Chapter 107: Desire For Her

Alexander looked toward the closed bathroom door, hearing the gentle hum of the faucet as Iris washed her hands inside.

“That is the reality of it,” Alexander admitted softly, his voice heavy with a deep, unyielding resolve. “I do not think I can comfortably endure it. But if granting her space gives her the peace of mind she needs to accept this world and accept me, I will exercise whatever restraint is required. I only hope she does not intend to keep me waiting for long.”

“She is human, Alexander,” Derrick reminded him gently over the receiver. “She went from studying for business exams to discovering that monsters walk the earth in forty-eight hours. Give her a little time to anchor herself.”

“I know,” Alexander murmured.

The bathroom door clicked open, and Iris stepped back into the bedroom, smoothing down her clothes. Her cheeks were still slightly flushed as her eyes met his across the vast space.

Alexander’s blue eyes locked onto her frame, his gaze instantly softening as his conversation drew to a close. “I must go, Derrick. Keep me updated on the lab’s progress the moment the preliminary sequences are complete.”

“Will do, sir,” Derrick replied before the line went dead.

Alexander set the phone back on the nightstand and swung his long legs over the side of the bed, standing up in one effortless, fluid movement.

Iris paused near the edge of the large Persian rug, her eyes widening slightly as she took in his bare chest and impressive build in the morning light.

She stared at the sharp, carved lines of his chest, watching the sheer power rippling through his shoulders as he moved. He looked magnificent, ancient, and utterly breathtaking.

When her gaze inadvertently tracked lower, following the deep V-line that dipped beneath the low waistband of his trousers, a hot wave of heat rushed up her neck. She caught herself and looked away instantly.

Clearing her throat, she shifted her weight nervously from one foot to the other, trying her best to reconstruct a veil of composure under his intense, unblinking stare.

“Who was that on the phone?” she asked softly, gesturing vaguely toward the nightstand to break the thick silence.

Alexander walked slowly toward her, his bare feet completely silent against the rug. He stopped just a foot away, his towering frame casting a long shadow over her, his physical presence warm, dangerous, and utterly consuming in the quiet morning room.

“Just Derrick,” Alexander answered smoothly, reaching out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. His warm fingers brushed against her cheek, leaving a trail of electric heat in their wake. “Checking on the administrative arrangements for the day.”

Iris looked up at him, her pulse quickening at his touch, though she forced herself to stand her ground. “And what are those arrangements?”

“First, breakfast,” Alexander said, his thumb lightly tracing the delicate line of her jaw down to her collarbone, lingering right over the dark mark that bound them together. “I remember that two weeks ago, after promising me breakfast, you ran away from me at the first dawn of light.”

He reprimanded her softly, his tone low and laced with a quiet, lingering disappointment. Iris dropped her gaze, a prickle of genuine guilt touching her chest. It seemed he had forgotten nothing about that frantic morning that she had ran away from his penthouse.

“So have breakfast with me,” he murmured, his thumb rubbing smooth circles against her skin. “Oliver has already arranged for a private table in the glass conservatory overlooking the grounds. After that… I believe I promised you a personal tour of my estate.”

Iris searched his face, picking up on the quiet, restrained tension behind his smooth, controlled demeanor. She remembered his intense declaration from the night before—how hard it was for his kind to grant distance once a mate was claimed—and a quiet realization settled in her mind. He was actively holding back his primal instincts for her sake, yielding to her boundaries despite the visible strain it caused him.

“Alright,” Iris said quietly, a soft, genuine smile touching her lips for the first time that morning. “A tour sounds nice.”

Alexander’s blue eyes flickered with a quiet, intense satisfaction. He leaned down, pressing a gentle, unhurried kiss to her cheek, right near the base of her mark, before stepping back.

“Take a shower and get dressed,” he murmured softly, his voice dropping an octave. “Your wardrobe in the closet has everything you need. I will be waiting for you in the conservatory.”

“Alright.” Iris nodded.

“Are you going to shower first or should I?” Alexander asked her, his expression perfectly impassive. “I also don’t mind if we shower together—it will save time.”

Iris looked up at him in absolute surprise, her eyes wide, before letting out a disbelieving scoff. “I highly doubt it will save any time as you claim.”

“You never know. It actually might,” Alexander replied, a coy, dangerous tilt curving his lips. “And besides… after the mind-blowing sex that we had in my office yesterday, and after you fell asleep, I bathed you myself… thoroughly.”

He spoke the last word deliberately, his heavy blue gaze sliding down her throat, lingering over her chest, and tracking down her waist before rising to lock back onto her eyes, and going back to her chest.

Iris stood utterly speechless, the heat in her face flaring white-hot. Instinctively, she crossed her arms tightly over her chest, her hands cupping beneath her breasts to shield herself from his sweeping gaze.

The simple, unconscious movement lifted her breasts slightly against the fabric of her shirt.

The moment the shape shifted, a low, visceral growl vibrated deep within Alexander’s throat. His pupils dilated instantly, the blue of his eyes bleeding into a dark, volatile crimson around the edges as his beast reacted to the subtext of her posture.

Realizing what her action had triggered, Iris hastily dropped her hands back to her sides, stepping backward. “No, thank you. I think I’ll shower first,” she said hurriedly, turning on her heel to make a swift retreat into the bathroom.

Alexander stayed frozen in the center of the room, listening to the sharp click of the bathroom latch. He dragged a hand through his dark hair, gripping the back of his neck as a heavy exhale escaped him.

This was going to be excruciating difficult—keeping his hands off her when every fiber of his being, and his body and beast screamed at him to claim her right here on the carpet.

Within moments, the quiet hiss of steam and running water echoed from behind the door. The sound hit his hyper-attuned hearing with terrifying clarity.

The image of water cascading over her bare skin, tracing the delicate curve of her spine, pooling against the mark on her neck, and going down her body shattered whatever thin thread of discipline he had left.

His breathing turned harsh and ragged. Down low, a heavy, throbbing ache flared to life, his trousers tightening dangerously against the thick, hard line of his sudden arousal. The air in the bedroom grew thick with the intoxicating, humid scent of her vanilla and rain, driving his inner beast straight to the precipice of control.

He couldn’t take it anymore.

With a low, feral growl that rattled the glass in the windows, Alexander strode toward the bathroom door. He didn’t bother to knock. His hand gripped the heavy iron handle, turning it smoothly, and he pushed the door open, stepping into the warm, mist-filled room.

Dense white steam hung in the air, smelling faintly of lavender and warm rain. Through the frosted glass enclosure of the massive walk-in shower, he could see the soft, blurred silhouette of her body standing beneath the cascading water, her hair slicked back, water droplets running down the length of her back.

Alexander swallowed hard, his jaw clenching as his pulse hammered in his ears. Without taking his eyes off the glass, his hands moved to the waistband of his trousers. He shoved the dark fabric down his thighs, kicking them aside toward the slate sink without a second thought.

Unclothed, fully erect, and driven by a primal need that burned hot in his blood, he stepped over the marble threshold and opened the glass door, stepping directly into the hot, cascading mist with her.

Iris gasped, spinning around as the sudden rush of cool air mixed with the heat of his presence. She backed up until her shoulders hit the warm tile wall, her hands flying up to cover her chest as water streamed down her face.

“Alexander!” she breathed, her voice trembling as her wide, dark eyes dropped down his body, seeing his erection.

He was towering, magnificent, and entirely bare. His broad chest glistened under the spray, and between his thighs, his heavy, rigid length stood fully flushed, throbbing against his lower abdomen, demanding and impossible to ignore.

The sheer sight of his raw, unvarnished arousal sent a liquid shockwave straight to the pit of her stomach, making her knees go soft…