God, hisvoice.It’s warm and soft, instantly putting me at ease. I feel an incessant need spiraling through my mind to know everything about this man with the sugary sweet scent and adorably shy attitude. “Don’t be.” I quickly realize my fingers have been caressing his arm and pull back, mortified. He looks even more embarrassed than before and clears his throat again. “Were you going in?” He asks quietly, pointing to the door.
I nod. “I might as well. My date had to cancel and I could use the caffeine. I have so much work I’m trying to catch up on and after a while my eyes get blurry from concentrating for so long. So I thought maybe a walk and coffee would wake me up so I can finish.” I ramble on, but there’s an immediate shift in the alphas demeanor.
It’s subtle, but from the way his scent takes a nosedive and his shoulders tense, I panic, thinking maybe I’ve upset him somehow.
“Date? Is your boyfriend going to be upset if my scent is on you?” He nods to my hands and the sleeve of my sweater where I was just touching him.
Boyfriend? Why would…
“Oh, I don’t have a boyfriend,” I laugh bashfully. “I was meeting my best friend for a coffee date and she had some sort of emergency and bailed at the last second.”
His whole body sags, something like relief filling his eyes as his scent sweetens again. “Oh, right on. Well, after you then.” He opens the door for me, and I feel his hand hovering over my back as he guides me in. It takes every ounce of self control I have not to swoon, but I’m quickly distracted because finally stepping into the local coffee shop Sugar & Spice is like being wrapped in a warm hug.
The air is thick with the smell of coffee andbaked goods, making my mouth water for the second time in as many minutes, and the atmosphere is like stepping into a valentines world. The shop itself is painted in shades of pink and white, and there is red furniture and accents everywhere. It’s like someone took the Valentine mailbox I made in third grade and turned it into a coffee shop with delicious looking pastries.
The alpha moves to step away but glances back at me with what I find myself hoping is longing in his eyes, and I’m struck by the realization I don’t want him to leave. Placing my hand back on his arm, I smile. “If you don’t have anywhere to be, would you maybe want to sit with me for a bit?”
His eyes widen like he wasn’t expecting that, and my chest tightens with the fear I’m about to be rejected. But he surprises me by biting his lip to hold back a smile. “I’d like that.”
I hold out my hand, silently cursing my southern upbringing for the overly formal gesture. “My name is Primrose, but everyone calls me Posey.”
The handsome alphas grin widens as he puts his hand in mine, squeezing lightly. “Paxton. It’s nice to meet you, Posey.”
I can’t help it, I beam. “It’s nice to meet you, too.”
There’s a short line of people in front of us, but Paxton takes the opportunity to ask me rapid-fire get to know you questions, answering each one in kind so the conversation doesn’t feel one sided.
“What’s your full name?”
“Primrose Evelyn Hale.”
He smiles. “I love that. Mine is Paxton Oliver Avery.”
“That’s a nice name.” A blush heats my cheeks with the way his intense stare stays locked on mine. He still seems kind of shy, but he also keeps drifting closer every few seconds so our arms brush against each other. It’s almost like he can’t help himself, and it’s a powerful feeling, thinking I might be affecting this stunning alpha in any way.
“Are you a first year?”
I nod. “I just started this week, actually. I missed the first week and already feel like I’m playing catch-up.”
He hums, placing a hand on my upper arm and rubbing soothingly before catching himself and pulling away like he didn’t mean to do it. “If you need any help or a study partner, I’m available anytime.”
My teeth dig into my lower lip, a sudden urge to squeal overtaking me. “I might need your number to get ahold of you.” It’s the first time I’ve ever asked for a guy’s number, and I’m honestly really proud of myself for being so bold. I remember Maisie telling me she had to do the same with her alphas, and I make a mental note to call her soon to fill her in on everything.
Paxton’s face lights up and he bounces on his toes, which is extremely adorable. “Right, yeah, of course. Here.” He hands me his phone that I didn’t even notice he had pulled out. It’s got a pretty green case on it that depicts different leafy plants and succulents, and I love it.
The barista calls us forward just as I hit save and Paxton grins brightly, gesturing for me to order. But when I pull out my wallet to pay, he slides in front of me to order his drink before slipping his card into the reader and glancing over his shoulder with a wink that has my knees going wobbly.
My body flushes, slick leaking out of me, and I thank past me for remembering to wear extra thick panties today, especially when Pax leads me to a chair and says, “I’ll wait for our drinks. I want you to go sit your cute butt down and I’ll be right there.”
And because apparently my body is bypassing my brain, I do exactly what he asks without complaint.
There’s something about this alpha and his scent that is driving my omega wild, but I just can’t put my finger on it. Maybe a little more time basking in his presence will help.
As soon as he comes back to the table, he dives back into his questioning. “So tell me aboutyourself, Posey.”
Having this unfairly attractive alpha’s attention focused solely on me is a heady feeling I could easily get used to. “There’s not much to know, really. I’m kind of boring,” I laugh, self-deprecation lacing my words.
Paxton’s head tilts, something wild flashing briefly in his eyes. “Don’t say that about yourself. You don’t have to be Laura Croft to be interesting.”
