Every movement is torture.
I’m panting by the end of it.
“Right. Now we need to roll our balls.”
“Devon, not a single word,” Mack barks.
Devon collapses in silent laughter. I watch him for a long moment, bemused by how happy he is.
“Focus, or we’ll be here until dawn.”
“We should sit up and watch the sunset and sunrise one night,” I say. “I haven’t done that since I was a teenager.”
“We can do that,” Mack assures her.
“Right, focus, the balls.”
I snicker, but Elijah grabs my hands and guides them down to the bowl. He helps me pick up a bit of dough and then, using my hands, shapes the ball.
There is something heartbreakingly sexy about doing it like this. I lean back into his chest as he murmurs instructions.
“Right, gently. We don’t need to squish them, just quick, even pressure. Roll it in your palm.”
Devon puts his chin on his hand and watches us from where he’s slouching over the island on the other side. I can see all the wicked thoughts wanting to just slide out of his mouth and into the world, but somehow, he’s resisting.
Mack grabs the finished tray and puts it in the oven while we fill the second.
When the bowl is empty, I grab the last little and put it in my mouth. Elijah growls, tilts my head back, and claims my lips.
My head spins, and when he backs off, I have to blink a few times before I see that he’s on the other side of the kitchen watching me with hungry eyes.
Devon walks past and hits my ass with a tea towel. I jump, letting out a squeak.
“Oh, my god, are you still doing that?”
He snickers and turns to the sink, filling it up with water.
I hug him from behind, not like Elijah hugged me, but with all the feelings I’d shoved into a box in my mind.
He strokes my arm. “What’s wrong?”
“You’re so happy, you weren’t like this when I left.”
He’s quiet.
“Like, I really missed you,” I admit. “Being away from everyone was hard, but missing you never got easier. Just so you know. With all of you.”
He sighs. “It was the same for me. I stopped doing all the stupid things when you left. I thought if I can just be the person, the alpha that everyone says I can be, maybe you’d come back, and I’d get my chance.”
Does he have a chance?
Is that what this is?
It’s fake, right? Temporary. It’s got an end date because I’ll have to leave.
I don’t want to.
I let go of him and step back. Mack hoists me back up onto the island and steps between my legs.
