Chapter 190

Chapter 190
[Amelia's POV]

The elevator ride to Alex's floor felt endless. His arm was draped heavily across my shoulders, and I could feel the full weight of his body leaning against me as we slowly ascended. When the building's concierge had offered to help in the lobby, I'd quickly declined. The last thing we needed was more people witnessing Alex Pike in this state.

"Almost there," I murmured, more to myself than to him.

Alex's breath was warm against my hair as he nuzzled closer. "Millie," he whispered, my name barely audible but filled with something that made my heart skip. Despite everything - the alcohol, the weight of him against me, the awkwardness of the situation - there was something tender in the way he said it.

The elevator dinged, and I half-guided, half-carried him down the hallway to his apartment. Alex was still walking on his own, which surprised me. For someone who'd put away that much sake, his steps were remarkably steady.

Maybe he's not as drunk as I thought.

But that didn't change how I felt about the whole situation. I'd always hated dealing with drunk men - the way they became unpredictable, sloppy, too handsy or too emotional. It reminded me too much of the few times I'd seen my father before he died, when the depression and alcohol had taken over completely.

"Keys?" I asked as we reached his door.

Alex fumbled in his pocket and produced them with surprising accuracy. I unlocked the door and guided him inside, immediately hit by the familiar scent of his apartment.

"Come on," I said, leading him toward the leather sofa in the living room. "Let's get you sitting down."

I helped ease him onto the couch, and Alex let himself fall back against the cushions with a heavy sigh. His eyes were closed, dark lashes stark against his cheeks, and for a moment he looked younger somehow. Vulnerable.

I hate drunk men, I thought, watching him. I really, really hate dealing with drunk men.

It wasn't fair, and I knew it. Alex had been nothing but good to me tonight, opening up in ways he rarely did, showing me sides of himself I'd never seen. But seeing him like this - loose-limbed and wine-heavy - brought back too many bad memories.

I was just considering whether I should get him some water when Alex's eyes snapped open. In one fluid movement, he sat up and then stood, his movements suddenly sharp and coordinated. There was no stumbling, no swaying - just the confident grace I was used to seeing from him.

He walked toward the bathroom with steady, purposeful steps.

I stared after him, my mouth falling open. "What the hell?"

"If you hate dealing with drunk men," Alex called over his shoulder, his voice clear and completely sober, "then I guess I'll stop pretending to be one."

The words hit me like a physical blow. I felt my cheeks burn with a mixture of embarrassment and anger. "You... you weren't drunk?"

Alex paused in the bathroom doorway and turned back to face me. His amber eyes were completely clear, no hint of the alcohol-induced haziness I'd thought I'd seen earlier. "Not really, no."

"Are you kidding me right now?" I stood up, my hands clenched into fists at my sides. "You let me think you were drunk? You let me worry about you and take care of you and..."

"You were taking care of me," Alex said softly, and something in his voice made me pause mid-rant. "You do that so rarely, Millie. You're always so independent, so determined to handle everything yourself. Tonight was the first time I've seen you just... worry about me. Fuss over me."

The explanation should have made me angrier. Instead, it left me speechless.

"You enjoyed being worried about?" I asked incredulously.

Alex's smile was almost shy. "I enjoyed you caring enough to worry. There's a difference."

I didn't know what to say to that. Part of me wanted to be furious at the deception, but another part - a part I didn't want to acknowledge - understood exactly what he meant. I did keep him at arm's length sometimes. I was always so focused on proving I could take care of myself that I rarely let myself take care of him.

"You're unbelievable," I finally managed.

"Join me in the shower," Alex said suddenly, his voice taking on that commanding Alpha tone that always made my knees weak. "Let me wash your hair. Consider it an apology for the deception."

The request caught me completely off guard. "Alex, I don't think..."

But he was already walking toward the bathroom, and something in his posture - the set of his shoulders, the way he moved - made it clear this wasn't really a request. It was that gentle Alpha insistence that he was so good at, the kind that made resistance feel impossible even when your brain was screaming that you should say no.

"Come on, Millie," he called. "Let me take care of you for once."

I found myself following him before I'd consciously made the decision to move.

The bathroom was as luxurious as the rest of Alex's apartment with a rainfall showerhead that looked like it belonged in a spa. Alex was already turning on the water, testing the temperature with his hand.

"I can't believe you faked being drunk," I said, lingering in the doorway.

"I wasn't faking being tired," Alex replied, starting to unbutton his shirt. "It's been a hell of a week. A hell of a month, actually. And seeing you today, after yesterday..." He paused, his hands stilling on his buttons. "I just wanted to feel like you cared. Really cared."

The honesty in his voice made my chest tight. How was I supposed to stay angry when he said things like that?

Alex finished unbuttoning his shirt and let it fall to the floor, revealing the muscled chest that never failed to make my mouth go dry. Then his hands moved to my sweater, his fingers finding the hem.

"May I?" he asked.

I nodded, not trusting my voice.

Alex pulled my sweater over my head with careful precision, his knuckles brushing against my skin in ways that made me shiver. His eyes darkened as he took in my lace bra, and I could see his jaw clench with restraint.

The rest of our clothes followed quickly - my jeans, his pants, until we were both naked under the bathroom's warm lighting. I couldn't help but look at him, at the way his cock was already half-hard just from seeing me undressed.

"Shower," Alex said, his voice rougher now. "Not the bathtub. This won't take long."

That's what I'm afraid of, I thought. Because already, with the steam starting to fill the room and Alex's naked body so close to mine, I could feel my body responding. Heat pooling between my legs, my nipples hardening in the warm air.

Alex guided me under the spray, and the hot water felt incredible against my skin. He reached for an expensive-looking bottle of body wash - something that smelled like sandalwood and bergamot - and squeezed some into his palm.

"Turn around," he murmured.

I obeyed, closing my eyes as his hands began to work the soap across my shoulders and down my back. His touch was firm but gentle, working out knots of tension I hadn't even realized I'd been carrying.

"Better?" Alex asked, his breath warm against my ear.

"Mmm," was all I could manage.

His hands moved to my front, sliding soap across my collarbone and down to my breasts. The touch was still ostensibly innocent - just washing - but there was something in the way his palms lingered, the way his thumbs brushed across my nipples that made it clear this was about more than getting clean.

My breath hitched as he cupped my breasts more deliberately, his thumbs circling my nipples until they peaked under his touch. I could feel his cock pressing against my lower back, hard and ready.

"God, Millie," he groaned softly. "You're so fucking beautiful."

One of his hands slid lower, over my stomach and between my legs. I gasped as his fingers found my clit, already swollen and sensitive. He began to circle it with maddening precision, the soap making his touch slick and perfect.

I bit my lip, trying to stay quiet, but Alex's other hand came up to my jaw, turning my head so he could look at me.

"Don't," he said, his voice carrying that Alpha authority that made something deep inside me submit. "Don't hold back your sounds. I want to hear every response you give me."