“Depends.” His eyes shone in the setting sunlight. “Am I gonna get lucky?”
I chuckled. “You never know.”
He smirked, leaning in to peck me on the lips. The tease. “I’ll take my chances. Let’s go.”
CHAPTER 5
Nathaniel
We soaked up the knowledge of each other one day at a time, but I’d yet to figure out how to break it to Mac that I was pregnant. Could he not see it? This bump? Surely he could sense something was off, right?
But he hadn’t so much as mentioned it, and he was far too much of a gentleman to call me out on being chubby, so maybe not. Or maybe he knew and he was hiding it? I didn’t know. I didn’t want to blurt it out at the least opportune time and then watch Mac’s dark eyes cloud over with distaste, knowing the Omega he’d been courting was sullied.
I stuffed those thoughts down deep and pulled the rug over them. That was a problem for future-Nathaniel. Present-Nathaniel was gonna enjoy this date and hopefully spend the night at his new boyfriend’s house again.
Mac picked me up around four, and we went straight to a holiday craft bazaar that was being hosted at the local middle school. The lot was so packed, we had to park way in the back and traverse across icy asphalt just to reach the front doors.People in winter coats and scarves milled about, and the smells of cinnamon and cider lingered in the air.
Hand in hand, we walked down the aisles between booths decorated in fabric, glitter and fancy ornaments. Two big Christmas trees, dressed in colorful blinking lights, sat on either end of the auditorium. Above, on the upper deck, the high school jazz band was playing lively renditions of popular Christmas songs.
It was wonderful, and I realized that whatever bah-hum bugginess I’d felt prior to meeting Mac had all but vanished into thin air. Holding his hand in front of everyone, knowing that he wasn’t ashamed to be seen next to a guy who wore more makeup than most women? It meanteverythingto me.
I was smitten, plain and simple.
Somewhere between the lesbian couple who were selling screen-printed t-shirts and the booth with handcrafted paper mache Christmas ornaments, I lost track of Mac. One minute he was standing beside me, perusing, and the next? Gone. I glanced around the large auditorium, scanning the faces in the crowd in search of my Alpha.
My cheeks flushed at the thought. My Alpha.I wish.
Then, out of nowhere, he appeared in front of me holding a single rose. His eyes were as warm as hot chocolate as he offered it to me, and I realized that it wasn’t just any rose—it was carved entirely out of wood. Each petal was delicately hewn. Even the tips of the little thorns were perfect, polished to a smooth shine. It was absolutely beautiful.
I gasped softly. “Mackenzie?”
“I thought it suited you,” he murmured, shrugging his shoulders, as if that explained everything. “And I remember you saying that real flowers give you allergies, so…” He smiled and my heart squeezed so painfully tight. Ididtell him about that, didn’t I? Back when we first started talking. He remembered?
“Thank you. It’s wonderful,” I managed to say. I brought the wooden petals to my nose and breathed them in, just like I would a real flower. The swirling, woody scent of cedar filled my lungs. I let out a happy sigh. “You’re amazing, Mac.”
His grin was bashful. “I try. C’mon, they’re having a bake sale and I’m jonesing for some cookies.” Wrapping his arm around my waist to tug me closer, he led us out of the crowded auditorium and out into the hall, where tables selling baked goods were set up. He snatched up a small container of peanut butter no-bake cookies. “Mine. Pick anything you want.”
“Anything?” I smirked, leaning closer to steal a kiss beneath some construction paper mistletoe. “And if I said I wanted a different kind of sweet…? What’re my chances of gettingthat?”
His laugh was husky. “I’d say pretty damn good.”
Proud of myself, I tugged free of his grip and browsed the myriad of cookies and candies. I settled on a small bag of homemade peanut brittle. My granny used to make the best Christmas candy and since she’d been gone, I’d been missing the sweet, burnt-sugar taste of her brittle.
Mac paid for our treats with cash, then turned to me. “Ready to go?”
“Only if you’re gonna take me home and have your wicked way with me.” I waggled my fingers in his face, and he responded by kissing my fingertips. When his tongue flicked out to curl around my thumb, heat pooled between my thighs. I had to bite my lip to keep from moaning. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
Apparently it was a “hell yes,” because we no sooner got in the front door of his place and he pounced. Our goodies were forgotten the moment his lips crushed against mine, drawing a whimper from the depths of my lungs.Yes, yes, yes.He tasted like the cocoa they’d been handing out, rich and sweet and chocolate-y. His tongue drove into my mouth with reckless abandon, licking over my teeth before tangling with mine.
I leaned up on my tip-toes and carded my fingers in his dark hair before dragging him down to my level. His moan reverberated in between our mouths. I swallowed it down on a growl of my own, then yanked at the lapels of his winter coat. He squirmed at the same time I shoved it off his shoulders. It landed on the floor behind him.
Pulling away only because I had to, I made quick work of my own coat, kicking off my boots in the process. Then I was right back to kissing him, touching him, groping him. His hands were all over me, his palms dragging down the sides of my shirt, his calloused fingers catching on the slinky material. Every touch sent fire coursing through my veins, and I needed more.
He nipped at my lip, and I devoured him. I sucked on his tongue, drawing it into my mouth until I felt the big Alpha shudder.
“Yes,” I panted. Fisting the collar of his shirt, I tugged it up over his head. His broad shoulders complimented a thick and sturdy torso. My Alpha was strong and firm, and while he might not’ve had washboard abs or muscles upon muscles, there was power behind his every move. I ran my fingers through the coarse, dark hair that ran down his chest, all the way to his happy trail. I bit my lip. “You’re so sexy.”
He huffed a laugh. “Glad you think so.”
