I should go back over there and dropkick her bouncy ass back into the beige world of pompoms and yoga pants.
Timber puffs up his chest, and the nommy mommies get all giggly as he hoists their kids up on his shoulders, giving each of them a turn.
I try to focus on bartering with the farmer at the stall, but Timber is too distracting.
It’s a surprise that Timber is so good with kids in the first place. I’m not going to deny that it’s pretty cute seeing him playing and laughing with them.
What’s even cuter is the way he keeps scanning the area. I haven’t moved from my spot, but every now and then he shoots his head up to look around, and his tense expression relaxes when he sees me. I really want it to be because he’s worried he’ll lose me, and that he doesn’t want us to be apart.
My dumbass omega side is getting too high off feeling like his mate. I keep clenching my jaw to remind myself that I’mlyingto him. For money. Even though it’s a legally earned paycheck, I’m still doing it for the money.
Just because he’s acting nice now doesn’t mean he’ll forgive me for the whole pretending-to-be-a-male-beta thing.
“Fifty,” the farmer says, and I snap my attention back to him. I’ve already pushed my sleeves up to my elbows in my go-to haggling position.
My grin deepens as my eyebrows rise. “I’m not some granny looking for some nice veggies for the weekend. How about twenty-five?”
“Get out of here. You think this is worth twenty-five? This is pure organic; I grew these myself. Look at this dirt.” He shakes a cabbage at me. “You think I hand-picked this fresh all so I could sell them to you for twenty-five? You’re joking. I’ll do forty-five.”
I click my tongue against my teeth. “What if I told you these were for a guy who knows a guy who might get you a deal with the Scented Scorpions kitchen?”
He stills as his thoughts tick over. “You gonna lie to me over a cabbage, boy?”
I throw my thumb over my shoulder, and he looks up, his eyes wide as they land on Timber. “Who do you think he’s with?”
Timber is an absolute star and chooses that moment to search for me. I wave to him cheerily, and, in all his handsomeness, he waves back.
With a toddler on his shoulders and a look on his face that would make any omega dissolve into a puddle of need, I fall for him even harder as he jostles the kid until she laughs.
I have to find a way to get rid of all this homey shit. This isn’t my vibe, even though he looks so good.
“Okay, forty, and I’ll throw in these pears,” the farmer says.
“Who says I’m looking for pears? I don’t need them, old man.”
“Trust me, you need these pears,” he tuts. “You want the best for your alpha, don’t you? You’re not going to find anyone with pears like these.”
He plucks one from his stand and hands it over. I’m pretty sure it’s the same as the apple Snow White bit. As soon as I taste this, I’m going to settle for whatever he wants. I’m weak when it comes to food, especially the free stuff.
I lift the pear to my lips, but before I can take a bite, Timber is suddenly looming over me, sans toddler.
“What are you doing?” Timber asks. His gaze heated as he looks at the pear, though I hope it’s my lips that capture him.
“Oh, hey, just in time,” I say. “This old man is claiming these are the sweetest pears in the world.”
“Sweeter than your cheeks, I’ll bet,” he says, watching me with a shrewd look.
I snort before I take a bite, not expecting much.
The sweetness explodes over my tongue, and juice floods my mouth. I moan deeply as sticky liquid instantly drips on my hand. It covers my palm, sliding down my arm as I swallow the first bite.
“What do you think?” the farmer asks.
“Alright, you got me.” I chuckle as I lift my arm, catching a drop of juice with my tongue before it reaches my elbow. I’m not thinking as I lick the juice all the way to my wrist. I need to get it all, but I have to stop it at the source.
I quickly lick over my palm before returning to the pear, sucking hard to make sure no more juice escapes.
And that’s when I look up at Timber.
