Rush

Chapter 16

Ana's POV

The smell of food burning jerked me awake the next morning and I made my way out of bed as quickly as I could, worried about a potential fire in the building.

I stopped short as I turned into the living room because rather than the fire I was expecting, there was Alex, cursing a blue streak as he tossed a smoking pan into the kitchen sink as he turned the water on full blast over it. He was cooking, didn't know he could do that. I walked closer to the kitchen, still going unnoticed by him.

"Everything okay?"

I never thought I would see the day when the unflappable Alexander Rush squawked. But that's exactly what he did once I made my presence known and then something even better happened. He blushed.

"Shit, I was hoping I would be finished before you woke up."

I tilted my head to the side and placed my hands on my stomach out of habit as I slimed at him.

"And what exactly is it that you're trying to do?"

He blushed an even deeper shade of red at that.

"I-uh-I was going to bring you breakfast in bed since you had such a rough day yesterday, thought you might want to relax for the day. But I obviously don't know my way around the kitchen."

He blushed even harder once he was done stuttering through his explanation and at the moment I was so glad that my skin was dark enough that my blush wasn't visible. He'd thought to make me breakfast in bed and the thought of him actually caring for me enough to do something like that left behind a flutter of something in my stomach, and it wasn't the baby this time either.

"Well, how about I help you out and we can have breakfast in bed together?"

He smiled at me, a real, genuine, pleasant smile.

"Yeah, I think I'd like that Anna."

I smiled at him as I made my way into the kitchen, grabbing two aprons as I made my way closer to him.

"Okay first things first, we need to keep our clothes clean."

Once we'd both donned aprons to cover our pajamas, I set to work directing Alex on how to make a simple breakfast of waffles eggs and bacon with a bowl of fruit that we were going to share. It was easy, being with Alex like this, with him finally relaxed and wearing something that wasn't a business suit for once. The conversation flowed easily between the two of us and there was no talk of my traumatic past, we were living in the moment and it was wonderful.

"How about we take this to my room, I have a TV so we can maybe watch a movie while we eat if you want."

That flutter was back with a vengeance at his proposition and he looked so damn earnest with the slight blush of his cheeks and in the way he nervously tightened his grip on the tray he was holding in his hands. I didn't even think about saying no.

"I'd love to."

"Good, great uh just follow me."

We made our way to his bedroom which stood on the opposite side of the penthouse from my bedroom. I expected harsh lines and lots of blacks and greys but I was surprised to find that his room was much more comforting and warm with earthy neutrals being the main theme of the room.

"Wow."

He huffed out a laugh.

"I'm glad you like it."

"It suits you."

And it truly did. Behind all the business suits and abrasive persona was someone totally different. I could visualize him in a board meeting in a well-tailored business suit and commanding the room but right here, dressed down in a t shirt and old, baggy sweats I could perhaps see the real Alex, the one that Cameron, Nick, and Jacob saw in their best friend, the one that his mother and sisters knew. He was a kind man who took care of the people he cared about and did right by those he vowed to protect.