Chapter 180

Chapter 180
[Amelia's POV]

"You like it, don't you?" Alex's voice came from behind me, warm and knowing. "I thought you'd enjoy this view of the city..."

I pressed closer to the floor-to-ceiling windows, watching the lights twinkle below us like scattered diamonds. The city stretched out endlessly, and from this height, everything looked so small, so manageable.

"Yeah," I admitted, my breath fogging the glass slightly. "It's incredible."

Alex stepped up beside me, his presence immediately filling my senses. That familiar cedar scent was stronger tonight, more intoxicating.

"It's even better at night," he said, his amber eyes reflecting the city lights. "Though I've gotten used to it. Seen it so many times it barely registers anymore." He paused, and when I glanced at him, his gaze was fixed on me instead of the view. "But with you here, it feels completely different."

Before I could respond, his arms came around me from behind, pulling me back against his chest. I melted into him automatically, feeling the solid warmth of his body, breathing in that cedar-and-pine scent that had become my personal drug. He pressed a soft kiss to the top of my head, and I felt something inside me that had been tightly wound since yesterday finally start to relax.

"Come on," he murmured against my hair. "Let me show you the rest of the place."

He took my hand and led me away from the windows, through what was clearly the main living area. I tried to take it all in as we moved – the modern luxury was obvious, but it was different from his father's place. Deep grays mixed with lighter tones and gold accents, but there was something else I noticed. The furniture was built solid, almost indestructible. The spaces were wider than normal, like they were designed for someone who might need room to... change. Ventilation systems hummed quietly in the background.

This place was designed with werewolves in mind, I realized.

"Alex, where are we—" I started to ask, but he was already pulling me down a hallway, that mischievous glint in his eyes that meant he had plans.

"You'll see," he said, not slowing down.

There was something different about him here. In his father's mansion, he'd been tense, controlled, playing a role. Here, he moved with that natural Alpha confidence, but it felt... freer. Like he could actually be himself instead of performing for someone else's expectations.

We stopped in front of a set of double doors at the end of the hall. Alex turned to face me, his amber eyes darker now, more intense.

"I did say my bedroom had the best view..." he said, his voice dropping to that husky tone that always made my knees go weak.

He opened the doors and pulled me inside, but before I could even look around, he was behind me again, his arms wrapping around my waist. I leaned back against him, feeling the solid strength of his chest, breathing in that cedar scent that was even stronger now.

"Millie," he whispered against my ear, and the way he said my name sent shivers down my spine.

I turned in his arms to face him, and the moment our eyes met, something ignited. His mouth crashed down on mine, rough and desperate, like he was trying to punish me for the hell I'd put us both through yesterday.

"Mhhhmmm..." The sound escaped me before I could stop it, and I felt Alex's grip on me tighten in response.

His tongue swept into my mouth, demanding and possessive, and I gave him everything he asked for. His hands started moving, tracing the curves of my waist, sliding up to my ribs, then higher to cup my breasts through my sweater. Even through the fabric, I could feel my nipples hardening under his touch, and a rush of heat pooled between my legs.

God, I missed this. I missed him.

I turned fully in his arms, pressing myself against him as our mouths moved together in that familiar dance. I could feel his cock already hard against my hip, and the knowledge that he wanted me just as desperately sent another wave of arousal through me. His hands dropped to my hips, then lower to grip my ass, pulling me closer until there was no space between us.

Alex shifted, changing the angle of the kiss, and I gasped against his mouth. Then he did it again, and again, each kiss deeper and more intoxicating than the last. My hands fisted in his shirt, needing something to anchor me as the world spun around us. I could feel myself getting wet, my body responding to his touch with an urgency that made me dizzy.

"Let me have you, Amelia," he whispered against my lips, his voice rough with want. "I need you so fucking much..."

I could hear the desperate edge in his voice, could feel it in the way his hands trembled slightly as they roamed my body. His erection pressed harder against me, and I instinctively ground my hips against him, earning a low growl from deep in his chest.

When I looked into his eyes, I saw my own hunger reflected back at me, but I also saw something else. Vulnerability. Fear. Like he was afraid I might disappear again if he let go.

Yesterday really hurt him, I realized. The way I ran, the way I didn't trust him... it damaged something between us.

The realization hit me harder than I expected. This wasn't just about physical desire anymore. The fight we'd had, the doubt I'd let creep in, the way I'd shut him out – it had all taken a toll. I could see it in the way he held me, like he was afraid I might bolt again. In the desperate edge to his kisses, like he was trying to convince both of us that we could get past this.

We need this connection, I understood suddenly. Not just the sex, but the trust. The certainty that we choose each other, even when things get complicated.