Ditched Cheating Alpha, I Led My Daughter to Life's Peak novel Chapter 133

He shakes his head. "It's fine." He rubs my arm in an absent minded way, like he's not even doing it consciously. Just doing it out of habit, and I wonder if we're close enough now for him touching me gently, like this, like it's nothing and everything at the same time, to become a habit. Because I'm starting to anticipate every movement. Every stroke of his fingers up and down my arm. I become too aware of his hand on me. Warm. Firm.

I look at his dark hair, his amber eyes. I run my eyes over the point where his neck dips into his black hoodie. It's fabric runs over his broad shoulders, covering his chest, the sleeves rolled up to his forearms. I look back at his face, but he's focused on the water. On my breathing. On anything but my eyes watching him in a way I'd be lying if I said it was the first time (I've gotta watch something during all those laps in gym). Sometimes I forget how strong he is, but it's in moments like this with him towering over me, demanding that I do something as politely as possible, that I'm reminded all too suddenly.

He says, "I just noticed that it gets worse when you're stressed, so..." His eyes connect with mine.

I nearly spill some of my water. I catch it quickly, screwing on the cap. I avoid anymore eye contact. Why am I getting so flustered?

"Are you alright?" Axel asks, trying to take my hands. "Are you losing feeling or something?"

"No," I move my hands out of his reach.

"Oh, okay." He moves away. "Well like I was saying, I don't think we need to go over everything in one setting. Don't get me wrong, I'd love for us to, but you're sick right now."

"But-" I start.

"Don't worry, I'm not trying to ignore you or overlook your wishes," he says. "I understand what you're asking. I think we all do." He looks at his brothers. "And I just want to tell you that I'm okay with it. Aiden is too, even though we'll be waiting forever for him to say it."

Aiden glares at him, but he doesn't say anything against it for once. Maybe because it's not Carson.

Axel keeps talking. "I think we covered the major points of this plan, and we've definitely made some progress as a group." He smiles. "We'll handle the rest as soon as possible, so please." He gestures to the bed.

He has a point, but I don't know. Now that he mentions it, I think I could rest for a little bit. But I don't want that to start anymore arguments. "If everyone's okay with that?" I ask looking around. "I mean, we didn't even get to talk about dates or what to tell my family."

Carson double takes.

"What?" I ask.

"Nothing." He chuckles. "It's just... When you said we were solving everything today, you weren't kidding."

I nod. "I just didn't want things to get any worse."

"They won't," Axel says, but there's a look in his eyes. Even now I wonder if he's lying to me.

"I guess you can have these now." Carson lifts the crackers, victoriously.

I laugh a little. "Yeah, I guess." I wait for him to open it before I take one.

But before I can even put it in my mouth, he's trying to get in bed with me.