[BL] A Marriage Ruled by Family, Saved by Desire-Chapter 21: A Reminder of Who He Belonged To

~Alistair’s POV~

"Hello," she said smoothly. "Would you mind if I joined you? Everywhere else seems to be full."

"No," I said instantly, my tone flat and unwelcoming.

"Actually, yes, go ahead," Roman interrupted, pulling out the chair next to him.

The woman, who introduced herself as Ella, sat down with an air of forced confidence.

She immediately tried to pull me into conversation, her eyes scanning my face with an interest that made my skin crawl. She asked questions, made observations about the view, and tried every trick in the book to get me to engage, but I gave her nothing but icy, one-word answers.

Roman kept trying to bridge the gap, playing the charming host to make the situation work, but I’d had enough.

Finally, I raised my left hand, the band on my finger catching the light of the rooftop. "I’m married," I said, cutting her off mid-sentence. "So you can stop trying."

The rejection was so blunt it was physical. Ella’s smile vanished instantly. "Oh... I’m sorry," she stammered, standing up so fast her chair screeched against the floor. She didn’t look back as she disappeared into the crowd.

Roman turned to me with a frustrated sigh. "Why would you do that to her, Alis? She’s beautiful."

I looked at him, completely unimpressed. "What was beautiful about her? My husband looks better than she does on his worst day. Stop talking about her, Roman. I told you, I’m married."

Roman shook his head, a cynical smirk tugging at his lips. "You’re seriously telling me he’s the only one you’ve ever wanted? You’ve never even thought about anyone else?"

"Who else would I want?" I snapped, cutting him off before he could go any further. "Drop it, Roman. Change the subject, or I’m leaving."

"Alright, alright," Roman said, lifting his hands in surrender. He took a sip of his drink, then shifted gears. "I’m having a birthday party this weekend. I want you there."

I leaned back, my expression softening only slightly. "Alright. But I can’t promise anything yet. I need to talk to my husband first. I only go where he permits me to go."

Roman’s smile turned into a skeptical smirk. "And what if your husband says no?"

"Then I won’t come," I replied without a second of hesitation.

Roman shook his head, looking at me as if I were a stranger. "You have really changed, Alis. The guy I knew back then would never have let someone else hold the leash."

I met his gaze steadily, my voice unwavering. "When you’re with the right person, Roman, you change for the better. This isn’t a leash; it’s a choice. And it’s the best one I’ve ever made."

Roman let out a dry laugh, leaning back in his chair. "Man, you’re making me question my entire single life right now."

"Why are you still single, anyway?" I asked, finally relaxing enough to take a sip of my drink. "You’re damn good-looking, Roman. You should hurry up, find someone, and actually commit. You need to experience what it really means to be in love, to have someone who is your entire world."

Roman smiled, looking a bit thoughtful. "Maybe you’re right. I’ll keep an eye out."

We fell into a more natural rhythm after that, drifting into general talk about old classmates and the paths everyone had taken since high school. It was almost normal, until it wasn’t.

In the middle of Roman telling a story about our old friends, the device inside me suddenly roared to life. The vibration was intense, a high-powered hum that hit me so unexpectedly I let out a sharp, breathless, "Fuck!"

I gripped the edge of the table, my hands trembling as a hot wave of pleasure and shock surged through my core.

Roman jumped, nearly spilling his beer. "Whoa! What happened? You okay? Did you get a cramp or something?"

"I... uh..." I bit my lip, trying to blink away the haze that was already beginning to cloud my vision. My heart was racing, and the vibration didn’t stop, it pulsed, steady and demanding. "I’m fine. Just... a sudden sharp pain. In my side."

"You look a little more than fine, man," Roman said, his concern obvious, confusion flickering across his face at my sudden breathlessness.

I didn’t answer. I grabbed my phone with trembling fingers and fired off a frantic text to Alex.

Alis: Babe! Stop it!! I’m on my way home right now!! 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

A second later, the screen lit up.

Alex: Okay, baby. See you soon.

The vibration cut off instantly, leaving me feeling hollow and incredibly needy. I took a deep, shuddering breath and pushed my chair back. "I have to go, Roman. Right now."

"Why so sudden?" Roman asked, glancing at his watch. "We just started the second round."

"My husband," I said, my voice finally steadying even as my body still hummed. "He just messaged me. He needs my attention... urgently."

Roman smirked, finally catching a bit of the vibe. "Alright, I get it. The boss calls, you run."

"He’s not the boss," I corrected with a wink, "he’s my husband."

Roman tried to reach for the check, but I beat him to it, pulling out my card. "I’ve got this."

"Alis, come on, I invited you—"

"I insist," I said, quickly tapping my card on the reader. Once the receipt printed, I didn’t linger. I gave Roman a quick wave as I started walking toward the exit. "Happy early birthday! I’ll let you know about the party!"

I didn’t wait for his reply. I practically ran toward the elevators, my mind already miles away, centered entirely on the man waiting for me behind our bedroom door.

The drive home was a blur of neon lights and adrenaline. Every time I hit a red light, I shifted restlessly in my seat, the phantom sensation of that vibration still haunting my skin. As I finally pulled into our driveway, the headlights swept across the parking lot, revealing a sight that made my heart melt.

Alex stood in the middle of the lot, practically bouncing on his feet. He waved his arms with the kind of unfiltered joy you only saw in a child who had just spotted his favorite person arriving with a bag of candy.

I couldn’t help but laugh, a wide smile breaking across my face as I pulled the car into its spot. But the moment I shifted into park, Alex’s expression shifted from playful to devious. He held the remote up like a trophy and clicked it.

"Fuck!" I gasped, my back arching into the leather seat as the device inside me roared back to life at a much higher frequency than before.

Alex leaned against the brick wall, his thumb moving in slow, rhythmic circles over the control dial. He was watching me through the windshield, his eyes dark with mischief as he watched me squirm. I gripped the steering wheel, my breath coming in short, ragged hitches. Every click of that remote sent a fresh wave of electricity straight to my core. My head fell back against the headrest, a broken moan escaping my lips as he pushed the settings higher and higher.

Finally, he sauntered over and yanked the car door open.

"Stop... babe, stop," I whimpered, my eyes fluttered shut as I tried to regain my composure.

He clicked it off, the sudden silence inside my body almost as jarring as the sensation itself. "Welcome home, baby," Alex murmured, his voice a low, vibrating purr.

He didn’t even wait for me to get out. He leaned into the car, climbing over me and pinning me against the seat as he captured my lips. The kiss was desperate and hungry, a chaotic tangle of tongues that tasted like longing and possessiveness.

"How was the outing?" he murmured against my mouth, his hands already wandering.

"It was... good," I managed to say, my voice sounding completely wrecked.

Alex pouted, resting his forehead against mine, suddenly acting like a needy child. "I missed you so much. The house felt too big without you."

I smiled, softening completely. "I missed you too, baby."

He kissed me again, deeper this time, a hot, wet exchange that made my toes curl. But as we finally pulled apart, the playful light in his eyes dimmed, replaced by a flicker of hesitation. He stared at me for a long beat, his thumb tracing my lower lip.

"Babe... there’s something I should tell you," he said softly.

I looked at him, my heart sinking slightly at his tone. "Babe? Talk to me. What is it?"

Alex let out a long breath, unable to meet my gaze for a second. "I need to travel this weekend."

"Travel?" I repeated, the word tasting bitter. "To where?"

"It’s for business," he said, though he looked uneasy.

"Business? Who brought this business up so suddenly?" I asked, my eyes narrowing.

Alex went silent, the air in the car turning heavy and tense. He looked away toward the house before finally whispering the words I dreaded most.

"My mother."