Tucking my head against Nate’s chest, I take a sneaky inhale, my mouth watering. “Nate.”
He pulls back, his hands cradling my face as he scans me with concern, pushing some hair back.
“You look good in our kitchen, kitten.”
He finishes off with a wink as Axel slides me a huge cup of coffee in a pink teacup, decorated with vibrant blue and purple swirls.
My hands wrap around it as I tug it closer, examining the painted pattern. It’s sopretty.
Wait – why do they have a mug like this? It’s not exactly screaming alpha male.
When I look up, all three men suddenly busy themselves. Definitely avoiding my gaze.
Hesitantly, I tap Nate’s arm. “Did you get this for me?” I ask, holding up the mug.
I feel stupid as soon as I’ve said it. Of course they didn’t. I only arrived last night.
Nate’s honeyed skin darkens with a golden hue.
“Ah… I thought you might like it,” he mumbles.
Hudson snickers behind him.
“Don’t listen to him,” he tells me. “Nate likes his own cup and he had a panic that you might be the same, so he went out this morning and bought you one.”
My hands tighten around the ceramic.
Nate bought this for me. Picked it out so I’d have a cup of my own.
My whole body warms.
Nate shoots Hudson a smug smile. “Told you. She likes it.”
“We can always exchange it.” Axel clicks his tongue.
“No!” I yank the cup away from any grabby alpha hands, biting my lip as they look at me with varying degrees of amusement.
“I mean… I like it. It’s beautiful. Thank you, Nate.”
Cade strolls in, saving Nate and I from any further blushes. His eyes move straight to mine, dropping to the cup in my hands. His mouth quirks up in a smile as he moves towards the coffee pot, checking it.
“How did you sleep?” he asks me softly, leaning on the counter next to me.
The sleeves of his smart double-breasted gray suit brush my arm as he leans in, my head swimming as I’m hit with his ink and paper scent.
“Good,” I manage as he hits me with a full, mildly disarming stare. “Ax stayed with me.”
“Good.” He repeats the word back to me as his hand reaches up, gently cupping my cheek.
“Take it easy today.”
There’s a thin layer of command underneath his words, the tone of an alpha used to being obeyed.
“I’m working,” I point out. Cade shakes his head, but I hold up a hand.
“You’ve been… very kind to me. And I do appreciate it. But I need to work, Cade.”
His mouth presses together, and he nods.
