Page 49 of His Dark Pull
I wake to the gentle caress of sunlight streaming through the sheer curtains. A sense of contentment settles over me, a feeling of safety and belonging that I haven’t experienced in what feels like a lifetime. The aroma of brewed coffee and sizzling bacon fills the air.
Alexander’s doing?
Stretching, I push myself up on one elbow, rubbing the sleep from my eyes with the back of my hand. Alexander’s bedroom is exactly as I remember it – a sanctuary of muted colors and clean lines, a reflection of the man himself. My eyes linger on the rumpled sheets, the warm silk from our entwined bodies. Heat creeps up my neck, a phantom touch echoing the night’s pleasures.
A soft creak at the door draws my attention, and I turn to see Alexander entering the room, a tray laden with breakfast balanced in his strong hands. He is clad in a pair of black boxer briefs, his muscular chest and arms bare. A playful smile dances on his lips, and his eyes, the color of a stormy sea, hold my gaze.
“Good morning, my Ava,” he murmurs, setting the tray down on the bed before leaning in to kiss me. His lips are soft and warm against mine.
“Good morning,” I say. The smell of coffee and bacon wafts up from the tray, making my stomach rumble.
He sits down beside me, his arm brushing against mine. He pours me a cup of coffee, the steam swirling upwards like a genie escaping its lamp, and hands me a plate piled high with eggs, bacon, and toast. “I hope you’re hungry,” he says with a mischievous grin.
We eat in comfortable silence. The only sounds are the clinking of silverware and the occasional sip of warm liquid.
“What are you doing today?” I ask, breaking the silence.
“Besides chasing you around and making sure you’re safe and not sneaking into strangers’ houses at night?” he teases, his fingers tracing patterns on my bare thigh, sending a shiver of pleasure down my spine.
I giggle, my heart fluttering at his touch. “I don’t have any plans,” I admit. “I think I’ll just stick around this newly found mansion of mine. Maybe clean up a bit. What do you say?”
His smile fades, replaced by a look of seriousness that makes my stomach clench. “I can’t love,” he says, his voice low. “I have to take care of some things.”
My mood shifts. For once, I don’t press for details. I know what “things” he’s referring to: the debts he owes, the ties that bind him to the Veles Network. “Just be careful, Alexander,”I whisper.
As we finish breakfast, he stands up and presses a kiss to my forehead, his lips lingering for a moment, a silent promise and farewell. “I have to go,”he says. “But I’ll be back later. Just relax and take it easy today. Enjoy your treasures here.”
I nod, feeling disappointed that he’s leaving but also understanding that he has obligations and a life outside of our shared bubble of love and desire.
He has to protect Michelle. And in his own way, he’s trying to protect me as well. As he turns to leave, I catch him by the arm, my fingers tracing the familiar contours of his muscles, a silent plea for him to stay. “What do you want for dinner?”I ask, forcing a smile, trying to mask my worry.
“You,”he replies with a husky laugh, pulling me close.
“One me, coming right up,”I say, my voice light. “Please come home right after, okay?”
“Yes, of course,”he promises, his eyes avoiding mine as if he can’t bear to see the worry reflected there.
“What kind of business are you doing today?”
“Kovacs,”he says, his voice devoid of emotion, his eyes darkening.
He leans in, his lips brushing against mine. I pause, my hand resting on his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath my palm.
“What about Michelle?”I ask.
“She’s safe, for now,”Alexander assures me. “I put her in another facility, far away from here, where Kovacs and his men can’t reach her.”
I relax the tension in my shoulders. “Good,”I breathe, my hand caressing his arm. “Just be careful, okay?”The realization dawns on me – that’s what he’s been doing, disappearing for days at a time, ensuring Michelle’s safety.
A rare smile, genuine and warm, lights up his face. “Always, my Ava,”he murmurs. “Oh, and I’m taking Mendel with me, so you won’t have a ride. Please stay here until I return. I want to show you something when I get back.”
I raise an eyebrow. “What do you want to show me?”
“I’m not at liberty to say,”he replies with a wink, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “But it involves my kitchen, some food, and your naked body.”
The memory of last night makes me blush. “I’ll think about staying then,”I say, my voice husky with a desire I can’t conceal.
I go to the kitchen and find myself lost in the simple act of washing dishes. The warm, soapy water envelops my hands. I scrub away at a stubborn stain on a porcelain plate, my mind replaying the conversation with Sarah, her tearful confession.