Wife's Bitter Revenge Against Neglectful CEO Husband-Chapter 106: The Morning After

"Is there a story behind your tattoos? That’s a thing, right? Don’t most people have a reason behind their tattoos?"

I lay in Alec’s bed, curled up next to him with my head on his shoulder. I traced a flower on his chest.

"I’ve always felt connected to tigers. They give me strength, so I carry one with me everywhere I go now."

"And the bleeding heart flowers?"

"The flowers are reminders to practice compassion. Everyone has a heart, but outsiders can’t see the pain carried there. We can’t judge who is bleeding or why because most people hide their truth.

"Only through compassion can we offer these people the support they need without invading their privacy. But here is the thing. That same compassion can open up even the most closed-off bleeding hearts to share those very same private thoughts that haunt them. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

"That’s a good thing. Only through opening up can we heal."

"Wow. That is a lot. And the smaller tattoos woven into the foliage on your chest?"

"Mementos of special people in my life." He pointed to a set of Dungeon and Dragons dice on his ribs. "This one is for my best friend from college. He died in a car accident during our senior year.

"And this red demon smoking a cigar is my father. The paw on my shoulder is for my mom as a reminder to pause and think before I speak."

"And Angie?"

Alec smiled. "Here." He pointed to his lower abdomen where four red dragons held a variety of taekwondo poses, with a fifth dragon face planted with its butt in the air. "Guess which one is Angie."

"Alec, you’re so bad."

He chuckled. "Yeah, I know. She’ll never forgive me."

Each of these tattoos was small, with the exception of the tiger’s paw. They were maybe the size of a pack of gum.

"And if you were to add a tattoo for me?"

"Easy, it will go here." Alec placed a palm over his heart.

"What would it be?"

"A steampunk butterfly, complicated, strong as steel, and as beautiful as anything found in nature. The tiger protects my back, but you, You, I trust with my heart."

"Is there even bare space over your heart?"

"My guy can work magic. He’ll give me what I want."

"Mm."

It had been a long night that I wouldn’t have missed for the world, but I was running on empty.

"Tee?"

"Mm?"

"I love you."

"Mm." I rolled over and into sleep.

When I awoke way too few hours later, it was sudden and with the immediate recall that Alec had said he loved me, and I’d blown him off.

I was an inconsiderate idiot. I wouldn’t blame Alec if he threw me out again.

I rolled over, hoping to make up for my lack of an adequate response, but Alec was not in bed. I groaned.

I threw on some clothes and went to the living room. No Alec. I called for him, and he responded from his home office.

He was working on his computer. A coffee cup steamed to his right. I helped myself to a sip before pulling this chair back from the desk and plopping down in his lap.

"Good morning."

"Awake already?" Alec asked. "I thought you would sleep at least until the afternoon."

"Wouldn’t that have been nice? Instead, I awoke to an empty bed with the memory of someone telling me he loved me just as my brain shut off. I’m sorry about that. I’m sure it wasn’t the response you were expecting."

Alec smiled and kissed my forehead. "At the time, yes, I was disappointed, but after I thought about it, it wasn’t surprising that you fell asleep. Our evening was filled with enough emotional turmoil and strenuous activity to put down a bull.

"It’s okay. Let’s pretend it never happened, and I’ll try again another day."

"You could try again now," I said hopefully.

Alec gave me a dubious assessment. "No, I don’t think you are ready yet. It can wait."

Maybe he was right. If I was ready, wouldn’t I have said it back, if not last night, then the moment I saw him after waking up? Instead, all I could do was appreciate how much my heart swelled when I was around Alec.

Perhaps loving Alec was one of those private secrets Alec was talking about last night. One of those secrets that I was hiding away from the world, and I had to wait until my heart was so full that I had to share the secret or my heart would burst.

That’s okay. There was time.

"What is the plan today?" I asked.

"I have work I must complete today. You?"

I tilted my head. "Yeah, let’s say I have work, too. Have you had breakfast? I can cook."

"I have. Your breakfast is in the fridge."

I kissed his cheek. "As thoughtful as ever." I chucked him under the chin. "Be good, kitty kitty. I’ll check in on you later."

"Kitty, kitty? You call a full-grown tiger kitty kitty?"

I tilted my head at him and smiled. "You were a kitty kitty for me, like last night after I slid down your body and used my mouth on you. I could have sworn you purred."

"Seems like you were purring yourself a bit."

"I was."

"If you don’t leave this room right now, you may be purring again. Is your body up for another round?" Alec asked.

Everything in me clenched as I thought of what Alec was suggesting. Could I go another round? Yes. Would I pay for it later? Yes. But sometimes, delayed gratification was worth it. Besides, Alec had work to do, and I had a Mrs. H to identify.

"I’m going. I’m going. Find me when you are ready for a break. I’ll be snuggling my laptop in my room."

"You don’t have a desk in your room."

I shrugged. "I’ve worked in a lot worse conditions than spread out on a king-size bed with a fully stocked kitchen down the hall and you around to distract me periodically."

"Do me a favor and either work at the dining room table or from my bedroom."

"Why?"

"I’m turning your bedroom into a second office."

"Today? I thought you had work to do."

"I won’t have you living like a visitor in your own home."

"Wait. What?"

My home was the church. Okay, granted, I hadn’t been there in a few days, and half of my meager belongings were now at Alec’s place, but I didn’t recall Alec asking me to move in or me agreeing.

Alec held up a hand to hush me while he made a call. In less than sixty seconds, he ordered a room conversion and furniture for my new office. He also spoke to my heart when he ordered top-of-the-line tech gear.

If I stayed, Alec was surely making it worth my while, but I made promises to my people at the church. I felt safe at the church. Alec was too new in my life to garner that kind of security. He also had a mobster father who was, at the very least, Lettie’s match. If I tied myself to Alec, I could be jumping from one dysfunctional marriage into another, only the sex was far better.

Granted, though, it didn’t feel the same. Alec made a major effort to treat me well. He gave me as much autonomy as he could. He wanted my company and my words. And he made me a better person. I got none of that from King. Not while we lived together.

"Stay with me. I don’t want to send you home at the end of the evening. I want you by my side."

"Do you ask everyone you sleep with to move in with you?"

"You are not everyone. But, to answer your question, no. In fact, I don’t make it a habit of letting women I’m only casually acquainted with into my home. You’re the first, and hopefully the last, since I moved in here."

"I have a home at the church, Alec. I’m not ready to move out."

"Okay, then keep your room at the church. Go back any time you feel the need, but can you consider my home your secondary home? That place you were talking about, where you go to escape when you need space from your friends. I can wait until you’re ready for more."

That I could do. I nodded.

"And Teela, don’t think I didn’t notice that you’ve not told me how you feel about me. I can wait for that, too. But you should know, I’m all in, Teela. Whatever it takes, I want to be by your side."

I held my forefinger to my thumb in an okay and walked away.

Whatever happened to dating for a few months or years before committing to one another? My head was spinning from how fast things were progressing. If Alec was as willing as he sounded, I needed him to back the hell up and spend a lot more time working out with me. A few dinners at nice restaurants, maybe a weekend trip or two, holding hands at the movies.

And as weird as it sounded, I thought we even needed to survive a few more disagreements before we permanently shared an address.