Chapter 152 - Close your eyes!

"Careful!" She called out in fright and pressed him gently back into the soft bed. "Shh...you mustn't move. Or your wound will reopen."

"What happened?" He only remembered the attack, everything that had happened after the attack was as if wrapped in a thick fog. Only her warm embrace and her tormented whimper flickered through the mist.

Gently she stroked the hair out of his face. "I... You were attacked... Why did you do that? You could have died!" Her voice broke as this horrible thought flashed through her mind.

He reached for her hand and put it against his cheek. "I was almost too late." he whispered with pain in his voice. "I promised you I'd take care of you and Adrien. You're my life, the only one I have to protect at all costs." She wasn't just any woman. He was wrong. She was his wife, his love. Strange how blind he could be. It had taken this danger to free him from his blindness. He had almost lost her. But he got better and better at admitting how much he needed her. He intertwined his fingers with hers and tenderly brought her hand to his mouth before gently pressing his lips into her palm. He smiled as his eyes fixed hers. "How badly have I been hit?" He asked teasingly and looked at the tubes that were attached to his body.

Tears welled up at the corners of her eyes. "Idiot! Just a few millimetres further and the knife would have pierced your colon. The doctor said the injuries only affected the fat and muscle tissue in the abdomen under the skin. I was so scared. They rushed you right into surgery. You lost so much blood, I thought you were gonna die. You needed a blood transfusion and... you needed stitches..."

"Sorry."

"What are you apologizing for? You saved me." She said softly. But her face reflected a whole range of emotions. It stirred her up. All that could be heard in the background was the dripping, beeping and buzzing of medical equipment.

Her heavy silence and discontented expression tormented him. Now that he knew how he felt about her, he could no longer deny how much she influenced him in all the tiniest matters. He was a fool. Now that he thought about it he realized how much her existence already dominated his mind. He could not remember when it had begun. It had taken over him slowly.

"This is my duty as your husband." He hurried to say. "I did a really great job. I deserve a reward for it." He grinned teasingly.

"Do you think I enjoyed that! It wasn't funny at all, Alexandre! Seeing you like that..."

"Sweetheart, I will always protect you with my life. So stop worry and give me a kiss." He simply ignored her sullen face and smiled at her full of expectation.

She gasped for breath at his boldness. Nevertheless, his demanding behavior made her nervous. She struggled with herself for several seconds.

Before Lily stood up, leaning slowly over his face. The closer she came, the faster the monitor beeped, which was attached to Alexandra's body via tubes. But as she quickly pressed her lips against his forehead, and then letting herself slide back onto the chair next to his bed with a bright red face, he couldn't help but sulk. He wanted to kiss her properly. Especially now that he finally realized how much she made his heart beat faster. He wanted to possess her all the more.

"I was thinking of another kind of reward. That was supposed to be a kiss?" Scolded Alexandre in disappointment. "Or do you want me to get up and claim my reward myself?"

She winced and moaned. For the blink of an eye, an angry spark flashed up in her eyes. Before she rose once more. "This is gonna be awkward..." She murmured and looked down at him. "Close your eyes!"

"I have to make sure that you will kiss me for real." She rolled her eyes and covered his eyes with her hand. Again the beeping of the monitor went crazy. Neither wounds nor painkillers could stop his heart from bouncing up and down in joyful anticipation. He felt her hair gently brush against his skin. Her sweet scent tickled his nose. Her warm breath caressed his face. She was close to him, he could feel it.

And then... Her soft lips gently touched his. She tasted sweet. He wanted to raise his hand to pull her closer, but something held him down. Only then did he remember that his hand was connected to an IV tube. He sighed in regret as her lips parted from his again.

He still indulged in the memory of their too short kiss and played with the thought of asking for another one...