excitement from the other end of the phone that I was sure Trevor heard quite clearly.

"What? How? Is he as hot as you remembered?" Audrey kept firing off questions, making me blush the more personal they got until she finally asked, "Are you two fucking? Did you fuck? Is he inside of you right now?"

"Stop. Stop. Audrey, STOP!" I shouted, unable to take the onslaught while I was sitting next to Trevor. I hoped to God he couldn't hear what my sister had been saying. That she squealed at the mere mention of his name was embarrassing enough. "Listen, I'm sorry I'm not there, but I think you're going to need to take a cab to the hotel. I don't know where we are, but we'll start heading that way so I can let you in and get the front desk to make you a key."

"Fine, I'll take a cab," she agreed. "But I want some details on this when I see you."

"Whatever," I mumbled, trying and failing to control my embarrassment. Audrey didn't find my response to her liking because a second later her voice came through the speaker even louder and in a sing-song voice, "Lexi's in love! Lexi's in love!" It was all I could do to hang up as quickly as possible before Trevor could hear.

"I'm sorry, but would you be able to take me back to my hotel?" I asked Trevor. The last thing I wanted was for this to end, whatever this was, but I had to meet Audrey. "My sister just flew into town. That's where I was going when...all this happened," I finished, gesturing awkwardly.

"Of course," he said, getting to his feet. "But I would like to see you again, you know, without having to stalk you."

"I'd like that too," I smiled.

We quickly exchanged numbers before either of us forgot, like the last time. Afterwards, I realized that I was still poking out of my panties. It was a little embarrassing when I had to reach underneath my skirt to tuck myself back away, but for some reason the way Trevor watched me, as if it wasn't anything out of the ordinary, and a little amusing, made it less so. When I was finally settled, he took my hand and we walked back to the motorcycle.

The ride back seemed to rush by quickly, as with all things when you don't want them to end. I enjoyed holding onto him, and not just because of his hunky physique. He was everything I wanted, and I didn't want him any farther away from me than necessary. He made me feel safe and powerful, and loved all at the same time.

I tensed up as we pulled up to the hotel. Some of the reporters had stuck around waiting for my return. Trevor brought the bike to a stop and squeezed my hand comfortingly as he shut off the engine. Together we dismounted, and ignoring the reporters completely, Trevor took my hand.

"Can I walk you inside?" he asked.

"I'd like that," I told him, giving his hand a small squeeze.

Trevor walked with such a purpose that the reporters easily made way for us to get inside. As intimidating as he was though, it didn't stop them from asking questions of him as well. Who was he? How did he know me? Basically, what you would expect from vultures.

As soon as we entered the lobby, I spotted Audrey sitting on one of the sofas, guarding a neat pile of luggage stacked haphazardly onto a trolley. The second her eyes caught mine she jumped up and raced to meet me, the force of her hug nearly toppling us both.

"God, I missed you!" she exclaimed before planting a wet kiss on my cheek and dropping her voice to a whisper. "He is so hot!"

"Thanks, Sis," I smiled back, trying to maintain my balance as she rocked us back and forth like a dance. "I missed you too."

"Ugh! You're too cute!" she smiled pulling away. "And you must be Trevor," she said, finally pulling her attention from me. "I've heard good things about you. I'm Lexi's sister, Audrey."

"It's nice to meet you," he smiled, shaking her hand. "So...what exactly have you heard about me?" he asked, sparing a teasing smirk for me.

"Oh, something about Cancun, and how large your...hands are." The pause before hands was so brief that it was possible he missed it, but I wouldn't have bet on it. Audrey was having way too much fun with this.

"I'm sorry Trevor, but I need to get my sister settled," I cut in. "She's had a long flight, and she's probably delirious and still suffering from the effects of valium. I'll call you though." I needed to get Audrey away from him before she started blabbing about everything I had said about him. I wouldn't put it past her. She would find my embarrassment a high class of entertainment.

"Wait," he said, grabbing my hand gently before I could drag my sister away. "Lunch, tomorrow." Oddly, it wasn't a question.

"Not dinner?" I asked.

"I can't wait that long to see you again," he said. "I'll pick you up outside at twelve."

"Okay," I agreed shyly.

Before I saw it coming, he leaned down and gave me a kiss. This one lacked the raging passion of our kiss in the park, but neither was it subtle. His arms wrapped around my small body, holding me gently to him and his lips lingered against mine, once again taking my breath away. When he pulled away, I was sure I was grinning stupidly up at him. His confidant swagger was back in full swing as he turned to leave.

If there was one thing my sister, or my girlfriends had taught me, it was to never let a guy know how completely wrapped around their finger you were. I knew I should at least play a little hard to get, but every time he touched me my resolve evaporated, and my body gave up to him completely. It now seemed that Trevor was beginning to see exactly what effect he was having on me.

"You are in so much trouble, girl," Audrey said, coming to stand next to me as I watched him walk away. People were taking his picture as he walked out the front doors and climbed back onto his bike.

"Shut up," I sulked, turning towards the elevator. "Grab your shit."

Audrey smirked at me the whole way up to my room. I didn't know why I was so snippy towards her. It wasn't like she hadn't been this way my whole life, always with a playful jibe, but only in good fun. It just felt different, and I was beginning to think it was because of Trevor. When it had been Danny I'd been crushing on, I was able to brush off the teasing. With Trevor, it was as if I was constantly teetering on the edge of a cliff, and it was even odds which way I could fall at a given moment.

After Audrey dumped all of her luggage off the trolley, I rolled it to the end of the hall while she kicked her bags inside. When I returned to the room, she was sitting on the edge of the bed with a commiserating smile.

"You're in love with him, aren't you?" she asked.

"What? Of course not," I denied. "I barely know him."

"That's not how love works, Sweetie." Audrey got up and walked over to me, taking my hands in hers. "You don't really get a choice about when it happens, or with who."

I wanted to keep denying it, but I knew she was right. It wasn't even a deep-down feeling that I was hiding from myself. It was bursting through the surface and I was trying desperately not to let anyone else see it. I was in love with Trevor. That mountain of a man owned me, heart and body. Audrey could see it in my eyes too.

"At least you picked a good one to lose your shit over," Audrey said. "He's even hotter than I thought he would be."

"He is fun to look at," I admitted. "God, what am I going to do?"

"What we're going to do is order some room service, preferably something that involves ice cream, and you are going to tell me everything about this Trevor guy that you've been holding back, and then we're going to come up with a killer outfit for you to wear tomorrow so that he knows exactly how lucky he is to be going on a date with you," Audrey smiled mischievously.

*** Kennedy ***

Kennedy and Abigail sat on a stone bench in the gardens watching the last of the sunset together. Perfectly cultivated rose bushes and hedges gave them a semblance of privacy, and the gravel path ensured that they would have warning if anyone were about to come upon them. At this moment, nothing too immodest was occurring. They both sat shoulder to shoulder holding hands, but a closer look could show evidence of something more, like Abigail's damp fingers, or the slight, sweet smell of Kennedy's sex creeping in through the garden scents.

"Do you think he's okay?" Kennedy asked, finally breaking a long silence.

"He's fine. I'm sure of it," Abigail insisted. It didn't need to be said which he she was referring to. There was only one man on either of their minds right now. "I would know if something was wrong."

They had been talking more about their father over the last day. Ever since Kennedy had seen that room with the walls papier-mâchéd with her photos, she began to feel a kinship with him, a man she had never known. She had thought about telling Abigail about the room, but hadn't for some reason. There were just so many pictures. It was almost obsessive, like a shrine. Sure, Mr. Lockwood didn't need photos to see Abigail, but she worried that the sheer amount might make Abigail jealous.

"What's he like?" Kennedy asked.

"He's funny, and kind, and smart..." Abigail said. "He always let me try to do something myself before showing me how it was done. He liked watching me try to figure things out. And he was always there to laugh with me, or hold me when I cried."

"Sounds nice," Kennedy said quietly.

"He was also overprotective, and overbearing," Abigail added. "I thought he must have had a stroke when he let me go to Mayweather on my own. Turns out I wasn't as alone as I thought."

"Don't be too hard on him about that," Kennedy confided. "Skylar told me that he may have sent her there to keep us safe, but he made sure that they knew to keep our secrets, even from him. Apparently," Kennedy smiled, "he thought we needed room to run free. Either that, or Skylar pushed him into it."

"That's good to know," Abigail mused. "The last thing I want dad to know is what we've been getting up to." And after a thoughtful pause, "What do you mean Skylar pushed him into it? No one pushes him into doing anything."

"I have a feeling she might," Kennedy said. "I think there might be something going on there."

"He's old enough to be her father!"

"Let's hope not!" Kennedy laughed. "One surprise is enough!"

"Still, do you think they're fooling around?" Abigail asked.

"I can't be sure," Kennedy said. "It's just a feeling I have from some things Skylar's said."

"Well, what did she say?"

"It's not exactly what she said, but more of how she said it," Kennedy tried to explain. "I don't know how else to say it."

Before Kennedy could think of the right words, or Abigail could press farther, the sounds of gravel crunching underfoot alerted them to someone approaching. Before the footsteps turned the corner around a hedge, they had separated to a more modest distance. Kennedy expected it to be Skylar or Owen maybe, but not one of the advisors, and not the youngest of the lot.

Keenan was barely thirty with a baby face, and a little heavy around the waist. He was usually the last to speak in their meetings, if he spoke at all, and not the one that would bring important news, still, Kennedy asked anyway.

"Has there been word?"

"Not of your father," he said uncomfortably. He kept looking around as if he was worried someone might hear. "It's about Alexis Allen...I am to believe you were friends?"

"What's happened to Lexi?" Abigail demanded. "Is she hurt?"

"She has been arrested, or he rather." he said carefully. "Apparently he was masquerading as a girl. I thought this was something you would want to know."

"Shit!" Abigail and Kennedy hissed together.

"I'm sure that our legal department would be more than willing to file a lawsuit against him, as well as quash any indecent materials he might have of either of you," he assured them.

"What?" Kennedy asked. "What are you talking about?"

"Who found out?" Abigail asked no one. "How? Nobody else knew!"

"You two knew about him?" Keenan asked.

"It's she," Kennedy corrected him. "And of course we knew. She's our best friend."

"I...ah..." he fumbled.

"Is there anything we can do for her?" Kennedy asked. "What about the legal team you were talking about?"

"I'm sorry miss," he said, turning to Kennedy. "He might have been a good friend, but the search for your father is the only priority right now."

"Is our legal team flying the aircraft?" Abigail asked.

"Well, no. But-"

"Then it shouldn't be a problem," Abigail assured him. "Give them Lexi's information and have them contact me as well. If that is all, we could use a little privacy."

"Of course," he said, giving the impression of a bow before turning to leave.

"And Keenan," Abagail stopped him as he turned to leave.

"Yes, Miss?"

"Don't ever call Lexi a he again," she said sternly, her eyes cold and threatening. "And the next time my sister makes a request, you had better well take her as seriously as you do me."

Keenan gulped, visibly shaken by her tone before finally turning away and making a much less dignified exit than he intended.

"What the hell!" Abigail nearly shouted once she was sure he was out of earshot, her voice full of frustration. "Don't we have enough going on right now? How did this happen?"

Kennedy shifted her feet nervously. She had a fairly good idea of who had outed Lexi, and it wasn't a topic she wanted to share. It was a secret that Lexi had asked her to keep. Despite what she wanted, Abigail sensed her agitation and pounced on it.

"What do you know?" she demanded. "I can see it all over you."

With Abigail's eyes boring into her, she slowly broke. "Decker. He found out. He was blackmailing her," she spoke in short sentences.

"Blackmailing her for what?" Abigail asked. "What does Lexi have that he would want?"

Kennedy's stomach clenched. As easy as Lexi had been taking her predicament, Kennedy had a hard time even thinking about it. She didn't even want to say it out loud, but Abigail could see the answer written all over her face.

"No!" she gasped.

"She didn't want you to know," Kennedy said quickly. "I'm sorry. She said she could handle it, but I think it was hard enough for her with just me knowing about what was happening."

"Jesus!" Abigail cursed, running her hands through her hair in pained frustration. It took her a moment to collect herself, but when she did, her voice was steely calm. "Tell me everything."

It was hard to get it all out, and she felt like she was betraying Lexi, but from what Keenan had said, she was in serious trouble, and if she didn't get help things could go badly for her. Once it was all told, they both went upstairs to try and figure out how to help their friend.

The information they had gathered from Keenan was limited, they didn't even know if Lexi was still in jail or not. Kennedy felt horrible. With all that was happening in her own life, she had shut out the rest of the world. She hadn't even thought to call Lexi. She hadn't thought to call anyone except her mother, and only to yell at her. As soon as she got into her rooms, she began searching for her phone. She couldn't even remember where she saw it last.

Abigail pulled out Kennedy's laptop and went to work there while Kennedy searched through the mess of clothes on the floor. One of the maids had kept trying to come in to clean, but Kennedy kept shooing her out. She had insisted that she could clean her own room, and like usual, had never gotten close to the task.

She finally found it next to an end table underneath some discarded clothing. The screen was cracked from when she had thrown it, but it still managed to turn on once it was plugged in. She found herself stalling when it came time to dial though. She felt like a shitty friend. Had she really not called her friend once? Reminding herself that waiting even longer wasn't going to improve the situation, she sat on the bed with Abigail, and dialed.

"Hello?" Lexi nearly shouted through the phone. "I've been trying to call you guys forever!"

"Sorry," Kennedy apologized quickly. "We've been a little distracted. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Lexi assured them.

"How are you fine, you were arrested!" Kennedy exclaimed, putting the phone on speaker for Abigail.

"Professor Holland got me a lawyer, and Audrey is here with me now," she said. "Say hi to Kennedy."

Audrey's voice carried through the phone as she shouted hello. Despite the situation, they both seemed to be in good spirits.

"Seriously, what's going on? Can we help?" Abigail asked. "I've been looking at the news and it seems bad."

There was a slight scuffle on the other end, and afterwards Audrey was holding the phone. "What happened was, Trevor raced all the way down here to rescue her, and she's in love!" Audrey laughed. By the heavy breathing, it sounded as if Lexi was chasing her down.

"Trevor!" Kennedy and Abigail exclaimed together. "Ooh la-la!"