I poked hard at my phone screen, losing my way as I tried to find the icon to call him back. This was bad. Real bad.
Finally, I found the right icon and just as I heard a ringing there was a loud knock at my door.
I jumped up, my entire body shaking, my arousal making a prominent tent at the front of my robe. I ran to my door and peered through the peephole. Keir stood just outside. I could only see his upper body. He had his laptop case slung across his shoulder.
“Oh no,” I mumbled.
I cracked the door open.
“Fallon? Are you all right?”
“Yeah.” I swallowed against the dryness creeping up my throat.
“You aren’t well. You need someone to take care of you. And while I’m doing that, we can work together on this weather problem.” He smiled and lifted his hand which I couldn’t see through the peephole. He held a bag. “I brought sustenance and fever reducer. Let’s get to work.”
“Um. Hi.” I gulped again, holding onto the edge of the door. His alpha scent rolled over me. So enticing. My knees became unsteady. “Keir. You can’t come in.”
“Why? You think you’re contagious?”
“I—I don’t have a cold.”
“What?”
“I—I’m in heat. That’s why I couldn’t come back today. I swear I can work through it. At least, I think I can. But not with you here.”
Keir’s expression tightened. “Fallon, sorry. I didn’t know.” He sniffed the air, then caught himself, blinking hard as if embarrassed.
“I should have told you the truth. I didn’t know until early this morning.”
“But when I didn’t hear from you—” He stopped. “I don’t think you’re in any shape to work.”
He was right. I’d fallen into a heat-induced stupor for the past two hours.
“I can try.”
He shook his head. We stared at each other a little too long. I stepped back, fearing for my balance. His tall alpha stance sent images through my mind I shouldn’t have been having. My body wanted to bend over right here and now. Slick ran down the naked backs of my thighs.
“I’m worried about this year’s flight. You were my ace.”
“I—I know. I can focus. I just need another cold shower.” My voice shook. “I think.”
“We need you. I need you. What can be done?”
There was nothing. No meds. I had to go through the heat. “You know there’s nothing for it,” I whispered.
More powerful alpha waves of warm spiced sugar. Like maple syrup. My stomach clenched in hunger, in need. I loved hot pancakes with lots of syrup. But I wasn’t hungry for that as much as I desired… him.
“Fallon. Let me in. Let me help. I promise I can control myself.”
He didn’t understand at all. It was me who couldn’t control myself. “No. I can’t.”
“We can work this out together. But I need you. I don’t think this flight will make it without you.”
“You’re good. Clea and Drake are very good. You can do this. I can help. But I have to stay here. Alone.”
“We can be in separate rooms. I’ll stay in the living room. You can go in your bedroom. We’ll have our phones on to communicate.”
“We can do that from further away.” My voice came out slow, soft.
