“If you call him a good boy, he’ll make a mess in his pants,” Hunter added dryly, sounding calmer as he took a sip of what looked like whiskey in a crystal glass.
I’d missed Florence dropping off drinks, and I could have kissed her when I saw the wine in front of me. Clutching the glass, I took a gulp, worried that after a few weeks of alpha tension I’d be right on my way to regular day-drinking.
Kellan’s cheeks flushed, but he didn’t deny Hunter’s statement. I filed his praise kink away,for absolutely no reason, because I’d never get to use it.
When my stomach growled again, I couldn’t wait any longer, reaching out to take a serving of meat from the tray in the middle of the table. When I’d selected some of the seasoned chicken, beef, and pork, I also added one head of broccoli and two potatoes. Wouldn’t want them to think I was uncivilized.
Neither Hunter nor Kellan touched the food until I’d filled my plate, and their consideration once again heated a place in my chest I thought was long dead. After I started to eat, theyboth selected from what remained. Kellan piled his veg and meat together, cutting everything into a mess and eating it all mixed like a psychopath.
Hunter, to no one’s surprise, was methodical. He took an even mix of meat and veg, and while each dish sat close on his plate, a slight gap remained between them. When he ate, he started with his potatoes, and moved clockwise around the plate, one food at a time.
The alphas continued to discuss work while I ate the deliciously seasoned meat, drank crisp white wine, and enjoyed a chance to listen but not have to participate. It was as if they knew today had already been overwhelming and were letting me just float along in the deep hum of their voices. Voices that should not be soothing, and yet I’d never felt quite so relaxed as I did tonight.
These two, for all their alpha tendencies, were treating me with more kindness than I’d ever expected. Well, Kellan was anyway, and his personality went a long way toward softening Hunter’s controlling nature.
“Do you think you’ll be ready to start work tomorrow?”
I jumped and sloshed my wine over the side of the glass. Florence, bless her beautiful soul, filled right to the brim, which was great in all situations except when startled. “Sorry, what?”
Hunter’s jaw twitched, but he didn’t call me out on my absentmindedness or complete lack of coordination. “Work, do you think you can start tomorrow?”
“Yes!” I said too loudly, leaning down to lick up a few drops of wine off my hand. “I can start whenever you need.”
The silence after my statement had me lifting my head to find both alphas staring into my soul. Their dominance was heavy in the air, and as unease and arousal trickled into my gut, I realized I had set them off by licking my hand.Damn wine went to my head.
Gently placing my glass on the table, I attempted to deescalate the situation. “I’m ready to start work and am free every single day.”
Kellan recovered first, shaking his head. “Not on Sunday. I want her at the racetrack, and then we have family bonfire night.”
Hunter’s chest rumbled into a deep guttural sound, and while he didn’t look away from me to acknowledge Kellan, he did at least speak. “You will train at our restaurant, Golden Fin, tomorrow, and our club, Luxuria, the next day.”
Tomorrow was Thursday. “So, that’s two training shifts and then a proper shift on Saturday?”
Hunter’s nod was rough, his dominance finally fading.
“It’s a relief to start working,” I admitted, hoping to keep pushing thesenormalconversations. “Oh, and I’d like to be paid in cash.”
Kellan’s face shut down, giving nothing away, and while I hated to see his sunshiny personality dim, this wasn’t a situation I could compromise on. Cash meant freedom.
Hunter, on the other hand, showed no outward reaction as he pushed to his feet. “That’s fine, Emme. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some business to attend to. I’ll see you in the morning with your schedule.”
After he left, I felt like an absolute piece of crap, but there was no point in having money if it could be controlled or tracked. These alphas might not be a risk to me today, but they could in the future, and I had to plan for all situations.
To keep myself busy, I stacked the empty plates onto the platter, but before I could cart it into the kitchen, Kellan grabbed it first. “I’ve got it,” he said, heading out, with me right behind him. We left the tray with Florence, who was fussing becausethat was her job.
She shooed us out of her dominion, and when we reached the entrance hall, Kellan paused as if debating with himself. “The night is still young,” he finally said. “Want to watch a movie with me?”
Refusing to dull his shine again, I nodded. “I’d love to.”
This had his smile broadening, and I could feel his warmth returning as I tried to ignore the rapid beat of my heart. “Any movies you’ve been looking forward to? We get access to all the theater releases.”
“I’ve never actually been to a movie theater,” I admitted. “I don’t think I’ve watched a movie in years, so everything is new and exciting for me. Just no Westerns, war movies, or super gory horror.”
I was stupidly relieved to hear his deep chuckle. “You sound like Kenzo, Finley’s brother. He once puked on the row in front of him in the cinema after watching a slasher flick. He still can’t talk about it without going green.”
Ugh.I felt a little green just hearing about it.
Kellan didn’t touch me as we walked to the theater, and once we were inside he told me to choose a seat while he got the popcorn going. There were five rows of four reclining chairs, each with a small table between them.
