Chapter 11 August
CHAPTER ELEVEN
august
After a late night and an early morning, I’m pretty sure I might be having a lucid dream, or maybe even hallucinating altogether. That can be the only explanation for the words I hear coming out of the Beta’s mouth.
“She’s willing to give us a shot.”
Ridge is leaning back into the sectional, chugging a bottle of water. He doesn’t look drunk, so it can’t be that.
“Wait, back up,” I murmur, running a hand through my hair. “Did you just say you guys made out on this very sofa last night after we all skedaddled to our rooms?”
His smirk is wicked. “It was so much fucking hotter than I can even put into words. Also, did you just use the word skedaddled? Who are you? My grandfather?”
“Shut up and answer the question.”
Lyon is standing at the end of the sofa, arms crossed over his chest with his face carefully blank. When he catches me looking, one thick auburn brow quirks up.
“He’s shitting me, right?”
“Nope,” is all the big fucker says.
“Lyon caught me heading into my room last night. He saw just how fucking torn up I was over a moment that didn’t last longer than five minutes.
She gave me permission to talk to you guys, and basically said she didn’t want us to give her time to overthink it.
I’m convinced she expects us to fail her, but she doesn’t know y’all like I do. ”
Turning my head, I catch sight of Memphis. His head is thrown back over the sofa, his hands fisted in his hair.
“You all right, cuz?”
“Yup. Yup. Peachy.”
“Right,” Lyon quips.
If his totally un-peachy body language didn’t give him away, the bond would. Lust, worry, and a hell of a lot of restraint are scurrying along our connection. Dude’s a livewire sparking frantically.
Ridge sits forward, elbows hitting his knees as his brows furrow deeply. “Seriously, Memphis. If I miscalculated the situation, tell me now and I’ll put a stop to it. I just thought we were on the same page.”
“Oh. We’re definitely on the same page. But now that I know she’s willing to give us a shot, I’m having a really fucking hard time telling myself that I can’t just go barreling into her room with my heart in my hands, offering her everything I have.
Not to mention the fact that my hindbrain is fully ready to knot her against the wall.
Or in bed. Or in the shower. There’s a whole list of surfaces I can vividly imagine taking her on, and I need to get a handle on this stat because something tells me once I have her, I’ll be ruined for anyone else.
She holds the power to break me when no one else has ever come close. ”
His words hang in the air, right along with the sound of the rain outside.
He’s right. There’s something about Shay that’s captivating and exciting.
She somehow manages to hold my attention despite her aggressive and snarky nature.
Or maybe it’s because of that? For a man who lives in his head way too damn much, it’s almost refreshing to hear someone just say what they want to say when they want to say it.
I do that on paper, but it’s not the same thing.
With that reminder, I’m forced to acknowledge the secret I’ve been keeping from my new pack.
If we want to officially take this step with Shay, I should probably come clean.
They believe I came here looking for a fresh start after my career took a direction I hadn’t anticipated, but that’s not entirely inaccurate.
Things had gone south, fast, but not in the way they think.
Being a male romance author is tough, which is why I write under a pen name.
Eden Foxx is well-respected in the romance genre, earning industry titles that barely capture the true level of fandom that I inadvertently created with my popular, spicy small-town series that’s now surpassed twenty-five books.
What no one can prepare you for is the dark side of that fandom.
The constant barrage of emails, DM’s, tags, and even threats.
I handle all of that and more with a well-curated team behind me, and I pay them well because they take the brunt of the attention when fans feel like they can’t reach me directly.
But I was finally forced to take drastic measures when one particular fan somehow got a hold of my private address and started sending me packages.
These weren’t just innocuous gifts. No, these were kinky sex toys, including handcrafted items that perfectly mimicked scenes from my books.
They were addressed to my real name, and to put it simply, I freaked out.
The next day, I called my cousin and made the move from the Valley to Darling.
My mother supported my decision, and Aunt Veronica was happy to have me closer, even if she was a little worried about the reason behind it.
I had only intended on staying with my cousin’s pack for a couple of weeks until I could find a place of my own, but I hit it off with the guys and pack connections unexpectedly formed.
Now, it just feels right. Something about being a part of a pack makes me feel less alone.
Still, I’ve never told them how I earn my money or how I spend my free time in front of my laptop working on my latest manuscript and writing filthy sex scenes.
I wouldn’t say I’m ashamed of what I do, but I’m so used to keeping it a dirty little secret, it’s hard to open up about it.
Now, with the possibility of bringing an Omega into the pack, full disclosure is going to be necessary.
Still… holding off a little longer won’t hurt anything, right?
I haven’t heard a peep from the stalker, but the threat is still out there.
I just need a little more time to be sure this thing with Shay is really moving forward.
I’m too tired…
The guys are full of nerves.
Adding my baggage to the mix won’t do anyone any good.
The excuses pile up faster than I can count, probably because I’m too full of my own nerves to admit what I’m really worried about—losing this chance for everyone because she doesn’t like what she hears about either the stalker, my career, or, hell, probably both.
Fuck. I’m such a pussy.
“Auggie, you still with us, bro?” Memphis asks, a concerned look playing across his face.
I force my full attention back to the men staring at me as if they’re waiting for something. “I’m sorry. Got in my own head for a second there.”
Ridge meets my eyes. “We’re a pack, and we just feel like this needs to be an all-or-nothing decision. Everyone else is in. That just leaves you.”
“You want to know if I want to court the feisty Omega sleeping in the guest room?”
They nod.
Thinking about my night with her at the bar and how well we worked side by side, my attraction to her was impossible to ignore.
For the first time in my life, I wanted to be one of the men in my books, proving to her just how fucking amazing she is and how I’d literally do anything to make sure she was happy.
Of course, I kept that shit locked down tight.
I wasn’t going to be an asshole when it was quite clear that’s what she expected of me.
Well, maybe not me personally, but me as an Alpha.
I’m not sure what the story is there, but now I’m itching to find out and prove her wrong.
“I’m in.”
The tension in the room immediately vanishes.
“Then we take it day by day. I don’t see her as being the type to keep quiet if we push too far, but maybe we try not to overwhelm her right away.
” He looks over at Lyon. “You still want to run by her place and make sure our temporary fix is holding now that we know most of the herd is safe on higher ground?”
Lyon nods.
Memphis runs his hands down his face. “The rain isn’t stopping any time soon, so I’m gonna go make sure the horses are still doing okay, then I might take a fucking nap. It’s been a hellish twenty-four hours.”
“I’m gonna hit the shower. I smell like shit.”
“That’s you? I thought Poppy had an accident in the house.”
I give Memphis the finger, and he laughs.
Every muscle in my body fights against the movement when I try to stand.
As I make my way up the stairs, I figure I’ll take a shower, then try to get at least another chapter in before I call it a day.
Between lending Memphis a hand out on the ranch and helping at the bar yesterday, I feel like I’m out of shape despite working out in the home gym every day.
The second I’m in my room, I pull off my shirt and toss it in the hamper.
Making quick work of my shower, I’m just sitting down at my desk when a scream comes from down the hall.
I’m out the door and bursting into Shay’s room before I even realize what I’m doing.
I come to a screeching halt when I take in the scene that awaits me.
Poppy is licking the condensation off the glass shower wall.
Houdini is pecking at something in the garbage can beside the sink.
Hansel and Gretel are standing just outside the shower door, staring up at Shay. Every few seconds, Hansel headbutts it in an attempt to get to her.
My eyes leave the mischievous goats in favor of studying the woman in the shower.
All of the breath is sucked out of my lungs.
She’s standing there, with her black hair pulled over one shoulder, leaving her tan skin on full display.
All that does is draw my attention right to her tits, which are a million times better than the image I’ve concocted in my brain.
Her belly is soft in the way that draws a man’s attention, her hips having the perfect curve for a man’s hands.
She’s got a woman’s body, and I’m suddenly fighting to remember what Ridge said about not overwhelming her.
“Sorry for screaming. They startled me. Not every day you have barn animals interrupting your shower. I have no idea how they got in here.”
At the sound of her voice, I realize I’m gawking, so I clear my throat and try to keep my eyes on her face. “Poppy’s learned how to open these levered door handles. If it’s not locked, she can get in.”
“Noted.”
An awkward silence fills the space, and I tell myself I should usher the animals out, but I can’t get my body to cooperate.
“Um… Maybe you could—”
“Sorry, I should—”
We speak at the same time, and I’m forced to close my eyes, take a deep breath, and exhale. Unfortunately, the hint of peanut butter and spice that rises above the scent of shampoo has me fighting back a growl.
“You finish up. I’ll get these lunatics out of here.”
“You sure? You didn’t seem to be all that successful last night.”
Narrowing my eyes on the sexy Omega still standing there without bothering to cover up all her exciting parts, I straighten to my full height. “I’m sure I can manage."
“I’d protect your nipples. Houdini seemed to favor those last night.”
The amusement in her voice makes it hard not to grin. “Let’s not talk about nipples when you’re standing a few feet away, naked, giving me all sorts of filthy thoughts of what I could do to yours.”
Ignoring her rough intake of air, I just grab Poppy’s rope collar and lead her out the door first. Taking a play out of Shay’s book, I whistle for the goats who immediately bounce toward me.
It’s the rooster I’m most afraid of. He and I have beef, and right now, my nipple piercings are on full display.
With the other three in the hall, I walk back into the bathroom and spy my target.
“Okay, Houdini. You and I are going to handle this, man to man.”
Shay snorts, then I hear her shut off the water and open the shower door to grab her towel.
Once I manage to get the rooster cornered, I find myself in a weird sort of stand-off.
“He can sense fear.”
I’m forced to ignore my growing erection when I make the mistake of peeking at her over my shoulder. The Omega looks like every fantasy I’ve ever had come to life. “I’m not afraid.”
“Okay, nips. Whatever you say.”
“What did you just call me?” Unsure whether it’s a wise decision, I turn my back on the rooster to glare at her.
“Y’all have these nicknames for me. I’m only repaying the gesture.”
“What’s Ridge’s nickname?”
“Ass man.”
I sigh. “I can’t be nips, firecracker.”
“Why not?”
“Because it ain’t manly. I need something bold and daring. Something that tells everyone just how badass I am.”
Houdini chooses that moment to peck at my leg, and I yelp like a girl.
She smirks. “You were saying?”
With a sigh, I grab the rooster and hold him tightly just like she did last night. Attempting to ignore the smug Omega, I walk him over to the door, set him on the ground to join his friends, and debate with myself for all of half a second. Mind made up, I close and lock the door behind me.
Maybe this is too fast, but I’ll trust in what Ridge said. I’m sure she’ll let me know if I’m overstepping. When I turn away from the door, she’s standing just outside the bathroom with her eyes locked on me.
“You can tell me to go.”
“Ridge talked to you guys?” she asks, her voice taking on a husky edge.
“He did, but you’re the one in control here, firecracker.”
Her eyes scan down my body, pausing at my nipple piercings, then widening on the obvious erection tenting my sweats. When she licks her lips, I almost groan. “And what if I said I don’t want you to go?”
My chest rumbles, but I clench my fists at my sides to avoid snatching her up and taking her against the wall like Memphis suggested. “Then this tension between us is going to find an outlet. How far we let it go is still solely up to you.”
“You should know that I haven’t been with anyone in over six years. I might be out of practice.” Her voice is so hesitant and unlike her that I want to murder the asshole who hurt her.
“It’s like riding a bike. You never forget how to do it. Just give me the word and I’ll prove it to you.”
My heart is hammering in my chest as my dick tries to rip open a hole in my pants.
She pushes her shoulders back, takes a deep breath, and lets the towel drop to the floor. That’s not exactly a word, but close enough. Most of my blood supply has rushed to my dick, making it hard to process much beyond her perfect body anyway.
Guess we’re really doing this. I won’t let her regret it.