Page 107 of The Betrothal

I couldn’t quite bring myself to wake them yet, because where Killer lay supine, Alex was almost prone, on his front with his head on her stomach and arms latched around her body.

I didn’t see Alex sleeping often, not only because we didn’t sleep together – it was mostly that the man didn’t sleep. He managed an hour to two at a time, tops. Medically speaking, it was a severe case of insomnia. I thought it was related to the crippling pressure and worry he put himself under.

It was late morning. Ben and I agreed to a lie-in before the plans we’d made for the day. So, by my calculations, and the amount of time I’d spent nursing my hard-on, they’d been out for at least six hours.

A record for Alex.

Still, no longer.

“Rise and shine, sleepy heads,” I called out, striding into the room and opening the curtains to let the light in.

“Seb, get out of my room,” Alex mumbled.

I watched his arms tighten around my Killer. “You have to shut the door if you don’t want intruders.” I winked at her sleepy form and she blushed. Excellent.

“Plus,” I continued, moving to perch on the end of the bed, needing to touch her – I leaned in to kiss her, Alex grumbling beneath me. “We have plans.” I inhaled the smell of her skin before I sat up. “We leave in half an hour.”

Alex began to say something but I swept from the room, calling out, “Stop arguing, Alex. Put your dick away and get dressed. Killer is coming with us, so either you come with us, or stay here on your own.”

I could definitely hear the sound of his curses chasing me back to Ben’s room.

“That went well,” he snickered, emerging from his dressing area.

“I know, right? Let’s go!” I snagged my clothes and threw them on hastily, following Ben to the kitchen where we diligently packed up food and snacks.

Killer joined us a few minutes later, a sleepy-looking Alex on her heels.

I tugged her to me, my hands grabbing at her body and tangling in her hair. “Hi.”

She melted into me mumbling. “Tired. Do I need to shower before we go?”

I couldn’t help the deep groan that left me. “We definitely don’t have time for that. If you shower, then I’ll be in there, and we will never keep Ben out, then Alex will get all territorial at being excluded and we really don’t have the space for his attitude in the shower here.”

I wiggled my brows at her knowing the effect it had. I was deathly serious, but she found my relentless flirting entertaining and her laugh warmed me.

“Although…” my mind continued on and I released her to whisper something to Ben who chuckled and told me we didn’t need to pack anything else for that.

“Okay, I’m ready.” Alex sounded only mildly reluctant. Killer was good for the soul like that. Soothing.

“Killer, you’re with Ben. Alex gets me.” I grinned at him.

“For what?” he asked.

“I’m your passenger princess.”

“She’s already seen the manor,” Alex grumbled over the sound of the engine as we drew nearer to the sprawling building.

“Did she get the tour?” I drawled in his ear and I felt him huffing. “Thought not. Plus, it means we can actually all spend time together, somewhere other than the bedroom.” I gave my honest reason.

“I’d have thought your preference would be to never leave the bedroom?” he challenged.

“True.” I tried to hide the melancholy but failed. “But our time isn’t endless and I want to spend time with her as much as I want to spend time all over her.”

His shoulders dropped and his head dipped in agreement. I wasn’t the only one trying to hide my melancholy.

Ben killed his engine at the front of the property and helped Izzy to rise from her seat; he tucked her into his side much the way I did to him.

I realised how happy that made me, watching them, Alex frozen in place beside me watching the same scene.