After a quick shower, she dressed, and headed for the stairs. She was thinking about checking her email, and didn't notice the sounds coming from the kitchen until the smells reached her nose. Pausing at the foot of the stairs, she inhaled deeply. The smell of bacon and coffee caused her stomach to grumble. She turned and headed through the door, stopping when she saw Nikki at the stove. She stood quietly and watched for a moment as she thought about how quickly she'd become comfortable with having her in her life. The attraction she'd felt initially hadn't faded away like she thought it would, instead it had grown. It was time to begin testing the waters and see how Nikki would react. It was time to start sharing, and trusting her not to take advantage.
She quietly walked into the kitchen and smiled at Nikki as she turned around. "Good morning. I wasn't expecting to see you this morning."
Nikki returned her smile. "It's my day off."
"Lucky me." Alex walked up and pinned Nikki against the counter. She looked into her eyes as she slowly began to lean in, and watched as she dropped her gaze to her lips. Her eyes slowly closed as she pressed her lips against Nikki's. As she leisurely began to lick and nibble, she felt her arms slide around her shoulders. She groaned as Nikki opened her mouth, welcoming her inside. Minutes later they broke apart, gasping for air.
Nikki gently separated their entwined bodies and said, "Wow. What was that for?"
Alex tore her gaze away from Nikki's full lips, and looked deeply into her eyes. "Does there have to be a reason?" She smiled as she slowly pulled away from her and turned towards the refrigerator. "Maybe I wanted to thank you for cooking breakfast."
Nikki walked over and stirred the potatoes. "I don’t think so. Somehow I don’t see you thanking Maria that way."
Alex chuckled as she pulled out the orange juice. "You got me there. Maybe I was just being selfish and taking what I wanted." She filled a glass before placing the container back in the fridge. "Or maybe I wanted to give you something to look forward to." She took a drink of her juice as she watched Nikki cooking. "Would you like some help?"
Nikki looked over her shoulder. "No thanks, I've got it. Why don't you sit down and relax? It will be another fifteen minutes or so."
She pushed off the counter. "Do you mind if I go check my email?"
"Not at all."
"Thanks." She turned and headed for her office. Pulling up her email, she smiled when she saw two of her beta readers had sent her messages. She quickly read them and was delighted to find they had both returned her book with high praise and limited corrections. She immediately opened her file and began to search out the defects they had found, correcting as she went. Her fingers were flying furiously over the keyboard when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Startled she looked up at a slightly aggravated Nikki.
"Your breakfast is getting cold. Are you going to come eat?"
She stiffened and quickly looked at the floor as she tried not to cower in the chair. "I'm sorry. I was so focused I didn't hear you call me. I'm sorry, it won't happen again."
Nikki squatted down in front of her chair, and into her line of sight. "Alex, look at me please." She waited for her to raise her eyes. "Who am I?"
Alex's shoulders drooped. "I'm sorry, Nikki. I know you won't hurt me. It's just a very hard habit to break. She taught me to fear her anger, even her annoyance. It didn't take much to set her off and get punished for it." She sighed. "I thought I'd made progress over the last couple of years, but having you here has really brought it all back."
"I'm not a violent person and don't wish it on anyone, but I really hope she gets hers." Nikki stood and turned her back. "Come and eat when you're ready," she said as she walked out.
Alex hung her head for a second before turning and saving her file. She stood and made her way to the kitchen. The table was set for two and filled with bacon, potatoes, eggs, and toast. She sat down and said, "It looks good, Nikki, thank you. I'm sorry I'm late."
"It's okay. I hope you like it." They filled their plates and began to eat as they discussed plans for the day.
"Do you mind if I work for a while today?" Alex asked.
Nikki thought about it for a moment then replied, "If you promise me two things. One, you call the doctor and see about getting an x-ray today. Two, you set a time limit on how long you work." Alex chewed on her lower lip as she thought about it. "I know your work is important, but I'd like to spend some time with you."
"Well in that case, how can I refuse?"
"Good. Now go call the doctor while I clean up."
Alex climbed back into the car and bumped the hard boot against the center console as she tried to get comfortable. "This is ridiculous."
Nikki smiled at her frustration. "Look at the bright side, you didn't reinjure the knee or the leg. A sprained ankle isn't all that bad. At
