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“Morning, Aleck,” I say, unable to hide my smile.
I clear my throat, hesitant to breathe, hoping to god he doesn’t immediately regret sleeping in my bed. But when his lips curl into a grin and he scoots toward me, closing the gap between us, a chaotic swarm of butterflies takes flight, fluttering in my belly.
“Come here, dumbass,” he says, his smile growing. “Why are you so far away?”
I laugh quietly, exhaling a breath of relief, and scoot into his arms. “I was trying not to wake you up. Boy, you’re a peach in the morning.”
“I want to eatyourpeach,” he whispers, laying soft kisses on my cheek, across the bridge of my nose, my chin, then my lips. “How long have you been staring at me?”
I smile, feeling sheepish, knowing I’ve been caught. “About five minutes, give or take. How long have you been awake?”
“About five minutes when you turned around to stare at me, give or take.”
His warm breath tickles my lips and I can’t lie, Aleck Fox in the morning is like waking up to the smell of brewing coffee. He awakens my senses with vigor and wraps me in a blanket of comfort in equal measure.
“Can I tell you something?” His deep rasp making it apparent he just woke up.
Another side to Aleck I’ve not yet seen. It’s cuteandsexy. He’s always been sexy, but I don’t know if I’ve ever thought of him ascute. Now I know the closer I get, the more angles I’ll see him from, and the more angles I’lllikehim from, too.
“You can tell me anything…” I say, then wince at how enamored I sound.
“I haven’t slept through the night since… Well, I don’t think I ever have.”
“Because of your nightmares?”
His smile slightly falls as he pulls me closer by the small of my back. “Yeah. I usually sleep with AirPods. I’ve listened to thunderstorms, waves, gently flowing streams, fucking birds chirping… I’ve tried the most expensive sound machines on the market, herbal teas, working out hard at night to tire myself out. You name it, I’ve tried it.”
He lifts his hand to my face, moving a tendril of hair behind my ear. My eyes search his, silently reveling in this tender side of him.
“All it took was aWinterstorm in the middle ofSommer.” He kisses my lips softly, his grin returning against my mouth. “You’re like the highest dose of melatonin without the groggy wake up.”
Jane Austen’s ghost.
That was the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me. And it came from Aleck Fox’s lips. I was right, if Aleck doesn’t drown me in feelings, he’s going to burn me alive with desire.
“Do you want to tell me about your nightmares?”
“No,” he says, looking more relaxed than I’ve seen him to date. “I just wanted you to know how special I think you are.”
Two for two, you slick son of a bitch.
My lips stretch and pull into a grin so large it’s embarrassing. “Are you still in apology mode? Because you’re excellent at it.”
“I’m not sucking up. I mean everything I say, but yes. I can’t imagine how it felt to hear me say what I said to Hayden. Especially since it didn’t get resolved for a couple days, and you went all that time thinking that’s how I felt about you. It’s not.”
“I’m getting that…”
“Good. Because it’s not. I’ve said a lot of things since we met to make you believe that’s how I feel about you, but it’s not.”
“So, then…” My eyes search his while I teeter between confidence and insecurity. “How do you feel about me?”
His bright blue pupils tick from one eye to the other, drop to my mouth, then back to my gaze. Just then, the sound of my phone vibrating against the nightstand makes me jump. I laugh slightly, keeping my eyes on Aleck, waiting for him to answer. His lips part, but nothing comes out, making my stomach twist into a knot.
Too damn much, Winter. Way to go.
I twist to grab my phone, but Aleck pulls my body back toward him.
“No way, Grimm. We’ve been interrupted every single time something starts between us. Can’t we just stay in bed all day?”
