Chapter 3
Chapter Three
Ileaned forward in the chair beside my bed, studying her face; the bow of her lips and the high cheekbones. I’d thought of her all day to the point that everyone had noticed my distraction.
All I could see was her. I wanted her with every fiber of my being.
I’d tried convincing myself to keep my distance, and I’d been on the verge of asking Judy to draw up termination paperwork.
That hadn’t happened. With each second separated from the woman, I’d craved her more, antsy to get inside her cunt.
This unnatural desire left me with one option.
On the way back to the office, I texted my lawyer to draw up an NDA and have it delivered to me. My mind was made up. I’d have her until I rid myself of this ungodly ache in my balls.
A groan reached my ears, causing my cock to jerk. She still slept, but her eyes moved behind her closed eyelids as if in the throes of a nightmare.
The doctor had left an hour ago, and she still hadn’t woken up. Pacing wouldn’t rid me of the energy coursing through my body. I settled next to her and clasped her hand, the only way I’d been able to keep myself from calling the physician back here.
She affected me viscerally. It wasn’t just her looks; I had fucked women with renowned beauty. It wasn’t her youth; I’d been around plenty of women her age and had never been tempted.
Her essence called to mine, and I didn’t want to let it go.
All last night, I’d thought of her. What was she doing?
Was she safe? Had she gone out in this poor weather?
It did not stop, and it slowly drove me mad.
I had no sleep. I’d woken to pace all night.
Only when I saw her with her head so angelically resting on her forearms, did relief flood me.
A softness I didn’t have experience with.
Could she be my Scent Match?
Elation swam through my stomach, expanding at an alarming rate. Having a Scent Match was never high on my priority list, but I wasn’t opposed to it.
Innocence curved the soft curves of her mouth.
She can’t be mine . . . she was too . . . green.
She groaned and kicked her legs out, uncovering them. She sucked in a breath and started shivering. I reached to cover her, gently tucking the blanket around her. She huffed and thrashed again until she was free. She wouldn’t fucking stop trembling.
I shot to my feet.
What could I do to help her? She seemed so miserable, and I’d never taken care of another person. I didn’t recall ever being sick myself.
I yanked my phone out and dialed the physician back.
“She keeps kicking the blankets off her, but she hasn’t stopped shaking.” I barked.
Silence and then a sigh.
“Baron,” I hissed my brother’s name.
“You know, you’re incredibly worked up over this girl.”
I gritted my teeth. “I don’t need your fucking commentary—”
“Don’t bite my head off, damn. I ran tests on her blood and there’s nothing wrong with her, nor is she pregnant.
” I stiffened. That hadn’t even occurred to me.
“Leave her be, make sure she has liquids and a meal on standby for when she wakes up. Her blood pressure was low. Exhaustion, a fever, and hunger are a concoction for passing out.” Was that so hard for him to say? “I’ll hang up before—”
I tossed the phone on the edge of the bed and dropped to the foot stool to clasp her hand again. Staying here was my only choice, if I took my eyes off her, I couldn’t focus on my work, the laptop tossed on my dresser said as much.
She thrashed under the blanket again.
“Shhh, bunny,” I murmured. She calmed, her body relaxing and her face turning toward me, even in sleep. She whimpered and clutched my hand, curving toward me.
I sat, holding her hand as I scrolled my emails with my free one. I managed to read through another packaging contract with a new company Astor Industries was debating on working with by the time her shivers subsided.
I touched the back of my hand to her forehead, and she was no longer burning. Fortunately, as I was about to take her to the emergency room and then sue my brother for not caring for his patient properly.
I dialed Baron back.
All of her moving had loosened her bun. Sweat slicked her hair to her temples.
“She’s not burning up anymore, but she’s clammy,” I said before he could speak.
“Samuel,” Baron growled.
“Can I bathe her?” He let out a litany of curses. “Answer.”
“Yes, now can you—”
I hung up. Gently pulling the blanket away to toss it off the bed, I swept her into my arms. My bedroom had a spacious bathroom so I had no problem cradling her to my chest as I stepped inside.
I turned the dial, leaving the lights dim, so it didn’t hurt her eyes.
Holding her tight, I reached to twist the knob to fire on the bath.
Propping her ass on the counter, I balanced her upright with one arm as I tugged at the buttons of her shirt until it gaped to reveal a light pink bra hiding the swell of her breasts.
My cock immediately stiffened. I pinched the edge of the shirt and took a deep breath to remove the shirt efficiently.
Then I leaned her on my chest and wiggled her skirt down, leaving her in her bra and underwear.
Lifting her again, I brought her to the tub and slipped her inside. She sighed, huddling into the warmth.
“Fuck,” I hissed, catching her head before she plunged her nose and mouth under. I arched over the bath, keeping one arm submerged while I gently wiped her face with my thumb, making sure to clean her temples. With me tending her she seemed calmer than she had been all night.
I didn’t move until the water began to cool and a pinch in my shoulder forced me to. I popped the drain and hoisted her out to wrap her in a towel.
Water seeped into my shirt and her wet hair stuck to the side of my neck.
I carried her to my bed to set her down, pulling that half-propping move with one arm.
She sighed, her cheek nuzzling into my shoulder.
An odd and foreign sensation took hold of my gut, squeezing it so tight it exploded a weightlessness in my chest. I cleared my throat, but it would not go away.
After drying her, I reached to unclasp her bra.
As I retreated, she drooped and my palm rubbed against a hard nipple.
I exhaled harshly. My cock couldn’t possibly stiffen any more.
I quickly removed her underwear, then wrapped her in the towel again.
Once I lay her down, I collected the robe hanging in my closet across the room, and returned to her side, cupping the back of her neck to hoist her to her perky ass.
Spreading the robe over her shoulders, I fed her arms through the holes, and wrapped her in it, closing it tightly at her front, and hiding those luscious handfuls.
She seemed cripplingly shy; I didn’t want to give her a reason to run away.
I tugged the towel free and dropped it to the floor.
Her fingers curled into my damp sleeves, bunching the fabric with her small hands. I unbuttoned the front to get the wet shirt off, but she didn’t let go of my arm.
I tugged again, but she clutched my arm, hugging me tight. As I tried extricating myself, she cried out, sniffling in with a half sob.
“Sh, sh, bunny,” I murmured, laying her back and going along with her grip until I hovered over her with both knees on the bed. I settled in beside her. She tossed her leg over mine, trapping it with hers, clinging to me like her life depended on me—and I fucking loved it.
I cupped the back of her head with my free hand and urged her face into my bare chest. She nuzzled my skin, making it damn hard for me to fall asleep.
I breathed in the smell of Alpha, humming in pleasure. A furnace lay against me. I’d never experienced such delicious heat. I cuddled closer to it and the large hand on my waist pulled me tight. Wait, a hand?
I slowly leaned back until I found the half-lidded gaze of my boss staring down at me. His face was shadowed, but I could make out those lips and the hair falling onto his forehead.
I gasped and tried to pull away but couldn’t because he wouldn’t let me.
“Mr. Astor,” I gasped, trying to pull away again, but his grip tightened and he gripped my thigh to force it back over his legs.
“Stop moving.”
My belly clenched with need, and I warmed. Good thing he couldn’t see how severely he affected me. I stopped fighting to get away. “I should go,” I said breathlessly.
“Is there anyone to watch you?” he responded abruptly.
“Huh?”
“Do you have family to take care of you?”
I dropped my eyes at his forceful question.
“N-not in the city.”
“Then you stay,” he murmured, his voice was filled with sleepiness and something deep and primal I could not put a name to, but it made my sex achy. Despite myself, I thought back to his member and how big he was and how his knot felt in my hands.
I licked my lips.
“Relax,” he murmured into my hair. Problem was, I couldn’t with his thumb caressing my knee.
I squirmed against him again. His heart thumped against my cheek.
Even the sound of his pulse made my stomach clench, and spread achiness between my thighs.
I shuddered, squeezing my eyes tight. “Are you okay?”
His whispered words reached inside my stomach and took hold. I didn’t know what possessed me to tell the truth. “No,” I whispered.
“What is it?”
I licked my lips. “I ache.”
He clicked his teeth.
“Where do you ache?” he asked huskily.
That I couldn’t bring myself to verbalize so I buried my face in his chest. His hand slid up my thigh, stopping halfway to where I wanted him. I clenched my legs together.
Heat pulsed over my flesh, making me tense up. “Your pussy, baby?” I nodded hard, still not uncovering my face.
“My poor bunny aches,” he breathed. “Let me get rid of it, yes?”
“Yes,” I breathed. My face practically burned my hands, but I couldn’t stop flexing my hips to get more pressure on my needy parts.
“Yes, Alpha—say it,” he ordered.