Chapter 8
MAEVE
I can’t stop the goofy smile on my face.
I missed Ivan like crazy and not seeing him all day was torture.
I could scent him through the walls, all caramel apples and summertime, but both the clinic and the rescue were so busy that I didn’t have time to see him.
It was horrible without him.
“It’s about time,” Mari observes, and I can hear the smirk in her voice. I grab my purse from the back room and reapply my lip gloss.
I’m meeting him at the bookstore, then we’re going to dinner afterwards.
Now, if I had known ahead of time, I would have dressed in something cuter besides a loose black top and faded jeans.
But honestly? I’m tired of waiting, and I’m high on the excitement.
I have three crushes on three different Alphas, and I’m finally going on a date with one of them.
“Wish me luck, Alvin,” I whisper, pressing my lips to his head and inhaling his calming cat scent.
He responds with a deep purr and a sweet nuzzle to my cheek.
“Oh, I should keep this from Avery, huh,” Piper says suddenly. “Right?”
I point my finger at her. “Tell my brother and I’ll kill you,” I promise her. “He’ll worry and fret for nothing.”
She gives me a pointed look. “Sounds like someone else I know,” she says. “It must run in the family.”
Rolling my eyes, I sling my purse over my shoulder and head toward the door. “Uh-huh.”
“Hey,” Piper calls out. “You better keep us posted in the group chat. And text us when you get home.”
“Okay, Mom,” I grumble, but secretly smile to myself.
It’s nice to have people care about my wellbeing and watch over me.
Avery’s always done it, and I’ve had some good friends before, but never like Piper and Blair.
After a childhood of hoping for my parents to want anything to do with me, I finally have people that want the best for me.
That includes Ivan, too.
He’s always so kind. Always checking in with me at work.
And I swear his scent alone is a warm blanket around my heart, keeping me tethered to the earth when the rest of me wants to journey into a world of worries and panic.
Maybe I should tell him that, I think to myself as I park at the bookstore where he’s waiting for me, casually leaning against the outside wall with a grin on his face.
My stomach flips. He changed into light jeans and a grey thermal that shows off his slim waist and the definition of his arms. His dark, thick wavy hair is slightly messy, which I assume is from him running his fingers through it.
He’s so cute I can’t stand it.
Mine, my inner Omega purrs.
Maybe, I tell her. We’ll see how this goes.
Because despite today being a good day, there’s still the quiet echo of worries in my mind, and I’m not sure those will ever go away.
But with how Ivan looks at me, his smile only growing when I step out of the car, it’s possible it won’t matter.
He likes me for me.
“Hey, gorgeous,” he murmurs.
That’s the first time he’s ever called me that. “Gorgeous, huh?” I say, trying to act like that nickname doesn’t make my pussy ache.
I took another scent-blocking gummy before the drive and Piper loaned me some extra-strength gum just in case, but I might be beyond their help if I can sense myself already getting wet at his words.
Uh-oh.
“Wasn’t sure if I could call you that at work,” he admits, moving from the wall to take my hand. “And I’ve wanted to do it for a long time.”
His hand is slightly cool to the touch and engulfs mine—and it’s as if we’ve been doing this for years.
His scent swirls around me, and even when we step into the bookstore with other people, it still clings to me like a second skin.
Double uh-oh.
What if we scent match in the middle of the bookstore?
“I’m glad you finally asked me out,” I tease, keeping my voice light. “It was about time. I thought you’d never ask.”
“Bean got in the way,” he admits, squeezing my fingers gently, even as a rush of guilt hits me.
“Because of the sneezing?” I ask carefully.
Was my panic the reason he hasn’t asked me out?
“No,” he chuckles. “It happens with all the cats. They do something adorable and we both get distracted. I wanted to find a time to ask you when we both weren’t covered in cat hair or running around the building.
But when I got back today, I realized I was tired of waiting and I was done being a coward about it.
I should have asked you out months ago.”
My smile returns, triumphant and steady. “Better late than never,” I say.
“Yeah.” Another squeeze of my hand. “Books and an overpriced cookie, like I promised. Then dinner.”
“Only if I find a book I like.” I grimace. I lead us over to a display of candles and small gifts, humming thoughtfully.
“Those aren’t books, Maeve.”
“Correct. They’re candles,” I say, releasing his hand to sniff a lavender candle. “Much more interesting than your detective novels.”
“Oh, really?” He angles his head toward the sign in front of us. “Is that why mystery is the largest section?”
I shrug. “I can’t help it if the architect of the building made a mistake.”
He laughs, and I end up giggling, too.
“You know, I laugh more with you than I have with anyone else,” I admit quietly. I look up at him, and his dark eyes are soft, staring at my mouth.
“Good,” he murmurs. “I love your laugh.”
I ignore the flutter in my chest at the word love.
“Come on,” he says, taking my hand and leading me away from the candles. “There’s a section I want you to see.”
I groan. “If it’s your detective novels—”
“It’s not,” he says, chuckling. “I promise I won’t make you read them. Even though I desperately want to start a book club with you.”
“Okay, but I told you,” I say as we turn a corner past the children’s section, “I’m pretty picky about my books.”
But then he stops us at an endcap with only a select few paperbacks with illustrated covers.
Each one has a cat on it.
I frown and pluck one of the books off the shelf.
Purrdur in the First Degree.
“Oh my god,” I mutter.
“You said you wanted cozy cat murder mysteries,” Ivan says proudly. “Here they are.”
He remembered my off handed comment from weeks ago?
Before I can express my surprise, he takes two of the same title off the shelf.
“Why two?” I ask.
“One for me, one for you,” he says easily. “The start of our book club.”
I’m so happy I could kiss him right there in the bookstore.
I settle for standing on my tiptoes and pecking him on the cheek.
He responds by wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling me close to his chest.
It isn’t long until he’s purring for me, his Alpha rumble soothing me. I close my eyes and breathe deeply against him, my heart rate slowing.
My inner Omega, deeply enamored with him, only echoes one word.
Mine.
“You are ridiculously nice,” I tell him at dinner. My new books are safely tucked away in a bag in my car, along with the candle that Ivan saw me sniff repeatedly with a far-off look on my face.
Despite my objections, he purchased everything, and we split a brown butter chocolate chip cookie.
It’s arguably the best date I’ve ever been on, and it’s only halfway done.
The restaurant we picked is busy, but the food arrives quickly and the service is great.
“I’m not,” he insists, after taking a bite of a fry. “I missed your birthday and the holidays. Also,” he says, after I roll my eyes, “I like buying gifts for people. So, the joke is on you. I’m not nice at all. I’m selfish.”
“Uh-huh. I think you’re just full of shit, Ivan.”
But it works. Presents are my secret love language, and I’m a bit ashamed of it, worried I’ll come off as selfish or materialistic. Especially when the only gifts I received growing up were from my brother.
Yet Ivan loves to do it, so how can I complain?
“And I think you’re just being difficult, Maeve.”
I stick my tongue out at him.
“Now you’re just being a tease,” he says offhandedly. “Pretty rude to do right in front of the french fries.”
I snort. “My apologies to the appetizer.”
He smirks at me, then nudges my foot with his own under the table. “So, how’s Logan been? He talked to you, right?”
Logan.
“Oh, yeah,” I stammer, reminded of the strong, pale jaw and dirty-blonde hair. “He’s a little awkward, but we get along.”
And he smells just as good as you, I want to add. He smells like I want him to knot me while you watch.
Maybe I should speak to my doctor about my suppressant dose, because these erotic fantasies are out of control.
Along with the usual worries, my brain has been overactive lately, thoughts coming at me a million miles a second.
“He was nervous around you,” Ivan adds, smirking.
I make a face. “Around me? Why?”
Ivan shrugs but keeps the smirk on his face. His dark eyes are playful, and I know he’s hiding something.
“What aren’t you telling me?”
“He likes you, Maeve.” Ivan couldn’t sound more thrilled.
It takes a minute for his words to process, but when they do, I almost knock over my soda.
“What?”
Ivan watches my face carefully, and I do my best to conceal my shock and excitement.
I had a feeling he was attracted to me, but I wasn’t sure if he was genuinely interested in me.
“What?” I repeat. “Isn’t he like, a million years old?” I squeak.
“Okay,” Ivan says, holding up his hand. “Hold on. I’m thirty-six. He’s forty.”
“Oh, so a billion years old,” I murmur, and Ivan pretends to toss a fry at me.
“Sure,” Ivan says. “Regardless, he likes you.”
I look down at my drink, hoping to hide my reaction.
I have no idea how Ivan would react if he knew I was attracted to Logan, too.
“Hey. Maeve.” Ivan’s playful tone is gone, replaced by understanding.
“Yeah?”
“He’s a great guy. Someone I’ve respected for a long time.”
I find my paper straw incredibly interesting at the moment, unsure where this conversation is about to go.
Could he warn me away from Logan? Is there jealousy?
But I can’t imagine Ivan being jealous…