"Phew," I said. I didn't have to touch my cheeks to know how hot they were burning.
And I was having another reaction down between my legs, too.
But I was too happy to be embarrassed about that. Besides, I never felt judged around Maverick.
He smiled as he stroked my cheek lovingly. I leaned into the touch. It was tender and kind. Fuck, all we'd done was kiss and I could've already melted from joy.
"Would you like to return to your hotel room?" Maverick asked.
Oh.My eyes went as wide as saucers. He didn't have to spell it out for me to know what he was implying.
"Yes," I blurted out.
Maverick chuckled and gave me a peck on the forehead before picking up his clothes. "Wonderful. Let's return to the boat, shall we? Ah, and don't forget your camera."
* * *
Gryphons never break promises.
The phrase echoed in my mind, making me smile stupidly all the way back to my hotel room. I was so giddy that I probably looked like a dumb teenager with a crush. But I knew what I felt for Maverick wasn't just a fleeting emotion.
In the few days we'd known each other, my chest was full of so many more real emotions than I'd ever had towards my ex. Just the mere thought of that scummy alpha was enough to make me gag. Maverick was a thousand-times the man he ever was.
I flashed the keycard against the digital pad, then turned the handle into the room. The rose petals on the silk sheets had been refreshed by housekeeping, filling the room with a soft floral aroma. Behind the bed was a beautiful view of the sky and ocean, brilliant blue on brilliant blue.
"So, uh, this is my room," I said to Maverick with a laugh.
"Thank you for hosting me. Ah, and what's this?" He winked as he picked up a wine bottle from a gift basket on the desk and cradled it. I hadn't noticed the basket before.
"That's new," I said.
"I may have asked housekeeping to drop it off in case we wanted a drink," Maverick said playfully. "Glass of wine, Leo?"
Alone in a romantic hotel room with a sexy gryphon-man offering me a glass of wine... Could this botched engagement trip get any better?
"Yes, please!"
We sat outside on the balcony, enjoying a panoramic view of the ocean. I sighed contentedly. The breeze tickled my face and the smell of expensive wine and clean salt filled my nose. There was another pleasant note, too—Maverick's natural scent. The rich smell of alpha floated over, making my skin tingle as I scented it. I licked my lips and crossed my legs. I didn't want to be a freak who got horny just from Maverick's smell alone, yet I couldn't stop the feeling between my thighs.
I bit my lip. Was this normal? Thinking about the shifter romance books I read, it was normal for the alpha and omega to be fiercely attracted to each other's scents, often causing them to wantonly throw their bodies at each other like mating rabbits.
But those were just stories. In real life, alphas and omegas had a little more decency than that. Besides, I was a human, not a shifter.
So then, what was this intense feeling?
"Leo?" Maverick asked. "Are you all right?"
I shook my head and gulped down some wine. "Yup." I tugged on my shirt collar, suddenly feeling warm. "Hot today, huh?"
Maverick smiled but there was a mischievous glint in his golden eyes. "Indeed."
Does he feel like this, too?I wondered.
My mind wandered to the romance passages I'd read in which alpha shifters would rip the clothes off their eager omega partners and passionately indulge in their bodies...
I swallowed hard and drank more wine to distract myself from the pleasant tingling sensation in the pit of my stomach.
* * *
