Bound by Destiny

Chapter 8

The beeping of her phone jolted her awake and Alex's arm tightened around her waist.

She smiled, the idea of him not wanting her to leave warming her. She dropped a kiss on the chest she was sprawled across and his arm loosened. As she sat up, lamplight flooded the room. The alarm went silent.

Alex held out a robe and she winced as she stood. His eyes darkened as he realized that she hurt.

"I'm so—."

She pressed her lips to his, stopping him from apologizing. If he could use his mouth to shut her up, she could do the same. "I'm not," she said and it was true. She wasn't sorry at all. The ache in her body only reminded her of how satiated she was. And besides, he wasn't totally to blame. It was her fault for having two of her men in the same night. A body could only take so much. Her men. She liked the sound of that entirely too much.

She gave Alex a wink and he relaxed. Silently, she slid her arms into the cool silk. His arms opened for her and she stepped into them. His hand slid down the back of her head and through her hair and she sighed in contentment.

"Thank you for last night," she whispered.

"I was going to say the same thing." His voice was a rumble in her ears. "I know you promised Gideon, but please, Red, make me the same one. Stay safe out there." He pulled his head back and looked at her. "Please."

"Why Alex, I do believe you care," she grinned, trying to lighten the mood.

She loved that they were concerned about her, but there was something even deeper in the nuances of what he said. Something she wasn't going to explore for fear of what she might find.

"You know I do." His fingers ran over the skin of her cheek and she turned, nuzzling his hand. "And I have never felt so useless as I do right now."

"You're not useless. Not to me, anyway. My hero."

He laughed before kissing the crown of her head. He stepped away as a soft knock cut through the air. "We'll be waiting for you. Stay in touch. Your phone should have all of our numbers. If trouble happens, call the house phone."

She smiled. "I'm sure all of this is for nothing, but yes. I'll keep my guard up and let you know what's going on. I swear it."

He tilted her head back and brushed her lips with his. "Hurry back," he said, letting her go.

Her fingers touched her mouth, the gentleness of his kiss stealing her breath. She nodded. "I will." She finally managed to say. Grabbing her things, she opened the door to the hallway. She turned back to see Alex still standing where she left him, watching her."Take a nap," she said. "Time will go by quicker."

Finally, a smile replaced the torn look on his face. "I'll dream of you."

She laughed and closed the door. Turning, she found Essie down the hallway by her door. After the woman heard the click of Alex's door, she opened Eve's. Early morning sunlight streamed into the hallway.

"I have your coffee and breakfast ready, miss, but we need to be quick. There's a storm coming and I can't protect you from that."

"Thank you." She told the kitsune.

There was a mischievous look in the gleaming blue eyes. "Did they tell you about me?"

Eve made her way to the table where Essie had her breakfast. She took a seat and a breath before answering. "A little." She took a sip of the coffee that would wake her.

"That'll do for now." Essie made herself busy straightening her already flawless bed. It should be flawless, she hadn't slept in it in two nights. "So, what would ya like to wear today?"