Chapter 3
THREE
Delilah
ONE YEAR EARLIER
“This is…” Despite my growing desire to dive upon the gorgeous alpha the moment we step into his hotel suite, I freeze and look down guiltily at my old pair of sneakers that are still muddy from chasing down a goose this morning. “Really nice.”
‘Nice’ doesn’t cut it. When James said that he was staying in a hotel, I expected we’d be heading down to Forestville.
When we came to a stop outside a luxury lodge nestled in the mountains that is so exclusive I didn’t know it existed, I had to do a double-take.
He isn’t staying in one of the regular rooms either.
No, we have the entire penthouse suite with multiple rooms to ourselves.
It’s bigger than the whole of Stella House with gorgeous high-ceilings, beams, and a wrap-around terrace that provides an incredible forest view.
“It should have everything you need.” James seems completely at ease in the space, leaning casually against the wall. “The suite has a nest, and if there’s anything else you need, I can ask the staff to grab it for you. You don’t have to want for anything while you’re here, okay?”
Before moving farther inside, I quickly slip off my sneakers before they do any irreparable staining to the expensive carpet.
Thankfully, my fear of breaking something temporarily distracts me from dwelling on how much longer it’ll be until I start begging for a knot.
I feel like I have a ticking bomb inside me that could explode any second.
“Are you sure you don’t mind me staying?” My socks sink into the plush carpet as I pad around. It feels like I’m walking on a freaking cloud.
He shrugs like it’s nothing before pulling off his hoodie, which tugs at his T-shirt underneath, exposing his inked washboard abs.
Give me strength.
My breath catches in my throat as he comes over to me, putting his hands on my shoulders. “May I?”
I nod wordlessly as he helps me out of my coat.
I cringe inwardly, knowing he’s about to see what I’m wearing underneath—an old T-shirt with a picture of a cute cartoon chihuahua reading a book on the front.
It’s a little dorky but adorable. But there’s no place for bookworm chihuahuas in a suite that looks befitting of royalty.
James laughs when he sees it. If I’d have known where I’d end up this evening, I wouldn’t have dressed in some of my oldest comfy clothes.
My cheeks heat as I stare at the floor. “I’m a little underdressed for this place…”
Surrounding the roaring brick fireplace, the top half of the walls are covered in rich burgundy wallpaper, the lower half in dark paneling, and oil paintings of rolling landscapes add to the opulence.
As I get closer to the fire, I realize that no heat is coming off it.
Shit, am I burning up so much that I’m now the same temperature as literal flames?
“It’s not a real fire,” James says, as if he can read my mind. He pokes the embers on the flat screen. “See?”
“Of course.” I laugh nervously. “Silly me.”
I turn away from him, feeling fully outside of my comfort zone as I move around the deep green sofa.
Fluffy white blankets are draped over it in such a way that it makes it look like they’ve never been sat on.
Although there are a few knick knacks peppered around, in crevices or on shelves in an attempt to add to the coziness, I can’t help feeling like everything has been placed with military-type precision to create a certain ambiance.
For what it oozes in style, it lacks in soul.
“It’s too perfect, right?” James surveys the room.
“I feel like I’ve stepped into a magazine,” I admit.
He strides over to the sofa, picks up one of the cushions, throws it into the air, then grabs a handful of wrapped candy from a golden bowl on the coffee table before sprinkling them across its surface.
A nervous giggle escapes my lips, and I instantly relax.
I’ve always felt more at home with a little mess and chaos.
Give me flour-dusted counters and mismatched patterns over meticulousness any day of the week.
“Better now?” He flashes me a lopsided grin that makes me perfume. There’s no escaping the smell of my arousal. His Adam’s apple bobs as he brushes a curl off my cheek. “I want you to be comfortable, Delilah.”
“I…” Words fail me when he leans in, and our eyes lock.
When his mouth meets mine for the first time, I completely forget where I am and what my own name is.
My body sags as his gentle lips probe more intently.
It’s not my first time being with an alpha.
Granted, my first time being knotted was the result of a clumsy fumble in the cornfield next to my parents’ home, so the bar is set pretty low, but this kiss is… different.
My toes curl as he pulls me closer, crushing my breasts against his rock-hard chest. His fingers get lost in my hair before he pulls back for a second, nuzzling his nose against mine.
“Don’t stop.” I let out a needy whine before catching myself. Maybe he’ll think I’m rude and pushy? “Uh… please.”
“I won’t stop,” he promises, grabbing my ass and effortlessly scooping me up into the air.
I’ve never been lifted like this before, causing me to automatically panic about being dropped, but he moves like I’m weightless.
Although he’s slender, he’s packing serious muscle.
I wrap my thighs around his middle, clinging on for dear life, as he carries me toward an adjoining room. “I’m not going anywhere, Delilah.”
Up close, I notice a few freckles over his nose and a faint smudge of eyeliner under his green eyes that makes the color pop even more.
Most bonehead alphas are obsessed with the idea of being hyper-masculine and would never entertain the idea of wearing makeup, which makes James even more intriguing.
He seems super comfortable in his skin, and that—along with the eyeliner—is totally doing it for me.
He kicks the door open with his foot, temporarily losing balance while I squeal.
“This is the nest,” he declares.
I momentarily take a break from staring at his gorgeous face.
The nest is dimly lit by brass sconces and a flickering chandelier overhead, creating an intimate glow.
Draping fabric hangs from the bed posts, and recessed alcoves in the walls are filled with almost as many cushions and blankets as you’d find in Nora’s Nest Nook.
The space smells of nothing—hinting that it had a full scent neutralization since the last guests—which only amplifies the intensity of James’s chocolate, buttery aroma that floods the room.
“Is it okay?”
“This is…” I struggle to find the words as I breathe in his irresistible sweetness. This is the kind of comfort heaven that most omegas dream about. “Like something you see in Nest Weekly.”
Nest Weekly is a famous magazine that specializes in nest interior design. I used to spend my childhood making scrapbooks with my mom’s old copies. In fact, I’m pretty sure this room may have even appeared in an issue before.
“I hope that’s a good thing.” He catches my bottom lip between his teeth and sucks gently before whispering, “I promised to take care of you, remember? I want to give you the best.”
How have I gone from baking class to spilling my cupcakes to an incredible mountainside lodge with, quite possibly, the sexiest guy I’ve ever met? I still can’t believe I’m here. It feels too good to be true, and I keep waiting for the moment when I’ll wake up.
He sets me down gently on the enormous bed in the middle of the room. There’s enough space for about ten hulking alphas to lie spread-eagled around me. Feeling tiny in this gargantuan space, panic rises in my chest.
“What is it?” James asks sharply.
“It’s just…” I run my hand over the silky duvet. My fingers feel like they’re gliding across water as the mattress stretches on endlessly. “Really big.”
He arches an eyebrow. “Too big?”
“A little.” I fist the sheets, hoping I won’t offend him. “Don’t get me wrong, this is beautiful. So, so beautiful! But I like my nest a little snugger.”
I don’t like the thought of a bed being a vast expanse with cold edges. I need to feel safe and sheltered.
James frowns, eyes scanning the space before landing on a corner under the rafters. The nook is small with a semi-circle window that looks out over the mountain range. “How about over there?”
Relief spreads through me, picturing us curled up while looking out over the snow-dusted pines on a bed of blankets. My heart does a somersault. Yep, that’ll be perfect.
“That’ll work.”
“Would you like to pick out some pillows and blankets?” He gestures to the shelves stacked with soft furnishings. “There’s plenty to choose from.”
Plenty is an understatement. They have everything from contouring cushions that are longer than me to waffle-knit blankets in every single material and shade imaginable.
The shelves are arranged by color, and I instantly gravitate toward the autumnal section: dusty oranges, buttery yellows, and dazzling golds.
I run my hands along the blankets to feel the textures, having to bite down on my tongue to stop myself from crying out as my stomach suddenly twists in pain.
James is at my side in a flash. “Hand me whatever you like. I’ll get everything set up. I want you to be comfortable.”
I pass him armfuls of soft furnishings. Brushed cotton pillows, thick mustard colored blankets, and so many cushions that I’m not sure how they’ll fit in the small space, but I want them anyway.
Although the nest floor is made from a soft, springy material that’d be comfortable to lie on, James carefully places all my supplies around the walls and on the floor in our nook.
“What do you think?” He rubs his forehead, inspecting his handiwork with deep concentration. “Would you like to arrange…?”
Although he gives off a total bad-boy image with the ink and emo vibes, his puppy dog eyes turn my insides to melted marshmallow gooeyness.
“Yes!”