Chapter 47

[Third-Person’s POV]

Needless to say, Alexander didn’t exactly have important business to deal with that morning.

There really wasn’t anything that required his immediate attention. So then why had he made Oliver go to speak with Evelyn this morning, telling her that he was busy?

Having spent the last several days with Evelyn, almost exclusively, made Alexander reach the unthinkable conclusion that he was truly beginning to develop feelings for her. Real, heart-clenching, mind-reeling feelings.

And he had no idea what to do about it. He’d purposely kept a mental wall up between the two of them for reasons that, at the time, made sense. However, as time went on, those reasons weren’t holding up well in his mind.

By keeping her at a distance, he believed he was keeping her safe in the long run. But Evelyn was proving herself to be a strong, dependable and determined person. She was more than worthy of being a Luna full-time.

Alexander didn’t know what to do with these feelings and these thoughts. Not that he’d ever openly admit it, but he was nervous and didn’t know how to confront them.

He’d given himself over to the chance of getting to know Evelyn better and he was glad he had. He enjoyed her company even if the main reason for their meetings was to learn basic etiquette. He didn’t seem to care.

Alexander purely enjoyed being in her company and found himself wanting more and more of it as the days went by. Unfortunately, he knew that Evelyn’s lessons weren’t going to last forever. She was making incredible progress in such a short amount of time as when they first began.

He watched the seed of self-confidence that he personally tried to implant within her blossom into something beautiful. He loved seeing the way she smiled and lit up whenever he told her that she was doing something right.

He’d be lying to himself if he said that he didn’t feel a clench around his heart whenever that happened. When Evelyn would smile, a true genuine smile, it was almost impossible not to stare.

Not to mention there had been that little tidbit he discovered during one of their lessons...

I believe my Luna may have a praise kink.

The mere suggestive thought caused him to grow stiff in his pants. He never held back the smile that it would bring when he first made that discovery. Evelyn’s eyes had widened and her cheeks were flushed with the most adorable shade of pink.

He had no idea that those two words he spoke would have carried such weight or warranted such a reaction.

He hadn’t meant anything of it at the time—the words had just, sort of, slipped out. What he wasn’t prepared for was the reaction he’d gotten from her. It was a cross between bashfulness and excitement. Alexander felt as though he’d accidentally uncovered a hidden secret about his wife that he was going to take great care in gatekeeping and possibly nurturing.

But, all of that aside, he genuinely enjoyed spending time with her. Being with Evelyn came with an ease that he wasn’t expecting.

I just wish we could go back to sharing a bedroom.

Yet with his emotions continuously evolving, he wondered if merely having her back in the master bedroom would be enough. Her mere presence was one thing, but what if he found himself needing more. Would she cater to that need?

In the meantime, his sleeping habits were not getting any better and he was pretty certain that he’d obtained a caffeine addiction in order to keep himself somewhat functional during the day. It only left him feeling jittery and even more irritable.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Alexander lifted his head from his desk, thinking that it was Oliver who was looking to speak with him. Then again, Oliver would have just walked in like he usually would.

“Come in,” he said.

The door opened and he felt his heart skip a beat. The last person he ever expected to see walking into his office was Evelyn. But there she was. She wore a soft cable-knit sweater and jeans while holding a large mug in her hands.

“Hey,” she greeted softly. “I know you’re busy and I promise I’m not going to stick around long. I just really wanted to give you this.”

Alexander was hardly paying attention to her ramblings. He was still mildly shocked that she was even standing in his office. He glanced down at the mug she had placed on his desk.

“What is it?”

“It’s a Louis-Bosch tea latte.”

He raised a brow and tried to hold back a smile. “And you brought this to me because...?”

“I don’t mean to nag, but as your Luna and your wife...” Alexander noticed the way she blushed when she said that. It was doing something to him that he hadn’t felt in a while. “It gives me the right to worry when you’re not taking care of your health.”

His health? What could she possibly know about his health? He was healthy enough, wasn’t he?

His eyebrows lifted in shock. “I...What do you mean?”

Goddamnit, why the hell am I stammering?

She planted her hands on her hips and gave him a pointed look. “I’ve noticed how much more caffeine you've been drinking these past few days. Is it because of the whole ‘having trouble sleeping’?”

He tore his eyes away to focus on anything else in his office. “Possibly.”

Good God. In those short seconds, he truly felt like a child who was being reprimanded for his actions. Unfortunately, she had a point. The two of them were both well aware of his lack of sleep, but he had no idea she had noticed his increase in caffeine.

“Well, this tea is meant to give you the same boost of energy as coffee would but has far less caffeine.”

Alexander was deeply touched by this thoughtful gesture. Of course, there were others that cared for him in the past when he wasn’t feeling his best but this particular act made him feel warm and special.

But, in all truthfulness, he didn’t want the tea. No. What he wanted was to reach out and snatch her, pull her over the desk and kiss her senseless.

He watched the way Evelyn would unintentionally nibble at the corner of her mouth whenever she was nervous or falling into deep thought. He wanted to take her lips with his own and reassure her that her motives were well-received and greatly appreciated.

He wanted to make her feel even an ounce of how she made him feel.

However, he noticed a shift in her demeanor. Something was bothering her, so much so that she became timid and lacked that same confidence she walked in with.

“What is it?” he implored.

“I...I would like to return home—my old home for a few days.”

He could sense there was a list of reasons as to why she would make such a request. He didn’t like the idea of her going back to the place that treated her so poorly.

“Alright, on one condition,” he said.

“What?”

“You are required to go out with me tomorrow night. I want to put all of what you’ve been learning to the test.”

She looked taken aback by this sudden announcement. “Where are we going?”

“It’s a private function. Do we have a deal?”