The Alpha's Daydream ✔️

Chapter 39

I dump my stuff in my room and quickly take a shower. After cooling down and feeling much better, I go to the kitchen and start dinner preparations. I hope no one else joins us. I don't think I'm ready to see Seneca just yet, not with everything swirling around in my head.

"Thought I'd find you here," Malachi's deep voice makes my hands still and my heart start racing. I put down the knife and celery I was chopping and turn to face him.

"Hungry?" I ask, leaning back against the counter casually.

"What, no hello kiss?" His black eyebrows rise and disappear beneath his fringe as he looks at me cryptically.

"After what happened last night, then your leaving, I wasn't sure if you'd want...."

The penitent look he gives me makes me stop. When he begins walking closer, my throat goes dry, but not in a bad way. His scent is strong, the exercise of training enhancing the intensity. Sweat glistens on his skin, highlighting his muscular arms. Each footstep closer seems to increase my heart rate exponentially; each breath he takes robs me of my own.

"And what do you want?" he asks in a husky voice as he finally reaches me, resting both arms on the counter either side of me, caging me in.

I don't mind in the slightest. "I want there to be nothing between us that we can't solve. No secrets, no doubts. No fear or questions." I find it hard to concentrate on what I'm saying while looking up into his beautiful blue eyes, as they flick between my own and down to my lips.

"So you wouldn't mind if I kissed you?"

In answer, I lean forward and rest my hand on his chest. His lips travel the rest of the way and lightly touch mine. His kiss is so soft, so gentle, so opposite to the heated passion of last night. Even so, this one sends just as many tingles dancing over my skin and accelerating my heart. I forget how to breath as my hands wind around his neck and pull him closer, his hands sliding down to my waist. He keeps them there, lightly touching me and not going any further up or down. He is cautious, I can feel it in his movements. He is apologetic, I can hear it in his soft sigh. He is still wanting to show respect to me, despite everything that has happened.

"Thank you," I say, unsure if my breathy whisper can even be heard.

His mouth lifts in a pleased smile. "For what?"

"For still caring. For being gentle."

He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "I will always care about you Ariella. Don't forget that, no matter what happens."

I nod, and we release each other. Together, we quickly finish getting dinner ready, then head upstairs. While Malachi showers, I finish putting away my things from my trip home.

After only a short while, he comes out wearing only boxers, and rubbing his hair roughly with a towel. His bare torso is ripped with muscles, and I can't help watching them flex as he moves his arms, water droplets glistening on the perfectly sculpted curves.
To distract myself, I sit on the bed against the headboard and pull out my sketchbook, hastily drawing a fluffy puppy.

"Hey, I just remembered," I put down my pen and notice he's slipped on a shirt and combed his hair. "What's the surprise you were going to show me yesterday?"

"Ahh, that." Malachi turns to me with a boyish grin, dispelling the frown that had been etched between his eyebrows for the last hour. Slowly, he tugs on the hem of his shirt and lifts it back over his head, all the while coming closer to me until he's kneeling on the end of the bed.

"Malachi, what are you doing?" I'm entranced by his movements, by the sight of his powerful chest, but warning flags instantly wave in my head. Heat flushes my cheeks and I scoot back against the wall.