Chapter 30
CHAPTER THIRTY
SEBASTIAN
They’d fallen asleep in the early hours of the morning. That fucker had left the door wide open and I had to lie here listening to them.
Don’t get me wrong, Ben had worn me out something wonderful, only I was woken from a delicious post-orgasm daze by the sounds of racing feet.
I hadn’t needed to listen out for long; Killer’s panting moans came shortly after and before long he had her screaming.
I left Ben in bed, his headphones still firmly in place – the naughty boy obviously knew what was in store for Alex and Killer’s evening together, securing them over his ears and falling quickly into a deep sleep.
I lay awake both thrilled at how relaxed Ben was and green with envy at the party we were excluded from.
I wanted to see Killer’s face while she cried out for him.
I tried to imagine it as I padded to his room and watched their sleeping faces. Her lying on her back, one arm raised over her face, bashful in her sleep in a way I was sure Alex hadn’t allowed her to be when she was screaming his name.
Was this how he felt over the last few weeks? I didn’t like it. Not one bit.
I couldn’t quite bring myself to wake them yet, because where Killer lay supine, Alex was almost prone, on his front with his head on her stomach and arms latched around her body.
I didn’t see Alex sleeping often, not only because we didn’t sleep together – it was mostly that the man didn’t sleep. He managed an hour to two at a time, tops. Medically speaking, it was a severe case of insomnia. I thought it was related to the crippling pressure and worry he put himself under.
It was late morning. Ben and I agreed to a lie-in before the plans we’d made for the day. So, by my calculations, and the amount of time I’d spent nursing my hard-on, they’d been out for at least six hours.
A record for Alex.
Still, no longer.
“Rise and shine, sleepy heads,” I called out, striding into the room and opening the curtains to let the light in.
“Seb, get out of my room,” Alex mumbled.
I watched his arms tighten around my Killer. “You have to shut the door if you don’t want intruders.” I winked at her sleepy form and she blushed. Excellent.
“Plus,” I continued, moving to perch on the end of the bed, needing to touch her – I leaned in to kiss her, Alex grumbling beneath me. “We have plans.” I inhaled the smell of her skin before I sat up. “We leave in half an hour.”
Alex began to say something but I swept from the room, calling out, “Stop arguing, Alex. Put your dick away and get dressed. Killer is coming with us, so either you come with us, or stay here on your own.”
I could definitely hear the sound of his curses chasing me back to Ben’s room.
“That went well,” he snickered, emerging from his dressing area.
“I know, right? Let’s go!” I snagged my clothes and threw them on hastily, following Ben to the kitchen where we diligently packed up food and snacks.
Killer joined us a few minutes later, a sleepy-looking Alex on her heels.
I tugged her to me, my hands grabbing at her body and tangling in her hair. “Hi.”
She melted into me mumbling. “Tired. Do I need to shower before we go?”
I couldn’t help the deep groan that left me. “We definitely don’t have time for that. If you shower, then I’ll be in there, and we will never keep Ben out, then Alex will get all territorial at being excluded and we really don’t have the space for his attitude in the shower here.”
I wiggled my brows at her knowing the effect it had. I was deathly serious, but she found my relentless flirting entertaining and her laugh warmed me.
“Although…” my mind continued on and I released her to whisper something to Ben who chuckled and told me we didn’t need to pack anything else for that.
“Okay, I’m ready.” Alex sounded only mildly reluctant. Killer was good for the soul like that. Soothing.
“Killer, you’re with Ben. Alex gets me.” I grinned at him.
“For what?” he asked.
“I’m your passenger princess.”
“She’s already seen the manor,” Alex grumbled over the sound of the engine as we drew nearer to the sprawling building.
“Did she get the tour?” I drawled in his ear and I felt him huffing. “Thought not. Plus, it means we can actually all spend time together, somewhere other than the bedroom.” I gave my honest reason.
“I’d have thought your preference would be to never leave the bedroom?” he challenged.
“True.” I tried to hide the melancholy but failed. “But our time isn’t endless and I want to spend time with her as much as I want to spend time all over her.”
His shoulders dropped and his head dipped in agreement. I wasn’t the only one trying to hide my melancholy.
Ben killed his engine at the front of the property and helped Izzy to rise from her seat; he tucked her into his side much the way I did to him.
I realised how happy that made me, watching them, Alex frozen in place beside me watching the same scene.
Ben stopped as he ascended the stairs to the front door, swinging around to face us. “Come on, Alex. It’s freezing.”
Alex startled into motion, crossing to them in a few steps and unlocking the door. He had to shove it several times for it to swing inward, allowing us all inside.
“It needs to be planed,” he grumbled, closing it behind us.
Killer was looking around in awe. The door opened into a large hall, a huge, curved fireplace on the wall opposite, stone stairs disappearing around the side to the galleried landing.
“How much of the house did you actually see?” I asked her, taking up a position on her other side.
“The orangery, the hall, the kitchen and stairs, but not these stairs.” She looked upward. “I guess some of this landing?” Her last words were a question to Alex who nodded. “And the bedroom.”
“Singular?” I asked and she looked surprised.
“Alex said there was only one room finished?” she replied.
“Tut, tut, Alex.” I grinned at the realisation. “That’s not strictly true, is it?”
He glared at me. “It’s exactly true, that room is the only one with heat and ready for someone to sleep in.”
My jaw hung open, my surprise turning to glee. “You aren’t able to make a bed, Mr Cavendish?”
He growled in warning.
“Alex here wasn’t strictly honest with you, Killer.” I looked down at her, her confusion evident. “There are what? A dozen bedroom suites on the main gallery?” I asked Ben who nodded.
She swung her head this way and that, looking between all of us. I noted Alex quietening.
“While several are still requiring repairs, and yes they can be a little cold, numerous are fully restored. The only thing standing between them and use is the new heating system being connected and started up – something Benji here is keen to do – the pristine generator being switched on. Both of which Alex is refusing to do because he doesn’t want to waste the fuel running the house. And a change of sheets.”
I watched her jaw drop.
“It’s not quite as simple as that, Sebastian.” Alex snarled my name like a curse and I grinned.
“So, there were more beds?” Izzy pinned him with a stare I couldn’t quite read.
Alex lifted a shoulder. “Unmade and without heat, yes.”
“Not for long,” Ben interjected and Alex tilted his head in question. “We’re testing the generator today, Alex. And the boiler system.”
Alex went to argue but Ben cut him off.
“We will leave the wings disconnected for now, but we decided to give Sugar the tour.” He gripped her as he spoke and she glowed at his nickname for her. “We can test run the systems.”
Alex gawked but didn’t argue.
“I’ll be right back.” Ben placed a soft kiss on Killer’s head and grinned at me in our victory, disappearing across the hall.
Izzy wrapped her hand around my waist, eyes watching Alex cautiously. “Seb?” she asked.
“Mm-hmm?” I watched Alex too, enjoying ganging up on him.
“Show me these ‘unusable rooms’?” she requested.
I barked out a laugh. “I’d love to. And we will even take the main stairs, not the staff access.”
She chuckled at me, letting me lead her across the flagstone hall and up the stone staircase to the landing.
“This room was the one you used?” I walked with her to the far end of the hall.
“Uh-huh,” she confirmed.
I smiled at Alex and swung open the door of the next room.
The huge bay windows flooded the room in sunlight, the heavy cream curtains pulled wide, the door to the bathroom sat open showing the clean marble tiling and the classical bathroom suite.
The four-poster bed took up the centre of one wall, the bed under a huge dust cloth which highlighted the pillows and blankets that remained in the room. The rest of the furniture – much like the bed – was hidden under sheets of their own, but otherwise the room was restored.
Chilly but beautiful.
Pale walls, freshly stained floors.
The only thing this room was missing was a person living in it.
“Perhaps I should show you another?” I offered.
Killer nodded silently and I checked Alex, his face a picture of betrayal.
The next room was much the same, colourways darker, the bathroom suite different, no four-poster in here but the gigantic bed sat in the middle of the room.
Izzy had stilled as soon as the door opened. This was my favourite too.
“They’re all so beautiful,” she marvelled, breaking away from me to softly finger the curtains, the heavy linen falling in soft creases and cascading over the floor.
“They’re not ready,” Alex grumbled.
“For what? Royalty?” she snipped, silencing him.
Slowly I took her around the hallway. Granted, the further we made it around the less ready the rooms were, glass needed replacing in some, the floors unfinished in others.
Several still had the telltale signs of water damage to the plaster which required repair, but I knew the roof had been mended just before winter fell.
The only major task that had been outstanding to get the property liveable was making the orangery watertight. Something Killer had helped with.
The creak of metal and whir of water in pipes announced that Ben was finished in the cellar, his footsteps pounding up the stairs not long after.
“It will take half an hour or so, given we’re only heating half the house.” Ben beamed and Killer frowned. She’d seen very little of the house. “And the generator is running, although I think we are getting some power back through the mains, so the weather must be improving down the line.”
Alex flicked a switch and the bedroom light came on.
He said nothing.
“What do you think, Sugar?” Ben took up his spot at her side, excited for her reply.
“It’s the most beautiful home I’ve ever seen,” she answered, sharing in his happiness.
“I want to show you the library,” he announced, dragging her from me and pulling her from the room, her laugh echoing off the hallway.
Alex and I stood in silence, his shoulders tight with irritation and his permanent frown back on his face, a total contrast to the way I found him relaxed into my Killer just hours ago.
He huffed, dragging his hand over his face in resignation. I’d outed him and he didn’t like it.
Eventually he pursed his lips then blew out a huge breath, shoulders dropping with his facade, the tension between us easing a bit.
“No other bedrooms.” I chuckled just before a rag hit me square in the face.