When Bad Girls Fall In Love

Chapter 43 --- Euphoria

At one point, I looked up, cracking my neck and popping my back as I twisted in my chair. He hovers in the room as I sit at my desk, writing. His words and perfume and laughter waft on the air, surrounding me, drawing me on. In my mind I see him still, sitting on the edge of the table, assessing me with those enticing brown eyes. I feel the burn of his fingertips across my neck, trailing a white heat down my spine that takes away the ache of long hours.

 Going over the basics of literature had become repetitive, to the point where I wasn't even ingesting the words I had jotted down or those printed in the text book. I needed a break, a diversion . . . .

Sure enough a few paragraphs in and my eyes got heavy and my mind began to wander. I flipped off the light, set the book on my night table and set my mind free. Suddenly, without warning, he popped into my mind, as he often does when I am nodding off.

 

My feet were cold in my slippers and my neck ached from being hunched over my table for so long, but I didn't feel compelled to stop.

"You fell asleep," I smiled softly upon opening my eyes.

 "Yeah," I rubbed my heavy eyelids. "Sorry about that. What time is it?"

 "Four-thirty-seven," Alex chuckled.

 I shot instantly to my feet and Alex grabbed my arm to steady me as I wobbled slightly, waiting for my blood to catch up to my head.

 "Don't worry, you can sleep if you want. I’m watching over Cielo"

 

 "Jesus, Alex, I'm sorry." I tried frantically to tidy my flattened hair and rumpled clothes.

 He shrugged nonchalantly and made his own attempt at fixing my hair before running a finger across my cheek. "Sleep wrinkle," he said with a husky laugh, tracing the line imprinted on my skin from falling asleep with my head against my blouse-clad arm. "It's cute."

 

 "Dammit," I muttered embarrassedly, rubbing roughly at my cheek.

I stilled my hand. "Don't do that," he growled. "You'll only hurt yourself." He kissed my cheek and each of my fingertips in turn and I could feel my knees tremble. "I love women when they first wake up; all beautiful and sleepy and flushed. You're gorgeous."

 "You old flirt," I mumbled, unable to stop my smile. "Are you mad at me?"

 

"Do you really have anything better to do than be with me?" Alex’s voice dripped with faked derision.

 "Cocky ass bastard," I mumbled, trying not to laugh. "Now you're just trying to make me mad."

 "Is it working?"

 I pinched his arm. "You're an ass, do you know that?"

 "And you're a brat, so we're even." Alex's voice was low and right in my ear; it sent shivers straight to my toes.