Forever After All(53)

“The proposal,” I tell her. “A public proposal for the press. I can’t wait any longer, Elena. I want my ring on your finger.”

She smiles at me and tightens her grip on my hair. “I want nothing more, Alec.”

A thrill runs down my spine when she calls me Alec. It sounds so good coming from her lips. I grab her hips and pull back before slamming into her hard, the way she likes it. Her moans are like music to my ears.

“Forever, huh?”

Elena nods, a gasp escaping her lips when I thrust into her. I pull back again and look into her eyes.

“You’ll moan like this for me forever?”

Elena nods, and I push into her, giving her what she wants.

“Tell me, Elena. Will you always look at me this way? Will you always want me this way?”

She tightens her grip on my hair and nods. “Forever, Alec.”

I keep her on the edge, needing her with a desperation I’ve never felt before. I want all of her. I told her love would never be an option for us, but I want to be the one her heart belongs to, the only one she can see.

I lean in to kiss her, losing myself in her. The way she feels, the way she whispers my name. She’s perfect, in every way.

Elena’s breathing accelerates, and the way she pants and moans has me ready to come. “You’re so fucking beautiful,” I whisper against her lips.

“Alec,” she whispers. “I can’t…”

Her muscles contract around me, and the sounds she makes push me over the edge. I come deep inside her, her name on my lips.

I drop my forehead to hers, my eyes falling closed. Forever, huh? The thought both terrifies and excites me.





Chapter 37





E lena



I pick up the photo on Alexander’s nightstand, my heart twisting at the sight of it. We’ve been married for months now, and even though I’m the one he falls asleep with, it feels like Jennifer is still the one he thinks of when he closes his eyes. I think back to the way he used me to make her jealous, the way he held me in his lap on that rooftop bar. It was all a show… for her .

The bedroom door opens suddenly, and I jump, startled. The photo frame slips out of my hands and falls to the floor, the glass shattering into hundreds of pieces. I gasp and bend down to pick up the frame, cutting myself with one of the shards as I do so. I hiss in pain, a drop of blood appearing at the tip of my finger.

“Fuck, Elena,” Alexander says, rushing over.

I look up at him, panic engulfing me. “I’m sorry,” I tell him, my voice shaky. “I shouldn’t have touched it. I’m so sorry. I’ll replace the frame, Alec. The photo… the photo can be saved.”

His gaze drops to the broken frame, and his eyes widen. He sighs and shakes his head, and my heart drops. I feel both ashamed to have gotten caught touching something that’s obviously precious to him, and incredibly hurt that the person in the photo with him isn’t me.

He bends down and lifts me into his arms in one fell swoop, one hand behind my back, and one underneath my knees. I gasp and throw my arm around him. “What are you doing?” I whisper.

Alexander shakes his head. “Clumsy, wifey. You need to be more careful. What if you cut yourself really badly? What if the cuts leave scars?”

He puts me down on his bed and kneels down in front of me, assessing my hands. He brings my finger to his lips, sucking down on it. I’ve never seen him so concerned, so worried.

“I’m fine, Alec. But the photo…”

He smiles at me, his eyes flashing with satisfaction. “Such a good girl, calling me Alec. Feel free to smash everything in our bedroom if it’ll finally make you call me Alec outside of bed.”

He looks at me and I pull my hand to my chest, cradling it, suddenly feeling vulnerable. “Fuck the photo,” he says. “It has no place in our bedroom. I should have removed it the day I married you. I’m sorry, Elena.”

I look at him with wide eyes. This is the first time he’s ever called his bedroom ours , and to get rid of that photo… I doubt he knows how much that means to me. He cups my cheek gently, his eyes blazing with sincerity.

“I’m sorry, Elena,” he repeats.

I shake my head, flustered. “There’s nothing to be sorry about,” I tell him, feeling conflicted. I don’t feel like I even have the right to be angry about the photo. He’s promised me many things, but never love. It’s always been clear to me that that’s been reserved for Jennifer.

“Stay here,” he tells me as he grabs his phone and walks out of the room.

A minute later the housekeepers walk in with cleaning supplies, Alexander right behind them. He oversees their work with a frown on his face. “I don’t want a single shard remaining,” he tells them. “If my wife cuts herself on even the tiniest piece, I’m firing all of you,” he threatens.

I look up at him in surprise. He’s changed since the incident with Marcus and Lucian. When he looks at me now, his eyes are filled with remorse. He’s treating me better, and while I’m enjoying this softer version of him, I wish it wasn’t born out of guilt.

He looks back at the shards on the floor and then walks over, pausing in front of me. “How do you feel?” he asks. “Are you in any pain?”