Chapter 5
Chapter Five
I spend the morning in my workshop doing my favorite thing, making Christmas ornaments. Today I’m focusing on candy canes.
I hum along to the music playing throughout the shop, losing myself in my work. Tony built speakers in here two days after Dad finished setting it up for me. Some days I like listening to music, and others I play my spicy romance audiobooks.
Today I went with instrumental Christmas music. I love days like this, where I can lose myself to the art of creating something. Art has always been an escape for me, but discovering my love for stained glass has been my happy place, and best of all, I get to sell my creations.
“Plum,” a deep voice behind me grunts.
It startles me so badly that not only do I scream, but the glass ornament I was working on goes flying through the air, shattering against the wall with a dramatic crash. Because when frightened, I like to toss shit. One of my many red flags.
No one ever comes into my workshop for this exact reason.
My dad gives me my space, considering my workshop to be my safe place, and Tony learned the hard way that there’s no such thing as not startling me. Knock on the door? Scream. Tap my shoulder? Louder screaming. Call my name? Believe it or not, scream.
I whirl around in my chair, glaring daggers at the person who dared sneak up on me. My frustration and fear morph into shock when I see it’s Nick. He’s staring at the shattered mess of glass that I chucked across the room with a frown.
“Nick?” I yelp, more than a little confused about him being here. He’s never been here before.
“I was making the arrangements with your father about the trees for the Christmas Village,” he says, and while he stares at the mess, I stare at him.
There’s a long stretch of silence until he moves.
I watch as he grabs a dustpan and brush from the wall and drops to one knee so he can clean up the glass.
“Oh, I love an alpha on his knees,” I tease.
It’s practically a reflex at this point.
With Nick it’s easy to flirt, to toy with him.
He never gives it back as good as he gets it, but trying to get a reaction out of him has become a bit of a habit.
He just takes my sassy flirtations until he can’t handle them anymore, shakes his head, and walks away.
This is new, though. He sought me out voluntarily? Interesting.
When I saw him at the farm yesterday, I panicked a bit. That was probably the first time I didn’t take the opportunity to mess with him, but it didn’t feel like the right time.
Benson and I haven't talked about rules yet, and Nick is hard to resist, looking all hot as he cleans for me. This might be the last time I get to do this with him. Once we figure out our rules, which might include no more flirting with his brother, and then tell everyone we’re dating… Well, this might never happen again.
The thought makes me feel more daring but also a little sad at the same time.
“I’m sorry I startled you. I didn’t realize you’d be so easy to scare,” he says over his shoulder, ignoring my taunt. “Or that you would throw things…”
“Just be glad I didn’t toss it at you,” I snark, standing up and grabbing my small trash bin. I hold it out so he can dump the glass in, and once he’s done, I take the dustpan from him. He gives me an unamused look when I make sure my hand caresses his in the process.
Oh, how I’m going to miss this…
“I’ll keep that in mind in the future.” He shakes his head at me once I’m done putting everything back, and I turn to face him, hands on my hips.
“So, Saint Nick.” I grin, using the nickname I know he likes the least.
To be fair, I don’t think he likes any of them, but that one really irks his nerves. ‘I’m not Santa, and I’m certainly not a fuckin’ saint.’
He sure is a grump, though.
“What brings you to my workshop? Unannounced.”
“I wanted to ask if you wanted to sell your ornaments in our farm store this year. The Christmas village gets a lot of traffic,” he explains, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
“I got some complaints last year from the locals. Guess we don’t sell enough Christmas-related products.
” He huffs, glancing around my messy workshop.
“No way?” I gasp, eyes going wide. He jerks his head around to look at me, green eyes meeting mine with a confused frown. “You really want to sell my ornaments?”
“Yes?” He’s still frowning and looks even cuter when he’s confused. “Of course. I think your ornaments are beautiful, and they’ll sell really well in the shop this time of year. You can bring them by and set up as soon as the fifteenth, if you’d like.”
“That would be fucking incredible!” I squeal, sprinting at him while grinning from ear to ear. Just one more hug, big guy.
My reaction obviously surprises him enough that he doesn’t even try to stop me as I jump into his arms. In fact, he catches me with ease as I hug him, wrapping my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist.
“Thank you so much!” I’ve been putting up a booth at every town event for years, but there's always a lot of competition and a bunch of awesome stuff to buy, so I feel like my sales are never good enough.
Sable has a section in her shop for them as well, but people are looking for old things, not new ones, when they go to her antiques store.
“You’re welcome,” he murmurs softly, pressing his face into my neck as I hug him, and the intimate position sparks butterflies in my belly.
My scent reacts accordingly and fills the air with my desire.
Nick grunts but doesn’t release me as his own scent reacts to mine.
The bloom of clove and orange peels darkens with the hint of anise.
“Anything else you want to offer me, alpha?” I purr, fighting the urge to scent mark him.
Flirting is one thing, but scent marking an alpha is a claim.
One that ignites their instincts. Something I’m not trying to do.
I like taunting the man, but I’m not trying to torture him or test the boundaries of his self-control by triggering his alpha hindbrain.
His hold tightens for a moment, and I think he might be about to have one of those rare reactions and flirt back. His scent sure suggests he wants to. His reaction to me probably has more to do with the fact that I’m an omega than anything else.
Just because an alpha reacts to your scent doesn’t mean they really like you. Or want you… Or want to keep you.
But as the moment stretches on, and he does nothing, I pout. Sometimes it’s nice when he flirts back, and if this really is the end, I can’t say I don’t want it a little more than usual.
“What else could I offer you, omega?” His voice is husky with a growl. My heart races in my chest, excited that he’s playing along.
“I can think of at least one thing. It’s thick and long…” I murmur, nuzzling his neck, carefully controlling my need to press kisses to his skin. That would be a little too far for the big guy.
“Is it?” He grunts, and I nod my head, leaning back in his arms so I can meet his gaze, grinning brightly.
“Your long, thick…hard…” I whisper, watching as his pupils blow wide, nearly turning his green eyes into a black void. “Truck bed,” I add with a breathy gasp, snorting when he blinks at me, confused once more.
“Truck bed?” he asks, and I nod.
“All I have is my little coupe, and I would have to make several trips.” I leave out the part about the spare tires and car tools taking up all the space in my trunk.
“I need something bigger to take a decent supply over to the farm, along with a sign, and maybe some business cards?” I ask, nibbling my lip as I wait for his response.
“Okay.” He nods. I think it finally clicks that I’m in his arms, thighs wrapped around him, my needy omega scent rubbing all over him, because he releases me, more gently than I was expecting. I kind of thought he might toss me across the room like I did that poor ornament I was working on.
R.I.P. to my little candy cane.
Nick pushes his hand through his brown hair, looking more than a little flustered as he takes a few steps away from me. The alpha looks everywhere but at me as he stands there trying to compose himself. I cross my arms over my chest, watching him.
“Do you think you could possibly help me out? I can wait longer if you need me to—”
“No. I said the fifteenth, and I meant it. I can bring the truck here that morning,” Nick says, cutting me off mid-sentence. “Will you need help that day to get everything you need ready as well?”
“I can have everything ready to load when you arrive. Just tell me what time you want to come,” I reply, feeling giddy as I imagine all the ornaments I can make between now and then.
It’s not until I see the dark look in his eyes that I realize the way I said it.
I wiggle my brows at him before winking, and he glares back.
“I’ll be here at ten, after I finish my morning chores,” Nick says flatly. “You can stop by anytime you want before then to see the space. They’ll be next to Sable’s candles, but taking up a decent portion of the wall.”
“Okay. Thank you again, Nick. This is a really amazing opportunity for my small business, and I really appreciate it. I was already planning to spend as much time as possible at your Christmas Village this season,” I say with a laugh. “Sometimes I wish the holiday season started in July.”
“I don’t think I could handle hosting half the town for any longer than we already do,” Nick says, cracking a smile.
“They’re already a pain in my ass for three months every year.
Adding another four would be too much.” He sighs, shaking his head.
“Rhian has been trying to convince me to start something up for Valentine's Day too.” He scoffs.
“As if opening the farm for three weeks is simple.”
“Awe, that would be super cute, though,” I tease, but honestly, knowing Nick and his brothers, it would be pretty awesome.
“Maybe, but that's also when the farm is the busiest with actual farmwork to get ready for the spring planting. We’ve always grown our own produce to sell during holidays and at some local stores, but I’ve been wanting to set up a monthly food donation program for the people in town.
If it’s successful, the goal would be to make it biweekly, or even weekly,” Nick explains with a sigh, crossing his arms over his chest, and there’s this look in his eyes, like all the little details are flooding his mind all at once.
“The logistics of it are complex and not something I’ve been able to figure out on my own yet.
Stella wants to contribute, too. She swears her fiancé can help me with the complicated details, but I don’t even know the guy. ”
I think that’s the most I’ve ever heard Nick say at one time. While talking to me, at least. But even more surprising is what he just said.
“That sounds incredible, Nick. I have a similar dream, so if there’s ever anything I can do to help, I would love to.
Even if it’s just helping you pass out boxes once you get everything running.
” I blush bright red, nibbling my lip as my nerves take over, and I almost don’t say more, but this is Nick.
He’s safe. I can trust him with this part of me.
“I’ve actually done a lot of research on the subject over the years, so if you need help getting started, that might be something I can assist with as well.
Only if you want, though. I don’t want you to think I’m being pushy. ”
“Have you?” he asks, frowning for a moment.
“Yes. It’s something I thought I could do at one point but gave up on. I didn’t have access to a farm full of animals and produce, or all of the connections to the different businesses,” I say, grinning. “If anyone can do it, I believe it’s you.”
“Alright. Thanks, Plum. I’ll remember that.” He looks bashful all of a sudden, his cheeks turning pink as he rocks back on his heels. “I should get going. Oh, and if you wanted to thank me, you could always bring by a jar of your homemade jam.”
“Alright, I can do that.” I already have several stored away, ready to be gifted. Maybe I’ll bring him some when I go to the farm to check out the wall where my ornaments will go. “See you soon.”
Once Nick has left, I spend the rest of the afternoon on my ornaments and planning.
I lose track of time as the hours pass until Benson texts me, and I remember I made plans for tonight with him. Fuck. We’re meant to be figuring out the finer details of our new fake relationship, and I don’t feel the slightest bit ready for the conversation.
In hindsight, maybe taking my last chance at flirting with his brother wasn’t the best idea I’ve had, but does it really matter? Benson and I haven’t spoken about rules yet, and I’ve been flirting with Nick for years. He knows that.
I guess I’ll find out tonight when I bring it up...