Chapter 30 #2
It’s the last thing I expected him to say. I’m sad to break our embrace, but almost let out a purr of my own when he massages his hands into my scalp.
“You’re good with hair,” I note, as he runs his fingers through mine. Thinking back to it, he managed to get through the bird’s nest on my head the other day. The one born from me not taking care of myself for all of Amy’s heat. “Where’d you learn how to braid?”
“My sisters,” he answers, brushing out any tangles he finds with his fingers. It doesn’t hurt, he doesn’t tug at all. “Not only were my parents athletes, their pack also had enough kids for a football team of their own.”
“Your house must have been loud as hell.” I bite my lip, realizing late that talking about his family might be a sensitive subject.
When Evan speaks though, it’s with an air of amusement.
“You have no idea.” He’s started to braid, hands moving deftly.
“I’m the oldest, so while my parents were off at tournaments, I was getting my siblings ready for school.
Packing lunches, braiding hair, making sure homework was done, you name it. ”
Smiling, I imagine a younger Evan braiding his little sisters’ hair. Making sure they look nice before sending them off to school. It’s a sweet picture. And it explains a lot.
I see why he would like the calmness of the Coates pack after running around after his siblings. Despite being the youngest, he has the same steady nature as the other men. Cooking, doing hair, sports. I can see where he picked up each.
“Do you have any siblings?” The alpha’s question interrupts my daydream. “And do you have your hair tie?”
I hold it up for him. “No, it was just me. Maybe that’s why I’m a terrible braider. No one to practice on.”
“Good thing you have me to do it for you.” He turns me around by my shoulders, studying his work, then nods in approval.
“How’s it look?” I ask, curious. There’s no mirror around.
His eyes travel slowly from my hair to my face. “Beautiful.”
Evan tries to teach me to dribble next. This gives me more difficulty than shooting the ball did. It’s lucky his reflexes are good, because that’s all that stops my own basketball from hitting me in the face at one point.
“Don’t slap it,” he’s trying his best not to laugh. “Does it owe you money or something? Push the ball down with your fingertips. Here.”
With his hand over mine, the ball bounces and returns to my palm, instead of traveling halfway across the court. Once we’ve created a steady rhythm, he lets go. I continue on my own.
“There we go,” Evan nods encouragingly. “Want to try doing that while moving?”
Taking two steps is all I manage before the rubber ball goes astray. Lunging after it, I slip on the smooth floor. The walls turn crooked as I tumble. Evan’s hands catch me before I fall, grabbing onto me protectively.
His dive towards me makes him trip over the rolling basketball, sending him backwards. We go down together, him taking the brunt of the impact on his back.
For a moment, we lay there, disoriented. Warmth seeps into my body, and I dimly register our position. We’re pressed together, my body on top of his. His arms are wrapped around me. Our faces are inches apart, close enough that I can see his blond lashes.
Evan’s so much taller than me, I’ve never had the chance to see him looking up at me before. I can feel his chest under me, rising and falling as he breathes. The hood of his blue sweater pools beneath his head, bringing out his blue eyes. Blue eyes that travel from mine to my lips.
He moves in, closing the last of the distance between us. The kiss is swift and soft, a light brush against each other’s lips. When he pulls back, his eyes meet mine again. There’s a silent question in them.
Leaning in, I close my eyes and press our mouths together again in answer. His hand comes up to cup the back of my head, threading his long fingers into the top of my hair and angling my face. The kiss grows deeper than the first, slow and deliberate.
His other hand slides up my back, pulling me closer.
I melt into the touch, holding onto the thick fabric of his hoodie.
Our tongues stay in our own mouths and there’s no hands wandering astray.
It’s just Evan’s soft lips and the clean smell of aloe vera, warmth seeping from his body into mine. Tenderly, his thumb strokes my scalp.
Loudly, the sound of a door opening echoes through the empty basketball court.
We break apart instantly as I scramble to sit up. My face burns as I see a middle aged man enter the room, a gym bag slung over his shoulder. He glances towards us briefly, then heads to the other side of the room. In a bit of politeness I appreciate, he says nothing about what he’s walked into.
Which must be hard to ignore. I’ve sat up, but I haven’t gotten off Evan. I’m straddling him now, a leg on either side of his body. We’re both panting, our faces flushed.
Instead of asking me to move, the alpha under me raises his upper body so our faces are close again. His lips are slightly swollen and darkened. His gaze drops to my lips, then he rests his forehead against mine.
His voice comes out quietly. “Hi.”
“Hi,” I whisper back.
The corners of his eyes crinkle. Something warm unfurls in my chest and spreads pleasantly.
“Want to get out of here?” He still speaks in a hushed tone, like we’re sharing something private. When I nod, he wraps an arm around my waist. He shifts to his knees, then stands, lifting me easily.
Our drive back to their place is comfortable. Evan makes his usual jokes, looking towards me for a reaction after each. When we arrive home, I turn the knob to its coldest setting and stand under a shower head, aware of the empty space around me in the shower made for multiple people.
I battle with myself silently, with the pleasant feeling in my chest and the dull but ever present bond humming next to it. I should feel guilty.
Should I, though? They said I was packless, and I know I don’t love them. If it weren’t for the bond remaining, wouldn’t that be considered breaking up?
Instead, I wonder if I’ve ever been kissed so tenderly. Bizarrely, the leash tying me to my scent matches somehow feels no longer pulled taught. It’s gained the slightest bit of slack.