CHAPTER SIX – LILY #2
“Yes.” Disquiet shadows his eyes. “But Ellis got a call about his mom, and we had to drive straight there. Her situation is…complicated, and by the time we could leave, you were already gone.”
I look away, mulling over his words as I stare blindly out the windshield.
I don’t know anything about Ellis’ mom, since we never really got to the topic of families.
Once my haze hit, there weren’t a lot of lucid moments, and those were spent either in the tub, or snacking on room service while we watched the sun go down.
Because I thought I had plenty more chances to get to know them.
“It was a long time ago,” I say finally, “and I don’t want to pick at old wounds.”
“That’s not why I’m here.” He turns in his seat, his arm brushing mine. “The last thing I want is to hurt you, Lily.”
“Why are you here, then?” I whirl on him, my scent bitter with distress. “Are you going to try for custody of Leo? Because I will fight you, Otley. I don’t care how rich or famous your pack is. I will do whatever it takes to keep my son.”
Otley looks like I’ve struck him. “What? No! Why would you think that?”
“Because you get what you want.” I think of all those articles I read online, claiming he could make or break a career with a single phone call. “I know your reputation. You’re the dealmaker, right?”
Otley grunts. “Leo isn’t a deal.”
“Exactly, because he’s my business, not yours! Leo and I have been fine without your pack in our lives, and I don’t see any reason to change it.”
It’s not true, but I’m too panicked to swallow down the lie.
Ellis deserves to know his son, and I’m certain that Leo would want to meet his father.
But my angry words seem to have shocked Otley into silence, and I grab my seatbelt, pulling it hard.
But it gets caught on the hook and I grit my teeth around a sob.
I’m about to yank it again when Otley leans over and wraps his hand around mine.
“It’s okay, Lily. Nothing bad is going to happen. I promise.”
He has no right to whisper those words to me – and I have even less reason to believe them – but all of the fight suddenly drains from my limbs. “I can’t lose him, Otley.”
“That will never happen.” His hand tightens on mine, his voice a comforting rumble against my ear. “You’re my scent match, Lily. The thought of hurting you makes my skin crawl.”
He gently eases the belt down across my body, but when I turn my head, my face is inches from his throat. Dark cherry musk invades my senses, and I groan. It’s like I’ve pressed my favorite flower to my nose and breathed its scent all the way to the bottom of my lungs.
“Otley…”
Is that helpless whisper really coming from my mouth?
I try to pull away, but the urge to get closer – to wrap myself in more than just his scent – is unbearable.
My heart is hammering in my chest, my back slick with nervous sweat, but every red flag fades under a surge of arousal.
Instead of backing away, I lean forward until my lips brush the raised skin of his scent gland.
I might as well have nudged him with a cattle pod. A groan rolls through him, one hand shooting out to grip my arm while the other cups my cheek. Storm gray eyes stare down into mine a moment before he brushes his thumb over my lips. “Lily. Do that again.”
I drop my gaze to his throat, to the column of tanned skin and taut muscle that calls to my most primal senses.
It’s sheened with just the hint of sweat and in that moment, it’s the most alluring thing I’ve ever seen.
As soon as I realize he’s untangled my seatbelt, there’s nothing stopping me from sliding over the center console and onto his lap.
Nothing except for the fact that this man is a dangerous line I shouldn’t even think of crossing…
But my body is already sinking against his, my nose burrowing back against his throat.
It’s the perfect mix of sweet cherries and smoky leaves, and I breathe it deep as his hand lands on my hip.
It’s a light touch, but I can feel the tension in his thighs as I lick the skin over his scent gland.
I’ve drunk enough wine with Kaysie to know what it feels like to lose your inhibitions, but this is temptation on a whole other level.
The combination of his delicious scent and heated skin is enough to make me run my nose all the way back up and over his pillow-soft lips.
He shudders under me at the questing touch, his grip tightening as our mouths slide together.
I might nudge his lips apart, but he’s the one to draw me in, our tongues tangling together until he pushes forward, deepening the kiss.
His large palm angles my face, giving him access to every inch of my mouth.
As he nips hungrily at my tender flesh, I give a needy moan.
“You’re so delicious, Omega,” he growls, licking the sting from my lips. “I’ve dreamed of your taste on my tongue, your slick smeared across my skin…”
The taste part I understand, but it takes his hand sliding across the crotch of my jeans to have me jolting out of my haze.
Because my panties are already damp with slick, my scent rising between us in a heady bloom.
It’s not my heat, but it feels almost as potent.
My body is trying to lure him in, to snare the hard cock I can feel pressing against my ass, and that’s enough to make me scramble back into my seat.
“Oh. My. God.” I can’t catch my breath, and my chest is so tight it hurts. “I just... I don’t know… I can’t-.”
“Lily. Sweetheart. It’s okay.”
I shake my head at his low, soothing voice.
How can he sound so calm when my heart feels like it’s about to explode?
“That was a mistake! I don’t know what the hell happened.
” He opens his mouth like he’s going to give me a play-by-play, and I scoot further away from him. “Don’t! This isn’t a thing, Otley.”
“I agree. It’s a hell of a lot more than a thing.”
“No!” I rub my hands over my burning cheeks. “This is just hormones going haywire.” I force myself to face him, so he knows exactly how serious I am. “The only thing I need to know is if you’re going to try for custody.”
His hooded gaze cools, his mouth tightening. “Of course not. I want to help you, Lily, not break your heart.”
Pretty words, but I need assurances I can bank on. “Promise me, Otley.”
He straightens his shoulders, somehow back to the aloof alpha despite his mussed hair and kiss-swollen lips.
“I will give you an iron clad guarantee as soon as my lawyer can produce the paperwork. But I want you to try and trust me in the meantime. I have no interest in messing up your life, and even less in making you hate me.”
Every word rings with sincerity, and I press my hands to my heated face as I slump back in my seat. The truck windows are equally steamy, and I shake my head in disbelief. “I can't believe we just necked in the parking lot of True Value.”
I glance at Otley and a tiny smirk dances at the corner of his mouth. “Worth every penny.”
God, why do I want to kiss that quirky smile?
Because he’s your scent match and tastes like rich, velvety cherry pie.
I have to force a scowl to stop myself from licking my lips. “This isn't a joke, Otley. We can't complicate things even more than they already are.”
“Because of the guy whose scent is all over this headrest?” I look at him in surprise, but he shrugs. “It’s hard to miss. How serious is it between you?”
“I’ve known Logan since we were teenagers.” I grip the wheel tighter, the implications of what I’ve just done making my cheeks burn for a different reason. “We’re planning to get bonded at the end of the summer.”
Something flashes through Otley’s eyes, but all he says is, “Lucky man.”
I make a noncommittal sound, because I’m not sure Logan would be saying the same thing if he saw the state of my windows.
I dated a couple of other guys while he was deployed, but I still feel shitty about how easily I fell into Otley’s lap.
How can I be his mate if I can’t control myself around other alphas?
“You didn’t do anything wrong.” Otley says like he can read my mind, or maybe it’s just the sour edge to my scent. “We were made this way, Lily. The lure of the scent match is nearly impossible to resist.”
“You don’t say,” I snark, but I still sound guilty, and I squirm as I start the truck. I need to get home so I can clear my head – and take a shower – although the thought of washing Otley off my skin makes my chest ache. “Let’s just drop it, okay?”
“I'll leave it for now, but I’m not going away.” Otley arches a silky brow in my direction. “And if you think I’m persistent, wait until Ellis gets here.”