AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It’s something she’s said to me many times over the years. She’s telling me to be careful, to make sure I don’t make any mistakes. But most of all, she’s telling me to make sure I get the job done.
I nod and thank her for her help, then leave the room.
* * *
I findAlize sitting beneath the pergola in the rose garden.
The temperature is dropping steadily. My breath stretches out in front of me like fog, and the crisp, frosty air tickles my nose and the fresh wound on the side of my head. Alize is lost in thought, it seems, for she doesn’t even turn to look at me as I approach. The freshly cut blades of grass crunch beneath my boots with each step I take.
“What are you doing?”
She jumps at the sound of my voice, twisting to face me with wide eyes. She scrambles to her feet a moment later, rushing toward me, running her fingers along my shoulders, my neck. They still when they encounter the wound on the side of my head.
“Oh my god.” She mumbles the words to herself, taking a step back to look me over.
I came here straight from Ingrid’s quarters. I’m still in my bloody shirt, with dried blood all over me. Though I haven’t looked in a mirror, I’m sure I look a proper mess. I could’ve cleaned up before I went to find her, but…I need her to see me like this. So she understands what’s at stake.
“Your father did this?” Her hazel eyes are glued to the side of my head, her lips curving into a frown.
A clipped, curt laugh escapes me, and I swat her hands away. “Yes, he did.”
I catch both of her wrists in one of mine, walking her back toward the stone bench she was sitting on. Her shins catch against it, and she falls into a sitting position.
“We can talk about that after,” I say.
“You’re pissed at me?”
Glaring down at her, I bare my teeth. “Yes, I fucking am, Alize.” I use my free hand to grip the back of her neck, twisting my fingers through the soft curls by her nape—more for me than her, because I love the feel of them. “Ispecificallytold you to stay here, and you disobeyed me.”
My scolding isn’t having the effect I expect it to have on her.
It seems like she’s enjoying it. There’s a small smile on her lips, and she’s closed her eyes. I tighten my grip on her neck and watch as her long-lashed lids flutter open on a sultry stare.
“You’re one to talk about disobedience,” she says, sucking her lower lip between her teeth. “You promised me you would be safe, and look at you.” Alize jabs a finger in the general direction of my injury. “You almost died, Alexander.”
One of her eyebrows is arched, a challenge on her face. Cupping her face with my hands, I pull her to feet. She wraps her arms around me, pressing her body against mine.
“You’re fucking lucky I love you,” I say, and even though I’m frowning, I’m pleased that there’s a smile on her face. “Otherwise, I would fucking kill you for all the trouble you give me.”
“As if you would want it any other way.”
The smouldering spark of attraction between us ignites in that moment. I’m not sure if it’s the way she’s looking up at me, or the warmth spreading through me from touching her even though it’s so cold outside, but I lean down and kiss her.
She’s willing, pliant even; her soft lips taste of cinnamon and desire. She parts them, darting her slick tongue out to clash with mine. I devour her, pillaging her mouth until we’re out of breath. It’s like my first breath of fresh air in weeks and I can’t get enough of it.
When we pull apart, Alize is dazed.
The frost in the air has flushed her skin, adding a coppery tint to her cheeks. Her hands are burrowed inside my coat, wrapped around my torso. My hard-on is pressed up against her, and I can’t stop myself from thinking about taking her right here and now.
This part of the grounds isn’t secluded by any means, but I doubt anyone would be around here. Plus, the shrubs and topiaries would give us some amount of privacy. My hands are trailing down the side of her neck, seeking the strap of her bra when she speaks.
“How did the meeting go?”
My hand stills, just as I notice the way her body tenses after the question leaves her lips. She’s scared about what I’ll say—and there’s a pang of sadness that gathers in my chest because there’s no easy way to tell Alize. Resting my hands on her shoulders, I start massaging the knots from the muscles there, hoping that somehow it will make it easier for her to accept what I’m about to tell her.
“It’s fucked. All of it.”
I can see more of the whites of her eyes now, and she presses her lips together in expectation. I’m watching her put her walls up in real time—something I’ve witnessed her do countless times over the past few months. I suspect that’s what she had to do to stay safe growing up, to protect herself.
