Nico

When I returned to the room after my shower, Alaric was lying flat on the bed with his eyes closed. His wet clothes were piled in the corner beside mine.

He was completely naked except for the white towel wrapped tightly around his waist.

My eyes roamed slowly over his body, tracing every line of his defined biceps, moving down across his chest and abdomen, and then settling on the visible outline of his cock pressing against the thin fabric of the towel.

The sight made something stir deep inside me.

I visibly gulped as heat rushed through my body, and then I began to feel the unmistakable throb of my own cock hardening against the soft material of my robe.

The growing erection pressed insistently forward, making the front of the robe tent slightly.

Then Alaric’s eyes opened wide and met mine directly. For a moment, neither of us said anything at all.

We just stared at each other in heavy silence until Alaric suddenly rose from the bed, casting me a clear look of disgust as he stood up.

"Alaric, I..." I tried to speak, but he just limped past me, making sure to brush his shoulder roughly against mine on the way. I did not give up so easily. I went after him immediately, but he shut the door right in my face once again.

"Dramatic princess!" I shouted loudly from the front of the door, my voice filled with playful frustration.

"Fuck you, Nicholas," he responded sharply from the other side, and that made me chuckle deeply because I knew I had successfully rage-baited him once more.

I wiped my hair dry thoroughly with the towel, then threw it onto the growing heap of wet clothes in the corner.

After that, I sat down on the edge of the bed, trying to calm the lingering arousal in my body.

The rain was still falling heavily outside, with lightning flashing brightly in the dark sky every few seconds. The sound of thunder rolled through the night, making the windows vibrate slightly.

Just then, a knock sounded firmly on the door, and I rushed to open it.

The male attendant had returned, this time accompanied by two more staff members—another male and a female—who were pushing trays of food into the room.

The rich, warm aroma of the freshly prepared food filled my nostrils instantly. It smelled of savory roasted herbs, warm buttery bread, rich garlic and spices, and hearty broth that promised comfort and satisfaction.

The delicious scent made my stomach rumble loudly with hunger and caused my mouth to water uncontrollably.

I was fucking starving after everything that had happened.

"Here is the first aid kit that you asked for," the attendant said politely as he handed over a small white box.

"Thank you," I muttered as I took the first aid kit from his hand.

The male attendant nodded politely and then pointed toward the trays of food. "We prepared hot cocoa for you both. It is a comforting drink on a stormy night like this," he said.

"Thank you," I replied again.

The bathroom door opened suddenly, and Alaric walked out. I turned immediately toward him, and my heart started racing fast inside my chest.

That was such a ridiculous reaction to just seeing him dripping wet, even though he was now fully clothed in the resort robe.

I am better than this, I thought to myself. I gritted my teeth and shut my eyes tightly for a second. You are better than this. He is just one man. You should not let him get to you like this.

"Oh, food!" Alaric shouted excitedly as he walked past me.

His familiar sandalwood scent filled me again, wrapping around me like a warm, intoxicating cloud.

Goodness. Was he doing this on purpose? I wondered silently, feeling the pull of his presence even stronger than before.

"I hope you enjoy your meal. I will hand your wet clothes to the cleaners, and they will have them ready tomorrow before you depart," the attendant continued.

I fluttered my eyes open and nodded. "Thank you."

The other male and female attendants picked up our wet clothes from the corner of the room and headed out quietly.

Once the door was shut and we were alone again, Alaric sat down at one side of the bed, opened the tray in front of him, and took one of the cups of hot cocoa.

I sat beside him on the bed, and our legs brushed slightly against each other. He immediately shifted away, and that small movement alone made me roll my eyes in mild frustration.

I picked up the other cup of hot cocoa and drank from it slowly, letting the warm, sweet liquid soothe me.

Then we started eating. We ate in complete silence. For a few minutes, neither of us said anything at all until we had finished the entire tray of food.

I was not the only one who had been starving.

Alaric made sure to clear his plates completely, leaving nothing behind.

The silence between us remained heavy even after we finished eating and pushed the trays away from the bed.

I looked at him, but he was looking elsewhere, staring at some point on the wall.

I did not like how he was not talking to me, so I decided to break the heavy silence that had settled between us.

"They brought the first aid kit," I announced, grabbing the box from the side of the bed and stretching it toward him.

As he tried to grab it, I placed my hand gently over his. "Let me help you," I offered softly.

"I don’t need your help," he refused as he took the box from me. "I can handle it myself."

I rolled my eyes, feeling tired of arguing with him. It had been such a long day, and all I wanted now was to sleep and maybe fantasize about him in the quiet of my mind.

It sounded crazy, but that was all I could think about at that moment.

Alaric opened the box and then scooted down to apply the cooling gel and compression wrap to his sprained ankle, but he was clearly struggling to reach and manage it properly on his own.

A sigh of frustration escaped me as I watched him struggle. "I know you have an ego bigger than your cock, but let me help you this time," I said. I grabbed the kit from him and gently raised his leg, placing it on top of mine for better access.

"I said I am fi—" he started, but I did not let him finish.

I began to massage the area carefully with the anti-inflammatory gel, and he winced sharply in pain.

"I know you are stubborn, but not in this case, princess," I told him firmly.

"Don’t call me that!" he protested.

"Princess," I repeated, smirking at him with satisfaction.

He elbowed me in response.

I chuckled softly and then continued applying the soothing gel followed by the elastic compression bandage, wrapping it snugly but not too tightly around his sprained ankle to reduce the swelling.

"I don’t know why you are so stubborn and would not let me help you. Does losing to me make you mad? Does it annoy you that much?"

Alaric scoffed loudly. "Your whole existence annoys me so much. I hate that you are everywhere when I don’t want you to be."

"I get under your skin that much," I said as I carefully secured the bandage. "I can’t believe I really get to you that much," I chuckled, the sound vibrating through my entire body. "The mighty Alaric de Villier is easily rage-baited by me. That is one point to me."

Alaric clenched his jaw so tightly that I could see the veins standing out on his neck and temple. "Do you think I want to be here with you?" he said through gritted teeth.

"Well, we are sharing a bed in a few minutes, so?" I replied, unable to keep the teasing tone out of my voice.

"What the hell is your problem with me!" Alaric yelled angrily. He suddenly grabbed the collar of my robe and pulled me closer. "I have had it with you pestering me. I know my return to the grid is giving you so much concern." He yanked me even nearer, and even though his face had turned red from pure anger, all I could focus on were his lips—those full, luscious lips.

Every time he opened his mouth to speak, all I wanted to do was lean in and kiss him senseless.

"You know, for someone who clearly makes jokes, your defensive driving on the track is still lacking. And you copied exactly how I made that late-braking move into Turn 1 in Silverstone three years ago. You are like a cheap copy of me, and I know you are scared that my return would make everything you have worked for become nothing. That is why you are so scared and acting this way, and..."

I did not let him finish. My impulsiveness took over completely, and I leaned in, pressing my lips firmly against his in a sudden kiss.

He froze instantly. His hand dropped from my collar and fell to his side.

Then he grabbed my shoulder in a firm grip and pushed me backward.

"What the hell—"

I leaned in again without hesitation and kissed him once more.

This time, I opened my mouth slowly, deepening the kiss with deliberate passion.

My lips moved against his with a gentle yet hungry rhythm, coaxing and exploring as I tasted him. I sucked lightly on his lower lip before sliding my tongue inside to meet his, turning the kiss slow, heated, and intense.

The world around us seemed to fade away as I poured every bit of pent-up desire into that single moment.

And then, gradually, Alaric started kissing me back.