Fated to the Triplet Alphas-Chapter 97: A Drink

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Chapter 97

~Kael’s POV~

Alanna’s smile brightened. "The one where you refused to talk to anyone for two days because you lost a poker game."

"That’s not what happened."

She grinned. "You were brooding."

"I was thinking."

"You were sulking."

"I do not sulk."

She raised both brows. "You sulk professionally." 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

I scoffed. "You were worse," I shot back. "You were the one who dared me to jump off the dock naked."

Her laughter burst out instantly. "You did it!"

"You pushed me."

"You loved it." I shook my head, smiling despite myself.

"And then," she added mischievously, "you dragged me in with you."

My smile faltered slightly as the memory surfaced. We both went quiet, reminiscing the past. Alanna’s gaze flickered toward mine.

"I think that was the night we—" She stopped.

I cleared my throat to break the nervous situation. "Yeah."

She laughed awkwardly and took another drink.

"We should probably stop before this conversation gets inappropriate."

"Probably," I agreed.

A small silence followed, then she said softly, "We were good together."

I looked at her. My mind is replaying the last conversation we had before I left the house. Was she joking, right? She held my gaze steadily.

I nodded slowly. "Yeah," I admitted. "We were."

We poured ourselves another drink, toasted silently and drank together. We continued for another fifteen minutes until she chose to break the silence.

"Hmm," she cleared her throat. A moment later, Alanna stood. "Sit."

"Why?"

"You’re bleeding."

I glanced down and sure enough, a dark stain had spread along my sleeve. Alanna disappeared briefly and returned with a first aid kit.

"Take the jacket off." I removed the leather jacket and sweatshirt, tossing them onto a nearby chair.

She went to the sink and filled a bowl with water before grabbing a clean towel.

When she came back, she stepped close enough that I could smell the faint scent of her perfume.

"Hold still," she murmured.

The towel pressed gently against the cut on my arm. The moment her fingers touched my skin, something stirred low in my chest.

I felt every movement, every soft brush of her hand. Her brows furrowed slightly as she focused on cleaning the wound.

"You’re lucky this isn’t deeper," she said quietly.

"I’ve had worse."

She dabbed carefully along the side of my stomach where another cut ran across my skin. The touch sent a slow heat through me.

She must have felt the shift in my breathing because her hand paused, and our eyes locked. The air between us suddenly felt heavier.

For a brief moment, neither of us moved.

Alanna’s fingers were still resting lightly against my side, but the simple contact suddenly felt far more dangerous than it should have.

Her gaze flickered down to my lips before she caught herself, biting down softly on her lower lip as though trying to pull her thoughts back under control.

I swallowed, forcing myself not to react, yet the pull between us only tightened undeniably. "Kael..." she whispered.

Before either of us could think better of it, I reached forward, my hand sneaking into her hair as her lips met mine halfway.

The kiss started slowly, tentatively, then years of unfinished tension snapped. Alanna’s hands slid up to grip my shoulders as I pulled her closer.

We deepened the kiss immediately, hotter and hungrier than either of us expected. For a moment, the world outside the kitchen simply stopped existing.

Our lips moved against each other with a hunger that neither of us had been prepared for.

The faint taste of wine and beer lingered between us, the warmth of the alcohol loosening the tight restraint we had both been holding onto all evening.

My hand tightened slightly in her hair as our tongues tangled, pulling her closer until there was no space left between our bodies.

Alanna made a soft sound against my mouth, her fingers gripping the back of my neck as if she had no intention of letting me go.

The heat between us built quickly, too quickly.

Her body pressed against mine as she leaned forward, and the familiar warmth of her touch sent a rush of memories through my mind.

Every laugh we shared. Every late-night conversation. Every stolen moment we once thought would last forever.

My other hand moved instinctively along her side, sliding up the curve of her waist. She didn’t pull away.

Instead, she leaned closer, deepening the kiss even more.

The alcohol made everything feel warmer, looser, and more dangerous. The years that had separated us suddenly felt meaningless beneath the growing fire between us.

My fingers drifted higher without thinking. Then they paused when my palm brushed against the soft curve of her breast through the thin fabric of her shirt.

The moment froze me, and cruel reality slammed back into place all at once.

I pulled back suddenly, breaking the kiss.

Alanna blinked in confusion, her lips still parted as she leaned forward again, as though trying to close the distance we had just created.

"Kael—"

I caught her gently by the shoulders before she could kiss me again.

"Wait."

Her brows drew together slightly, her breath still uneven. "What?"

I ran a hand down my face, forcing myself to stand up and step back even though every instinct in my body was screaming at me to pull her close again.

"I’m sorry."

The words felt heavier than they should have. Alanna stared at me for a moment, clearly trying to understand what had just changed.

"You’re apologizing?" she asked softly.

"I can’t do this."

Her expression shifted slightly. "Why not?"

I exhaled slowly, glancing away for a moment before meeting her eyes again.

"Because if we keep going..." I said quietly, "...I won’t stop." That was the truth. "And right now," I continued, my voice lower, "that’s a line we probably shouldn’t cross. I’m... I’m..."

I exhaled slowly as the silence settled into the kitchen again.

Alanna looked at me for several seconds, the warmth from the kiss still lingering in her eyes.

"Because you’re married. Yeah, my mistake." Neither of us said anything after that, and she walked off.

As soon as she wasn’t within sight, I slammed my hand into the table.