Nico

I carefully arranged the dishes across Alaric’s dining table before placing the bottle of wine I brought beside the plates along with two crystal wine glasses.

Beneath the warm lighting of the penthouse, the food looked good enough to belong in one of Monaco’s expensive restaurants instead of something I cooked because of a ridiculous bet.

The rich scent of garlic butter, rosemary, and parmesan still lingered throughout the apartment while the Monaco skyline glowed softly beyond the massive windows overlooking the city.

Once I finished setting the table properly, I removed the apron and tossed it neatly over one of the kitchen stools before leaving the dining area in search of Alaric’s bedroom.

I eventually found it near the left side of the hallway, the door already slightly open as though he had been too exhausted to close it completely before collapsing onto the bed again.

The moment I stepped quietly inside, my entire body slowed.

He was still asleep.

Honestly, seeing Alaric De Villier curled beneath dark blankets like that felt strangely ridiculous considering this was the same man who spent entire races trying to force me off the track at terrifying speeds.

For several quiet seconds, I simply stood near the entrance staring at him.

The room was dim except for the pale afternoon sunlight slipping through the curtains and spreading softly across the bed. His blond hair looked messy from sleep, strands falling carelessly against his forehead while his face remained relaxed in a way I rarely ever saw when he was awake.

There was no arrogance.

No sharp remarks.

No walls carefully built around himself.

Just Alaric.

I slowly walked farther into the room before sitting carefully on the edge of the bed beside him. The mattress dipped slightly beneath my weight while the scent of sandalwood drifted softly through the air around me.

The entire room smelled like him.

Rich smoky sandalwood.

Before I could properly think about what I was doing, I found myself reaching toward his face instinctively. My hand stopped halfway before touching him though, and instead I slowly traced my finger through the air near his brows without making contact.

He looked unfairly beautiful while asleep.

The soft rise and fall of his breathing, the tiredness finally gone from his expression, the way the sunlight touched his skin beneath the blankets — all of it made something tighten quietly inside my chest.

Not painfully.

It felt like missing someone longer than you realized and only understanding it once they were finally standing in front of you again. It felt like comfort. Like relief. Like seeing him here somehow settled something restless inside me that I had ignored for years.

And honestly?

That terrified me far more than attraction ever could.

I quickly shoved the thought aside before it could settle any deeper inside my head.

Then the scent of sandalwood drifted toward me again enough to make my stomach twist strangely.

God.

He smelled incredible.

Before I could stop myself, I shifted properly onto the bed beside him and turned slightly just to stare at his face again. The mattress sank softly beneath my body while sunlight spilled quietly across the room around us.

This time, when I reached toward him again, my fingers brushed gently against his cheek.

Almost immediately, his eyes fluttered open.

Hazel eyes met mine without warning.

For several long seconds, neither of us spoke.

We simply stared at each other while the silence inside the room thickened into something tense and strangely intimate.

Then my thumb brushed lightly against his face once more.

That was apparently enough to drag him fully back to reality.

His eyes widened instantly before he jerked upright far too quickly and smashed his forehead directly against mine.

Pain exploded across my forehead immediately.

"Ow, fuck," I groaned while clutching my head in pain.

"What the hell are you doing inside my room staring at me like some creepy psychopath?" Alaric snapped while holding his own forehead.

I let out another groan before collapsing backward dramatically across the bed.

"I came to tell you the food was ready," I complained while rubbing the throbbing ache in my forehead. "How was I supposed to know you would still be sleeping like the dead?"

Alaric narrowed his eyes suspiciously at me before climbing out of bed.

"I need to brush my teeth and shower," he announced while walking toward another door connected to the left side of his bedroom. "I will be out in a few minutes."

Then he disappeared into the bathroom before I could answer him.

I remained stretched across his bed afterward while staring lazily toward the ceiling above me. His scent still lingered heavily throughout the room even after he walked away, wrapping around me in a way that felt dangerously comforting.

Without even realizing it, I inhaled deeply against the pillows beneath me.

And embarrassingly enough, I liked his scent far more than I should have.

A slow thrill spread quietly through my chest while I closed my eyes briefly.

Goodness, I thought to myself. He smells way too fucking good.

Then I suddenly heard footsteps approaching from inside the bathroom.

I immediately rushed to stand before Alaric returned and caught me lying across his bed like some obsessed lunatic, but the moment I stepped backward, my foot slid violently against the polished marble floor.

And then I crashed directly onto the ground.

"Ow— fuck!"

Pain shot sharply through my side while I laid sprawled across the floor in complete humiliation.

The bathroom door flew open immediately afterward.

"What the hell happened now?" Alaric demanded while rushing out of the bathroom.

And unfortunately for me, he had only managed to wrap a towel loosely around his waist before coming out.

Every coherent thought inside my head disappeared instantly.

His blond hair was still damp from the shower while droplets of water slid slowly down the sharp lines of his chest before disappearing lower across his abdomen. His body looked unfairly perfect beneath the soft bedroom lighting, lean muscle stretched tightly across his stomach while sharply defined abs disappeared beneath the towel hanging dangerously low around his hips.

For several long seconds, I completely forgot I was supposed to be in pain.

Apparently, Alaric noticed exactly where I was staring too.

His expression hardened immediately before he grabbed another towel nearby and threw it directly at my face.

"Putain de pervers(fucking pervert)," he muttered beneath his breath while turning away from me.

I burst out laughing immediately after translating the insult inside my head.

Pervert.

Fair enough.

By the time he disappeared back into the bathroom, I finally forced myself off the floor while rubbing my aching side dramatically before heading back toward the dining area.

I paced around the penthouse for several minutes afterward while waiting for him to finish getting ready.

Eventually, Alaric finally walked out looking freshly showered and annoyingly attractive all over again.

He wore loose black sweatpants paired with a fitted grey shirt that clung lightly against his still slightly damp skin. His blond hair remained messy from the shower, soft strands falling naturally against his forehead while the relaxed outfit somehow made him look softer and far more approachable than usual.

And honestly?

That felt even more dangerous than seeing him half-naked.