“You’re a sentimental fool,” she said, though her eyes said something else entirely. Bianca licked her lips and Daniel found it suddenly hard to breathe, the air between them thick with electricity. “You’re also a hard ass. My arms feel like Jello. It’s time to cool down.”
Bianca tossed her ponytail over her shoulder, before shooting him another smirk and striding off toward the mats. As Daniel watched her go, he had to agree with her wholeheartedly.
He definitely needed to cool down.
Unfortunately, stretching with Bianca didn’t help. The cool down area was next to the terrarium where the omega kept her strangely befitting pet python. When Daniel joined her on the mats, she was already sitting with her legs spread wide, staring up at the snake while leaning forward so far that her chest nearly touched the floor. It was a very ballerina stretch and Daniel was struck by the juxtaposition of her tough exterior and delicate grace. If he was being honest, he was even more struck by how incredible her tits looked spilling over the top of her sports bra. He struggled to push away thoughts of the positions he could put her into given her impressive flexibility.
“Are you going to stretch or just stand there gawking at my breasts?” Bianca asked mockingly, not bothering to look at him as she shifted her torso to fold over her left leg.
Daniel guffawed heartily, only a little embarrassed at being caught out. “You started it, BB. You’ve been checking out my ass, remember?Anyway, you should really stretch out your pecs and delts. Here, let me help.”
Daniel settled himself on the mat behind the omega so that they sat back-to-back. He felt her stiffen and inhale a sharp breath at his touch. Her skin was warm against his, her scent almost overwhelming. Daniel tried to think unsexy thoughts, but his dick was having none of it. He was glad he’d chosen a position that kept his crotch out of her line of sight.
She gasped again when he intertwined their arms and hands, then spread them wide. The places where their skin touched seemed to burn. It made Daniel ache for more points of contact.
Gently, he bent forward, forcing Bianca’s back to arch and deepening the stretch. She let out a little moan that went straight to his cock.
“Okay?” he asked softly, afraid of bursting the tenuous bubble of the moment.
“Fine,” Bianca breathed shakily. Daniel realized she was trembling.
He gave the stretch another thirty seconds then released her and immediately missed the feel of her skin against his. Before she could overthink, or he could lose his nerve, Daniel moved into another assist. He turned and settled her back not quite against his front (since he still hadn’t gotten his erection under control), placing his legs on either side of hers. Even through her leggings, the contact felt electric. There was something about this omega that just begged to be touched.
Daniel guided her to lift her arm and bend her elbow behind her head in a triceps stretch. Though he could see Bianca was taking shallow breaths, he breathed deeply, intoxicated by the poison apple aroma coiling around them. He stretched her other arm, trying not to be a total creep by staring over her shoulder at her phenomenal breasts.
His gaze fell to her neck instead, tracing over the graceful curve of it. Her skin was flushed, her creamy complexion rosy and inviting. Daniel could imagine sinking his teeth into it.
As if his mind had conjured it, Daniel noticed the faintest blemish on Bianca’s perfect neck—an oblong crescent of lighter skin he never would’ve seen under normal circumstances. An identical mark opposite it was fainter still. Under the lights of the terrarium and at such close proximity, her smooth skin was ever so slightly marred. They were old scars, expertly healed and concealed, but the shape could only be one thing.
A claim mark.
Daniel couldn’t help his surprised exhale as he released her arm. Bianca jumped as though she’d been startled from a trance. She scrambled to her feet, putting distance between them and leaving him cold.
“We’ve got an event this evening and you smell like a billy goat. Please disinfect yourself before you’re back on the clock.” Bianca didn’t give him a chance to respond before she’d spun on her heel and stalked from the room.
Daniel sat alone for a while, thinking and breathing in the lingering scent of oleander and apples. He stared up at the snake, watching its beautiful yellow scales slide along the glass as it stretched toward the securely locked lid of the tank.
So beautiful. So cold. So tightly locked away.
A fitting pet for Bianca Bonnycastle, indeed.
Chapter six
Bianca
Three days later, Bianca’s skin still felt alive.
The memory of Daniel’s touch was branded into her skin. She knew she’d never forget the way his scent had engulfed her, or the sensation of his breath on her neck, or the comforting way his massive form had dwarfed hers, making her feel both vulnerable and protected at the same time.
Though she’d let the big alpha train with her a few more times, she’d made sure to keep him at arm’s length. Her traitorous body ached for his touch, wanting those strong, surprisingly gentle hands of his to explore every inch of her. She watched those massive, tattooed arms flex as he lifted weights, marveling at how effortless he made it look, thinking about how easily he could lift her if he wanted to. He could take her, if he wanted to. If she wanted him to.
The thought made her old scar ache. It was a fitting reminder of the risks of listening to one’s hormones.
Bianca was furious at herself for letting the big alpha get so close. She deserved the torment of her touch-starved skin. It was the consequence of letting her guard down, and an admonition to be more diligent in her self-preservation.
She was too close to her goals to fail now. Pack Willoughby had shown enough interest to assure Bianca that she could secure them if she wished. And, according to Maude’s sleuthing, pack leader Bernard—who turned out to be a Bonafide British lord—was dealing with pretty serious heart trouble and his packmates already had two mild strokes and a near-fatal case of pneumonia between them. If Bianca played her cards right, she could conceivably be a widow before she’d even been bred. Then she’d be completely free to do as she wished, with a sizable fortune and no one to please but herself. It was all within reach.
So why didn’t the idea excite her?
