Stoking the Fire (Salus Security #1) - Teodora Kostova Page 0,71
arm in my lap, trusting me to take care of him, play behind my eyelids. That moment felt like he gave himself to me. In a way it was more intimate than having sex, and it was definitely more difficult for Alec to do.
“I get it,” Evie says, pulling me out of my thoughts.
“How are you? Excited for the final surgery?”
The pause Evie makes before replying makes me sit up straighter. “It’s been postponed.”
“What? Why? Is everything okay?”
“I’m fine,” she hurries to say. “But the surgeon had a family emergency and had to take some time off. It’s been rescheduled for the last week of August.”
The sadness and resignation in Evie’s voice tugs at my heartstrings.
“I’m sorry. I know you were looking forward to finally being done with this.”
“It is what it is. I’ve been in recovery for nearly three years. A week or two more is not that big a deal.”
“I wish I could be there for you.”
“You are, Zach. You don’t have to be physically here to do that.”
I nod even though she can’t see me. I hate leaving her there, but I know it’s for the best.
“How’s everything else? I’m cut off from the world here, and it’s making me anxious.”
“Things have actually calmed down. The protesters in front of the building are gone. I think they moved in front of Federal Hall. Now they’re protesting against the media as a whole, not just against us.” I can hear the eyeroll in Evie’s voice. “How many of those people actually care about the things written on their posters? And how many are paid by someone who benefits by this whole mess?”
“I bet Dad knows the answer to that question.”
“He knows the answer to many questions, but that doesn’t make anything better.”
We need a change of gear, or the conversation will grow increasingly depressing. So, I ask, “How’s Mom?”
Evie gives a longsuffering sigh. “Restless. I don’t think she’s ever been cooped up in the city this long, let alone inside the apartment. I saw her cleaning the kitchen in the middle of the night yesterday.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah.”
We chat a bit more, the conversation getting lighter every time Evie laughs, and by the time the damn device beeps urgently, my heart feels fuller.
“Listen, I gotta go, but I’ll call when I can, I promise. And if you need me, Felix can get in touch with Alec right away.”
Evie agrees to call me if anything comes up, and we hang up, the device’s beeping growing more insistent. I glare at it just as Alec comes into the bedroom.
“Was that enough time?” he asks, moving to turn off the noise.
“No,” I say with a disappointed sigh.
“I’m sorry…”
“It is what it is, Alec. She’s fine. That’s all that matters.”
Alec nods stiffly.
I run a hand through my hair. “I’m going for a swim,” I announce, suddenly too worked up to sit still.
Before he can reply, I pad out of the room and head out for the dock, stripping my clothes off along the way. The sun’s nearly behind the horizon, only a stray ray manages to linger above the trees. The water glistens, the tiny waves licking at the shore like an invitation.
Without a second thought, I raise my arms above my head and dive into the lake.
The water’s cool, enveloping me so fully and so suddenly that, for a moment, I forget how to move. But then my instincts take over, and I’m swimming, my head breaking out of the water and into the cool evening air.
The stillness around me feels unnatural. If my body wasn’t moving to tread water, I’d have thought I was in a painting.
From the corner of my eye I see Alec saunter over to the edge of the dock, then sit, bare feet in the water. He watches me, his eyes following me like the protector that he is.
I swim to him, lingering in front of him. He spreads his legs as if making room for me, so I swim between them, propping my hands on the edge of the wooden dock and pulling myself up. Alec’s arms come around me, heedless of the water I’m dripping on his clothes.
“Better?” he asks.
“Yeah.”
I lean in and kiss him. He opens for me without hesitation. He tastes faintly of mint as if he’s brushed his teeth after dinner. We kiss for a while, with no urgency, just enjoying each other, enjoying every slide of tongue against tongue, every scrape of stubble, every moan swallowed by our mouths.