“The hell do you mean, five a.m.?”
“Well, I own Sweet Haven, a bakery in town. People need coffee and fuel before work. And what’s a bakery if it doesn’t have freshly baked goods ready for them?”
She blinked at him for a second. “You’re never going to expectmeto get up early with you, are you?”
Aspen asked the question with full brutal honesty. As if she’d accepted him and her place in his life already.
Of course, she did. Aspen seemed to always grab adventures by the horns and this was no different. Unexpected, but she pivots fast.
North laughed, the sound echoing off the walls, his head tilting back.
Finally, he got himself together and shook his head. “Oh no. I learned long ago that it was a solo act in the mornings.”
“He didn’t even bother to try with me,” Jack said, giving his best friend a wink.
North swallowed hard and looked away, not returning it, which had Jack looking back at me, confused. The two had been best friends for so long that it wasn’t weird to see them be touchy or close, but I’d never seen him look out of place with Jack.
“So, do I get to taste any of these delicious-looking treats?” she questioned, pointing at the island that was packed full.
Now that the moment seemed to have settled and the tension was draining away, I also moved closer to the array of treats, looking for something in particular. When I spotted it, I snatched one up so quickly that it made Aspen laugh again.
Her hesitation from earlier was gone. Apparently, whatever she and North talked about, helped.
“You still make them,” I said, giving North a smile. He blushed and nodded.
“Of course,” he said. “Not that anybody appreciates them the way you do.”
“What is it?” Aspen asked curiously as she stepped closer. I breathed her in, trying to decide if she smelled more delicious than the treat.
She won.
Even though I’d taken a big enough bite that half of it was gone, I tilted it her way so she could see the confection.
“It’s a cranberry orange roll, kind of like a cinnamon roll, just sweeter.” It smelled like her, just muted. Not as full of her vibrancy.
“Oh, that sounds delicious,” she said, searching around until she found a second one, picking it up and taking almost as big of a bite as me. She got powdered sugar on her nose and I swiped it away. Her blue eyes widened, then heated as I licked my finger clean.
She took another bite as if to distract herself, a groan that was far too sexy for the moment, slipping free. All three of us froze, looking at our omega. She glanced up at our reaction and rolled her eyes.
“You guys better get it together, because I amnotgoing to stop appreciating food.”
“Thank fuck for that,” Jack said, running a hand through his hair and giving her his usual teasing grin.
Now that we’d cleared the air a bit, I didn’t feel quite as much jealousy, though some still lingered there. I had her all to myself before now and everything had changed before I could truly appreciate it.
Aspen and I quickly finished our treats, and I held out a hand toward her, needing her alone for a moment to check in.
Or maybe to soothe my alpha.
“How about a house tour? Alone,” I said, pointedly to the others.
“Sure,” she offered, shaking her head at me, but she didn’t hesitate to put her hand in mine.
I really liked the feel of it there.
My intention was to take this slow. I already knew that she had just gotten out of a big relationship and didn’t want to step over the line, but I knew I liked her from the moment I met her.
That kiss was burned into my soul. Now I knew why.
