Page 93 of Alluring

"I don't care."

"You will when it drys and you scratch yourself with it."

Jack chuckled. "You feeling better now?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. It was only a dream."

"Dreams can be scary."

"Have you had nightmares before?"

When you came home from the hospital, I had nightmares for a while. I don't think you understand how close to death you were. But, I was there. I saw it."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that." She raised her head and looked at him. "I didn't know."

Jack laughed, "Yeah, you'll pretty much sleep through anything."

Alexis smiled. "Funny, I was never a heavy sleeper before. When I lived alone, even the littlest things used to wake me up."

"That's because you know I'll protect you. You don't have to be on your guard."

Alexis felt her anxiety building again. "But what happens when you're not there to protect me."

"I'll always be there to protect you."

"Promise."

"Promise."

Alexis knew Jack couldn't actually promise her something like that, but for now, his promise made her feel better, and that's all that mattered.

Two days later, Steph poked her head through the door of Jack's office. "You two aren't doing anything kinky in here are you?"

Alexis looked up from the stack of papers she was sorting on Jack's desk. Alexis started to laugh. Steph stood, barely in the door, with a hand covering her eyes. "Get in here."

Steph walked into the office, uncovering her eyes. She blinked a few times, while looking around. "This is some posh digs. A little sparse though, could use a woman's touch."

Alexis nodded her agreement. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I worked the morning shift, so I thought I'd stop by to take you to lunch."

Alexis smiled. "That sounds like fun. Can we eat in the hotel?"

Steph gave her a frown. "Sure. Any particular reason why?"

Alexis looked down at the papers on the desk. Um ... not really."

"Alexis look at me." Alexis raised her head. "What's going on? And don't tell me, nothing. I can read you like a book."

Alexis sighed, giving up. "Come on. I'll tell you at lunch. Let me text Jack, real quick, to tell him where I'll be. He's in a meeting right now."

They decided to eat at the hotel coffee shop. They were seated in a booth in the back.

"Okay spill," Steph said, after the waitress left.

Alexis explained her clinginess, how she didn't want to be separated from Jack and how she couldn't bring herself to leave the hotel without him. "I even made him go to the grocery store with me yesterday. I'm pathetic."

"You're not pathetic. I think it's all perfectly natural after what you went through. As a matter of fact, I'd be more worried if you didn't have some sort of a reaction."

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