Chapter Eleven
Gwyn
I could feel the heat radiating from my cheeks as I tugged the door open and stepped into the kitchen, a grin I couldn’t stop stretched across my face. I had to give it to Carl, he was fun to be around.
He was also patient in a way I hadn’t seen from other alphas. His interest was obvious, but it was like he was easing me into the idea of him flirting with me.
Flirting!
We were too old for flirting.
Weren’t we?
I shoved that thought and all the ones hanging from it aside. I had plenty to do to keep me busy for the day while Carl worked on the roof, but part of me was still sad when he stopped in the doorway instead of coming all the way in.
“Jason will be here soon to help, so I’m going to get the ladder set up and get started. It’s going to get noisy, so don’t worry unless one of us comes falling through the ceiling.”
My heart tripped, but the tilt of his lips said he was kidding.
Hopefully .
“Please don’t. I’m not interested in a sunroof, and I refuse to pay extra for it.”
I heard him laughing until the door thunked into place between us. Breathing through the wave of disappointment and hint of worry, I turned to my painting supplies, ready to get a coat on the walls of the dining area that wouldn’t be affected by adding the new wall.
Carl wasn’t wrong about the noise. It was quiet at first, but grew to a steady thumping before long, so loud the music from my phone was drowned out beneath it. The thuds and thumps were so regular it almost sounded like a heartbeat coming from the roof, and I grew numb to it after a while, focused on making sure I got a good layer of paint on the walls so I wouldn’t have to do extra passes.
Eerie silence pulled me from the daze I’d fallen into, my heart slowing as I strained to hear anything outside. I was halfway to panicking when the rumble of a motorcycle engine penetrated the walls and loosened the tightness around my lungs.
“Looks like we stopped at the perfect time.”
I screamed and whirled around, the roller slipping from my hands to clatter to the floor as I stared at Carl’s large form standing in the doorway to the kitchen.
“Holy shit, you have to stop doing that!”
Trembling with the rush of adrenaline, I pressed my hands to the sides of my face, sucking in a deep breath to steady myself. The man was entirely too quiet for someone his size.
His laugh filled the room as he leaned down to grab the roller, placing it in the tray. There was a little paint still in the well at the bottom, but he was right, he’d come in just as I’d finished up the last of the walls I could do.
“Sorry. I’ll knock next time.”
I blew the air out as I closed my eyes, rolling my shoulders back and stretching my neck.
“Let me.”
His rumble was quieter, closer, and my eyes were still closed when warm palms rubbed over the tops of my shoulders towards my neck. My lips parted to say something to stop him, but when his thumbs dug into my muscles, all that escaped was a groan.
My head dropped forward without any conscious direction, the tightness melting away under the firm pressure and the heat of his palms. I felt like I was turning into a puddle, warmth rolling through me even as my nipples peaked and the tension that had left my shoulders pooled between my hips.
I’d never had someone touch me like that. Anthony had demanded massages on occasion, then complained I was too weak to do it properly, and the one time he’d tried to show me the proper way, he’d left bruises all along my clavicle after ignoring my winces and cries of pain.
But Carl, his fingers were magic, the pressure firm but gentle.
I didn’t realize I was purring until he joined me, my entire body flushed from the heat of him so close to my back. For a split second I almost leaned back, wanting to feel if I affected him the way he did me, before my stomach decided to join in and added its own grumble to the duet.
Shaking my head, I came back to my senses and pulled away, ignoring the way my body craved to stay close to him. He was smirking when I turned around, but his eyes were dark and full of something other than mirth.
“Guess we should eat since it’s time for our lunch break.”
Sucking in a sharp breath, I snatched up my phone to check the time. Somehow hours had passed without me noticing, and it was already well after twelve.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t pay attention to the time. I’d planned to walk home and warm it up before now.”
His big shoulders lifted.
“It’s no problem. Jason went to grab something and will be back to help finish up. He can get started without me if we don’t make it back before him.”
Pulling my bottom lip between my teeth, I warred with the urge to tell him to stay at the café and wait for me. I still didn’t feel comfortable inviting him into my home, but it didn’t make sense to make him wait twice as long to be able to eat the lunch I was supposed to provide.
A small part of me was anxious over whether he’d even like it, which didn’t help the tumble of emotions inside me. The hunger of a moment before withered away under the acid wash of worry.
Carl stepped closer, using a finger under my chin to lift my head until I met his gaze.
“I can wait outside. We can have a picnic in the yard, that way you don’t have to tote everything here and back.”
It was amazing how he always seemed to know what was running through my mind, and how he went out of his way to make sure I was comfortable. My shoulders dropped from where they’d risen almost to my ears, my breath coming easier at the simple solution to my main concern.
“That sounds good.”
His smile brought back the warmth that had filled me before, my core throbbing with the reminder that even if I no longer had a mate, I still had an omega’s needs. Biology couldn’t be kind enough to take those away.
Carl talked about the roof as we walked to my house after I insisted there was no reason to take the truck. I had to admit I wasn’t really listening, other thoughts swirling through my head as I watched him. He could be a truly formidable alpha, his size was intimidating, but his personality made him seem more like a giant teddy bear.
“Is it rude of me to ask what animal you become?”
The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them, the question that had been on repeat in my head since I’d met him finally out in the open.
Laughing, he shook his head.
“Most of us don’t mind since we tend to be proud of what we are. I’m a grizzly.”
I grinned at finding out I’d been right, a laugh escaping.
“Are you cuddly, or are you a grouchy old bear?”
I had no idea who had taken over my mouth, removing the filter between it and my brain. My cheeks were burning, and I couldn’t stop smiling, the sunshine and breeze adding to the perfect feeling of the moment. The disheartened omega who was scared of alphas had disappeared behind the brazen woman flirting with a man she’d have run from only a year earlier.
I liked it.
“Well, that depends. Do you want to try cuddling and find out?”
His brows were raised, the look in his eyes telling me he meant exactly what I thought he was hinting at. Suddenly it was much too hot, and I plucked at the front of my shirt as we turned up the sidewalk toward my front door.
“I think I’m already sweaty enough. Cuddling with something furry would only make me hotter.”
His chuckle was dark and deep, making a shiver run down my spine as my nipples tightened painfully. The gusset of my panties was damp, and I squeezed my thighs together to try and stop the throbbing between them.
“You’re right. You’re hot enough already.”
My blush grew, the tips of my ears and my chest burning along with my cheeks. I wasn’t used to being complimented, much less hit on, and even if I didn’t really believe him, it was still nice to hear.
“I’ll go in and warm up our lunch real fast, and I’ll bring out something to sit on.”
I needed to escape and pull myself back together before I did something completely foolish.
Like throwing myself at him in my front yard.
“I’ll be here.”
His voice was still that deep resonating tone that made my insides quiver, and it took every bit of effort to turn away and put a door between us. The familiar scent of my home helped calm my heartrate, washing away the alpha pheromones that I decided were to blame for the giddy feeling bubbling in my chest.
Pushing off the door where I’d leaned back to reset, I headed for the kitchen, taking out the containers I’d prepped the day before. Popping the chicken and vegetables in the microwave, I pulled out two plates and the toppings, setting them on a sheet pan since I didn’t have any kind of tray to carry everything on.
While the food warmed I dug through my closet for one of my older, worn blankets. It was one I couldn’t bear to part with, but it wasn’t quite good enough to warrant being in my nest anymore.
I glanced toward my bed, the pull I usually felt to disappear beneath the bedding missing. Instead, I was drawn back outside to the magnetic alpha who was single-handedly changing my opinion of his dynamic.
“We can use this to sit on.”
I passed it over, not realizing until it was too late how thick my scent would be on the fabric. It might not have been part of my nest anymore, but it had been at one time, and it was kept in the closet with all my clothing and my laundry basket. Every fiber of it carried traces of me.
Carl’s pupils expanded with his first inhale, his jaw and fingers tightening. A low growl rumbled between us before he swallowed and cut it off.
“Thanks.”
The faint beep of the microwave saved me, and I darted back into the house as if it had been gunfire, except I was running toward the sound. My pulse was galloping again, breath coming in short gasps as I did my best not to picture Carl’s massive form wrapped in my nest.
“Get it together, Gwyn. You’re a grown woman for fuck’s sake!”
My mutters whispered through the kitchen, mocking me as I piled the rest of the things we needed onto my makeshift tray. Fortifying myself and doing everything I could to squash my inconveniently reawakening libido, I strode out the door at a steady pace, pretending the previous interaction had never happened.
Carl already had the blanket spread beneath the tree and was seated on it, although he tried to rise to come take the tray until I shook my head.
“You said you’d eat anything, so I prepped a variety of meals for lunch this week. Today it’s fajitas.”
I wasn’t foolish enough to try any kind of flourish as I lowered the food toward the ground, as overburdened as I was. The way I preferred to eat them was considered unconventional, but since I didn’t know how he took his, I’d made sure I had everything he could possibly want. Peppers and onions, cheese and sour cream, salsa and guacamole. I even had refried beans and Mexican rice, as well as pico de gallio, and both flour and corn tortillas. Whatever we didn’t eat for lunch I would repurpose for dinner for myself.
“Wow. I didn’t expect all this.”
His wide-eyed stare had my lungs frozen until he reached for the food, helping to spread everything out where it was easier to access. He waited until I put a tortilla on my plate and started piling things on it before making his own.
“I’ve raised two alphas, so I know how much you can eat. Don’t be shy.”
He’d only grabbed two tortillas, but I knew that would never be enough for a man his size. I’d heard shifter appetites were greater than a human’s, it helped them heal faster than we did, and my boys would have demolished at least four for lunch.
Shooting me a quick grin, he snatched two more tortillas before starting to layer on everything else. It was satisfying to watch him eat the food I’d prepared, my omega side happy the alpha seemed to be enjoying it. When he made two more after polishing off the first four, it sent a thrill coursing through me that I hadn’t felt since my boys were young.
“That was delicious. I don’t know how you expect me to get off the ground after that, much less work. I think I might be in a food coma.”
I laughed as he flopped back on the blanket and rubbed his stomach. The motion pulled the edge of his shirt up, revealing a peek of dark hair disappearing beneath his waistband, and the lust from earlier returned. With the way my body kept reacting to his, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to keep resisting the temptation he represented.
But I wasn’t willing to give up my newfound freedom for it.