#Chapter 97: Played

Ella & Alexander Ella The moment our lips touched, the mate bond exploded to life. The kitchen could have lit on fire for all I cared. The world could have imploded and it wouldn’t have meant a thing. All that mattered was the feeling of Alexander’s mouth moving against mine and the fact that he wasn’t pulling away yet. His hand slid from my cheek into my hair, fingers tangling in the strands to tilt my head so he could deepen the kiss. I could taste the garlic and herbs from the pasta on his tongue, could smell his cologne mixed with the kitchen scents, and, Goddess, it was intoxicating. I pressed closer to him. My hands fisted in his shirt, desperate to feel all of him against me and never let go. The stool I’d been sitting on was forgotten as Alexander lifted me up, my legs wrapping around his waist instinctively. He carried me the few steps to the kitchen island, then gently set me down on the edge without breaking the kiss for even a second. W