Page 52 of Cruel Alpha Beast
Tired, Lacey leans against my chest, melting into me as we slow dance to a song that always used to make me think of her. All of the love songs do, to be completely honest.
***
After a long, yet incredibly speedy day of the two of us just spending quality time together in the house, we stand in the kitchen together, trying to make each other laugh as we cook a meal together. It’s pretty much just seasoned chicken and roasted vegetables, but we’ve found a way to make cooking that fun.
And by fun, I mean we’ve been kissing. A lot.
It’s amazing how, when you’re a young man, the idea of being “intimate” couldn’t get any better than just mating under the pale moonlight with the girl whose pheromones have beenspeaking out to you. It’s hard to imagine a world where anything could be any better than merely sinking into each other and becoming one for a night.
But I’m here to say that just holding the person you love close to you, your hand on the curve of their neck, the other on their waist, while you explore their lips with your own—and adding onto that, the sensual act of cooking a meal at each other’s side—it’s a different beast altogether.
Better than sex, as they say.
We light some candles and bring out some wine that I’ve never opened before. We sit across from each other at my kitchen table, eating silently. Still, our eyes never stop scanning every inch we can see of the other.
I’ve always known that I cared for Lacey, even if I never knew how to show it properly. And while I was purposefully mean to her all of those years, I never really wanted to make her upset. It killed me to watch her run off crying, lying to Greg about what or who had bothered her so much.
And when she was gone, living in that coven without anyone but Greg in the know, I was more upset than ever before. I wanted to tell her how I truly felt. I made plans to let her know as soon as she walked back into town, when I thought she would be back in a week. But then a week became a month, and a month became a year. It took five of those for her to eventually come back, and even then, even after marrying her, even after mating with her, I still couldn’t bring myself to express my growing feelings for her.
A lot has happened since I, spur of the moment, forced her to marry me. There haven't been many days between now and then, but so many circumstances have arisen, it almost feels like it’s been a lifetime.
I know I’ve proven myself enough for her to even consider mating with me… But what if it isn’t enough?
What if it’s never enough?
We’ve been together carnally a couple of times since that night by the lake. But a lot of that was driven by pure lust. Pure passion. Intimacy of the highest order.
I love her, though. I love her more than I’ve ever loved anyone before.
When dinner is finished, we stand shoulder-to-shoulder, me washing dishes, her drying them off, and putting them away. I could say it at any point, but I don’t. I want it to be more special than just happening while we do chores.
Instead, I merely pull her into the umpteenth kiss that night and savor the taste of her lips against mine.
When the dishes and cleaning are all done, I grab her by the hand and pull her into the living room with me. I lie down lengthways on the couch, gesturing for her to lie down with me. It’s a pretty deep couch. There’s just enough room for the two of us, but we really have to be snuggled up close together.
Fine by me. I could stay like this for the rest of my life.
“Hey?” she whispers, leaning her head over to look at me.
“Yes, Lacey?” I reply.
My nerves are firing in my stomach. This could be the moment. Maybe she’ll say it first.
“I’ve had a lot of fun with you today, Sawyer,” she says instead.
My stomach drops a little. There’s a big part of me that’s disappointed. But hey, it’s something, at least.
I’ll take it.
Chapter 21 - Lacey
I wake up lying on the couch, still, Sawyer breathing rhythmically in my ear, his body cresting and falling behind me as he breathes.
Yesterday was perfect. Just having such a good day of bonding with my husband. As much as I didn’t want to neglect my research, Sawyer was right, that I would be doing no one any help without allowing myself some time to rest. Because right now, I feel rip-roarin’ and ready to go.
It feels so good to just lie here with Sawyer’s arm around me, but I know I need to do something, anything, to help out my witch family.
Careful not to move too fast, I slowly rise from the couch and leave Sawyer there to roll over comfortably onto his back. I glance at the heavy book sitting on the coffee table, still there after he interrupted my attempts to rifle through it.
