The Stranger

Chapter 16 - Alex

The coffee was terrible—watery and bitter in a way that clung to the back of my throat. But it wasn't about the coffee. It was about being near Cassandra.

We walked side by side through the hospital corridors, the sound of our heels echoing off the cold tile. She didn't say much, and neither did I. I didn't need to. Her body did all the talking—her stiff posture, the way her fingers trembled around the coffee cup, the faint sheen of exhaustion in her eyes.

But she still looked stunning. She was straight from work, still in her white blouse and grey pencil skirt. Her black heels clicked softly with every step. God help me, even in her tiredness, she radiated strength.

The elevator ride to the seventh floor was silent, but in those few moments, she leaned into me. Her head rested against my chest, and my arms moved instinctively, wrapping around her. Holding her. Letting her rest, if only for a moment.

When the doors opened, we stepped out hand in hand, heading to the children's ward's outdoor area—a quiet, secluded space I knew would give us privacy.

The breeze hit us as soon as we stepped outside, and I saw her shiver. Without thinking, I shrugged off my jacket and draped it over her shoulders, rubbing her arms to warm her.

"Listen, Alex, about last night..." she started, her voice quiet but deliberate.

"Shhh," I interrupted softly, pressing a finger to her lips. "We don't have to talk about that. I'm here for you and your mum."

Her eyes held mine, a complicated swirl of gratitude and exhaustion. She leaned back against the wall, framed by the salmon-and-white polka-dotted tent meant for the kids. She looked at me like I was her anchor. Her lips parted, her breath visible in the cool air.

"You are so..." she whispered, her words trailing off as she buried her face against my chest.

I wanted her to finish the sentence. I needed to know what she thought, how she felt. But instead, she kissed my neck.

God, she knew what that did to me.

I cupped her face in my hands and kissed her back, slow at first, then deeper. More insistent. Her hands gripped my shirt, pulling me closer as though she could erase the space between us.

I let my fingers slide into her hair, grabbing a handful as I tilted her head back. "Look at me," I murmured.

Her eyes, hazy with need, met mine, and I was gone.

I pressed her against the wall, my free hand trailing down her body, skimming the curve of her hip and slipping between her thighs. Her breath hitched as I slid my fingers beneath the edge of her panties.

"You're wet," I whispered, my lips brushing her ear.

"You seem to have that effect on me." Her voice was low, her words teasing, but her body told me exactly what she wanted.

I stroked her slowly, letting my fingers find her rhythm, pushing her closer to the edge. Her hands clung to me, pulling me into her. Her leg brushed against my hardness, but this wasn't about me.

"No," I said firmly when her hand reached for my zipper. "This is just for you."

I pulled my fingers from her, bringing them to my mouth and sucking them clean, her taste lingering on my tongue. Her lips parted, her gaze locked on mine, and the raw hunger in her eyes was enough to undo me.

I slid my fingers into her mouth next, watching as she obeyed without hesitation. Her tongue swept over them, and when I moved them back between her thighs, slick with her own saliva, she moaned softly.

"Please tell me to cum," she whispered, her voice breaking as her hips bucked against my hand.

My control snapped. "Oh, fuck, Cassandra. You're such a good girl." I leaned into her ear, my breath hot against her skin. "Cum for me."

I increased the pressure, my thumb teasing her clit as I held her steady, and she fell apart in my arms. Her moans were muffled against my chest as her body shuddered with release.

She collapsed against me, her head resting where it had been earlier, but now her breathing was heavy, her lips still parted.

"Thank you," she whispered. Her words were so soft I almost missed them. "I needed that."

We spent the next couple of hours sitting together in the waiting room, her head occasionally resting on my shoulder. The sterile air of the hospital didn't feel so cold anymore.

When the doctor finally appeared, Cassandra shot to her feet.

"Your mum is awake, Miss Williams," the doctor said. "And it looks like we won't need to operate."

Relief washed over Cassandra's face, and she hugged the doctor tightly. "Can I see her?"

"Yes, but only you," the doctor said. Her eyes flicked to me. "Your boyfriend will have to wait outside."

Cassandra and I looked at each other awkwardly. Boyfriend. The word hung in the air like an ill-fitting suit. My first instinct was to correct her, to clarify that what we were was...complicated. Undefined. But the way Cassandra's cheeks flushed ever so slightly, the way her lips parted as if she might explain, gave me pause.

Did I want to be her boyfriend? The word felt too small, too simple. But it also made something inside me tighten—protectiveness, maybe? Possessiveness? Whatever it was, I wasn't ready to unpack it here.

"He's..." she started, but her voice faltered.

"That's okay," I said, cutting in with a reassuring smile. "I'll wait here. Besides, I need to head back to work soon."

Her lips curled into a soft, grateful smile. For now, I'd take that smile over any title.

"Thank you for coming, Alex, you made everything better" she said, her voice soft but warm. She kissed me lightly before walking away, leaving me standing in the corridor, watching her disappear down the hall.