Page 26 of The Alpha's Triplets

“Morning,” Eleanor murmured.Hot damn, she thought.I know he’s my brother’s best friend, but why does he have to be so hot?

Blake stretched out one hand, offering her something. “Coffee?”

“Yeah, sure,” Eleanor said, accepting the Styrofoam cup from him. She’d been so distracted with her fantasizing that she hadn’t noticed the cups in his hands. She took a sip from her coffee, more to distract herself than anything else.

Blake sat down across from her and sipped from his cup too. “Damn, I’m starving.” He eyed her bowl of cereal and raised a brow.

Eleanor glanced at her bowl and up at him. She smiled and shook her head. “You’re right.” She dumped the bowl into the sink and got out some eggs, bacon, and cheese. She also got out the loaf of bread she’d spotted earlier. Blake helped her get the other things she needed and showed her where everything was kept.

“Thanks,” she said.

“Sure,” he replied, then took a seat and sipped from his cup again. The silence stretched between them, the only sound coming from Eleanor cracking eggs against a glass bowl.

She could feel his eyes on her while she worked, watching her with unwavering intensity. She wanted to talk to him, but things seemed a little awkward and she had no idea how to start. She hated when they fell into long silences, and it always seemed like a herculean effort to get out of it.

“Did you sleep well?” Blake asked suddenly.

“I did, thank you.” She fell quiet again, but decided to keep the conversation going instead. She looked over her shoulder and said, “You were not lying about the view, though. It’s magical.”

Blake grinned. “I told you so. Well, I’m glad you’re settling in nicely. Your things should be here in an hour or two.”

“What about you?” Eleanor asked, whisking the eggs into the bowl. “Did you sleep well?”

Blake made a noncommittal grunt. “I guess. Honestly, not really. Sleep didn’t come easy for me.” He paused, and then added, “Must have been the stress of yesterday.”

“I’m sure it was,” Eleanor said, whisking harder. If only he knew that she had suffered the same fate as him. Was it possible that the same plague that had tormented her had found him? Was he tossing in bed for hours, thinking about how much he wanted to be with her instead?

She shook her head. Her thoughts kept drifting every time Blake crossed her mind. She was glad that she had her back to him, since she wasn’t sure she could face him without ogling him shamelessly.

Still, she could still see him in her mind’s eye. Could feel the heat pouring out of him. Could feel his presence in the room, pressing against her consciousness and her senses. To distract herself, she asked, “So how often do you run? Often, or only when you struggle to fall asleep?”

He chuckled. “I won’t deny, it does feel magical when I go for a run after a particularly rough night. And yes, I do run often. I run every morning, actually.”

Eleanor spun around. “You’re serious? That’s amazing. I love to run as well. I don’t run as often as you do, but I do run a lot. And I love hitting the gym as well.”

That made Blake beam. “Are you kidding? I do too! I didn’t know we had so much in common. That’s amazing.” Blake thought for a second. “You know, you’re more than welcome to join me on my morning runs. This high in the mountains, it’s an amazing experience.”

“Are you serious?” Eleanor really did love running and she loved the idea of doing it with someone as interesting and as enthusiastic as she was about running and working out.

“Of course,” Blake said, smiling. “Oh, there’s also a well-equipped gym beside the pool. I didn’t remember to show you during the tour last night, but you could always check it out when you have the time.”

“I’d love that,” Eleanor said as she turned back to making breakfast. “I’d really love that a lot.”

And just like that, the awkwardness between them evaporated. Eleanor was pleased with herself, and she was glad that she and Blake had found an activity they could share together. It didn’t involve either party getting out of their clothes, but she’d just have to make do.

She went on to make breakfast in silence, but this time the silence was more companionable. It wasn’t awkward or uncomfortable, and neither of them minded. When they talked, it was with a muted sort of familiarity.

Her feelings were making it hard for her to share a home with Blake, but it was nice to remember that underneath all that, he was still the same lanky teenager she’d known growing up.

He was still Xander’s best friend and she had known him her whole life. It seemed like a painful waste to lose all of that. As they ate and talked, they fell into a more comfortable conversation.

They shared a few interests, which was not surprising to Eleanor, Blake was the opposite of her brother, meaning he probably was more similar to her in many ways.

What was surprising was how he and Xander had managed to become best friends, and stay so close over the years. Xander didn’t have many friends, she knew. But of the few he had, Blake was his closest friend.

That was what made wanting Blake so complicated. Eleanor couldn’t imagine what Xander would do if he found out that something happened between them.

She never felt threatened by her brother, regardless of how the world saw him. She knew that he was incapable of hurting her, but she couldn’t imagine how much it would hurt him.

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