Page 40 of All The Happily Ever Afters

My body is on fire at the thought of him wanting me. Just the fact he’s interested in me is driving adrenaline through my blood. At the same time, I’m easy prey for him. Someone for him to use up and spit out. I’m practically trapped in his home. I take in a heavy breath, hating how the last thought somehow makes me even hotter.

“Not tonight, but perhaps tomorrow if the weather lets up?” He takes a few steps closer to me.

“I would enjoy that,” I answer politely and then grip the back of the island chair and pull it out so I can take a seat.

“You just need to relax, Lila,” Alec says as he walks over to a carved cherry liquor cabinet, pulling out two bottles of wine, one red and the other white. “Usually I would have white, considering the meat,” he says, reading the labels of each bottle before peeking up at me. “But which would you prefer?”

“Whichever you’d like,” I answer, not really caring which one he’ll choose. The tables have turned, and as my fingers twine around one another I have to remind myself that I’m leaving in a few days. That this isn’t really a date. Although it damn sure feels like it, and he’s said he’s interested in me.

It would be a mistake. I watch as he grabs a bottle opener.A beautiful mistake.

He opens the bottle of white easily, pouring one glass and then another. They clink together as he picks them up in one hand and takes the seat next to me.

He places the glasses down on the counter and passes mine to me, simply sliding it across the counter as if it’s an offering. I can’t help but let out a small laugh. He smiles in response, a handsome smile that makes my fingers itch to touch the stubble along his jaw.

“You’re very handsome, Mr. Kulls.” I finally give in to a bit of my desire, and pick up the glass of wine, holding on to it for support in this decision.

His grin widens and he leans forward just slightly to say, “Alec, Lila. My name is Alec to you.” He pauses for a moment, then flashes me a smirk and adds, “Unless of course you’d like to scream 'Mr. Kulls' in bed?”

My face heats instantly as he rises from his seat to attend to the beeping oven and he's quick to say, “I do believe Alec may be easier.”

The sweet wine touches my lips and the taste is delicious, but I can’t think of anything other than this man on top of me, making me scream as he thrusts inside of me repeatedly.

“I think you’ve maybe thought a little too far ahead, Mr.- Alec,” I’m quick to correct myself. I watch as he works in the oven, turning the chicken breasts and then setting the tongs back down on the counter before coming back to his seat.

“Mmm, that could be,” he says picking up his glass, but not sitting. I cross my ankles and turn in my seat to face him.

“This isn’t very professional,” I tell him with a serious look, or at least the most serious I can manage. He shrugs his shoulders and then takes a sip from his glass.

“Do you want it to be?” he asks and then adds, “That’s fine if you do. I understand the attraction may only be on my end.”

My heart thumps hard in my chest. I don’t think this man knows how to be subtle. He’s honest and to the point. But I admire that.

“It’s definitely not just one-sided,” I admit, and then bite my tongue. I'm thinking I should add that this is dangerous for me. I could lose my job. More than that though, this man could crush me. I’ve never had a one-night stand because I know I don’t really do casual. I’ve been wined and dined and then thrown away before. It hurts too much.

I don’t recover easily, and I prefer to avoid relationships. But it’s been so long since I’ve been touched.

Alec’s deep voice rumbles, “That’s good to know.” I don’t think a man has ever looked at me with the same level of desire. It’s tempting and frightening all the same.

“So, tomorrow?” he asks me, and my brow furrows with confusion.

“Tomorrow?” I repeat.

He smiles at me, and the smell of his cologne, or maybe his natural scent hits me with a powerful force that makes me lean in closer to him.

“Would you like to go out with me tomorrow?” he asks.

His gray eyes swirl with a mixture of desire and something else--a desperate need. I nod my head slowly and say, “I’d love to.”

LILA

My eyes pop open as I hear Alec in the kitchen. My bare feet pad on the wooden stairs and I clutch his white dress shirt I’m wearing tighter.His. I’m fucking mortified.

I hardly slept, even with a stomach full of hot food and delicious wine. I wasthisclose to sleeping with Alec, to kissing him and making a fool of myself last night. I don’t know what came over me.

Nothing has been normal about the last two days.

And I don’t know what to expect today. Or where to find my clothes. We didn’t have sex; I know that much. I’m fairly sure I asked for a dress shirt to sleep in.Specifically, a dress shirt, because that’s an obvious choice to sleep in.

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