Her blush deepens, and it takes everything in me not to tease her more about how cute she looks like this. But I keep my tone light, even as I feel the intensity of the moment settling between us.
“I want to kiss you,” I admit, my eyes dipping to her lips.
Her breath hitches, and I watch as her lips part just slightly, her fingers going still where they rest on the edge of the menu. The space between us feels electric, charged with something neither of us can quite name yet. The same something that’s been there since I first saw her on that tennis court. She doesn’t say anything, doesn’t have to. The way her eyes flick to my mouth tells me everything I need to know.
I lean in a little more, closing the distance, just enough to let her feel the shift, to let her know what I’m about to do.
My perfume would be filling the space if the place didn’t have a diffuser set up to eliminate perfumes and musks. As it is now, once we leave, my desire for this beta will be obvious to anyone that’s close enough to smell me.
My heart’s beating harder now, and all I can think about is how soft her lips look, how badly I want to taste them. Her breathing quickens, and I take that as a sign, my hand sliding across the table toward hers, ready to take this moment.
“I’m going to kiss you,” I say again, my voice low, just for her.
Her eyes flutter, and I’m close enough now to feel her warmth. She doesn’t move, doesn’t pull away—if anything, she’s leaning toward me too, drawn into whatever this is between us. Just one more inch, and?—
“Hi there! What can I get y’all to drink?”
The waitress’s voice shatters the moment, and I jerk back like I’ve been caught doing something I shouldn’t. My heart’s still pounding as I blink up at her, this girl with a bright smile who has no idea she’s stepped into something that had nothing to do with coffee.
“Uh—” I clear my throat, forcing a grin as I lean back in my seat, trying to act casual. “A Peanut Butter Chia.”
She scribbles something down on her notepad, and I glance over at Lakelyn, who looks just as flustered as I feel, her cheeks a deeper red than before.
“And for you, hon?” the waitress asks, turning her attention to her.
Her voice comes out softer than I expected. “Same.”
The waitress nods and disappears, leaving the air between us buzzing with everything we didn’t get to finish. I sit back, exhaling slowly, trying to ease the tension in my chest. I glance back at her, catching the shy smile playing on her lips, and I can’t help but laugh softly.
“Well,” I say, my voice still low, leaning in slightly again, “that was... bad timing.”
CHAPTER 9
Lakelyn
My stomach dipsas his fingers play with the loose strands of my hair. I was inches from feeling his soft pouty mouth on mine. And I’m having a hard time thinking about much else as he blows over his Peanut Butter Chia.
The unspoken connection between us is like electricity. I can almost see it connecting us. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. Just like the rest of the population, I grew up on fairytales of finding your scent match, of being whisked away into the perfect life full of love and happiness. They don’t mention that betas don’t get that.
That’s just a harsh truth you learn when you grow up and don’t present as either alpha or omega. A beta’s place in the world is in the background. Never living the fairytale. Maybe if a beta is lucky, they will be brought into a pack as a companion. As someone that will keep their head during a rut or heat. More like a loved servant than part of the actual pack.
I’ve never been interested in that role.
And unlike some of my friends, I’m not an alpha or omega chaser. There are plenty of both. Right this second is the first time I’ve ever understood why.
Chad’s lips curl up into a smile, and he says something. I blink and shake my head, attempting to clear it.
“I’m sorry, what?”
He chuckles and pointedly dips his eyes to my Chia. “You haven’t touched your drink. If you don’t like it, we can get you something else.”
“The drink’s fine.” My voice is steady, but my chest tightens as I zero in on his lips. My teeth graze my lower lip, capturing it for a moment before I let it go, my heart hammering at what I’m about to say. “I still want to kiss you.”
His lips part slightly, his breath hitching just enough for me to notice. Without a word, he sets his drink on the table and pats the open spot beside him in the booth. The unspoken invitation sends a rush through me, and I quickly slide out of my side and then next to him, my pulse thrumming in my ears.
Turning to face me, his eyes lock onto mine, his expression soft but intent. His fingers lift, barely grazing my hair as he brushes it back over my shoulder. The faint touch sends shivers down my spine as his hand ghosts up the side of my throat, tracing a line that makes it hard to breathe. When his palm finally cups the side of my face, I lean into it instinctively.
“Before I kiss you,” he says quietly, his voice rough around the edges, “I need you to know…I’ll read into this.”
