13. Ember
Ember
T he next few days, I felt unsettled. I rearranged the nest twice.
Luckily, West didn’t seem to mind, just helped me move all the pillows that were on the left side to the right side, rotate out the ten throw blankets, and resettle my massive Squishmallow collection.
I made him fuck me over and over, my skin crawling with need.
The software stayed buggy no matter what Terran or I did. West helped reprogram some lines, and it seemed fine until, a few hours later, it messed up again.
My office smelled like the alpha and omega pair I couldn’t get out of my head. I’d taken to eating my lunch on the couch, sitting where the two of them had been. I felt pathetic, but I couldn’t stop myself either.
They smelled good. That was all it was. Rian was hot and cold on me, and I never wanted to cause friction between an alpha and his bondmate, especially another omega.
Alejandro texted me, showing me pretty pictures of the sunrise when he went into work as well as funny memes.
I loved how he was taking his time, making me feel wanted, but I hated it at the same time. I wanted him, now, even if the thought also made me nervous.
In short, I was a mess. I wanted to blame my heat hormones, but that was almost a month away.
Again, like I’d driven without really knowing why, I ended up at Talk of the Town. Except it was a Sunday morning. Alejandro had said he had more time on Sundays since they did inventory.
I pulled out my phone.
Ember:
Can I crash your inventory? I’m bored and I have nothing to do
If he said he was busy, I’d go back to the cottage. If he said yes, well. I’d help him count vegetables or whatever inventory meant.
No matter how many times I told myself it was okay that I was interested in Alejandro’s scent, it didn’t feel okay. It felt dangerous, like I was way out on a limb and I was about to drop.
I didn’t know how to make that feeling go away, so I did my best to ignore it. That was a healthy coping mechanism, right? My therapist would be thrilled.
My phone pinged back.
Sexy Chef Alpha:
Of course you can crash inventory, mi vida. I would love nothing better. I might even have some donuts here.
Ember:
Omg donuts I’m sold
That alpha knew how to press my buttons.
I got out of the car, my feet making wet sounds on the pavement. It was drizzling, the first week of February feeling lackluster. Zero stars, I did not love this weather.
I knocked on the back door and waited. My light jacket didn’t do much to hide the biting sting of the not-really-there rain.
Alejandro opened it, looking comically surprised. “Were you in the parking lot or did you teleport?”
I looked over my shoulder at my car. “I mean, why not both?”
Alejandro looked amused. “Very well, then.” He stepped to the side, and the kitchen was quiet for once. It was almost creepy.
“I have never seen this place this empty.”
“It’s Sunday. Lots of the staff have the day off or don’t come in until later.”
It was barely ten in the morning. I took a gamble on him even being here, and it paid off.
He lifted up a white box from Golden Donut, and I sighed. “Oh my god, yes, they have the best donuts.” I picked up a chocolate glazed and bit into it.
He watched me avidly, heat in his gaze. Shivers rippled over my skin, and his citrus-sweet green scent got stronger.
I swallowed, taking the glass of water he handed me. “How’s work been?”
He shrugged, clipboard in hand.
I looked around, but so far, I hadn’t spotted anyone else.
“This is one of our slower seasons, so we do more catering.”
“Last week was slow?” I raised an eyebrow.
“Oh, yes.” He chuckled. “When the summer hits, it’s a madhouse from dusk until dawn. You? How’s that software bug?” He went down a row of produce, and I finished off my donut.
“Still there. I swear it appears overnight.” I let out a huff. Alejandro did indeed appear to be going through their pantry and counting things.
“Isn’t there a way to digitize this?” I scanned the rows and rows of cabbages, lettuce, tomatoes, and other fresh produce.
“It’s never accurate.” He frowned like the fruits and veggies had personally offended them. “And we have to place our orders regularly, or we won’t get the delivery.”
“Makes sense.” He smelled so good; the urge to snuggle up against him was almost impossible to resist. He was working, I reminded myself.
Around food. It wouldn’t be sanitary to get my cooties all over the stainless steel counter.
I’d have to ask Sunshine how she managed not to jump Logan’s bones at work.
Alejandro wasn’t wearing his hat, just a bandanna around his head. The chef jacket showed off his broad shoulders but left too much to the imagination. I wanted to pout.
I followed him around as he went through the food and then the dry goods. His chef pants showed off his butt, firm and rounded, and I pictured him pushing me against the wall, grinding against me like I loved.
His tropical beach scent went straight to my head, and I almost asked him to make me a smoothie using those exact notes. My mouth watered for a taste of him, and heat seeped between my legs.
Alejandro looked up, giving me a look that was all alpha. My breath caught in my throat. His scent grew stronger, and my own lemon vanilla scent was drowning out the dry aroma of towels and napkins.
“You make it very hard to behave,” he said, his voice almost a purr.
Everything was sweating, the small of my back, even behind my knees. I swallowed hard. “Your scent makes it hard not to think dirty thoughts.” I licked my lips on reflex, not trying to seduce him, but he froze like I’d flashed him.
I sucked in a breath. “We can’t…I mean…” I looked around the kitchen. The fantasy of being pushed against the wall was strong, but I didn’t want to be the reason they didn’t pass their health inspection.
“Of course, mi reina.” He let out a breath and took a step back. “What would you like for lunch today?”
He was putting space between us because he thought I was telling him no to touching.
Something inside me unraveled. I knew he was waiting for me to give him signals, but seeing his desire—and then his restraint—scrambled my omega brain. I wanted him, badly, partially because he easily set aside his lust in favor of my comfort.
“You.” I raked my gaze over his body. “What I meant is if we fool around here—” I touched the countertop. “—Logan’s going to be mad if we perfume out his kitchen.”
He took another sharp breath in. “Not in the supply closet he won’t.”
I took a step toward Alejandro. “You’re doing inventory anyway, right?”
“I am,” he said, his voice husky. “Shall I inventory you?”
“Oh, yes, yes.” Molten fire raced in my veins, enough that my pussy clenched around nothing.
Alejandro opened a door off to the side of the kitchen. It was small, with wall-to-wall paper supplies.
Heat pulsed through me, my attention narrowing on his sweet citrus scent, so potent, and the immediate need to have him touching me.
He shut the door behind us, and I opened my arms. Alejandro closed the distance between us, pressing me up against the wall.
I whimpered, bringing one of my legs up to rub against his thigh.
He was a mind reader, a brilliant mind reader.
He closed his mouth over mine, swallowing all my sounds. His mouth was soft, his lips against mine setting me on fire. He moved his hands down my sides, almost frantically, like he wasn’t sure what to touch first.
I understood his dilemma. I ran my hands up his chest, happy to finally feel his firm muscles move under my hands, and then down to his butt.
I wrapped my legs around him, climbing him, and he slid his hips against mine.
My core pulsed when his pelvis fit against mine and I felt the rock-hard bulge.
I was so hot, so wet, it felt like I was gushing. “Oh, yes, please.”
“Whatever you want, mi vida.” He rubbed his nose into my neck, sucking in deep breaths and nipping with his teeth.
I arched into him, waves of desire running through me, inexorable like the ocean. He dragged his mouth over my neck, nipping the sensitive spot behind my ear.
I arched up into him rhythmically, trying to get the friction I needed. His scent was everywhere. I buried my face in his neck, huffing him in until I felt high. Rational thought went away. There was only the rasp of his teeth on my neck, the pulse of my pussy, the intense craving for him.
“Please,” I moaned. I needed him inside me, all over me, on top of me.
He grunted, setting me down on my feet, and pulled my jeans down. The alpha pressed his face into my stomach, looking up at me with dark eyes, his pupils blown wide.
Warning bells went off in my brain about what his pupils being that dilated meant but I was too far gone. Not when he was sliding my panties down, the cool air hitting my pussy until I whimpered again.
He dragged his tongue down my stomach, nipping and licking until he pressed his face between my legs, and I went weak.
“Oh god, alpha.”
He shifted so I could rest a leg on his shoulder, and then he plunged his tongue inside me, and I saw stars. I keened, pushing down against him, a creature of want and need.
Alejandro licked up my folds and then groaned, the sound making me whine.
He pushed a finger inside me, and it felt so good my eyes rolled back.
I grabbed the shelf, feeling the napkins shift.
I didn’t care. Alejandro slowly stroked his fingers inside me, and I gasped.
His licked a small circle around my clit, and I bucked up.
“Please, please,” I gasped. I grabbed his hand off my leg and moved it to my breast. I still had a shirt and bra on but I need his touch.
He grunted, thrusting his tongue inside me at the same time he squeezed my breast almost too tight.
It felt like my breast and pussy were directly connected to each other and I cried out.