Ben & Alice - Part 6

The morning light filtered through Alice's curtains, and I felt it against my closed eyelids before I even opened them. When I finally did, the first thing I saw was her. Alice, lying beside me, her blonde hair splayed across the pillow like spun gold. Her breathing was soft and rhythmic, peaceful in a way that made my chest tighten with something I couldn't quite name.

I couldn't help but smile. Even now, fully awake and feeling the warmth of her body pressed against mine, part of me wondered if this was all some elaborate dream. If I'd wake up back in my dorm room, alone, with nothing but the memory of what could have been. But no, this was real. Alice Chamberlaine was real, lying here next to me, and somehow, impossibly, we were together.

As if she could sense me watching her, Alice stirred. Her eyes fluttered open, still heavy with sleep, and when they focused on me, her lips curved into a smile that made my heart do something acrobatic in my chest.

"Morning," she murmured, her voice husky and warm.

"Morning," I replied, my own voice rough from sleep. I couldn't stop staring at her, memorizing the way she looked in this moment. Soft and unguarded, so different from the confident, polished version of Alice the rest of the world got to see. "I could get used to waking up like this."

She nestled closer, resting her head on my chest, and I felt the weight of her settle against me like the most perfect anchor. "Me too," she said softly. "Last night was incredible."

My arm tightened around her instinctively, and my fingertips found themselves tracing lazy circles on her shoulder, just enjoying the feel of her skin beneath my touch. The memory of our previous few evenings together. The dinner, the wine, the way she'd looked at me like I was the only person in the world, sent a pleasant warmth spreading through my entire body.

For someone who had felt so completely broken just a few weeks ago, shattered by Kayla’s betrayal and drowning in self-doubt, I now felt remarkably whole. It was almost frightening how much Alice had changed things, how quickly she'd managed to piece together parts of me I didn't even know were scattered.

"I'm happy," I admitted quietly, the words slipping out before I could second guess them. "Happier than I've been in a long time."

Alice tilted her head up to look at me, and there was something in her expression I hadn't seen before, a vulnerability that seemed almost foreign on her usually composed features. "I'm happy too," she said, and I could hear the honesty in her voice. "It's... different with you, Ben. Good different."

We lay there in comfortable silence for what felt like hours but was probably only minutes, simply existing together. Her fingers traced abstract patterns on my chest, and I found myself trying to memorize every single detail of this moment, the subtle scent of her perfume still clinging to her skin, the weight of her head against me, the sound of our breathing slowly synchronizing. I wanted to bottle this feeling, to preserve it somehow, because I knew that moments like these were rare and precious.

Eventually, though, Alice glanced at the clock on her nightstand, and I felt her sigh against my chest. A small exhale that carried a weight I didn't understand yet.

"What's wrong?" I asked immediately, propping myself up slightly to see her face better. Concern flooded through me. Had I done something? Said something?

Alice sat up, pulling the sheet with her and tucking it around herself. "Nothing's wrong, exactly," she said, but there was a hesitation in her voice that made my stomach tighten. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, a nervous gesture I was starting to recognize. "But... I need to ask you something, and I hope you won't take it the wrong way."

Now I was fully alert, pushing myself up on my elbows. My mind raced through possibilities, each one worse than the last. "You can ask me anything," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

"I need you to head home soon." Her voice was gentle but firm, and I felt my heart sink just a little. "My parents are coming to visit today, and I'm supposed to meet them for lunch."

"Oh," I said, nodding quickly. I tried to hide my disappointment, to be understanding and mature about it. "Of course. No problem at all."

But Alice must have seen something in my expression, because she bit her lip, looking uncharacteristically uncertain. "It's not that I don't want them to meet you," she said quickly. "It's just... my parents are complicated. They have very specific ideas about who I should be and who I should be with. And right now, this thing between us is so new and good and..." She paused, her eyes meeting mine. "I don't want them to ruin it."

I reached for her hand, lacing my fingers through hers and squeezing reassuringly. The tension in my chest eased. This wasn't about me, not really. "Hey, I understand. Really. Meeting the parents is a big step, and we've only been seeing each other for a short period."

"They find a way to ruin everything good in my life," Alice admitted, and there was a rawness in her voice that made me want to pull her close and protect her from whatever caused that pain. "They have this way of analyzing and critiquing, and suddenly something beautiful becomes... tainted." She shook her head, frustration evident in the gesture. "I'm not ready to share you with them yet. I'm being selfish, I want to keep this happiness just for us a little longer."

"That's not selfish," I assured her, meaning every word. I brought her hand to my lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "We can take things at whatever pace feels right for you. For us."

The relief that washed over her face was immediate and profound. She leaned forward, pressing her lips to mine in a soft, appreciative kiss that tasted like gratitude and something deeper. "Thank you for understanding," she whispered against my mouth.

I smiled, unable to help myself. "Of course. Though I should warn you, my roommates are going to have a lot of questions when I show up wearing the same clothes as two days ago."

Alice laughed, and I felt the tension dissolve from her shoulders. It was a sound I was becoming addicted to, her genuine laugh, not the polite, measured one she used in public. "Tell them whatever you want," she said, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Just don't share all our secrets." She winked playfully, then slipped out of bed, wrapping the sheet around herself like some kind of goddess as she headed to the bathroom. "I'm going to shower. Feel free to grab some coffee before you head out."

I watched her go, still marveling at the fact that this was my life now. Then I forced myself out of bed, gathering my scattered clothes and trying to make myself presentable.

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The walk back to my dorm was peaceful, the campus relatively quiet on a Sunday morning. Students who had ventured out the night before were probably still sleeping off their hangovers, and the few people I passed seemed to be doing the contemplative morning after shuffle that I recognized all too well.

But I couldn't wipe the smile from my face. I probably looked like an idiot, grinning at nothing, replaying the events of the past two days in my mind on an endless loop. Alice and I were officially dating. Me, Ben Davies, perpetually average Ben Davies, dating Alice Chamberlaine. It still seemed completely surreal, like something that happened to other people in movies or romance novels.

When I reached my building, I took the stairs two at a time, energized despite having gotten maybe five hours of sleep total. I unlocked the door to my room, expecting to find Omar and Spencer still passed out after their night at that new club downtown they'd been so excited about.

Instead, I walked into what could only be described as a disaster zone.

Omar was sprawled on our sofa, looking particularly worse for wear, his usually neat hair sticking up at odd angles and his eyes half-closed like even the dim light in our room was too much. Spencer was sitting in his bed with a large glass of water, sunglasses perched on his nose despite being indoors. Always his go to hangover look.

But more surprisingly, Grace from next door was fast asleep on the other end of the couch, her blonde hair covering her face, soft snores escaping her lips. Grace, who usually looked at me and my roommates like we were some kind of particularly annoying insects she couldn't quite squash.

"Well, well, well," Spencer drawled, peering over his sunglasses at me with bloodshot eyes. "Look who finally decided to come home."

Omar managed a weak wave. "Welcome back, man. Good night?"

Before I could answer, I noticed something that made me stop in my tracks. My bed, my bed was occupied. Frowning, I moved closer, only to find Isabella and Zoe curled up together under my covers. Isabella opened one eye at the sound of the door, a lazy grin spreading across her face.

"Morning, stranger," she said, her voice raspy from sleep or alcohol or probably both. "Hope you don't mind we borrowed your bed. We presumed you wouldn't mind since you weren't using it, plus it's probably the cleanest spot in this room."

I looked around at the collection of empty bottles, discarded shoes, and what appeared to be someone's jacket hanging from our ceiling fan. She had a point.

Zoe, whose hair was a vibrant shade of blue this week, she changed it more often than most people changed their sheets, merely groaned and pulled the covers over her head, apparently not ready to face the world yet.

I shook my head, amused despite myself. "Make yourselves at home, why don't you?"

"Already did," Isabella quipped, stretching like a contented cat before settling back down.

I returned to the living room area, collapsing into the only remaining armchair. The smell of stale alcohol and what might have been pizza hung in the air, and I made a mental note that we were definitely going to need to air this place out. "So I take it you all had a good night?"

Spencer chuckled, then immediately winced as if the action caused him physical pain. "Too good. That new club downtown is insane. We closed the place down, then came back here for more drinks, which was..." He paused, pressing his fingers to his temples. "Probably a mistake."

"A definite mistake," Omar confirmed, massaging his own temples in sympathy. "I don't recall inviting the girls, yet here they are."

"We invited ourselves," came Zoe's muffled voice from my bedroom. "Your door was unlocked and we heard music."

Grace shifted in her sleep but didn't wake, her face surprisingly peaceful. It was strange seeing her like this. Usually, she wore this perpetual scowl, especially when she had to deal with us and our noise complaints.

"She's been out cold for hours," Spencer explained, nodding toward Grace. "First time I've seen her not scowling. It's actually kind of unsettling."

Zoe emerged from my bedroom, her blue hair sticking up in odd angles that somehow looked intentional, like she'd meant to style it that way. "Coffee," she announced to no one in particular. "Need coffee immediately, or I might actually die."

She shuffled to our small kitchen area, rummaging through cupboards with the familiarity of someone who had done so many times before. Zoe and Isabella were over so often they practically lived here. They knew where we kept the mugs, which drawer had the silverware, and that the coffee maker was temperamental and needed to be coaxed into cooperation.

Isabella followed shortly after, looking considerably more alert than everyone else. She'd always had this uncanny ability to bounce back from a night of drinking like it was nothing, while the rest of us suffered. She perched on the arm of my chair, studying me with those curious, analytical eyes of hers.

"So," she said, her tone teasing but her eyes sharp and knowing. "Two nights in a row with Alice Chamberlaine. Must have been some date."

I felt my cheeks warm, and I knew I was probably turning that embarrassing shade of red I got whenever someone put me on the spot. "It was nice."

"Nice?" Spencer scoffed, somehow managing to sound incredulous even through his hangover. "You disappear for two days straight and all we get is 'nice'?"

"Leave him alone," Omar said, though his eyes were equally curious as he turned to look at me. "But also, yeah, details please. We're invested now."

I laughed, shaking my head. "There's not much to tell, honestly."

"Liar," Zoe called from the kitchen, where she was staring at the coffee maker as if willing it to brew faster through sheer force of will.

I sighed, knowing they weren't going to let this go. "Fine," I conceded, unable to keep the smile off my face. "We had dinner at that restaurant that she chose, went back to her place, met some of her roommates..." I trailed off, unwilling to share the more intimate details of our time together. Some things felt too private, too precious to turn into entertainment for my roommates.

"And?" Isabella prompted, nudging me with her elbow insistently.

I hesitated, then allowed myself a small smile—the kind I couldn't suppress even if I wanted to. "And we're officially dating now."

The announcement was met with an immediate chorus of reactions. Spencer let out a low whistle of appreciation, Omar gave me a congratulatory nod and a tired thumbs up, Zoe actually squealed (which made several people wince and clutch their heads), and Isabella let out a dramatic gasp.

"Ben Gawsworth, taming the untameable Alice Chamberlaine," Isabella marveled, looking at me like I'd just announced I'd solved world hunger. "Who would have thought?"

"I wouldn't say 'taming,'" I corrected quickly, uncomfortable with the implication. "She's not some wild animal. She's... incredible. Smart, funny, kind in ways people don't expect."

"And hot as hell," Spencer added helpfully, earning an eye roll from Zoe and a thrown pillow from Isabella.

"That too," I admitted, unable to suppress my grin. Because yeah, Alice was beautiful, stunning, actually, but it was so much more than that.

The conversation shifted as Zoe distributed mugs of coffee. Probably the worst coffee any of us had ever tasted, but beggars couldn't be choosers, and everyone started recounting tales from their night out. Spencer's failed attempt at breakdancing that had nearly gotten them kicked out. Omar's unexpected success with a girl from his engineering class whose number was apparently now saved in his phone. Isabella challenging a group of seniors to a drinking contest and somehow emerging victorious, much to everyone's shock and her own pride.

I listened, laughing at their stories and trying to imagine the chaos I'd missed. But part of me, a significant part, was already looking forward to seeing Alice again, counting down the hours until our next class together.

As if the universe could read my thoughts, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out, and my smile widened automatically when I saw her name.

Miss you already. Good luck with the interrogation. - A

My fingers moved quickly across the screen, typing out a reply while trying to ignore the fact that Isabella was watching me with those knowing eyes of hers.

Survived mostly intact. Miss you too. Hope lunch with your parents goes okay.

"You've got it bad," Isabella observed, but there was no mockery in her tone. Only a hint of something that might have been wistfulness, or maybe loneliness.

"Yeah," I agreed softly, not even trying to deny it. "I think I do."

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The next two days passed in a blur of texts and late-night phone calls that stretched well past midnight. Between classes and study sessions, Alice and I maintained this constant connection, learning more about each other with every conversation.

I learned that she hated cilantro with an almost violent passion, claiming it tasted like soap and ruining otherwise perfectly good food. That she could recite entire scenes from obscure '90s sitcoms her older cousins had introduced her to. That she had a secret talent for origami and could fold a crane with her eyes closed.

In turn, I shared things I rarely told anyone, my childhood dream of becoming an astronaut, inspired by a field trip to a planetarium when I was seven. My completely irrational fear of geese after being chased by one at a petting zoo when I was six. My weird habit of solving math problems in my head when I couldn't sleep, running through equations like other people counted sheep.

We discussed books, she loved literary fiction while I leaned toward sci-fi, but we found common ground in mystery novels. We debated the merits of various breakfast cereals with surprising intensity (she was Team Frosted Flakes, I was loyal to Cinnamon Toast Crunch). We confessed our most embarrassing moments, hers involved accidentally calling her teacher "Mom" in front of the entire class, mine involved splitting my pants during a presentation in high school.

Each revelation, no matter how small or silly, felt like a precious gift, another piece of the puzzle that was Alice Chamberlaine, another layer peeled back to reveal the real person underneath the polished exterior.

By Tuesday morning, I was practically vibrating with anticipation at the thought of seeing her in our shared math class. I'd barely been able to focus on anything else. I arrived early, embarrassingly early, choosing our usual seats in the middle section and trying not to check the door every five seconds like some kind of desperate puppy.

When she finally appeared, it was like someone had turned up the brightness in the room. Alice spotted me immediately, her face lighting up with a smile that made my heart stutter and forget how to beat properly for a second. She made her way over, sliding into the seat beside me with fluid grace.

"Hi," she whispered, her hand immediately finding mine under the desk, our fingers intertwining automatically.

"Hi," I replied, and suddenly I felt like a tongue-tied teenager who'd never spoken to a girl before. It was ridiculous, we'd been talking for days, I'd spent the night at her place three times now, but something about seeing her in person again made my brain short-circuit.

Throughout the lecture, we existed in our own little bubble. The professor droned on about differential equations, writing formulas on the board that I knew I should be copying down, but I couldn't seem to focus on anything except Alice. We exchanged glances and subtle touches, her fingers grazing my arm when she leaned over to look at my notes, her knee pressing against mine beneath the desk, the way she bit her lip when she was concentrating.

The fifty minute class felt like an eternity and also like it was over in seconds.

When it finally ended, Alice leaned close, her lips brushing against my ear in a way that sent shivers down my spine. "My place?" she whispered. "Roommates are all in class until late afternoon."

I nodded, probably too enthusiastically, gathering my books with newfound urgency and completely forgetting about my next class. "Lead the way."

We made it out of the building and across campus, both of us walking faster than normal. The tension between us was palpable, electric, and I was hyper-aware of every brush of her arm against mine.

We barely made it through her front door before Alice was kissing me, her mouth hungry and demanding against mine. I responded eagerly, weeks of building desire finally finding an outlet as I backed her against the wall, my hands tangling in her hair the way I'd been wanting to since she walked into that classroom.

"Upstairs," Alice gasped between kisses, her fingers already working at the buttons of my shirt. "Now."

We stumbled up the stairs, pausing every few steps for another heated exchange, and I was vaguely aware that we were leaving a trail of clothing behind us, my jacket on the third step, her cardigan on the second floor landing, but I couldn't bring myself to care.

By the time we reached her bedroom on the top floor, both of us were breathing heavily, and I felt like every nerve ending in my body was on fire.

Alice guided me to the bed, her hands on my chest as she pushed me gently onto my back. Then she straddled me, and the sight of her above me. Confident, commanding, absolutely stunning, sent a surge of desire through my body so intense it was almost overwhelming.

"I've been thinking about this since Sunday," she admitted, her voice low and sensual, her eyes dark with want.

And as her lips found mine again, as her hands explored my skin and mine explored hers, I realized that I had been too. That every moment since I'd left her apartment had been leading back to this, to her, to us tangled together with nothing between us but heat and want and this connection that I still didn't fully understand but knew I never wanted to lose.

I thought we'd continue as we had been, but Alice had other ideas. She pulled back suddenly, her eyes gleaming with that particular look I was learning to recognize—the one that meant she had plans, specific plans, and I was going to follow them.

"Lie down," she commanded, her voice taking on that authoritative edge that made something tighten low in my stomach. "On your back. Center of the bed."

I obeyed without hesitation, shifting until I was positioned exactly where she wanted me. My heart was racing, anticipation coiling through every muscle as I watched her move. She crawled up the bed with feline grace, positioning herself above me, her knees on either side of my head.

The view was intoxicating.Alice hovering above me, already glistening with arousal, her breathing heavy with want. She lowered herself slowly, deliberately, until I could taste her. I reached up with my tongue eagerly, and she gasped at the contact.

But this time was different from before. Alice didn't simply sit still and let me work. She began moving, grinding against my face with increasing intensity, using my mouth for her pleasure with an abandon I hadn't seen before. My hands found her thighs, steadying her but not controlling her, this was her show, and I was just along for the ride.

"Yes," she moaned above me, her movements becoming more frantic. "Just like that, don't stop."

I couldn't have stopped if I wanted to. My tongue worked frantically, trying to keep pace with her grinding, focusing on her clit as she rode my face. Her thighs trembled on either side of my head, and I could feel her getting closer, her body tensing in that way I was learning to recognize.

"Oh god, Ben, I'm"

Her orgasm hit with unexpected force. Alice's entire body went rigid, and suddenly there was liquid, warm and abundant, flooding my face, my mouth, going up my nose. I sputtered, trying to breathe as she squirted, the sensation overwhelming and intense. It felt like drowning, like being waterboarded, and yet somehow I didn't want her to stop.

Alice was screaming, her hands braced on the headboard as wave after wave crashed through her. The fluid kept coming, soaking my face, the pillow beneath my head, even getting in my hair. I gasped for air when I could, swallowing when I couldn't, completely at her mercy.

When the waves finally subsided, Alice remained seated on my face, her full weight pressing down as she caught her breath. I could barely breathe, my nose and mouth still covered, but I didn't protest. If this was how I died, it would be a death I'd accept gladly.

After what felt like an eternity but was probably only thirty seconds, Alice shifted slightly, giving me room to gasp for air. I inhaled deeply, oxygen flooding my lungs, my face completely drenched.

"Sorry," she panted, though she didn't sound particularly sorry. "That was... intense."

Before I could respond, before I could even process what had just happened, Alice was moving again. She turned herself around on top of me, still straddling my face but now facing toward my feet. Toward my painfully hard erection that had been straining against my boxers throughout the entire encounter.

"Keep licking," she instructed, lowering herself back onto my mouth. "I'm not done with you yet."

I obeyed immediately, my tongue finding her still-sensitive flesh. She gasped at the contact, her thighs trembling, but she didn't pull away. Instead, I felt her hands on my boxers, pulling them down, freeing my aching cock.

Then her mouth was on me.

The sensation was electric, overwhelming, perfect. Alice's lips wrapped around me, her tongue swirling as she took me deeper. I moaned against her pussy, the vibration making her gasp and grind down harder on my face.

We found a rhythm together, a give and take that felt almost choreographed. Every time my tongue circled her clit, she would take me deeper. When I slipped two fingers inside her, curling them the way she liked, she hummed around my cock in a way that made my eyes roll back.

This was different from before. This wasn't just Alice taking her pleasure while I served her. This was mutual, reciprocal, both of us working toward the same goal. Her mouth was slow and sensual, taking her time, building me up gradually while I tried to do the same for her with my tongue.

I could feel myself getting close embarrassingly quickly, but I fought against it, wanting to make this last, wanting to bring her to the edge with me. My tongue worked faster, more insistently, while my fingers maintained their steady rhythm inside her.

Alice moaned around my cock, the vibration almost undoing me. Her own movements became less controlled, more desperate. She was getting close again, I could tell from the way her thighs tensed, the way she ground down harder on my face.

I focused all my attention on her clit, sucking and licking with renewed intensity while my fingers curled upward, hitting that spot that made her gasp. Her mouth on me became almost frantic, matching my pace, and I knew we were both racing toward the edge together.

"Ben," she gasped, pulling off me just long enough to speak. "I'm going to…"

She didn't finish the sentence. Her mouth returned to my cock, taking me deep, and that was all it took. My orgasm hit like a freight train, pleasure exploding through every nerve ending as I came hard in her mouth. At the same moment, Alice's second orgasm crashed through her, her pussy clenching around my fingers as she cried out, the sound muffled by the fact that her mouth was full of me.

We came together, perfectly synchronized. Alice shaking and gasping as waves of pleasure rolled through her, herself shooting a solitary stream of cum. Alice swallowed, I felt her throat work around me, while I licked her through the aftershocks, gentler now, drawing out her pleasure until she finally pulled away, too sensitive to continue.

She collapsed beside me, both of us breathing heavily, our bodies slick with sweat and other fluids. For a long moment, neither of us spoke, just lay there trying to remember how to function like normal human beings.

"Holy shit," Alice finally managed, her voice hoarse.

"Yeah," I agreed, my own voice not much better. My face was still soaked, my jaw ached, but I felt incredible. "That was..."

"Incredible," she finished, turning her head to look at me. There was something in her eyes, something soft and vulnerable that made my chest tight. "You're incredible."

I reached for her hand, lacing our fingers together. "So are you."

We lay there for a while longer, just existing together in the aftermath. Eventually, Alice got up, returning with a warm washcloth to clean my face. The gesture was surprisingly tender, intimate in a different way than what we'd just done.

"I've never done that before," she admitted as she gently wiped my face. "The squirting thing. Not to that extent, that was... new."

"It was amazing," I assured her, meaning it completely. "Unexpectected.”

“Not the only thing that was unexpected” Alice stated with a tone of annoyance “Why was there so little?”

I felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment “Sorry, I ….” I muttered unsure how to finish my sentence.

Alice cut in, “When was the last time you came?” she asked, still in her loving tone but now with an undeniable edge of an interrogator.

I hesitated, the truth suddenly seeming like a grave miscalculation “Uh… this morning?”

“What happened to us being exclusive?” Alice snapped

“We are,” I stuttered. “There isn’t anyone else.”

Alice’s eyes narrowed. “You’ve been masturbating?”

“I mean, sometimes, yeah,” I admitted, uncertain why this was an issue. “Is that… a problem?”

Alice sat back, studying me with an expression I couldn’t quite read. “I don’t like it,” she said finally. “I want to be the only one who gives you pleasure, Ben, that includes from yourself. I want to control when and how you come.”

I blinked, surprised by her intensity. “Oh.”

“From now on,” Alice continued, her voice softening but retaining an edge of authority, “you don’t touch yourself without my permission. No orgasms unless I allow them. Understood?”

There was something in her tone, a mixture of command and vulnerability, that made me realize how important this was to her. Part of me wanted to question why, to understand the boundary she was establishing, but a larger part simply wanted to make her happy.

“Understood.” I agreed, bringing her hand to my lips and kissing her palm. “I'm all yours.”

The smile that bloomed across Alice's face was radiant, all traces of displeasure vanishing. She leaned down to kiss him deeply, her body melting against mine.

"Good boy," she murmured against my lips, and despite everything, I felt a surprising thrill at her approval. "You won't regret it, I promise. I'll make it worth your while."