Chapter 41: Kitchen Conversations

The initial kiss unleashed a torrent of emotions. She ~needed~ this. Him. His touch. Everything.

Almost as if she was afraid he’d pull away, she raised a hand to cup his cheek, deepening the kiss.

One of them—was it her—parted their lips, and their tongues intertwined. She nibbled on his lips, feeling his teeth as he reciprocated.

A moan escaped—was it hers? And then he felt distant. It wasn’t him.

He wasn’t in her head anymore. She was alone in her mind. Her wolf? The bond? Her heat? She didn’t know. His taste eased the anxiety that had been building in her chest; it was calming.

As the kiss intensified, she yearned for more closeness. Using his hold on her, she hoisted herself up, placing one knee on the counter. He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her against him.

Her body hummed with desire, her senses heightened. ~More~.

“Please don’t kill me.”

Jason’s voice was like a bucket of ice water dumped over her.

She pulled back from Alex, her lips tender and swollen, pulsing from his kisses.

“One of the alarms was triggered.”

“~Fuck.~”

He let out a heavy sigh, his nostrils widening as his eye gave a slight twitch.

He planted a soft kiss on her lips before pulling away. “Don’t forget to eat.”

She nodded, still in a daze.

A wave of embarrassment washed over her as she hopped off the counter and took a seat on the stool.

She covered her face with her hands, rubbing them up and down.

It was a good thing he was going to be busy. That was good, right? Everything felt so chaotic, like she was trying to force two puzzle pieces together that didn’t belong.

She was overwhelmed by a surge of emotions, unfamiliar needs bubbling up within her. It would be easier to sort through all of this if there was some…distance.

But why did the thought of being alone make her feel like she was suffocating?

***

“Hey, Liv…”

She jumped, barely suppressing a shriek. She spun around, her hand pressed against her chest. “J-Jason.”

His smile was so broad, it reached his ears. “Hey. Everything okay?”

She nodded, her hand clutching her shirt. What was she supposed to say?

That everything was fine, except Alexander wasn’t in his room and she couldn’t sleep without him? She’d been sleeping alone for twenty-two years, and now she couldn’t.

She hadn’t seen him all day and it left her feeling uneasy.

There was a sick feeling in her stomach and an emptiness in her chest. That was…normal, right? Was it part of the mate thing?

~You miss him~.

There it was again.

“I’m fine. I—was—~walking~.”

Right, because he couldn’t see right through her lie.

“I know what’s going on.”

“Oh no, nothing’s going on.”

“Wait here.”

He didn’t wait for her response before turning and heading for the door. Oh no, no.

This was exactly what she’d been trying to avoid. She didn’t want to be a bother. Stupid feet. Stupid brain. She should have stayed in the room. ~Idiot~. She could still do that. Jason had just disappeared behind the door.

She still had time to leave.

She spun on her heels, ready to sprint to his bedroom when the door creaked open. ~Damn~.

“Livy?”

A wave of defeat washed over her as she turned to face him. “H-hi.”

“Everything okay?” he asked, closing the door behind him.

“Yeah—sorry, I think there was, um, a misunderstanding.”

He shoved his hands in his pockets, sauntering over to her with a smile on his face. “A misunderstanding, huh? So you don’t ~need~ anything.”

She shook her head. “Nope.”

“So, I’ll go then. That’s okay.”

“Yup. Okay.”

But why were her hands trembling? Why did she want to reach out to him?

He was close now, close enough for her to smell him, to feel his presence. All she had to do was reach out and she could touch him. But her hands remained at her sides.

“Goodnight, Livy.”

He walked away, his footsteps echoing in the room and her heart rate began to slow. ~STOP~! The voice in her head was screaming so loudly, she was sure she’d said it out loud.

But it seemed the word wasn’t just in her head. By the time she blinked, she realized she’d lunged forward and grabbed his shirt, forcing him to stop.

“Stop?”

So she had said it.

“I-I-I know you have to go.”

She couldn’t explain it to him; she couldn’t even explain it to herself. It was unsettling.

There was a hollow feeling in her stomach. Her muscles were twitching and her mouth was dry.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get comfortable. His presence was calming.

Could she have possibly gotten used to it already?

“But?” he asked, turning around and pulling his shirt free from her grip.

He always did this. He didn’t let her hide behind silence.

He made her ~say~ it. He made her express her feelings in words and sentences. “I-I was…” She pursed her lips. What was the word? “Lonely? I think.” She sighed, looking at the floor.

“I’m sorry, I’ll go back to bed. This is…crazy, right?”

“Missed me already?”

“Oh-I…”

His body was suddenly against hers before her mind could even form a response. His heat seeped into her, warming her from the outside in.

His large hands held her hips, pressing her back against the wall. His lips found hers and she surrendered.

Her knees threatened to buckle but his grip tightened, keeping her upright. His kiss was more insistent than before.

His tongue traced the line of her lips, seeking entry, which she granted without hesitation. His tongue danced with hers, drawing her closer.

Her hands found their way to his chest, feeling the solid muscle beneath her fingers.

Her body ignited with desire and when his thumb grazed the bare skin exposed by her lifted shirt, she felt a growing wetness between her thighs. Just a little more and then…

Nothing.

He pulled away, leaving a chill in the space between them.

What?

Then everything went dark. She was surrounded by blackness until she realized he’d covered her eyes with… fabric? A shirt. His shirt!

His scent filled her senses as he draped the shirt over her. He guided her head through the collar.

He didn’t speak, but she slipped her arms through the sleeves, letting the shirt fall over her body, reaching her knees.

“This should help,” he said, stepping back and revealing his bare chest.

She fought the urge to grab the shirt and inhale his scent, stopping herself from committing such an embarrassing act. “T-thank you.” She’d already done enough. ~He could probably smell her arousal~.

As she looked at him, half-naked in the hallway, a tightness gripped her chest, making it hard to breathe. He was—~naked~. “So… You’re going back in there. Like this,” she said, gesturing to his bare chest.

He smirked, stepping closer until they were face-to-face. “I don’t think anyone in there is concerned about my chest, Livy.”

“Oh?”

“There are no women in there.”

“I—that’s fine. Great. Not that I was curious.”

“You sure about that?”

She nodded.

He took her hand in his, their fingers intertwining. He lifted their joined hands and pressed a kiss to the back of her hand. “Sleep in my bed. I’ll try to be there before you wake up.”

“Alex—you don’t…”

“Do you want me to?”

“I—”

“Yes or no, Livy, yes or no.”

She bit her lip, feeling like a scolded child. “Yeah,” she managed to say.

“Then I’ll try.” He let go of her hand and ruffled her hair. “Now, bed. You look tired.”

She was. She didn’t understand ~why~. She’d been sleeping well lately but she felt mentally drained.

“Goodnight, Alex.”

“Goodnight, Livy.”

When he didn’t move, she realized he was waiting for ~her~ to leave first. He was going to make sure she went straight to bed.

She nodded, pushing herself off the wall, and walked down the hallway.

By the time she reached his bedroom door, he was just a silhouette at the end of the hallway.

She smiled at him before opening his door and stepping into his room.

His scent was everywhere; in the room, on her.

~Stop resisting~.

That was a good idea. She was too tired to fight.

The rush of new emotions was overwhelming and she needed to switch off her brain. She walked to the bed and as soon as her knees hit the edge, she collapsed onto the blankets.

She clung to them, his scent enveloping her. She closed her eyes, holding onto one thought as she drifted off to sleep: ~Alex.~