How Deep is Your Love

Chapter Nine: Keeping Things Private

Waking up next to Aliona, Iker tightened his grip around her waist as he rested his head against hers; he couldn't remember the last time that he had felt like this about his ex-girlfriend.

The blonde next to him awoke feelings in him that he hadn’t felt in years, Iker smiled to himself as he watched her contently; he wanted nothing more to stay locked in his room like this with her.

“Mañana,” Aliona saidsoftly as she opened her green eyes to meet Iker’s brown ones; the Spaniard smiled before he cupped her face and pulled her into a kiss.

“Buenos días,” Iker replied as a smile formed on his face, the blonde glanced at the clock next to the bed and groaned when she realised what time it was.

Iker looked at her as she rolled out of bed, Aliona quickly started to get dressed; she hated to leave like this but she had a shift at the hospital and she couldn't take more time off.

“I’m sorry, I have to go,” the blonde said as she turned to look at Iker as he climbed out of bed, he moved towards her and stopped her from closing her shirt.

Aliona swallowed as the Spaniard cupped her face and kissed her softly, wrapping his arms around the blonde stopped him from undressing her.

“I have to go to work,” Aliona said making Iker look at her, he didn't want her to leave after their night together; he wanted a repeat as soon as possible.

“I’ll see you tonight,” Aliona said as she pressed a kiss to his lips, she hated to leave like this but she couldn't be late for her shift.

Iker frowned as he watched her leave, he wanted nothing more than to pull her back inside and lock the door; but he knew that he couldn't cost her, her job.

The Spaniard sighed as he moved to get dressed, he doubted that he would be able to sleep now that Aliona had left; he had slept better with Aliona than he had done alone since Sara had left him.

***

Pulling her hair back out of her eyes, Aliona smiled as she stepped out of the locker room and started towards the nurses’ station to collect her patients files before she headed off on rounds.

“You look different,” Dr. Tina Yang said making the blonde smile at her as she checked over what she had missed; her friends stared at her in wonder of what could have made Aliona this happy.

The blonde smiled at her friends, who continued to stare at Aliona as if she had lost her mind; in all the years that she had worked at the hospital, they had never expected to see her this happy after what Daniel had done.

“Did you bang your head on that rescue mission?” Dr. Jorge Mendes teased as Aliona looked through her files, she hadn’t been this happy in years and her friends were curious about what had caused it.

“Nope,” Aliona said as she flashed him a smile, the blonde turned on her heel and walked away to check on her patients making the others stare after her confused.

“Should we make her take a drugs test?” Tina asked making the others look at her; whatever had made this happen was either extremely good or extremely bad.

Tina licked her lips before she followed after her friend curiously, she wanted to know what had happened to make this happen; she hadn’t thought that Aliona would ever be this happy again.

The blonde had been acting strange since she had returned from the Madrid capital and it made Tina wonder what had happened while she was separated from her friends.

“Okay Aliona spill…” Tina said when she finally caught up with the blonde who was making notes on one of her patients; Aliona glanced at her and raised an eyebrow before she continued with her work.

“You’ve been extremely happy recently, you have this sort of glow about you and is that a love bite on your neck?” Tina asked as she spotted the red mark on her friend’s neck; Aliona slapped her hand over the mark and stiffened, she wondered how she had missed it when she had showered, washed and dressed this morning.

“Oh my God it is… who is he?” Tina asked excitedly as Aliona finished what she was doing, she flashed a smile at her patient before leading Tina from the room; the blonde sighed and shook her head in denial.

“There is no one,” Aliona denied making Tina raise an eyebrow at her friend; she could sense that the blonde was hiding something from her.

“Come on Ali… por favor,” Tina begged making the blonde shake her head as she continued on her rounds; Aliona knew better than to confess what had happened between herself and Iker to her friends, it would give her much unwanted attention and draw the attention of someone, she didn't wish to see again.

***

Iker sighed as he leant back against the wall watching the sun set across the valley in front of the main house; his friends were messing about back at the dining hall but he didn't want to join them.

The Spaniard smiled as he spotted Aliona’s Ford Focus driving up the driveway and pulling next to her father’s jeep; the blonde flashed Iker a smile as she climbed out of the car.

“Is there something that you should have warned me about?” Aliona asked as she approached him, Iker furrowed his brow before his brown eyes caught sight of love bite on her neck; he smirked and shook his head as Aliona glared at him.

“I’ve had to fend off questions all day about you Mr. Casillas,” the blonde said as she stepped around him as Iker watched her, it was like a mark of his ownership and he was glad that he had done it.

Aliona sighed as she glanced up at her parents’ house, she knew that she had to warn him before things went too far; it wasn’t safe for him to do what he had done.

“Iker… if we are going to do this, we need to talk,” Aliona said softly making him look at her; he knew that there was something bothering her and he hoped it wasn’t about not marking her again, he couldn't promise that he wouldn’t do it again.

“Not here… I’ll come around later and explain,” Aliona said as she heard her children, she glanced at Iker who nodded before the twins shot out of the house to greet their mother.

Iker watched her greet her children with a smile, he wondered what she wanted to talk to him about that couldn't be said here; he slowly moved away from the house and towards the dining hall.

The Spaniard stopped as he felt something inside of him beg him to turn around and look at Aliona and the twins; he didn't know why until he looked back at the blonde with her children.

Iker’s need for a family of his own seemed suddenly content with watching Aliona and the twins; this was what he wanted, what Sara couldn't give him.

The Spaniard swallowed as he realised that if he worked this out just right, his dream of having a family was in reach and he could have a wonderful loving wife and children that adored him with Aliona and the twins.

Iker watched them for another moment before Xabi called out to him; he had been looking for his friend and was curious as to why he was watching Aliona and the twins with interest.

Iker flashed him a smile as he joined him, he would keep his fling with Aliona quiet for now; he wanted to make things work so that his dream would become a reality.