20. Ford
Ford
T he Avery we met for the first time, was quiet and sweet, but unsure. The Avery I was witnessing as she worked today, taking pictures and giving me snippets of town history, was a completely different girl.
She was still confident and sweet, but there was no uncertainty about what she was doing. Every time she captured a picture she approved of, she would get this adorable little smile on her face, a burst of pure excitement taking over, that made her even more gorgeous.
Honestly, I would follow this girl anywhere. Watching this omega shine was my new favorite hobby.
There were a few close calls with light poles as she backed up, trying to take pictures without paying attention, but that just meant I got to put my hand on her back and guide her to safety.
Every little touch, I savored.
I felt like a schoolboy salivating over my omega. The sweet and heartwarming scent of cranberries, fig, and warm spice teased me every single time she got close.
I don’t think I’ve ever spent so much time hard in my entire life, yet I wouldn’t complain—I loved every damn second of it.
Even lunch was perfect. She let me feed her while she talked about her work, lighting up enough I was fully captivated. It was short, but perfect.
Then she was back to work again, not wanting to miss a single second of the afternoon sunshine.
Right now, she was staring out over the lake and the sun was casting a warm, bronzed glow along her skin. Her dark hair was shining, and the wind was blowing her dark locks around her as she smiled softly into the distance.
It looked like something out of a movie. Yet, I got to call her mine.
Trying to be as subtle as I could, I took a picture. Once she finished up for the day, I had every intention of sharing it with the other guys, but for now, she was all mine.
Finally, she put the lens cap on her camera and reached out for her bag. “I think that’s enough for today. I’ll be editing for a few days at least,” she said, almost breathless. Her face was warm from the sun, and her smile unrelenting. She seemed like such a free spirit, and I was glad she was comfortable enough around me to be that way.
“I really have to get back and get ready before tonight. It’s a big night for Whitaker Brews. If you guys want to come out, I’ll be there all night,” she said, giving me the green light from my earlier suggestion.
I held out my hand, and she didn’t hesitate to place her palm in mine, our fingers intertwining as I led her away from the lake and back into town.
We had decided to walk since she wanted to get some shots of the scenery along the way. I went for runs every morning, so it wasn’t bad for me, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that she was enjoying being outside as much as I was.
“What’s the plan with all the pictures?” I questioned.
“The Town Council—or the mayor specifically—hired me to do some social media management. I’m creating a website, taking pictures, doing video tours, and interviews. Each business will have a page and I can use them to spice it up some.”
“That’s awesome,” I said, not even surprised she won them over. She was incredible. As I studied her, completely lost in her light, she was oblivious. Avery truly didn’t know how special she was.
That was okay, we’d show her that she was worth so much more than whoever stole her light, led her to believe.
“The hope is to bring some life back to Rockwood Valley. It used to be amazing here… thriving. There was always something going on during the weekends, tons of businesses. In fact, some businesses opened after artisans came down for the Artisan Fair and just decided to stick around. Rockwood Valley’s beautiful, and I feel like it’s time for the rest of the world to see it.”
“One visit was enough for us. With all this, I think they’d have to be crazy to not want to come for a visit.”
She beamed at my response. “I’m kind of doing the same for Whitaker Brews so that my brothers can take a break. More business means a chance to hire new staff and live their own lives. After we lost our dads, everything went downhill. I think we all just coped in our own ways, and not one of them was healthy. So, this is me trying to do my part.”
“That’s noble of you,” I said, giving her hand a little squeeze. “My parents died when I was a kid. I was raised by my grandma, and Mason was my neighbor. We were childhood friends and just kind of stuck together. We didn’t grow up far from here, but when we saw the opening for Kent’s firm, we decided to give it a shot, so we rented a place here. It’s been amazing outside of what a lowlife Kent was. Now, I’m even more glad we came.”
I stopped walking and she did, too, turning to look at me, curiosity on her face that melted into heat when I tugged her closer. We were toe to toe now, our bodies aligned, and when I leaned down she met me halfway.
The kiss wasn’t sweet at all. She deepened it almost immediately before jumping up and letting me catch her. Thankfully, the camera bag was on a strap and didn’t fall to the ground.
My hands slid around her, holding her close as I tasted and teased her. She let out a small whimper, rocking her hips against me, her fingers tightening in my hair.
I’d been with other women from time to time—nothing serious—and no one ever turned me on as fast as Avery did. I’d also never had an omega take charge like this, and it was sexy as fuck.
My cock was hard, straining against the zipper in my jeans. It was uncomfortable, and it took everything in me not to grind back, but I wanted her to be in control, to take more if she wanted it. I didn’t know her full history but I suspected she needed to be the one to set the pace.
Avery’s phone rang, breaking the moment. She broke the kiss, breathless, chest heaving, and eyes dark with lust. It was a glimpse of what she looked like freshly fucked, something I’d commit to memory until I could witness the real thing.
“God, you’re beautiful, Avery,” I whispered, leaning forward and capturing her lips again. This time, the kiss was soft and commanding—a promise for more later.
Her phone went off again, and I sighed, letting her go when she tried to wiggle down to her feet. She took a breath and straightened her clothes before pulling her phone out of her back pocket.
She let out a sigh that told me our moment was over.
“My brothers want me back sooner rather than later. I guess we better keep going.”
I didn’t bother to reply as we picked up the pace, heading back to town and pretending like we were completely unfazed.
Every step we took was filled with sexual tension. Both of us were close, hands brushing or my hand reaching for hers. I wanted her more than I wanted anyone else in my life.
It was almost a relief when we reached her truck. I helped her inside, even going as far as reaching over and buckling her in before brushing my lips over hers.
“I can’t wait to see you tonight, Avery,” I said before closing her door. With one last little wave, she was off, backing out of the spot and driving away.
Mason and I didn’t have plans before, but now we definitely did. Yet, before I headed back to our shared apartment, I took a detour to Cohen’s Creations.
The bell above the door chimed as I pushed it open and stepped inside. It smelled amazing in here—earthy and sweet. A handsome beta was behind the counter.
He gave me a warm smile, his voice rich when he called out, “Welcome to Cohen’s Creations. Can I help you find anything?”
“Actually, I came to meet you,” I said, stepping forward and giving him a smile. There was something about Cohen that seemed familiar, yet I didn’t think I’d ever met him before.
“Me?” Cohen asked, just as confused.
“Yes, it seems we share a mate, Cohen,” I said as I walked up to the counter. He hadn’t moved, almost looking startled, his eyes tracking every movement as I walked up and rested my elbows on the counter, leaning forward.
It was only then that I realized that the beautiful scent in here was him—a beta. I don’t think I’d ever heard of an alpha-beta scent match before. Generally, scent matches were something between an omega and an alpha, or a beta and omega. There was always an omega in the center of it all.
He looked just as startled as I did, his nostrils flaring and his eyes widening. To his credit, he didn’t step away.
“So, you’re Avery’s pack?” he managed to choke out, his voice strained.
I nodded. “Yeah, we met at my old job, though we quit when they tried to swindle Avery.”
A smile formed on his face, and he nodded in approval. “I’m glad she had somebody to stand up for her. She deserves that.”
“We weren’t the only ones. You should have seen those Whitaker boys—they were a force to be reckoned with,” I said, letting out a whistle before laughing. “I really thought they were going to go to jail that night.”
“Her family is important to her. I have a feeling they’re very close,” he confirmed before fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. It was like he was adjusting it, though there was nothing out of place.
Everything about Cohen seemed meticulous—a little too perfect. And man, I wanted to ruin that perfection with a little chaotic fun and debauchery.
“Let’s talk first about how we’re mates, too, Cohen,” I said, leaning in again and breathing in deep. “You smell phenomenal.”
“So do you,” he admitted quietly. It was nice to see him a little thrown off. I had a feeling he wasn’t used to being out of control like this.
“That’s not normal, right?” he finally questioned, stuttering over his words before taking a shaky breath and letting it out. “I’m sorry, I’m not usually this nervous. With Avery, it feels so easy.”
“Are you saying I’m not easy?” I teased, my voice pitched low and breathless. “Though I wouldn’t say you’re entirely wrong in that regard.”
“Oh Lord, help me,” he gasped, looking up at the ceiling. I leaned over the counter enough to see a sizable bulge in his pants—it seemed he liked my teasing.
“Every mating is different. With you I feel myself wanting to be flirty, with her I take a gentler approach,” I said, giving him a wolfish grin that had his skin reddening further.
“Interesting,” was all he managed, still not quite looking me in the eye. His fingers were gripping the edge of the counter, knuckles turning white at the force of it.
Oh, he was going to be fun.
I didn’t want to push too far, too soon, though, so I changed the subject.
“The real reason I came in here was to add you to the group chat us guys have and invite you out tonight. Whitaker Brews is doing a special because Avery’s videos blew up. We’re going to go out and show our support. Are you in?”
His face lit up at that. “That’s amazing!” Now that the subject was on Avery, he let go of some of his nervousness. “She’s amazing, isn’t she?”
“She is,” I agreed, pulling out my phone and showing him the picture I took earlier at the lake. “I helped her take some pictures today and snapped this. Look how gorgeous she is.”
He melted a little bit and that only made me want him more. I was in trouble with these two.
“Can you send me that?”
“Absolutely. Let me add you to the group chat and I’ll send it to everyone. I’m sure you’ll meet the others tonight, too,” I told him, pulling up my contacts to add him in.
Ford: I’m adding Cohen. This is Avery’s beta. Mine, too, actually.
Mason: I should be shocked, but I’m not.
Ford: Avery is celebrating a video going viral at Whitaker Brews tonight. We’re going out to show support, try to show up around seven.
Arden: I’ll be there. Nice to meet you Cohen, I look forward to getting to know you guys as well.
“See, nothing to worry about,” I told Cohen. He let out a breath and shook his head.
“I think I have everything to worry about,” he muttered. His gaze was pointed, locked right on me, but the corner of his mouth tipped up into a smile.
“Maybe if you’re a good boy I’ll even let you take me home tonight,” I teased, blowing a kiss before walking out. I wanted to leave on a flirty note and give him even more reason to show up tonight.
I also intended to make that promise a reality. If we were lucky, maybe Avery would join us.
Now that would be a night to remember.