Chapter 26
Realisation
“I could call in sick,” Alianna suggested, her face propped on a hand as she stared at Rionan.
They lay in bed together the next morning, clothes still discarded on the floor, smiling lazily at each other.
Rionan had remained in his Xanthian form all night, and Alianna had spent much of the night tracing her fingers over his skin, looking at his ears, and asking if his teeth made eating difficult.
"They aren’t that long," Rionan had huffed.
"No, but they’re just, different," Alianna replied.
“It’s like me asking you if you find life dull and boring because you don’t have powers of any kind. You don’t know any different, so of course, it isn’t boring to you at all.”
Alianna had stuck a tongue out at Rionan at that, but accepted his point.
They hadn’t got a great deal of sleep, with Rionan worshipping Alianna’s body at every chance he got – with his mouth, his fingers, and his own body.
His lovemaking had turned from hungry, frantic, and teasing, to slow and tender as he had caressed her with his power, making her skin alight with a type of pleasure she had never experienced before.
“It’s up to you,” Rionan answered, a smile playing on his face, “you could call in sick and say you’ve been up all night. This is not a lie. You are simply lying by omission when you fail to tell Tom why exactly that was.”
“Stop,” Alianna smiled, playfully shoving Rionan as she sat up. She sighed. “I’ve been a bit useless at work since I met you. I could do with going in today.”
“Have you been distracted by me?” Rionan asked, a smirk on his face.
“Be careful, inflating that head of yours too much. I suppose I was distracted, yes. I don’t often get sexts when I am at work.”
“That’s good,” he said, kissing her in between sentences. “I have not heard of the word ‘sext’ before, but I can work out what it means. It is good that you don’t get those messages, I mean. Because if any other male even attempted it, I would have to remove their fingers from their hands.”
“Alright then, possessive little magic man,” Alianna replied, ruffling his hair.
“How incredibly patronising.”
***************
“You look remarkably happy today, Ali dear,” said John, who had arrived for his usual drink order.
“I am happy, as it so happens, John. Thank you for noticing.”
“What is it that has put such a smile on your face and colour in your cheeks? As much as I’d like to think it’s me coming in for my weekly latte, I doubt that is the case. Has a fine suitor finally snapped you up?”
Alianna smiled, but felt her expression waver. “Something like that, I suppose, John.”
“Well. They are a very lucky person indeed.”
Alianna nodded her thanks, placing his cup down on the counter in front of him. “Here’s your vanilla latte, John. Not too much syrup, the way you like it. One of those ginger biscuits, too,” she finished, sliding the biscuit toward him.
“Thank you, dear. You are a real treasure. By the way, have you been able to get to the museum for the new exhibits yet? I think you will like them. The one including some of the old artefacts from Porthan’s founding has actually been incredibly interesting.”
Alianna paused, slowly turning back to John. “Artefacts from Porthan’s founding? They’re in the new exhibition?”
“Well, yes. I thought I had mentioned it when I came in with the leaflets,” John shrugged. “Anyway, it is a good exhibition. You should come along. Maybe bring whoever is putting that expression on your face, too.”
Alianna smiled, her heart racing in her chest. “I might just do that. Thanks, John.”
***************
Hot Guy Max From The Beach
10:22: What is wrong?
Alianna saw the message come up on her phone screen and cringed at the name in her contacts list. She opened her phone, updating the name he was saved under, and typed back to him.
Ali
10:25: nothing, why?
Rionan
10:26am: I felt you. Something changed; you were either excited or worried. Are you alright? Do you need me?
Alianna remembered the intensity difference in their soul-bond and wondered what exactly he had felt when John told her about the exhibition.
Ali
10:28: yes, im ok. have you ever been to the museum?