The Code of The Alpha

Chapter Forty-Two - Protected

Luca and I left paradise after three days of being there.

The time we had spent together, alone and uninterrupted, was well-needed. I felt much more connected with him, not just physically but also emotionally.

I knew this because, when I looked at Luca, I felt a sense of home, of peace. The butterflies in my stomach that initially had made me nervous around him were gone, replaced by a feeling of security and warmth. My heart swelled in his presence instead of skipping a beat.

During our time in Cancún, I had been able to forget the nightmarish situation that was waiting for me back in Montana, all anxiety and worry leaving me for those glorious seventy-two hours.

I got onto the plane to head back in a great mood that slowly faded into a downcast one the closer we got to home, leaving the sunshine and feigned nescience behind.

I could tell Luca felt the same way, but he hid it well behind a neutral expression.

When we finally got off the plane, met by cloudy skies and drizzling rain, I quickly realized the irony in the gloomy weather matching my attitude.

Though I couldn't help but feel somewhat relieved when we got back to Luca's house, a sense of normalcy washing over me as we walked into the kitchen and dropped our luggage on the floor.

"I've got a meeting in half an hour," Luca told me, sighing.

I frowned and he just shook his head.

"I know," he said, pulling me into his chest. "I was hoping this problem would have disappeared while we were gone too."

"Can we just leave and never come back?" I whispered into his t-shirt.

His chest vibrated with his chuckle.

"And leave Bates in charge indefinitely?" He asked rhetorically.

I laughed.

I looked up at him, propping my chin against his chest.

"Don't look at me like that," he said, beginning to pull away from me.

"What?" I asked incredulously. "You said you had thirty minutes."

"Fifteen before I need to leave," he told me firmly. "And I have to shower and eat something before then."

"I could use a shower, too..." I said, my hands sliding up and under his t-shirt.

He scoffed as he bent down and picked me up around my waist, throwing me over his shoulder. I giggled as he carried me through the living room, his bedroom and then into the bathroom.

I undressed quickly, Luca following me into the shower.

"I have to be in and out in five minutes," he warned me.

"Of me or the shower?" I asked suggestively.

I smiled as he rolled his eyes, both of us knowing he would be late.

- - -

Luca was scrambling to gather his things as he rushed to get out the door while I casually cooked a stir-fry at the stove.

Just before he could get to the side door, it opened and I saw Blaine walking inside.

Luca looked at him in surprise, obviously not expecting the visit.

"I'm running behind," Luca said, shoving papers and his iPad into his backpack before slinging it over his shoulder.

"No worries," Blaine told him. "I just came to drop something off."