My lips keep on tilting upward when we are checking out of the motel.

Jerry's, the manager, mouth hangs open when Alec pays him the double amount.

Alec is using cash and I don't know why.

"I hope you had a comfortable stay with us." Jerry grins at us, as his eyes drift from Alec to me.

"Your bed was not sturdy enough to handle us, that's why we could not properly sleep together." Wrapping an arm around Alec's arm, I give Jerry a sweet smile.

"Right, honey?" I innocently look at Alec, who is in return looking at me with slightly raised eyebrows.

"Even the air conditioning was not working properly." I make a face, "It's so hot." I fan my face.

"But then it is not entirely the air conditioner's fault." I let out a cheery laugh, "It is always so hot when you are around." I give a fake dreamy look to Alec.

"We are getting late." Alec gives me a pointed look, "I think we should get going, honey."

The look which Alec is giving me clearly tells he is not enjoying this at all.

He does not like attention on him, this is what I have figured, even though his whole personality draws attention without even doing anything.

Before I can have some more fun, Alec drags me outside the reception.

"Honey, what is the hurry?" I still continue my act as Alec opens the passenger door and nudges me inside the car.

"What happened?" I fake pout, as Alec sits in the driver's seat, "I thought after our morning action you will be in a happy mood, but all you have is this surly look on your face."

"Honey?" I suppress my smile and run my fingers on the side of his face, "Why are you not talking to me, honey?"

I notice Alec's lips twitch once giving a glimpse of his betraying smile, but he quickly masks his expression with his stoic look.

"Oh, so we are playing straight face- straight face? I slowly nod my head, already planning to break his stoic expression.

"So you will still keep sitting like this if I do this?" I smirk, as I move my fingers down his neck towards his arm.

The slight twitch in his arm muscles encourages me that I am just doing right.

"So you will even not react if I will do this?" Unbuckling my seat belt, I twist my body in the seat as I caress his jawline with my hand then leaning forward I place a small kiss on his jaw.

And nearly laugh when his Adam's apple moves up and down, as he swallows.

"Playing tough?" I run my nose along the side of his face, with a small victorious smile on my face as he slowly turns his face to me.

"I do not play games, Firefly." He looks straight into my eyes with an intensity that makes me forget my this stupid game. "This is not a game."

There is something behind his words that changes the entire mood of the car, from playful to a serious one.

Leaning back in my seat, now I try to decipher the meaning of his words.

"If I do this?" He holds my hand and kisses each of my knuckles, "I mean it." Running his thumb on the back on my hand, he again kisses my hand.

My eyebrows shoot up in surprise, waiting for him to laugh or smile but he does not.

"If I do this? I mean it." He holds my jaw and places a kiss just on the corner of my lips, "Because when it comes to you nothing is game for me."

"If I do this?" Curling his fingers behind my neck, he grips it and pulls me towards himself, from my peripheral vision I notice he has stopped the car off the road.

"It means that you are trying to break my neck?" I ask in a whisper and watch a hint of a smile breaking onto his face.

"If I wanted to break your neck, then I would be holding you like this." He brings his other hand and places it on the side of my chin, securing his hold on my head.

A normal sane person would be panicking by now, even I would have slightly panicked if it was someone other than him.

By his grip only I can tell that I am completely on his mercy, one harsh twist towards the side and... snap.

Relaxing myself, I stare at him as his lips curve in a playful smile.

"If I do this then what does it mean?" He slightly twists my neck to the side, his fingers rubbing circles on the back of my neck.

"It means that either I trust you too much or I am a fool to allow you to come this close to me," I say deadpan, "Either way, whatever happens, it is going to be my fault."

The smile on his falters, his expression turns solemn.

"You think that I can hurt you?" He asks gently cupping my face.

"No, I think, I trust you." I smile at him, his eyes search my face for any lie but I know he will not find any because it is true.

******************************************

"Are we there yet?" I ask Alec, while slightly groaning, it has been half an hour since we left the motel and we are still on the road.

"Not yet," he replies.

"How much longer?" I ask as I place my leg on the dashboard making Alec frown.

"Just in a few moments, we will be there," he answers, "It is just two hours away from the town, but it took longer than necessary because of the roadblock."

Suddenly, I can feel his excitement as a property comes into a view, secured with high wall brick walls.

He stops the car in front of a large wrought iron gate and turns to me, with a smile that seems slightly nervous.

His expression looks odd and completely opposite to his personality.

"Today is my birthday." He lets out a nervous chuckle.

"What?" I look at him in shock, "Today is your birthday, and you are telling me this now?" I frown.

"I have not even bought anything for you." I slap his arm, "If you would have told me earlier, I would have bought a gift for you, idiot." I glare at him.

"I need your yes, as a gift." His nervous expression vanishes replacing it with some other expression which I can't guess.

"My, yes?" I glance at him with confusion as he honks the car and the gate opens as he drives the car inside the gate.

There is a road between the woods, the thick trees lining on each side of the road, forming an arch above the road. The sun rays passing through the trees creating different patterns on the ground.

"A small forest for you to roam around freely at night, without giving me a heart attack." He lightly chuckles increasing my confusion.

"What do you mean?" My gaze shifts between him and the road.

But he does not reply just keeps on driving.

However, I can stop looking out the window, because the greenery looks so beautiful, so soothing instantly spreading a calming effect on me.

"A small lake for you, relax or let out your outburst." he nods his head at the small lake, peeking through the trees, then he turns to me with a teasing glint in his eyes, "Or to go skinny dipping."

My eyes widen not expecting him to say anything like this.

Suddenly, the car stops making me tear my eyes away from my surroundings.

Leaning forward in my seat, I stare at the beautiful house in front of me.

It is a Victorian-style house, not very big and not very small, to me, it looks just perfect. Standing tall, amid of its beautiful surroundings.

There is a large lawn in front of it, ending just before from where the forest starts.

I am so lost in watching the house then I do not even realize when Alec has stepped outside the car. I get startled when he opens the passenger door and extends his hand to me.

Looking between his hand and face, which is again not giving away anything that is going on in his mind, I step outside the car placing my hand in his.

My gaze again turns to the house then I look around everything around me in fascination. Because it is hard not to be captivated by all this. It is simply beautiful.

He gently tugs my hand, forcing me to follow him. He stops directly in front of the house, he looks at the house for a few moments as his hold on my hand tightens. I watch him, as he takes a deep breath as if he is preparing himself.

Then he turns to face me and smiles.

"A house for you, which we can turn into our dream home if you will allow me." He says quietly but for me, his voice clearly resonates in my ears.

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