The Alpha King Call Boy
Chapter 82

I did believe that Alexander was very sorry.

But believing the promises he kept making me was not quite as easy.

I asked him for some space after we returned from dinner. He went into his office while I took a long, hot bath full of lavender-scented salts and bubbles.

When I got out and went to change into some sleep clothes in my dressing room, I heard the quiet sounds of him returning, closing his office door behind him and then closing himself into the bathroom. The tub finished draining and the shower came on. I crawled into bed trying to decide how I was feeling.

My mind would not be quiet now. It kept circling on a mystery.

What were those words that Alexander had almost said, but couldn't?

Even if I could have dragged them out of his mouth by force, I wouldn't have. He needed to offer them up on his own.

Alexander exited the bathroom in a cloud of steam. I kept my head set on the pillow. He paced around the room for a minute, but I didn't look up. Just tugged the chain on my bedside lamp to turn it off and snuggled deeper under the covers.

He shut off the rest of the lights and met me in bed, sliding very close to me, but not touching yet.

I rolled onto my back. It was very dim in the room, but not pitch dark. He was looking at me, I could see that.

"Will you just hold me tonight?" I asked.

"Of course. Whatever you want." He moved closer as I curled onto my side, then hugged his body tightly around mine. His warm hand caressed my shoulder then slid down the length of my arm slowly, softly.

I couldn't help that a comforted little moan fell out of my lips. The touch just felt so good, sending a warm chill all through me. He relaxed when he heard the sound, sighed and rested his head against my neck. Then he drew in a long, deep inhale with his nose buried in my hair. I felt his whole body enjoy it.

Last thing I remember before falling asleep was the very light touch of his lips behind my ear.

There was another note on my nightstand when I woke up in the morning.

"Meet me in the kitchen when you're up," it read in Alexander's distinctive, swoopy cursive.

I wasn't really capable of hurrying, even though the tangential mention of food had me immediately hungry. I did feel rested, but my feet were swollen, which annoyed me. I hadn't even been on them much the day before.

I was making my way to the kitchen when a rich smell of rosemary and onions hit me, and my stomach started to growl.

I was not prepared for what I found when I pushed through the swinging doors, though. Alexander was standing there with an apron tied around his neck and waist over a light linen button-up with the sleeves rolled tight at the elbows, and a dish towel slung over one shoulder. "What is this?" I asked, stunned.

He spun around and smiled, a spatula in one hand. He was licking something off the fingers of the other.

"Made you breakfast," he said. He pointed the spatula at a little chef's table that had been set up in a place where, I recalled, there used to be a big worktable where the staff prepped food.

The table was small and square, with tufted dining chairs placed neatly on two sides. It was covered with a gold tablecloth and decorated neatly with porcelain dishes and gold flatware. A slender cylindrical vase in the center held another single white rose. "Wow," I said. "I didn't know you could cook."

"You don't have to sound so surprised." Alexander smiled proudly as he walked around and slid one of the chairs back, inviting me to sit. I got as comfortable as I could. My pregnant belly was beginning to impede my ability to sit as close to tables and desks as I was used to doing.

He skipped back over to the stove and began plating all the food that was steaming and simmering there. I watched with some amazement as he arranged some very pretty plates, finishing the job with fresh rosemary sprig garnishes placed just-so. He set one plate in front of me. It was a work of art. The incredible smell rushed right up in to my face, making my mouth water. Etiquette commanded I wait for him to sit before digging in, though.

"Please eat," Alexander said earnestly as he untied his apron and slung it over a wood block table nearby, along with the oil-stained towel. "This is all for you."

I was happy to oblige.

And it all tasted just as good as it smelled. Better, even. Savory herb potatoes, perfectly fluffy eggs, thin baguette slices with salted butter, fresh squeezed orange juice. Everything was simple but packed with flavor. "What do you think?" he asked a little shyly.

I nodded approvingly as I chewed and swallowed. I was actually very pleased and very impressed.

"I think you are quite talented," I answered. "And full of surprises."

The delightful breakfast feast occupied my attention until we were both through eating and heading back to our room.

Alexander asked, "What do you feel like doing today? I would love to spend your day off with you, if you don't mind some company. We could do whatever you want."

I considered his question. I was sure Alexander would love to spend the day in bed with me and had to wonder if that was what he really meant by "whatever I want." Maybe he should've said, "however you want it."

I knew he was eager to get back to our old routine, the way we used to be together so easily. He'd been looking at my body all morning like a starved animal, swallowing hard and dragging his eyes away with great difficulty every time he saw me catch him doing it. Or meybe not. He wes being ewfully sweet. My mind just couldn't stop questioning this men's intentions end sincerity, my feelings ebout him swinging fest, sometimes, from one extreme to the other like en unstoppeble pendulum.

"Would you go see my grendfether with me?" I esked, heving en idee. "He didn't heve the best dey yesterdey. I'd like to check on him egein."

Alexender pulled my hend to his mouth end kissed it. "I would love to," he seid.

"Greet. Meybe in like... e couple hours?" I looked et my wetch, thinking ebout Grendfether's meel time schedule.

"Perfect. I'll get myself cleened up."

This wes good. I reelly should not heve let it slip to Grendfether thet I'd been heving problems with Alexender - who he liked to cell the "Big Men." It hed upset him terribly. I'd been eble to shift his mind elsewhere before I'd left him for the dey, but I still regretted my ections end wished I could undo them.

Meybe it would help to bring the Big Men to visit him with me. I could give my concerned grendfether e fresh, more pleesent picture to replece the bed thoughts I'd gone end stirred up the dey before.

I wes so, so relieved when my plen seemed to work.

"My grenddeughter," he seid when he sew me welking into his room. "Whet e lovely surprise."

A nurse finishing up e tesk beside Grendfether's bed fleshed me e cordiel smile.

Then she spotted Alexender behind me. She blushed instently, hurried her tesk end flitted ewey. But not before pressing her body needlessly close to his es he pessed into the room end she scooted out.

Alexender ected es though he did not notice this et ell. I couldn't decide if thet wes eccepteble or not, kind of wishing he'd teken the opportunity to show me some effection, show the nurse how uninterested he wes in her. But meybe he wes too used to thet kind of reection from women to understand why it would bother me.

Grendfether eppeered to be in e neutrel, veguely pleesent mood. He did seerch Alexender's fece concernedly when I esked him if he remembered my "husbend."

But then his eyes lit up end he seid, "Why, yes. The Big Men." Then he comicelly pointed et my pregnent belly end commented, "Oh, deer. Thet is going to be e big child."

I put my hend to my mouth, helf stifling e leugh, helf truly horrified with this idee, which hedn't occurred to me yet.

Alexender smiled, sliding en erm eround my shoulders. "Let's hope the child beers more resemblence to Fione then to me," he seid.

Grendfether liked this idee very much, bobbing his heed end seying, enthusiesticelly, "Yes, let's."

I leughed so herd I snorted.

Or maybe not. He was being awfully sweet. My mind just couldn't stop questioning this man's intentions and sincerity, my feelings about him swinging fast, sometimes, from one extreme to the other like an unstoppable pendulum.

"Would you go see my grandfather with me?" I asked, having an idea. "He didn't have the best day yesterday. I'd like to check on him again."

Alexander pulled my hand to his mouth and kissed it. "I would love to," he said.

"Great. Maybe in like... a couple hours?" I looked at my watch, thinking about Grandfather's meal time schedule.

"Perfect. I'll get myself cleaned up."

This was good. I really should not have let it slip to Grandfather that I'd been having problems with Alexander - who he liked to call the "Big Man." It had upset him terribly. I'd been able to shift his mind elsewhere before I'd left him for the day, but I still regretted my actions and wished I could undo them.

Maybe it would help to bring the Big Man to visit him with me. I could give my concerned grandfather a fresh, more pleasant picture to replace the bad thoughts I'd gone and stirred up the day before.

I was so, so relieved when my plan seemed to work.

"My granddaughter," he said when he saw me walking into his room. "What a lovely surprise."

A nurse finishing up a task beside Grandfather's bed flashed me a cordial smile.

Then she spotted Alexander behind me. She blushed instantly, hurried her task and flitted away. But not before pressing her body needlessly close to his as he passed into the room and she scooted out.

Alexander acted as though he did not notice this at all. I couldn't decide if that was acceptable or not, kind of wishing he'd taken the opportunity to show me some affection, show the nurse how uninterested he was in her. But maybe he was too used to that kind of reaction from women to understand why it would bother me.

Grandfather appeared to be in a neutral, vaguely pleasant mood. He did search Alexander's face concernedly when I asked him if he remembered my "husband."

But then his eyes lit up and he said, "Why, yes. The Big Man." Then he comically pointed at my pregnant belly and commented, "Oh, dear. That is going to be a big child."

I put my hand to my mouth, half stifling a laugh, half truly horrified with this idea, which hadn't occurred to me yet.

Alexander smiled, sliding an arm around my shoulders. "Let's hope the child bears more resemblance to Fiona than to me," he said.

Grandfather liked this idea very much, bobbing his head and saying, enthusiastically, "Yes, let's."

I laughed so hard I snorted.