Page 55 of The Betrothal

And now, I was beside him, in the largest of beds. The electric blinds had slowly lifted on schedule and the little light allowed me to watch the slow steady rise and fall of his chest, his lips parted slightly.

“Morning.” He hadn’t opened his eyes but as always he felt my eyes on him. “Did you sleep?” He turned to look at me and I dragged my eyes away from his body to meet his.

“Some.” It wasn’t technically a lie, and Ben would know immediately, anyway.

“Was it the argument with Alex, or the thought of Izzy?” he asked.

“Or being in bed with you?” I let my desire for him infuse the suggestion.

A soft huff of laughter left him but he still waited for a real answer.

“Both,” I conceded.

He nodded, smiling at the way I looked at him, he nibbled his lip on purpose and he didn’t need any more light to see my eyes darken at the movement.

“That’s not kind seeing as you’re about to get on with your morning schedule. I assume?” I let the offer hang in the air and he laughed again. The sound meant everything to me.

“Maybe you should go find Izzy?” He sat up and turned away from me earning him a groan and his shoulders shifted with silent laughter.

“You want to join me?” I asked, not to push, but because I wanted the answer.

He stilled and I knew he was considering it. For Ben, this was extremely fast.

“I’m not quite ready for what you are, I don’t want to rush it. But I want you to carry on.”

I leaned and reached out, my fingertips dancing over the muscles of his shoulders and he shuddered. In here, like this – behind closed doors – his fear of contact became almost a hunger for it. But I also knew that he needed to start his day, and this distraction wouldn’t help him.

“Okay.” I rose and mirrored his movements, sliding on some clothes. “Shower first? I’ll do breakfast?”

“Please.” He’d thrown on his top and was out of the room turning right as I slipped left and down the stairs to the kitchen.

I froze when I saw the table laden with foods. The fresh fruit and vegetables had run out over the last few days, but I hadn’t lied when I said Alex could house the group home for a winter. Breads and pastries covered the surface.

The smell of Ben where Ben couldn’t possibly have been led me to my Killer. She was seated at the end of the table. A book lay open in front of her, her eyes tilted down to the page but a look of mild surprise across her soft features.

Her hazel eyes lifted at my arrival and her parted lips drew my eyes.

“What the fuck is all this, Alex?” I grinned at her. Maybe my tough love had achieved a breakthrough in his hosting skills? “Morning, Killer, what did you do to earn us pastries, huh?” I wiggled my eyebrows and received the expected snort of irritation from Alex who was fussing in the cupboard.

I slid into my usual seat and snagged the book from under Izzy’s nose.

“Give that back!” She grabbed for it and I flicked the book over, finding the bright coloured illustrations of an old romance novel.

“Sex scenes at the table, well, well, miss.” I kept the book away from her grabbing hands.

She shoved me and I finally released the offending item, cupping my shoulder. “Ow!”

“Liar. You almost made me lose my place!” She slid the bookmark into place and turned it face down on the counter.

“If you needed to let off some steam, honey, you could have asked,” I propositioned my second person of the day.

“Why come to you when I can get it straight from the source?” she asked and I cocked a brow in confusion. “Isn’t that where you learned your moves? From these books?”

A burst of laughter behind me announced that Ben had joined us. That was quick.

“Morning, Izzy.” The smile he wore was evident in his words and Alex spun to look at his brother, then at me. He scowled at my ‘see, you idiot’ expression. “I can confirm his moves extend beyond light romance,” Ben addressed the frankly egregious accusations.

“Erm, excuse me? What is happening here?” I looked around, aghast.