Chapter 34 – Close Without Realizing

Morning came too quickly. The sunlight streaming through the bedroom window pulled Celeste from her sleep. Her eyelids fluttered before slowly opening.

As her consciousness returned, she became aware of something warm and firm wrapped around her waist. A steady, deep breath sounded so close behind her.

Alistair.

Celeste froze. She could feel his body pressed against her back, his arm still wrapped around her possessively, as if afraid to let her go.

Her heartbeat quickened. She turned her head slightly and found his face so close. He was still asleep, his breathing even, his expression far more peaceful than usual.

Celeste bit her lip. Since when did this feel... comforting?

She tried to move slowly, but Alistair's grip tightened as if he instinctively knew she wanted to pull away. He mumbled something incoherent in his sleep before finally opening his eyes.

Those gray eyes locked onto hers, trapping her in his gaze.

"Morning, sweetheart," Alistair murmured, his voice thick with sleep.

Celeste swallowed. "Let me go."

Alistair groaned softly, burying his face into the curve of her neck. "Five more minutes."

Celeste frowned. "You—"

"Five minutes," Alistair cut in lazily. "Then, I'll let you go."

Celeste sighed. She could have pushed him away, but for some reason, she didn't. And before she realized it, five minutes had already passed.

Alistair lifted his head, looking at her with a gaze full of meaning. "I lied. I'm not letting you go."

Celeste rolled her eyes. "Of course you did."

Alistair smirked. "I am a selfish man, after all."

Celeste exhaled, but this time, it wasn't out of frustration. There was something in Alistair's voice—something honest.

She looked at him closely, and for the first time, she felt that something had changed.

Something that was slowly, inevitably, shifting everything.

Celeste remained still in Alistair's embrace. There was a warmth that, strangely, didn't make her feel trapped but rather… safe?

No, this wasn't right. She couldn't allow herself to get used to this.

Celeste cleared her throat softly. "Alistair, it's morning. I need to get up."

The man sighed, clearly reluctant to let her go. "You can get up after I get something from you."

Celeste narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "What?"

Alistair smirked, and before she could react, he leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"Now you can get up."

Celeste froze. Her heart pounded wildly. She stared at him with wide eyes, while Alistair simply smiled in triumph.

"You… are unbearable," she muttered, quickly getting out of bed and heading toward the bathroom.

Alistair chuckled. "And you look adorable when you're flustered."

Celeste slammed the bathroom door shut, her face burning red.

Meanwhile, Alistair remained in bed, gazing at the closed door with a satisfied smile.

Celeste was starting to get used to him.

That meant just a little more… just a little more, and she would be his completely.

After spending a few moments in the bathroom, Celeste stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her cheeks still felt warm from what had just happened.

What was that? Why had she allowed Alistair to get so close?

She bit her lip, trying to push away the strange emotions swirling in her chest. She needed to stay rational. She had to remember who that man was—Alistair was not someone she could trust.

Yet, why did she always lose control whenever he got near?

Celeste shook her head quickly and splashed cold water on her face to snap herself out of it. She couldn't afford to sink into Alistair's game.

When she stepped out of the bathroom, the man was still sitting on the edge of the bed, watching her with an unreadable expression. Celeste ignored him and walked toward the wardrobe, searching for her clothes.

But before she could open the door, Alistair's arms wrapped around her waist from behind.

Celeste tensed. "What are you doing?"

He lowered his face, whispering near her ear. "I just want to look at you a little longer like this…"

"Like what?" Celeste tried to sound firm, even as her heart pounded wildly.

Alistair chuckled. "With your hair still slightly damp, your face flushed, and that look in your eyes… like you've been thinking about me."

Celeste gasped and immediately turned around. "I was not thinking about you!"

"Really?" Alistair leaned in slightly, forcing her to step back until her back pressed against the wardrobe. "Then why is your heart racing like this?"

He placed his palm over her chest, right above her erratic heartbeat.

Celeste held her breath. "Alistair… stop playing around."

"I'm not playing, Celeste." His gaze was deep and unwavering. Then, his hand slowly slid down, intertwining his fingers with hers. "I'm serious."

Celeste bit her lip. Her mind was at war with itself. Her logic screamed that this was just another one of Alistair's manipulations. But… her heart? At some point, her heart had started betraying her.

She needed to get out of here before she fell even deeper.

"I need to get dressed," she said quickly, avoiding his intense gaze.

Alistair smirked but didn't stop her this time. "Alright," he said, and just before finally letting her go, he leaned in once more and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. "Don't take too long, sweetheart."

Celeste stared at him in shock, while Alistair simply walked away casually, leaving her behind with emotions spiraling into chaos.