Page 46 of Cross Me

But tonight, on his birthday, he deserved a reprieve. “Let’s forget about the world,” I urged him, my hand sliding down to grip his length and draw it between my legs.

Alexander groaned, hooking a hand around my leg and moving between my thighs. I guided him to my entrance and held my breath. He paused, allowing me to adjust as he rocked his hips against me, sliding inside me slowly so that I felt every inch of him. He rooted there and stilled, lingering in the sensation of our union. We stayed like that for a few moments, simply together. It was a reminder that nothing could come between us because we were not two separate people, but one. One heart. One soul. There was no Alexander. There was no Clara. There was just us.

When he finally began to move, he drew in and out of me, allowing the ache at my core to build with painful anticipation.

“Promise me I’ll never lose you,” he whispered. I opened my eyes and found his own full of fear and my heart broke. Even now, with nothing between us, he was afraid.

“What is this about?” I whispered, gasping as he pierced me once more.

“It’s about us,” he answered with another lingering thrust. “I love you, Poppet.”

His words sent me over the edge and I shattered, my heart fracturing and fusing with his. Until he was my beginning and my end. Until he was my everything.

Alexander was a changed man the next morning. He’d slept well, judging from the lack of circles under his eyes and the quick smile he flashed whenever he caught me checking him out. I couldn’t help looking. It had been too long since I’d seen him so happy.

Everywhere he went, he seemed keen to meet people, to shake hands, to show off our daughter. I wasn’t entirely sure what to do with him. In a single night, he’d done a complete one-eighty. I wanted to believe that I had finally laid the fears plaguing him to rest, but I knew it wasn’t that simple. Every now and then I would catch a shadow when he thought I wasn’t looking. There was more to this and I wouldn’t be satisfied until no ghosts haunted his eyes.

“I can take her.” I held out my arms for Elizabeth, but Alexander moved her onto his other hip and shook his head.

“You do too much, Poppet,” he whispered, so only I could hear. That was the only trouble. We were surrounded not only by security teams, but everyone who worked at Silverstone. It had escaped no one’s notice that the King had come to visit and they all seemed eager to shake his hand. “I’m here to help you, so do what you need to do.”

“It’s not that simple.”

“Why?” His forehead crinkled in concern and he twined his free hand with mine.

“You show up and everyone comes out to see you,” I muttered to him. “No one even notices when I’m here.”

Except Anders, but I wasn’t about to say that after last night’s cock-and-bull show.

“They’re afraid to talk to you.”

“Why would they be afraid to talk to me?” I couldn’t see a reason why. I wasn’t nearly as intimidating as he was, and no one had any problems coming up to him.

“Because you’re beautiful and smart and everyone here sees that.” He lifted the hand that he held and pressed it to his lips. “And they probably know that you’re taken.”

“I wonder what could give them that idea,” I said dryly. He had been on his best behavior today, which for Alexander meant only a slight bit of male posturing. It didn’t escape my attention that he always managed to be between me and whoever we were talking to. Still, he wasn’t displaying any of the primitive behavior that had pissed me off last night. It was a step in the right direction.

All of that changed when Anders arrived at the track. The first race wasn’t scheduled until tomorrow, but all of the racers were here, going over important details with their team and running practice laps.

The moment I spotted him, I considered feigning a headache. Maybe it would be better to keep the two of them apart. Alexander had misinterpreted Anders’ friendly invitation yesterday. I knew that. My husband didn’t seem to, though. Before I could make up my mind on which way to handle it, he’d turned and caught sight of him.

There was a brief pause when both men’s eyes met. My husband went rigid like he was about to strike and I placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. He needed to remember that he had nothing to fear. The only way I could help to remind him of that was by staying at his side. Anders forced a smile and ambled towards us, raking his hand through his shaggy blond hair. He stopped and directed his attention to Elizabeth.

“Remember me, beautiful girl?” he cooed at her. “Mum let you come to the track, huh?”

It was a mistake. I knew it the moment he’d spoken. If Alexander was protective of me, then he was overbearing when it came to Elizabeth.

“Anderson’s been helpful,” I said, breaking in and hoping I could prevent a fight. “Penny was sick the other day. He helped calm Elizabeth down.”

“Is that so?” Alexander asked in a strained voice. I saw what it took for him to stay calm. “Thank you.”

I couldn’t imagine what resource of self-control he’d drawn on to keep his reaction so even.

Anders’ eyes darted between us. Despite Alexander’s gratitude, it was clear that my husband was on edge.

“I’m glad I caught you,” Anders redirected his attention to me. That was the second mistake. “If your nanny is feeling better, the guys are going out for drinks tonight. You really should join us since you couldn’t last night.”

So much for Alexander’s theory that I was intimidating. I wished he was right, if only so this moment could have been avoided.