I have not one, but TWO updates in the EXTRAS book this week. The first one is a notice about Kennedy's story and the second is Adam's character profile and inspiration board (yay, pictures!). The EXTRAS book is given as an external link and the individual extras themselves are linked in the first comment.
As soon as I opened the door, Bear jumped out of the car, ears perked up, displaying the excitement he'd been buzzing with throughout the ride as if he'd known we were going to see Alec and Luca all along. The slight tightness in my chest betrayed I was more anxious than excited, but I would've been lying if I'd said I wasn't feeling hopeful and even... Happy.
I'd wanted to see Alec and even though he was going through a tough time - admittedly, by his own making - he still wanted to see me and had invited me over.
I greeted the doorman and picked Bear up before entering the building; he was well-behaved, but there was another, larger dog in the lobby and I didn't want to risk the other pet coming over and getting hostile.
The elevator took us all the way up, my heart beating faster with each floor. I kept checking my reflection in the mirror, wondering if jeans and a t-shirt was too casual, then thinking it was just a friendly visit, so there was no need to dress up, then worrying whether the top was too tight and would give Alec the wrong impression. Noticing how nervous I was, Bear licked my hand in encouragement. I smiled down at him just as the doors slid open. Taking a deep breath, I stepped out.
I hesitated briefly in front of the penthouse front door, taking yet another deep breath, then rapping on the smooth, high-quality surface.
Alec opened shortly after, a lazy smile on his face, and I was glad to say he'd also gone for casual: a cream-colored long-sleeve tee and a pair of linen pants, though unlike me - who looked like I was going to the corner store - he seemed meant to grace the cover of some fashion magazine.
His smile grew when he noticed me gawking and I mentally shook myself, straightening my back. In my arm, Bear fidgeted, eager to be put down so he could get to our host.
"Hey," Alec greeted simply.
"Hey," I replied softly, my eyes on his hooded ones. He looked a little sleepy and very seductive. I gulped before asking: "Did we wake you up?"
A quiet chuckle was his first response, and then:
"I knew you'd be here soon, I wasn't taking a nap. Come in." He inclined his head, stepping to the side to make room for us.
I entered and noticed Luca was watching us, perched on a corner table next to the door. Bear was moving, a lot by now, and as soon as his tiny paws hit the floor, he was in Heaven.
Confused, but in Heaven.
He couldn't decide who to greet first.
He darted towards Alec as the boy was closing the door, then stopped, turned his head towards Luca, then back to Alec, then back and forth, back and forth. In the end, he decided that Alec was closer, so he stood on hind paws, front ones on the blond's leg, for which he was rewarded with a scratch behind the ear. Bear's tail wagged like crazy and I smiled at their interaction. As soon as Alec withdrew his hand, Bear was off, taking on the same stance, but this time against the corner table, looking up at Luca.
Luca stared down.
Bear kept staring up, eyes hopeful.
Luca kept staring down, without blinking.
Bear kept staring up... Then Luca finally blinked, jumped off the table and sauntered into the living room, Bear trotting happily behind him.
"My cat is warming up to your dog," Alec noted.
"So are you," I replied.
Alec glanced my way, a little smirk on his lips, before he said:
"He's alright for a dog."
"Not for a mop?" I asked, remembering what he'd likened Bear to before.
"You seem to be feeling playful tonight... I like that."
Alec's lips stretched wider and I licked mine.
"May-may I use the bathroom?" I stuttered and he chuckled once more.
"You know where it is."
With those words, my host headed for the kitchen and I had nothing left to do but go in the direction of the bathroom. Once I closed the door behind me, I leaned back, knocking my head on it.
There was something about Alec tonight, something inscrutable and inviting, something that had my body reacting to him in a way it hadn't in a long while.
I pushed myself off the door and headed for the sink, leaning down to wash my hands, then splashing my face with water. I looked up, gazing in yet another mirror.
"He's going through a difficult time. You are here to help him; that's all," I reminded my reflection, which looked almost convinced in my words.
Exiting the bathroom, I went into the living room. Alec was not there, but Bear and Luca were, the two of them not touching, but lying close to each other on the floor. I took the fact that Luca hadn't climbed on top of another piece of furniture as a sign that he was indeed warming up to my dog.
"Won't you sit down?" Alec's voice, as quiet as it was, startled me; I hadn't heard him come in. His non-human genes were partially to blame for that, but the other reason was that even though I was nervous about meeting him, I felt oddly at ease at his home.
"Thank you." I took a seat on the couch.
Alec placed a trey with half a dozen types of sweets and two sodas on the coffee table before he sat next to me; bodies not touching, but still close and I couldn't help but draw a comparison between us and our pets.
"Isn't your cousin staying with you?" My voice came out steady as I turned my head this way and that in search of the girl he'd mentioned in one of his texts.
"I told her I was having company so she should take the night off from babysitting me and give us some space."
"Why-why did you do that?" I was back to stuttering, unconsciously leaning a tad away from him.
"I wanted it to be just the two of us," he said so casually, the lack of flirting or teasing making it sound peculiar coming from his mouth.
"Well, the four of us," he corrected himself, nodding towards the pets at our feet, then helping himself to one of the sweets from the platter they were stacked on. Alec pulled his legs up, tucking them underneath himself as he munched on the treat, eyes focused on the other pastries as if carefully choosing his next one.
And apparently, that truly was what he'd been doing because as soon as the first was gone, he immediately grabbed another.
"Aren't you going to eat?" This time his nod was directed at the table.
I reached out, taking a random pastry which turned out to be a simple, but tasty cookie sprinkled with powdered sugar and chopped caramelized almonds.
" Mayflour?" I asked.
" Mayflour," Alec affirmed.
I watched as Adrian licked the powdered sugar from his fingers. Most times when someone did this in front of me, it was in an attempt to flirt, a suggestion of what they could do to me or wanted me to do to them.
Not Adrian though.
I didn't think he was even aware he was doing it.
And that brought a smile to my face; it meant he was comfortable enough around me to let loose, as much as Adrian could let loose.
Once upon a time, him lowering his guard would've had me strike. Make a move, get him all hot and bothered.
Tonight though, I had other plans.
When I'd opened the door and saw his slightly flushed face, a nervous smile gracing it, but eyes twinkling with joy, my heart had skipped a beat. I'd wanted to pull him in and kiss him, not caring that we hadn't exchanged hello-s or that he was holding on to his dog.
The most troubling part had been that the kiss I'd imagined in my head had been slow and gentle, not something that would end us in the bedroom, but more...
Intimate?
Private?
Meaningful?
I wasn't sure how to describe it.
This unusual desire was putting me on edge, but at the same time, it was something I wanted to explore.
That was why I was taking things slowly with Adrian tonight, or at least that was the plan. Knowing myself though, if we got too emotionally intimate, I'd probably try to push him away by making things physical and all about sex.
I'd try not to, but damn it, it was difficult, scary even to have feelings for someone, even as undefined as mine for him were. Sex had been my weapon and shield for a long time and I might revert to it on instinct.
This was yet another unsettling realization, the fact that I'd been using sex to defend myself instead of just to ward off boredom.
I'd came to several other disturbing conclusions about myself since Adam had left the day before yesterday and Adrian had promised to meet with me today. Vika, noticing how my mind had been preoccupied, had left me to my own devices, taking it upon herself to check out the lawyers from Adam's list.
It had been something I should've done, but after my spirits had been lifted by Adrian's promise to come over, I'd gone back to feeling off; moping about; thinking of family I hated, wanted, and that I might want; wondering what would happen with my case now that Adam was no longer on it; unwillingly doing some soul searching.
It had left me a bit sleep-deprived and my mood swings had been aplenty, but the closer it had gotten to the time Adrian was to visit, the more I'd pushed the dark and confusing things to the back of my mind, concentrating on him instead.
Admitting that I sought the company of someone other than Vika and Ollie - okay, Kennedy and Keri's too - willingly and was actually looking forward to seeing them only intensified my determination on getting closer to Adrian, but also increased the fear of doing so.
I hated being afraid though, so that fear was something I was working on eradicating.
"More sweets?" I offered.
I'm not even going to ask whether you are happy Adrian brought Bear along; I'm sure you are... Are you?
Okay, I did end up asking.
But the bigger question is: what do you think about Alec's goal to get close to Adrian for something other than carnal pleasures?
Do you think he'll manage to keep things platonic in the next chapter or will he resort to his old tricks?
Do you want him to resolve to his old tricks?
Please support this chapter with a VOTE if you enjoyed it and don't forget to check out the extras if you want to know about Adam and Kennedy's story (a tiny spoiler: the second extra is also about Horace). ❤