Pack Plus Three (Pucking Pregnant Book 1)

12. Jeremy

My hair stuck to the back of my neck as I rushed home. I had showered at the arena because I didn”t want to smell bad when I got home, but I wanted to get back quickly.

I had someone waiting for me.

Someone who was a hell of a lot more important to me than my sweaty, stinky teammates. I liked my teammates, but we weren”t particularly close. Instead of being a social butterfly, I kept to myself because I didn”t want my negativity around the job to infect them.

I had admitted to Grayson one evening that I despised the job. It was after several drinks and in a moment of weakness. He swore not to talk about it to anyone else on the team—though I assumed his packmates knew.

There should be no secrets between a pack. I should have felt bad about the secrets I kept from my pack, but I did it to protect them.

I ran up the stairs to my apartment, two at a time. When I hit the hallway, the delicious smell of baked goods hit me.

Daisy was in my home, and she was baking. The sugary scent assaulted my senses in the best way. This time, there was a hint of spice to the baked goods. Maybe she was making gingerbread or working with cardamom? Either way, I was excited for it.

Life was good.

The only way for it to be better would be if she was in our packhouse, baking.

Opening the front door loudly, I greeted Gilbert as he ran to my side. “Hey, boy. Have you been good for Daisy today ?”

“He”s been an angel. Would you expect anything less of him?” Daisy asked with a small laugh as she rounded the kitchen counter and made her way toward me.

“He”s got an innocent face, but you haven”t seen him around cheese.”

Daisy patted Gilbert’s ear briefly before leaning forward and hugging me, wrapping her arms around my middle and squeezing tightly. As she pulled back, she gazed up at me with a slightly concerned look on her face, like she was trying to decide whether or not she should do something, before leaning up on her tiptoes and planting a quick kiss on my cheek.

“Well, I also become a demon around cheese, so I empathize heavily with Gilbert.”

“Is that with any cheese, or is there a particular kind that makes you extra demonic?”

She hummed thoughtfully, tapping her chin for a moment while looking up. “Most cheese will make me some kind of demonic, but Brie is definitely the worst culprit. I will do downright criminal things for a good bacon, cranberry, and Brie grilled cheese.”

“And if I promise to make one of those for you the next time you come over?”

She moaned loudly. “Mr. Monroe, it isn”t nice to tease a pregnant lady.”

“Is it a tease if I promise to follow through?”

“You are aware I’ll be thinking about that sandwich for the next twenty-four hours?” she asked with a pout.

“We can always go out and get one now,” I reasoned.

“No! That would be silly, and I hate being the voice of reason.”

“Reason is overrated,” I agreed. “Have you been baking again? The whole building smells amazing.”

She bit her lip. “I have been baking, but the cookies kind of got kidnapped,” she said as she waddled toward the kitchen, cradling her bump.

“Kidnapped? Who kidnapped them? Was it you?” I directed the last question to Gilbert, who was trotting at my heels.

It was then I noticed the plywood resting against the wall in the hallway. When did I put that there? I’d been meaning to go and buy more plywood, but I hadn’t had the chance.

That was a lie. I’d had the opportunity to go purchase plywood several times, but instead, I’d opted to spend time with Daisy.

“Devon came over and brought plywood for you. He said you needed it for a project? I was baking a small batch of cookies, and he took them with him. I did manage to save one for you, though.”

Frowning, I pulled out my phone. Devon had been to the apartment? Usually, he would have given me a heads-up, and the fucker definitely knew that I had practice today. The reason I’d caught the scent of spices suddenly hit me—Devon smelled like the strongest spiced chai tea you could get.

With a silent groan, I noticed his text message. He had been here, and he’d had an ulterior motive. I wasn”t naive enough to think he visited just to give me some plywood.

Daisy bent down, pulling a tray out of the oven. “Do you want some?” she asked, nodding at the casserole. “It”s not as good as what you make, but it”s something to eat. I noticed you had a bunch of veggies that were about to go bad, so I thought I could use them up and make us dinner.” She smiled.

“Please,” I said, wandering over to her and opening the nearby cabinet to grab a few plates.

She wandered around the kitchen, gathering the bowls and dishing up steaming plates of casserole while I grabbed the cutlery. On the outside, I was calm, but internally, I was screaming. She had met my packmate. What did she think of him? Did she like him? Had he found her attractive? Had he been a total ass and turned her off for me? Or had he been charming?

“So . . . what did you think of Devon?” I finally asked.

“He was nice. He used his keys to get into the apartment and scared the daylights out of me, but I can”t exactly blame him for that. How would he have known I was here? He was kind and helped me clean up the mess that I made when he started toward me.”

“The mess you made?”

“Ah. Yeah. I was using one of those ceramic mixing bowls, and when he appeared, I jumped and it kind of smashed on the ground—I”m so sorry, I’ll replace it.”

I waved her off. “There”s no need to replace it. Are you okay?”

“Oh, I’m fine. Devon literally insisted on picking me up because he was wearing steel-toed work boots, and I had bare feet. He plopped my ass on the chair and refused to let me clean up. Your packmate seems to be just as stubborn as you.” She laughed lightly.

My gaze raked over the floor, looking for any residual shards. The flooring was immaculately clean. Good. If Devon had left a single shard, I would have wrung his neck.

“You’re sure you’re okay?” I repeated my earlier question.

“I’m fine,” she insisted.

“And you liked Devon?”

She nodded. I moved over to her, gently turning her to face me, my hands on her hips keeping her in place. She was so close to me, her bump brushed my abdomen, which made me smile at the reminder of the little one that would be coming soon.

“But did you like Devon?” I asked, emphasizing the important word.

Daisy’s mouth fell open into a cute little O shape as she gawked at me, the meaning of my words hitting her.

“I-I mean... He was nice, and not terrible to look at, but we are?—”

“Going to be a thing,” I confirmed. “But if my packmates also have feelings for you...I’m not opposed to sharing.” I kissed the top of her head as she stared at me, her eyes so wide, I started to become concerned that her eyeballs would pop out of their sockets. We couldn’t have that; her emerald eyes were far too pretty to be damaged.

Pulling her into my arms, I gently rubbed her back as she tried to compute my words. It was obvious that she was startled at that declaration, so I needed to give it time to sink in.

I hadn’t expected it to be such a surprise for her. I had made my intentions clear in the gentlest way possible. Packs were common for omegas, and she knew I had one. Surely that wasn’t such a large leap.

“Talk to me, Duckie,” I said, resting my chin on the top of her head.

“Duckie?” she asked with a frown.

My face heated. Dare I admit where that name came from? “You’re waddling a bit at the moment thanks to the bump. You’re reminding me of an adorable duckling,” I said.

Daisy bit her lip and giggled. I sighed in relief. She wasn’t mad at me.

“Now don’t distract me, why were you so surprised Devon liked you?”

“Surely, I’m not good enough for a whole pack?” she admitted in a small voice.

Wait.

What the fuck?

Grabbing her gently by the upper arms, I pulled us apart so I could look her in the eye. Chewing on her lip, she didn’t even meet my eye.

“Excuse me?” I asked incredulously.

“Oh, don’t be like that!” she snapped, but there was no anger in her voice. “I’m an omega with no family, a baby on the way, with no father in sight! I’m a disaster and hardly appealing to packs. Packs want perfectly primped-and-primed omegas with no history or baggage.”

“Young, dumb idiots may want that. We want a good person, a kind person. Someone who brings us joy and lights up a fucking room. Money isn’t an issue to me; I’ve got more of the stuff than I know what to do with. As for your past? I don’t give one single fuck, and I know Devon won’t, either. You’re more than your past—and you and the little one are a package deal, and that is more than okay. We love kids and want them, so having one around sooner rather than later that we can fuss over is the opposite of a problem, Daisy St. James.”

Her jaw went slack with shock as I talked. Instead of trying to talk any more, I seized the opportunity, leaning down and capturing her lips with mine.

She melted into my arms at the touch. Taking that as a positive sign, I deepened the kiss, one hand reaching up to tangle in the nape of her red curls. Sweetness and sugar exploded in my mouth—I would never have enough of that taste. I knew that as deeply as I knew myself.

Pulling back, I rested my forehead on hers. I wanted to keep kissing her for longer, but her lungs had been working overtime with her pregnancy, so she likely needed the air. Judging by the way she was panting, I was right.

“In case this isn’t crystal clear, I am courting you, Daisy St. James. I want you, either alone or with my pack—I don’t care how—but I am quickly becoming obsessed with you.” She opened her mouth to talk, her brow furrowing. “Before you say anything, I’m willing to go slow. I know you have the little one to think of, but I am serious here, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make you feel secure throughout this.”

When she lightly bit her lip, looking up at me with trusting eyes and nodded, I felt so fucking proud, I thought my chest would explode.