For the Love of Alex Read Online Free

from Alex, but he wouldn’t let her. He crouched down before her and gently pulled her hands aside. He kissed each of her fingers before he kissed her tears away.
    “I make you cry too often,” he lamented. “Once upon a time I used to make you smile. I don’t know why I can’t do that anymore.”
    The truth was, they both knew why, but she wouldn’t ruin this moment reminding him of the drug he chose over her. “Right now, these are happy tears. I thought you had forgotten about today. I thought you didn’t care. I didn’t expect this.”
    Alex released her hair from her ponytail and ran his fingers gently through it, massaging her scalp. “As messed up as I am, I love you, Leah. My love for you is the only thing in my life that’s real anymore. Please never doubt that. Everything that matters to you matters to me. I wouldn’t forget about your special day. I’m so proud of you, sweetheart. You made it. You are making your dreams come true, just like I knew you would. You are so amazing, so strong. I am in awe of you, my Leah.”
    He pressed his lips to hers. This kiss quickly turned heated as his hands traced her hips and her waist. Leah clutched his shirt, pulling him impossibly closer to her. She started to lay back on the couch, bringing him with her, until her stomach chose this inopportune time to growl loudly, breaking the mood.
    Alex laughed as he disentangled himself from Leah’s grip. “I think someone needs to eat lunch. The way your stomach growled, I was starting to think you might eat me.”
    “That’s not such a bad idea,” Leah teased as she reached for him again.
    Alex stepped out of her reach. “No dessert before lunch.”
    “How about dessert first if I promise to eat all my lunch after?”
    Leah licked her lips, and she could see the desire in Alex’s eyes. She relished the fact that after all these years together, he still desired her as much as she craved him.
    “You need your energy for what I have in mind.” Alex grabbed her plate of food. “Knowing you, I bet you haven’t eaten all day.”
    Leah reluctantly surrendered. “You’re right. I ran out the house without breakfast and now I’m starving.” Leah’s body was aching for some nourishment, although she was just as hungry for Alex. First she would eat her lunch and enjoy her dessert in bed with him.
    Leah reached for the food that smelled so tantalizingly good. Alex was an excellent cook. It was a gift. He had no formal training, but he could make something delicious out of the barest of ingredients. As good as this food was, she wanted the chef even more.
    “Stop looking at me like that, Leah,” Alex scolded her. “Lunch first, dessert all afternoon.”
     His promise sent shivers throughout Leah’s body. She ate so fast she nearly choked on her fettuccini, but she didn’t want to lose this moment. It was so rare for him to be like this—like his normal, sober self. She knew the cravings would overtake him soon and he would seek his comfort elsewhere, but for now he was hers and she was not going to let him go.
    She missed these moments. These were the rare times he reminded her of the boy she had fallen in love with when she was three years old. She met him her first day of nursery school. She was so scared to go to school. She hadn’t been around a lot of kids and she didn’t know what to expect, but her mother definitely wanted her out the house. She was ruining her freedom, so school was the only option for her.
    Her mother had dragged her out the car and clutched Leah’s hand as she had pulled her inside the school. Leah was so shy and awkward. She hadn’t known how to deal with all those strange faces looking at her. Then she’d caught the eye of one face that immediately erased all the fear and forever changed her life.
    He was sitting in the corner playing with some blocks, and instantly all the fear she felt turned into relief. She felt safe. She pulled away from her mother and walked towards