Page 66 of The Alpha's Fake Mate
Orion’s laugh. It was like a song, low and playing in my ears all around me.
I lay on the floor of the game room, cool marble against my cheek, chanting “more whiskey” and watched him play some game on a big wide screen. It was all color, no sense. Then I was lifted high, the room swirling about me. Then the stairs, as if I were floating up them. But strong arms encircled me, and strong legs propelled us up and up.
Next I knew, I was in my room and a man stood by my bedside just like the night before, removing my shoes, raising the coverlet over me, bending down and saying something soft and too sweet in my ear.
What was it?
I tried to remember. I could still feel his warm breath against my jaw and earlobe. A partial phrase. Some words. “…won’t let…” “…mine…” “…forever…sweet…”
Now I sat up in the bed and my head began to pound. The room whirled a bit until I got my senses under control. I saw the trashcan by the bedside. Luckily, it was empty.
I managed to get up and walk to the bathroom. I thought I might throw up, but nothing happened. After a while, I turned on the shower to as hot as I could stand it, stripped and stepped in.
It was noon and by the time I got to the dining room, the buffet contained fruit, bread, cheese, ham, salami and other deli offerings.
Orion was nowhere in sight.
Alone, I made myself a plate of fruit and cheese, though my stomach soured at the thought of eating. I also made myself a coffee.
The fire was out in the hearth at the end of the room, the ash swept up as if nothing had ever occurred. I saw no sign of our whiskey bottle or our square glasses.
I sat down at a center seat of the long table and inhaled the steam from my coffee before finally deciding to take a sip. It felt wonderful going down, and after about two more sips, my stomach began to settle.
I heard a swish of cloth, the fall of a footstep. I turned to see Orion at the threshold of the entrance, his dark gaze falling over me like a warm, deep sunrise.
All I could think was:I’ve felt those lips on mine. I’ve breathed his breath.
My face warmed.
His mouth turned up. “You’re awake.”
“Am I?” I shot back. I rolled my eyes to take the sting out of my hard response.
He came forward, grabbing an apple from a nearby bowl of fruit, and sat beside me. It was stupid to sit like that, side by side. We couldn’t easily see each other, if that was his intent. He should have gone to the chair across from mine. He should have—
What was I doing? Already criticizing him when he’d done nothing, really, when my quick assumption was he even wanted to see me, let alone speak to me?
His nearness to me affected me greatly. We sat, not touching, but our shoulders and thighs were too close. Too damn close.
I put a block of cheese in my mouth and chewed, not tasting it. But my stomach made a sound as I swallowed, as if rising up to grab the food it needed. It was pissed at missing dinner and being given only alcohol. It wanted to be appeased. And so did I.
I moved on my seat so I was angled toward Orion, who crunched on his apple like it was the only thing in the universe.
It wasn’t. It wasn’t and I wanted to tell him that.
“Hey,” I said.
He glanced aside at me.
“I just wanted—“ I frantically tried to think of what I wanted to say. “To, um, thank you for getting me to my room safe last night.”
His eyes glimmered. “You’re welcome.”
“That’s it?” I asked, unable to hide my disappointment. I mean, he had, like a puritan prince, carried me up the wide and palatial staircase to my opulent and exalted room next to his.
“What?” His eyes widened. His lips pressed tight as if suppressing a frown. Or a smile.
I could not suppress my own frown. No smile. “That’s itis a common phrase meaning: Is there no more? It means is there no more thanyou’re welcome?” I took a deep breath. Exasperated.
