Tied Together (The Cade Siblings Duology #1)

40. Alex

CHAPTER 40

Alex

I wake up to Alana’s soft breathing next to me and for a moment I’m startled, confused why she’s in bed next to me. Then last night starts to come back to me and I stare up at the ceiling in awe. I expected her to eventually be ready to give this thing between us a try, but I didn’t expect it anytime soon.

Hearing her soft voice call my name from the bedroom last night felt like a dream. I made her come to me, just in case I was dreaming, and watching her walk towards me was an out of body experience. Kissing her, having my hands on her, is something I’ve been wanting to do for almost a year now. It felt like coming up for air after being underwater for too long.

She’s snuggled up next to me, her hair draped on the pillow behind her in beautiful dark brown waves. The strap on her silk top has slipped down her shoulder a bit and she looks angelic, like a piece of art. I want to stay here with her forever, but I also want to make her breakfast and coffee so I slide out from underneath her as gently as possible and stand. She moves around a little, but eventually settles back in and her breathing returns to a steady, sleepy rhythm.

I pad into the living room and shut the door quietly behind me. This new flat couldn’t have come at a better time, because now this all feels surreal. It’s almost as if we’ve always been together and now we just live together. There’s something about sharing a bathroom and a bedroom with someone that feels intimate and I’m already dreading returning to New York.

I texted Banks last night to update him on everything happening here, but that was before the kiss, so I probably should update him again. He let me know my mom was doing well and I told him I’d give her a call soon to check in. I’ve been so caught up in work and Alana that I haven’t taken the time to call her nearly as much as I usually do. She’s been great about it though. She’s texted a few times to tell me she loves me and she hopes I’m well. I don’t deserve her.

I get started on the pancake batter, being sure to add chocolate chips to Lana’s because they’re her favorite, and put the bacon in the pan.

Before long, the bacon is sizzling and I know that it will wake her up. I’m not sure if it’s the sound or the smell, but every time I’ve made bacon in the last two weeks I hear her making her way into the kitchen shortly after.

This flat has the same coffee machine as the other one, and I make quick work of her latte so it’s ready when she joins me. I’m steaming the milk when I hear our door open, but I keep my back turned and give her a minute to make her way into the kitchen.

A few seconds later, I feel her small hands slide up my back and around my middle. She presses her front to my back and turns her head, resting her cheek just below my shoulder blades. I set the coffee down and turn, so I’m facing her. She’s wrapped around me, looking up into my eyes so I lean down and kiss her softly.

“Morning, sunshine.”

“Morning, handsome.” Her cheeks turn pink and she buries her face in my chest to hide her blush. I snicker at her and take her chin in my hand, tilting her head back so I can kiss her again. It’s slow and sweet and one hell of a good morning.

“That’s one way to start my Monday,” I say, staring into her beautiful ocean blue eyes.

She smiles up at me, still a little self-conscious, and raises up to her tiptoes to give me a kiss on the cheek. Before she lowers back down, she moves her mouth to my ear and whispers, “Is that coffee for me?”

I can’t help the shiver that overtakes me and she laughs.

“Sure is.” I reach behind me and hand her the mug. “Have a seat, breakfast is almost ready.” She turns and I watch as she walks to the table. She’s put on a long silk robe that is the same pale pink as the set she’s wearing. The curve of her chest and hips are accentuated in it and I work hard to keep my eyes on her face and not her body. It looks absolutely gorgeous on her. I’m sure it would be gorgeous off of her as well, but it’s seven in the morning and we have work to do today so I let the thought pass. I want to do this right with her and that means taking things slow.

“How are you feeling?” I ask, trying to get a pulse on where she is now that she’s slept. She seems okay and happy, but I want to be absolutely sure she is. I don’t want her to do anything she isn’t comfortable with.

“I feel really wonderful.” She takes a sip of her coffee then, smiling. “How are you feeling?”

How am I feeling? It’s a good question. I’ve been wanting this for a while now and it feels surreal that she’s actually here and she’s mine. She told me so yesterday and I can’t quite believe it.

“I feel incredible, Lan.” I pause and she smiles. “I am a bit scared, though. I can’t help but feel like you’re going to disappear on me.” The hurt and worry on her face make me want to take the words back, but I know if this is going to work we have to be honest with one another.

“I’m not going anywhere, Alex. I want this with you.”

“I know you do, but if you get scared, I need you to tell me. We need to talk about it, otherwise it’ll drive us apart and I’m not sure I’d do well with losing you.”

She nods her head and I bring the breakfast over to her, sitting down in the seat next to hers. I reach over and grab a hold of the bottom of her chair, then pull it towards me so her thigh is almost flush against mine. She doesn’t bat an eye and I’m relieved at how comfortable she is with being close to me.

“I trust you. I know you want this, but I also know you’re scared. I want you to tell me if you start overthinking. If you have questions or insecurities, ask me about them. Don’t sit in it, okay?”

Her eyes get watery and I stare into them, making sure she hears my words and understands. I’m in this for the long haul, and I need her to understand that.

She nods and blinks her eyes quickly, trying to hold the tears at bay, but one slips past her long lashes and I lean forward and kiss her cheek where it’s spilled over. She gasps and pulls me into her, clinging to me like I’m her only lifeline. The embrace is desperate and needy in all the very best ways. Nothing about it is sensual and it doesn’t need to be, this isn’t the time for it. I hold her for as long as she needs and eventually she pulls away and begins to eat her breakfast.

“So, are we going to tell Amélie about us? What about Luis and Genevieve? It’ll just make their taunting worse, but I don’t want to hide.”

I contemplate it for a minute. I figured we would need to tell Heather about our relationship so we can fill out any necessary paperwork with HR, but I’m not sure about Amélie.

There’s nothing in our contract that says we can’t date, I looked it up an embarrassingly long time ago, but there’s still a stigma around people dating coworkers. Someone always has something to say.

“I’ll call Heather and let her know soon. Maybe we should keep it under wraps a bit here, though. I don’t want things to be harder than they already are.”

She nods as she takes another bite. “I feel good about that. We won’t be here much longer anyways.”

We finish up our breakfast and I clean the dishes while she starts getting ready for the day. I head into the bathroom and brush my teeth in the sink next to hers and it all feels incredibly domestic. I could get used to this.

I fix my hair and get dressed quickly, then I sit in the bathroom and watch her as she curls her hair and delicately applies her makeup. She’s radiant and it feels surreal that I get the privilege of watching her do something as simple as getting ready in the morning. It’s intimate in a way I didn’t expect.

When she finishes, I head into the bedroom to let her get dressed, and I put my shoes on, gathering the items I need before we head out. She comes out a few moments later in a gorgeous midi length pink dress that flares out at her hips. She’s paired it with nude heels and gold jewelry.

“Would you mind zipping me?” she asks and gives me her back. I clear my throat.

“Not at all.” I drape her hair over one shoulder and find the zipper just above the swell of her hips, then slowly pull it up, careful not to catch her skin as I do.

Once I reach the top of the zip, I place a soft kiss on her shoulder and step back, not trusting myself to do much else if we want to get to work on time. It’s like now that I have her, I can’t keep my hands off of her.

We make our way downstairs and into the car, and before I know it we’re at the office.

“One last kiss to last me the day?” she asks, a smile on her face. I lean over the middle of the car and kiss her deeply, hoping she feels the emotion I pour into it even if I can’t express them all in words yet. She’s breathless when I pull away, and so am I.