Page 24 of Mending Fate

“Mo nighean bhan.”

The now-familiar words sent a shiver down my spine, and I rocked against him, chasing the feeling. I didn’t want to feel tenderness. I just needed to fill the ache growing inside me.

Alec, at least, seemed to be on the same page. One hand slid down my spine to the small of my back, urging me faster and faster. My forehead rested against his, ragged breathing mingling.

We were both wound so tight that I was already on the edge, and every inch of Alec’s body was coiled and tense. I ground down on him, eliciting a groan and a curse.

“So close…” I breathed.

“Aye, lass. Come for me. Come on my cock, lass.”

Pleasure exploded through me, and my back arched, head falling back. I cried out his name, pussy clamping down on him tight enough for another curse, and then he was coming too. We rode the wave together, letting the ecstasy chase away everything else until we existed only in a cloud of bliss.

Fourteen

Lumen

Well,that had been a big fucking mistake. Literally as well as figuratively. I should have known better.

Ihadknown better.

I just hadn’t wanted to listen. I’d wanted him.

We’d fallen asleep after, and I’d woken up first, just after dawn. He’d still been sleeping, and considering the alcohol he’d had on top of the stress of the past couple days and our late-night workout, I figured he’d be out for a while yet. That, at least, had given me time to shower, dress, and get some coffee going before I let my decisions from last night catch up with me.

I should have just sent him home. He hadn’t driven, and he’d been coherent enough to take a cab home again. If I’d really been worried, I could’ve gone back with him, gotten him into his own bed, and then come back home. He would’ve had no problem paying for the trip.

But I hadn’t done the smart thing. I’d let him stay, had taken care of him. And then I’d let his vulnerability get to me. He hadn’t manipulated me. I refused to put all the responsibility on him. This was on me more than him. I’d been an idiot, and now I had to deal with the fallout.

Fallout that was sure to come soon now that Alec was in the bathroom taking a shower.

I busied myself with making toast even though I wasn’t actually hungry. I needed something in my stomach other than coffee, and Alec probably did too. I doubted either of us would be able to stomach something that wasn’t bland despite the fact that I hadn’t been drunk. I didn’t want a repeat of yesterday’s mess.

Speaking of mess…

Heat flooded my face as I remembered why I’d need to wash my sheets today. We’d been so caught up in the moment that we hadn’t used a condom. I didn’t even have alcohol as an excuse. Fortunately, I trusted that Alec was clean, and I was covered on the pregnancy front. Still, it shouldn’t have even been an issue to begin with. It had been careless of me.

“I don’t suppose Mai’s boyfriend has a shirt lying around here I can use, does he?” Alec asked as he came into the kitchen. He wore the same pants as last night, but no shirt, and the sight of his bare chest made all sorts of things inside me squirm.

“I’ll check.” As I passed him, I added, “help yourself to the toast and coffee.”

Hob usually kept a few extra things in Mai’s closet for the rare occasions he ended up staying without having brought clothes with him. He was shorter than Alec by several inches, but it was still better than offering one of my shirts. I found a plain t-shirt and made a mental note to buy Hob a new one. When I returned to the kitchen, Alec was sitting at the table, grimacing as he chewed.

“Need something for your head?” I asked as I held out the shirt. As much as I enjoyed seeing him without a shirt, I needed him to cover up so I could remember why last night had been a bad idea all the way around. My libido didn’t always work well with sensibility.

“No, thank you. I took some ibuprofen from a bottle in the bathroom cabinet.” He drained the last of a glass of water and then took a drink of coffee. “I owe you an apology.”

“All right.” I moved over to the table and took the seat across from him.

“I shouldn’t have come here last night.” He looked at me, and I saw that his shields were back in place. “My brother, Brody, makes scotch, and he thought trying a new batch would be the best way to distract me from the lack of progress in finding Evanne.”

“That’s understandable.” I wrapped my hands around my mug. “You’ve been under a lot of stress recently.”

“Still, receiving your message should not have led me to thinking it was appropriate to show up here.” He glanced toward the door. “I’ll replace the rug.”

“It’s fine.” I met his gaze. “The rug isn’t really the main issue here.”

“Aye, you’re right.” He finished the last of his coffee and took his mug to the sink. I waited for him to say something else, but he didn’t.