Chapter 41
Knock, knock.
Someone rapped against the patio doorway, and I glanced over, expecting to see Marshall standing there.
“Adam.” I jumped up, disrupting my stack of pillows and kicking my book off the bed.
He stood in the doorway, that impossibly large frame dressed in jeans and a button-up shirt.
The sun cast shadows on his freckled face, mirroring the leaves above.
When did he get here? My eyes darted to the sliding door and then back to his face. “When did you…”
“Just now.” He joined me on the patio and closed the door behind him.
There was something in his hand, a small plant in a blue pot.
A long, awkward pause passed between us.
He never visited my apartment, not after that first time.
“Marshall invited me over for dinner.” And he came, even though it was going to drive him crazy when Marshall touched me.
“I missed you.” His voice was low and quiet.
Only I could hear the words in his heart.
He was putting himself in a vulnerable situation just to see me.
I wanted to hold his hand, but even getting close to him was a bad idea. I wouldn’t be able to stop after I touched him. “I missed you, too,” I mouthed, my voice barely audible.
Clearing his throat, he stared at the tree beside the patio rail for a minute, then came a little closer to my nest. “This is for you.” He pressed the potted plant into my hands.
It had small green and white leaves, with little vines creeping out from the sides.
The pot was a pretty deep blue. It wasn’t fake, I realized as I brought it close for a sniff.
It smelled like him. Earth and plants. The leaves were soft between my fingers.
“It’s a Pothos plant. Marshall said you only buy fake plants because you can’t keep a real one alive.
This one won’t die on you, even if you forget to water it.
Just give it a cup of water every week or so.
You’ll know it needs water when you press your fingertip into the soil and it feels dry. ”
He got this for me? A plant that would survive my black thumb. He even told me how to care for it so it wouldn’t die on me.
“I love plants,” I said as I touched the leaves. They felt warm under my fingertips. It was nothing like cold plastic.
“You liked my sunroom. I thought you might like something real.”
Mentioning the sunroom brought a brand new rush of warmth all over me.
The sunroom, where we first gave into our passions, and found something we’d never had before.
But it wasn’t just the sunroom I loved. I adored his house, with the beautiful windows and all the pretty plants everywhere.
Maybe I built this nest thinking of it, the first place I truly felt at peace.
“Yeah, I… I love your home. Thank you, Adam.” I said his name again, this time knowing Marshall probably couldn’t hear us. I felt on equal footing with Adam that day, with his gift in my hands. He didn’t react the way he usually did when I broke the rules. He just smiled at me.
“Come on. Marshall’s almost done with dinner.
” He held out his hand, and I set the plant on the patio before taking it.
Our hands stayed clasped together for a few precious moments before we couldn’t touch each other again.
“I like your little nest.” His eyes searched my face, his brow furrowing when he saw how red my cheeks were. “Are you feeling okay?”
“Yeah. I’m just warm from sitting out here.”
“Hmm…” He opened the patio door for me, and closed it behind us once we were inside.
The kitchen smelled like meat and butter. Marshall quickly set a covered dish on the table before wiping his hands on his apron. He quickly took it off and tossed the apron over the back of his chair, his eyes dazed and focused at the same time.
Damn it. I knew that look.
“The hospital called. I was hoping we could eat before my shift started, but there’s a flu going around the staff and they need me to come in early.”
I plastered on a smile, one I had a lot of practice with. “It’s fine, Marsh. I’ve got dinner from here. Take some with you before you leave so you can eat it after surgery.” I helped him do just that, and he bent to kiss me on the cheek before grabbing his bag and running out the door.
“That was kind of you.”
I chewed my lip, tasting blood as I tossed a dirty spoon into the sink.
“I’m as kind as I can be to him, all things considered.
” The guilt I’d tried so hard to quell was surfacing all at once, but not even that could make me flinch when Adam slipped his hand around my waist. I leaned into his body, like a cat searching for pets.
The heat grew inside me, an inferno fueled by his touch.
“I’m going to hurt your son beyond repair, Adam. ”
“I know.” His hot breath on my ear made me shiver. “I wish it was easier to walk away. But the thought of never seeing your face again… I’d rather die.”
I turned in his arms, peering up to see the truth in his green eyes, the longing and pain we shared.
I couldn’t say no. I couldn’t walk away, no matter the cost. I thought I had a future with Marshall, that whatever I had with Adam was fleeting, a mere heat of the moment.
Maybe it still was. But it didn’t matter anymore.
I’m lost. Lost in your arms. Lost in your love.
A wave of emotion swept over me, a fire burning deep inside. I gasped as he licked my neck, his tongue tasting the heat of my desire. My belly twitched when his lips found mine. He kissed me until I felt itchy all over. So itchy and hot, I could’ve clawed his skin off just to get him closer to me.
Cupping my neck, he pulled back and stared down at my hazy eyes. “You’re in heat.”
I grinned, and a giddy feeling washed over me as his pheromones drifted into my nose. “That explains how hot I feel.”
“And Marshall just went to work with you this close to the edge. What would you do if I wasn’t here?”
“How could he have known? My heat isn’t due for another week.”
He scoffed and brushed his hand over my hair, his touch making me moan. “I knew you were this close when you came running to me the other night, and just now when I saw you on the balcony. I smelled it. I sensed it. I know you, Casey. I know my omega.”
His omega.
That’s what I wanted, even if it was just for tonight. I wanted to be his completely.
His scent surrounded us, breaking the dam inside me from the touch of his lips.
My pheromones broke free with a burst of insanity, spreading heat all over my body.
While I was desperate with need, brimming with an overwhelming desire, I’d never felt so relaxed during my heat before.
My body knew he would be here to take care of me.
My Alpha.
The truth was undeniable, a truth I had desperately tried to bury within myself. I belonged to Adam. I had since the day we met, long before he fucked me in the sunroom as rain beat against the glass roof over our heads. That night had changed me more than I ever thought possible.
Maybe it was just my heat, or maybe this was how I’d always felt.
Either way, being in his arms as my heat overtook my body did something to me.
He picked me up and carried me to the bedroom, my legs tucked firmly around his sturdy waist. Our clothes fell to the floor, one piece after the other, and his fingertips brushed across my heated skin as he crawled on top of me.
Goosebumps burst over me wherever he touched.
“Adam,” I whined, shuddering when his fingers trailed below my navel. My cock felt like it was about to explode, and my ass leaked slick all over the sheets. I’d never been this turned on during a heat before. I felt like I would die if he didn’t fuck me. “P-please.”
Slowly gripping my throat, he bent over me for a kiss, giving my neck a quick squeeze for a few seconds.
He spread my legs and tapped my cock with his, shoving his tongue inside my mouth.
Pre-cum sprayed out of my dick, almost enough to make me think I’d climaxed already.
His fingers tightened around my throat, and he shoved his cock deep inside me with a single thrust, my primed body welcoming him without resistance.
I grunted under his grip on my neck, unable to fully let out my sounds of pleasure.
He licked my cheek, enjoying my desperate squeaks. He fucked me so hard, I wouldn’t have been able to breathe even without him choking me. “That’s three times you’ve used my name, omega.”
“Ngh,” I moaned, an almost terrifying sensation building in my lower belly.
My cock throbbed and twitched on my belly, about to let everything go.
Somehow, hearing him reproach me for breaking the rules made it all worse.
He released his grip, letting me take one deep breath.
Tremors shook my entire body as I stared deep into his green eyes, his cock absolutely wrecking me.
“I would punish you for it, but fuck, I like hearing you say my name, omega. God, I missed you so damn much. I thought of you every second you were away from me. Say my name. As much as you want, Casey.”
There were no rules tonight. There was only desire. Only the madness that had drawn us together in the first place.
I grabbed him, tightening my arms around his shoulders, sinking my nails into his skin as I tipped over the edge. “Adam,” I whimpered, climaxing all over my stomach, my body an utter mess as I shuddered with pleasure.