Page 100 of Burning for Alexander
I didn’t dare touch him, only laid my head on my own pillow and pulled the covers back over me. After about four minutes, he began moving toward me comically slowly, as if he thought I wouldn’t notice.
“Jesus fuck,” I muttered, reaching out to yank him onto his side so I could move up behind him and hold him as the little spoon, the way I knew he wanted. “Go to sleep, Firebug.”
After a minute, his entire body finally relaxed against me. He reached for my hand and threaded his fingers through mine before sighing and settling for good.
I inhaled the scent of him—his shampoo and the warm spot behind his ear I couldn’t get enough of. I loved that he’d shown up here. That he’d needed me like this and took comfort in sleeping in my bed.
But I also recognized it was a slippery slope. His being here, sleeping in my bed and in my arms, wasn’t protecting anyone from future heartbreak. In fact, it was prolonging the agony if he wasn’t going to change his mind about being with me.
For tonight, though, I would take it. As soon as I was sure he was asleep with his rhythmic exhales and complete relaxation, Ipressed a kiss to that spot behind his ear and murmured the words.
“I love you so fucking much.”
In the morning, he was gone, as I’d known he would be, and I was back to my lonely existence, completely at the mercy of his mercurial moods.
Which was why I decided to shake it up a little.
And accepted a date with the pretty outsider who’d shown up in Legacy for his hashtag holidates.
Unfortunately, before I could enjoy my bonfire date with Adrian Hayes—which I knew wasn’t really a date—the state fire marshal called to inform me in the politest of terms that I should pop into “that restaurant” for an inspection focused on their holiday decorations.
Since I was in the mood to needle him—and make sure Juni had replaced the K-class fire extinguisher—I headed to Timber during the lunch rush.
“Hi, Mali,” I said in a cheerful voice. “Happy holidays. How are you?”
She flashed me an uncertain smile. “Uh, okay? You here for lunch, Chief?” she asked hopefully.
“Nope. Here to check on Juni and her beloved fire extinguisher.”
She let out a little puff of air. “I don’t suppose I could convince you to come back in two hours when Alex is at a dentist appointment, could I?”
I grinned at her. “Not a chance.”
She hesitated. “Wait here.” And then she hustled to the back.
I waited patiently, waving hellos to people I knew and thanking several others who wished me a happy holiday. By the time Mali returned with Alex, I was actually feeling the holiday spirit.
“No,” he said upon greeting me.
“Ah, you’ve chosen to be the Grinch today, I see,” I said with a big grin. “Come on, why not embrace our new season of fire safety inspections? After all, I gave you an out, and you chose not to take it. I actually think you like getting…inspectedfrom time to time.”
His eyes blinked rapidly as his lungs filled with hot air, ready to spew vitriol at me. “W-what? I most certainly do not!”
I shrugged. “Welp, might as well get it over with. I want this even less than you do, so let’s go.”
Alex followed me into the kitchen, still sputtering. Thankfully, the fire extinguisher was back where it belonged, even if it did have a framed photo of me above it with devil horns and a goatee scribbled on it in black Sharpie marker.
I took a similar marker out of my bag and leaned in to autograph it over the glass without saying a word. Juni actually let out a snort of laughter, so I winked at her.
Alex was not amused by any of it.
“Show me clear egress,” I said. “And I’ll be out of your hair.”
When we got to the back door, which was clear and passed the inspection, Alex poked a finger into my chest. “Stop coming here.”
I leaned in and brushed my lips over his ear. “Did you wake up hard and aching in my bed this morning, Firebug?”
His body shuddered. “N-no.”
