Page 34

Von
“Good morning,älskling.” I hand Alec a mug of coffee when his bleary eyes blink open.
“You’re a god.” He takes a sip and sighs.
“Another thing to add to the list of Alec—making coffee is god behavior.” I nudge him with my elbow.
He squints as if he’s offended but isn’t awake enough to pull it off.
“Do you need to go to work, or do you want breakfast?” I extend the invitation but give him an out. He’s bleeding tension. Every second could be our last. If it is the only night we get, I can’t regret it.
Alec helps me feel human again, lifting the heavy weight of grief off my soul.
“I could eat,” Alec says slowly as if he’s unsure of the idea until he rolls so we are chest to chest.
I woke up with Alec surrounding me like an octopus. It was exquisite, but I had to use the bathroom and forced myself to untangle us. My patience waiting for him to wake up is rewarded with his body on top of mine.
The silence is soothing and my chest loosens because Alec doesn’t seem to regret waking up with me, and he isn’t running for the door. But that brain of his starts working overtime, and I’m not sure if he’ll stay for breakfast.
The chemistry between us is undeniable, but he could be done with us.
“If you want to eat, you need to let me up.” My fingers kneed the tension in his shoulders, and Alec presses deeper into my chest.
“Maybe breakfast in bed.” He trails his fingers along my ribs.
Trapping his hand flat against my skin so he can’t move it down, I place a chaste kiss to his nose. “Maybe later? My body requires food after drinking and all the exercise.”
“Is that what we’re calling it? Exercise?” Alec rolls his hips over mine and both our bodies are ready for more.
“You Americans have such crass names for sex, I can’t keep up.” My mouth is too dry to swallow as I keep the conversation light. Knowing our time together is fleeting creates an ache in my chest.
“Can you cook?” he asks. “Or are we ordering in?”
“I’ll make you a traditional Swedish breakfast of plain oats and cow brains.” Teasing him sets him at ease, so I clamp my jaw shut to stop from smiling and watch his reaction.
Alec’s mouth drops open in surprise, and he sucks in a breath to keep the disgust off his face. “Well, to be honest, I’m not a fan of oats.” His dimples appear. “You fucker.”
Warmth radiates through my chest. “Do you really want breakfast? I can cook and Swedes don’t actually eat cow brains…for breakfast.”
Alec laughs. “Will it be a naked breakfast?”
“I can serve you breakfast in bed or you can borrow some of my clothes.” I can’t help squeezing Alec’s taut ass.
“Service with a smile. Who would’ve thought you had it in you, Viking? Not me.” He’s cheeky and instead of annoying, I find it endearing. The sex hormones must still be raging through my body because I cannot think that.
“I am full of surprises.” No one is more surprised about my behavior than me. I don’t aggressively pursue relationships and I practically begged Alec to stay with me. Bossing him around as if I had the right. I’m not ready to let go of this ray of sunshine in my bed. My life has been so dark lately and he makes me forget.
“Hmmm.” Alec studies me and then rolls off me to stare at the ceiling. “What are your plans for the day?”
“Not much. Work on pieces to sell in the gallery. I have to make some custom jewelry too.”
Alec keeps staring at the ceiling and the calm silence is replaced with the heaviness of whatever is going on in his brain. I doubt I can fix it, but I can feed him.
“You probably need breakfast more than I do since I ate two dinners. Do you like eggs?”
Alec nods.
“Do you have a preference?”