[BL] A Marriage Ruled by Family, Saved by Desire-Chapter 23: When Doubt Crept In

~Alistair’s POV~

I was just starting to relax, feeling the warmth of his skin against mine, when the sharp, digital chime of his phone cut through the silence.

I watched him stiffen. He grabbed the device and stood up abruptly, turning his back to me as he typed a rapid response.

He stayed like that for several minutes, hunched over the screen in a way that felt uncomfortably secretive, before tossing the phone back onto the nightstand.

Curiosity sparked, sharp and unsettling. I licked my lips, masking it with a small smile.

"Babe," I murmured, "I’m really thirsty. Would you mind getting me a cold glass of water from downstairs?"

"Of course, baby," Alex said, his voice a little too quick, a little too eager to please. He headed for the door, leaving the phone behind.

The moment I heard his footsteps fade down the hallway, I lunged for the device. My heart hammered against my ribs. I swiped into his messages and saw the name at the top: Mother.

I scanned the latest text. My blood ran cold. "She will meet you at the airport. Everything is arranged."

My mind raced. She? Who was ’she’? The phrasing didn’t sound like Alex was traveling with his mother; it sounded like he was being set up to meet someone else entirely. I tried to scroll up to see the previous messages, desperate for context, but the sound of Alex’s footsteps returning forced me to freeze.

In that exact second, the phone began to vibrate in my hand. His mother’s contact photo filled the screen. Panicked, I swiped the chat away and stood up just as Alex pushed the door open, trying to look like I was simply coming to meet him.

"Who’s calling?" Alex asked, eyeing the phone in my hand as he set the glass of water on the nightstand.

"It’s your mother," I said, my voice steady despite the roar in my ears.

"Okay, baby. Drink your water," he murmured, handing me the cup. "I’ll be right back. I need to take this."

I nodded, watching him disappear into the hallway again. I sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the water, the glass trembling in my hand. Maybe I’m overthinking this, I told myself. I trust him. I have to trust him.

But an hour passed. One long, agonizing hour while I listened to the low murmur of his voice through the walls. By the time the door finally opened and Alex returned, I had crawled under the covers and turned away, pretending to be fast asleep.

I waited for him to reach for me, to give me that "reminder" he had promised in the car. But to my shock, he remained silent. He didn’t try to touch me or wake me up. He simply slid into bed, wrapped his arms around me from behind in a protective but strangely distant hug, and drifted off.

Within minutes, his breathing became deep and even. He was out. But I stayed wide awake, the silence of the room feeling heavy with things unsaid.

An hour crawled by, and then another. Finally, unable to bear the distance, I slowly turned in his arms. I reached out, my fingers trembling as I began to trace the familiar lines of his chest, my heart aching with a sudden, desperate need to reclaim him.

I shifted closer, my touch turning bold and intentional. I began to unbutton Alex’s pajama shirt, my fingers grazing his warm skin until his chest was bare. I rubbed my palms against him, feeling the steady thrum of his heart speed up as he began to stir. I leaned in, pressing hot, lingering kisses to his jaw, his neck, and finally his lips.

Slowly, Alex’s body began to respond. He groaned low in his throat, his hands coming up to grip my waist as he returned the kiss with a sleepy hunger.

"I want you," I murmured against his lips, my voice thick with a seductive, desperate edge. "Take me, Alex. Right now."

Alex didn’t need to be told twice. He pulled me on top of him, his hands sliding under my silk top as our mouths crashed together again. As we kissed, our bodies aligned, our cocks grinding together through the thin fabric of our clothes. It should have been perfect, but my mind was a thousand miles away, trapped in the glowing screen of his phone and the mysterious woman his mother mentioned. I was moving, but I wasn’t there.

Alex felt it. He stopped unbuttoning my silk shirt, his hands going still on my hips. He pulled back, his eyes searching mine in the dim light. "What happened?" he asked softly.

I forced a small, sultry smile, trying to hide the tremor in my voice. "Nothing, baby. I just need you. That’s why I woke you up."

Alex didn’t buy it. He sighed and sat up slightly, leaving me straddled across his lap.

"Babe, how many years have we been together?" he said softly. "I can tell when something’s wrong. You’re not the type who wakes up once you’ve fallen asleep."

He ran a hand over my hip, his gaze sharp.

"You’re not hard enough," he said quietly. "It feels like you’re not in the mood. This isn’t you. Tell me what’s wrong."

The facade crumbled. I went silent, biting my lip as I looked down at his chest, unable to meet his eyes. The weight of the secret was suffocating.

Alex sighed again, a heavy, knowing sound. He tipped my chin up until I had no choice but to look at him. "Did you check my phone?"

My eyes welled up instantly. I felt like a toddler caught in a lie, my lip trembling as the first tear threatened to fall. "Yes," I answered quietly.

Alex didn’t get angry. He just stared at me, his expression unreadable, a long silence stretching between us. I couldn’t hold it back anymore.

"Who is she, Alex?" I asked, my voice cracking. "Who is the woman your mother was talking about?"