“Aiden already got you to himself, and I already had Emmett to myself. So, we switched. Sharing is caring, you know? And we both want to bond with you equally, not just as a pack.”
“Oh.” A warm feeling flutters inside me. “That’s actually really sweet.”
“See?” he teases. “I’m not always a cocky fucker. I can be sweet when I want to be.”
“You, my dear Sloane, are one interesting Alpha.” I look up at him again.
There’s a flash of insecurity in his eyes. He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who cares what others think, but maybe he does with me.
“Is that a bad thing?”
“Not at all.” I laugh softly, taking his hand in mine.
His touch soothes something inside me, and now all I want to do is ask him to hold me.
His hand tightens around mine. I watch him out of the corner of my eye, his attention focused on our joined hands. Then he pulls his phone out, and I grow confused.
“Hey.” He talks into the phone. “Guess what I’m doing? Holding our Omega’s hand. Suck on that, fucker!”
He hangs up the phone, and I gape up at him. “What was that?”
“Aiden told me I was going to scare you off if he left me alone with you. I had to prove the asshole wrong.” He holds up our joined hands, grinning like an idiot.
“Oh my god.” I burst into giggles. “You’re crazy.”
Why is this man so damn cute?
With his hand in mine, we continue down the road playing twenty questions. By the time we get to where we’re going, I’m in a very good mood. That is, until I see the chaos unfolding before me.
“What the hell?” Sloane mutters.
This morning I got a call from Bitsy, an eighty-year-old Omega who’s lived here for the last seven years. She asked if I could come over and help tidy up her place because her granddaughter was going to stop by for a visit. I said yes because it's something I often do. Bitsy is the sweetest, and while she can still care for herself, overdoing it isn’t ideal for her age. So, I come and clean her house once a month.
She doesn't talk much, plays music in the background, and lets me do my work. Then, when I’m done, we have tea and cookies, and chat a bit before I leave.
The fact that there are five kids running around the front yard, the garage door is wide open, and two golden labs are barking up a storm as they chase after the laughing kids, has me in shock.
“Oh, Lexi, thank goodness you’re here!” a frazzled Bitsy says from her front step.
“Bitsy, what is going on?” I ask her as I make my way up the driveway, Sloane right behind me.
“Missy ended up coming early. When she got here, her husband, Jim, was a mess, and she was in the car crying. I was so confused! Then Jim told me Missy was in labor and needed me to watch the kids. I hardly got a few words out before they took off.”
“Well, that’s fucking rude,” Sloane mutters.
“And who areyou?” she asks.
Sloane looks at me, not sure what to say. “This is Sloane. He’s new to town.”
“Nice to meet you, Sloane.” She turns back to me. “I have no idea how to deal with taking care of five children. They’re all out of control! They came inside, went right for the cookies, and that seemed to make things worse. I don’t know what to do.” She sounds so upset.
“How about this?” Sloane claps his hands. “You got a backyard?”
Bitsy nods. “Yes, it’s fenced in. There’s a playset for the kids, too. I was trying to get them to go back there and run off their energy, but they’re little escape artists, I tell you.”
“Not to worry, I got this.” Sloane turns to me. “Kitten, would you mind going inside with Bitsy and making the two of you a cup of tea?”
“Okay, but are you sure? I can help.”
