“What do I think? I think this is going to be the best sex of your life,” he says, the heat in his gaze matching that of our skin.
I open my mouth to protest at his arrogance, but then he looks back to me, pausing. For the first time ever, I see an unguarded Alek. In his eyes is a part of his soul I think is long-hidden, a need to connect with someone. He let his guard down once when I took his energy; in return, I put my trust in him not to take everything from me. Even though I know we’ll always struggle with each other, the weird bond between us has an unspoken trust and a connection that won’t be broken easily.
And I’m sure the promise behind his words is not only conceited but also correct.
Chapter 16
I wake in an empty bed, but the sheets next to me are warm. The sun filters through the thin, brown curtains and I try to figure out what time it is. My bathrobe lies forlornly on the floor where I threw it yesterday evening. The air in the room is cool but noticeably warmer than the chill, which came with the Shades.
Has Alek gone? His leather jacket slung over the chair answers my question; he never goes anywhere without it.
I lie back down and stretch like a cat, buzzing with the after-effects of sex with Alek. Heavy footsteps approach and he appears in the doorway, hair mussed, in sweatpants and carrying mugs.
I should be used to seeing the muscled definition of his torso, but that doesn’t stop me staring appreciatively now. “Is that coffee? I thought you only drank beer?”
He rolls his eyes at me and sits on the bed. “Here you go, Casper.”
I smack him on the back of the head and he rubs his hair. “I swear, you had better stop calling me that or there’s trouble for you.”
Alek sets the mugs on the floor and leans over, rubbing a thumb along my cheek. “Trouble like earlier?”
The touch triggers the want to climb back on top of him. Marvelling at my restraint, I move my face from his touch. “Next time, I’ll be taking, not giving.”
“Soon, I hope.”
He’s shirtless and I run my finger from his neck to his abs, my eyes fixed on his the whole time. I enjoy how he shivers slightly and the restraint when he closes his eyes against me. He has colour back; the lips I used to fantasise about that have touched almost every part of my body are no longer white.
“Maybe.”
He stopped last night before he drained too much from me. There’s a delicate balance between what we can give and take, and I suspect it will take a while to work out. That’s if we work out. Alek opens his eyes again then pushes his mouth onto mine without a word. The strength of his kiss and the hand pressed in the small of my back against the hard planes of his naked chest rewind me straight back to last night. As Alek’s mouth closes around mine and my pebbling nipples brush against the warmth of his chest, I’m aware being held by Alek is as powerful as the energy itself. There’s a comfort in being anchored to someone else in the maelstrom surrounding us.
Aware we’ll be pulled back into part of that maelstrom, I place both hands between us and push him away by the chest.
“I have a shift in a few hours,” I say.
Alek releases me and passes my robe from the floor. “I guess you’d better put some clothes on then.”
I shrug the robe on and tie the belt. “Can we leave?” I blurt. “I don’t like living here; it scares me.”
Alek regards me over his mug. “We? That was a bit sudden.” I open my mouth to clarify then spot the teasing smirk. “I can’t leave.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m dangerous, I told you. This house is a focal point for Shades, a ready food source. If I leave, I leave my food source. I don’t want to hurt people.” He drinks. “Besides, I’ve lived here a long time. And I mean a long time.”
“So, how come I can be around people?”
“You don’t need much energy yet; you’re new and still have some of your own energy left. Once you use it up, you’ll be more like me.”
“So, you’re older and need more?” He nods. “How long have you been here?”
“About twenty years since I died.” He catches my look. “Correct, we don’t age.”
“How did you die?”
“I’m not going there, Rose. So don’t even ask.” He stands and rummages around in a drawer for a T-shirt.
“Twenty years? That explains your crap music taste then,” I say, hoping to lighten the darkening mood.
He snorts softly as he pulls a black T-shirt out.
Alek crosses back to me, placing his lips on my forehead. “I can leave temporarily, for a few hours if my energy levels are okay. That’s how I manage to work; and why I work in a bar.”
“How can you work among people if you say you drain energy?”