“Do you love me?”
“Yes.”
Alexei smiled, but panic surged in my chest. I gripped his wrist. “You don’t owe me anything. I want you with me, but not if it makes you unhappy. I know what it’s like to be caged by something you love.”
“Being caged by something you hate is much worse. But I do not hate this place, so I will stay awhile, if you want me to.”
“Here? At the house?”
He shrugged. “Wherever you are. I should warn you of something, though.”
“What?”
“I heard your conversation aboutold men. This is not a role for me. You know this, don’t you?”
A wry smile split my face. “I’d rather you sat at my table.”
“As a brother?”
“And a lover.”
“That could get complicated for you. And I would not help. I don’t enjoy authority unless I asked for it.”
“I’m not talking about sex, Lexi.”
“Who mentioned sex?” He pressed against me, his lean, hard body moulding to mine in all the right places. “Unless you have fantasies about all your brothers?”
“No. God, no. Just Saint.”
Alexei laughed again, and I swear, it was the warmest sound he’d ever made. I wanted to bottle it so I could keep it forever.
“You’re tired,” he said when he’d composed himself. “Shower. I will find you some food.”
“You’re not gonna leave?”
“I am not.”
Alexei pressed his forehead to mine. It was something I did with my brothers when I wanted them to hear me. It was familiar and comforting and settled me enough to release the death grip I’d apparently claimed on his arm.
He stepped back and waved me towards the stairs. “I will follow you.”
I believed him.
* * *
Showering with a hole in my shoulder that couldn’t get wet—Dr Lexi’s orders—was a pain in the arse. It took longer than I anticipated. By the time I was done, Alexei had followed me upstairs.
He’d made me a sandwich. How fucking cute. But though I was so famished I couldn’t see straight, the sight of him lounging on my bed sparked a different hunger in me. One I had no business feeding while I was such a goddamn mess.
I swallowed it down, making a meal out of towelling off until he came to help me.
It didn’t help. Despite the pain radiating throughout my body, my dick hadn’t got the memo and I was hard as a rock.
Alexei smirked. “I was worried about you, but perhaps I didn’t need to be.”
“You thought it was broken?”
“Not specifically.” Alexei grazed his fingertips along my length.
