“Is that what everyone does?” she asks. There’s a slight sharpness, a red light for me to back off as her eyes bounce between us with more wariness than they held earlier.
Shit.
“No,” I confess. “I just…I wanted to invite you.”
She shakes her head. “I’m good, thank you.”
She turns back to her station, but Hud stops her.
“No more work until you’ve had a decent break,” he tells her firmly. “All of my team have a break and some food, and that includes you.”
He gives me a warning glare as he points her to a bar stool. She gives me a final wary glance before she turns away.
“What the hell, Nate?” Axel snaps at me under his breath. “She’s skittish as hell. You really think inviting her to dinner with a bunch of alphas is going to make her feel more comfortable?”
I know he’s right.
“Shit,” I sigh. “Sorry. Too much.”
“Way too much,” says Hudson as he stalks past us. I follow him as he grabs a plate, moving around and dropping some fresh pasta and a pinch of salt into boiling water. He crosses his arms as he turns to me.
“Look,” he says. His eyes are on Gabrielle. She’s looking away from us, watching the kitchen activity as she fidgets with the arm of her shirt.
“I get it,” he admits. “I’d like her to eat with us too. But we have to move slowly, Nate. We’ve just met her, and she doesn’t know us.”
“So how do we help her get to know us better?”
“Slowly.” He turns, draining the pasta before swirling in some of the fresh seafood and sauce he’s famous for and carrying the plate over to Gabrielle. I watch as she looks down at the plate, all wide eyes and flushed cheeks as he murmurs to her, setting down some cutlery and leaving her to it.
She takes her first bite slowly, cautious as hell. Her eyes widen, and she speeds up until I’m a bit worried she might choke. My chest clenches as she finishes the plate and glances up, a hint of embarrassment pinking her cheeks when our eyes meet and she looks away.
Slowly. I can do that.
Maybe.
ChapterEighteen
Gabrielle
Ican feel eyes watching me, but I don’t care as I shovel the steaming pasta into my mouth. It feels like food that should be savored, but I’m too hungry to worry about that as I hold back a moan.
Hudson is one hell of a chef. No wonder we’ve been so busy for the last ten hours.
Staring down sadly at my cleared plate, I glance up, meeting Nate’s honeyed eyes. He’s watching me thoughtfully, and my stomach clenches as I remember his offer to eat upstairs.
For a split second, I almost said yes.
Curiosity tugs at me, the urge to find out what their life looks like outside of the little snippet I’ve seen. Not to mention their mystery pack member.
I can’t believe that Axel is here. My heart almost climbed my throat when I saw him next to Nate, his green eyes glittering with familiarity and a matching hoodie to the one I have stashed in my duffle on his huge frame.
My hands drop to the hem of my top before I realize I’m not wearing it. Axel’s eyes follow the movement of my hands, creasing a little.
I wonder if he’d consider swapping out. I’d love a top-up of his scent. It’s the best sleeping aid I’ve ever had.
Setting down my cutlery, I consider the three men very obviouslynotwatching me as they lounge a little too casually against the wall, chatting. They aren’t what I expected alphas to be like. They’re not what I know alphas can be.
Dominating. Aggressive.Violent.
