Page 102 of The Alpha's Fallen Spell
“Give me a chance, Fiona. I will not have you give up this café. We can expand it. We can move it to a location closer to the palace. You can run it. If I have to, I will set up protection to make sure you are safe. I will not burden you with any royal duties. I just want you by my side.”
I see her resolve weakening. “I—”
“And if you don’t want to do that, I’ll abandon my position in the army. I’ll help you run this café. I don’t care.” I step as close to her as possible. “All I know is that I cannot be away from you now. Let me prove it. Give me the chance to prove myself to you.”
“Erik—”
“I’m just asking for a chance.”
Her lips press together, and then her shoulders sink. “Fine. One chance. You get one chance.”
Chapter 17
Fiona
The past week has been a study in torture disguised as normalcy. Erik appears at the café every morning like clockwork, but he is no longer content to brood silently at his corner table. Instead, he finds excuses to approach the counter—asking about daily specials he already knows by heart, complimenting my coffee with that slow smile that makes my stomach flip, lingering just close enough that I catch his scent every time he moves.
And the touching. God, the touching.
It starts innocuously enough—his fingers brushing mine when I give him his change, a steadying hand on my lower back when he passes behind me in the narrow space behind the counter.
But it escalates. Yesterday, when I was reaching for supplies on a high shelf, he appeared behind me and pressed his chest against my back as he effortlessly retrieved what I needed. His breath was warm against my ear when he murmured, “Careful, sweetheart.”
The endearment sent heat spiraling through me that I’m still trying to ignore.
Then there was this morning’s incident in the alley. I’d gone out to check on a delivery, and Erik appeared as if from nowhere—which, given his military training, he probably did. Before I could step back, he had me pressed against the brick wall, his hands braced on either side of my head.
“You’re avoiding me,” he said, his voice low and rough.
“I’m working,” I replied, proud that my voice stayed steady despite the way my heart was hammering against my ribs.
“Are you?” His thumb traced along my jawline, and I had to bite my lip to keep from leaning into the touch. “Because it feels like you’re running.”
“I don’t run,” I said, lifting my chin defiantly.
His smile was predatory. “No, you don’t.”
Then, he kissed me—slowly, deliberately, thoroughly—until I was clinging to his shoulders and completely forgetting why I should resist.
He pulled back just as I was melting into him completely.
“Good to know,” he murmured, then walked away like he hadn’t just turned my world upside down.
I spent the rest of the day trying to pretend my lips weren’t still tingling.
Alex has been watching these interactions with increasing disapproval. The boy follows Erik with suspicious eyes, his jaw tight whenever the older man gets too close to me. This morning, when Erik left after the alley incident, Alex cornered me in the kitchen.
“You’re making a mistake,” he said bluntly.
“Excuse me?”
“With him.” Alex nodded toward the alley. “You think he’s different, but he’s not. Men like that—they take what they want and leave.”
Something in his tone made me look at him more carefully. “Alex—”
“Just don’t forget who you are when he’s around,” he said, then stalked away before I could respond.
The conversation left me unsettled, mostly because I wasn’t sure he was wrong. Am I losing myself in Erik’s proximity? Every protective barrier I’ve built around my heart seems to crumble a little more each day under his patient assault.
