I giggle, turning around in Parker’s arms so we’re face to face. His eyes are closed, but there’s a small smile playing across his lips. I nuzzle my nose into his cheek so my lips brush his chin as I ask, “What do you mean?”
He cracks one eye open just for a second and then closes it again, pulling me tighter against his hard body. My pussy clenches when I feel his erection pressed into my belly, making me wince. I might have overdone it last night. It feels like my pussy might be out of commission for a few days. “Last night felt like the most incredible dream I’ve ever had. But waking up with you in my arms? It doesn’t feel real.”
My teeth dig into my lower lip, but I change topics so I don’t scream from the giddy delight coursing through me. “Do you have class today?”
Parker groans, rolling to his back and reachingover to a small table where his phone sits. “Don’t remind me.” He drops his phone back to the table and sighs, opening his eyes fully to look at me. “I need to go home and change before class.”
My heart plummets. It’s irrational, but my omega really doesn’t want this alpha to leave.Idon’t want him to leave. I don’t even realize my eyes are watering until Parker cups my cheeks in his big hands. “Baby…” he places the gentlest kiss on my lips. “I’ll come back after class, I promise. I would skip it altogether but I have a test and this professor is a hard ass.”
I sniffle, shaking my head. “I’m sorry, I don’t know why I’m so emotional this morning. I swear I’m not going to turn into a stage five clinger.”
He snorts. “Flower I ambegging youto cling. Be clingy, be needy. Hell, if I could carry you around with me like a backpack all the time I would. There’s still so much we need to talk about, but I don’t plan on going anywhere.”
A feeble purr vibrates in my chest, making Parker groan. He buries his face right between my boobs, making me laugh and the purr stop. “No, no keep purring. Just five more minutes.” He begs, sighing dreamily when I focus and start back up. “That feels like a Xanax for my alpha.”
I spear my fingers through his blond hair, playing with the soft strands and combing them back into some semblance of neat. If this is how mornings with this alpha will be? I really hope he means what he says.
In Parker’s world,fiveminutes actually meantfifteenminutes and twelve increasingly irritated text messages fromPaxton before he finally got up and left, but not without a majorly indecent kiss and a promise to see me later.
Leaving the nest was hard, but Maisie texted me asking for proof of life, so I agreed to meet her at Sugar & Spice. I also still feel more than a little bit guilty for ignoring so many of her texts and calls since moving into my apartment, so I probably owe her an apology. And apologies are always better with treats and caffeine.
I’m so focused on finding my keys in my oversized purse when I leave the apartment that I don’t see the man walking the opposite direction until it’s too late. I crash into him, knocking a folder full of papers to the ground. “Oh my word I am so sorry! Here let me help you grab these.” We bend down at the same time and suddenly I’m surrounded by the salty-sweet smell of freshly popped kettle corn.
My eyes catch on a pair of shiny black loafers and trail up to see neat black slacks that do nothing to hide this man’s muscular legs. He’s got on a shiny gold watch and black button up shirt covered by a very nice wool peacoat. He looks like he walked straight out of aGQfall photoshoot. Black glasses and perfectly coiffed hair complete the sexy professor vibe and make him look…
He looks like…
Oh, holy hell in a hand basket. I’ve been sitting here ogling Professor Carter.
The mortification I’m feeling knows absolutely no bounds. My face heats with a flush I can feel all the way to my ears and down my neck. “Professor Carter, I am so,sosorry. I wasn’t paying attention and then the papers scattered and your scent hit me and it…”
The alpha goes rigid next to me, snatching the few papers I picked up out of my hand. “Why don’t you try paying attention to something that isn’t yourself or whatever alpha is panting after you thisweek,” he snaps.
“I—”
Cold brown eyes filled with anger and disdain look me up and down, stopping on my neck. He scoffs. “And as for my scent? You’re sorely mistaken. There’s no way you smelled it and even if you did we wouldneverbe compatible.” With that devastating parting blow he storms off, shoving papers into the messenger bag at his waist as he mutters to himself.
Any shock I was feeling wears off and tears fill my eyes for the second time this morning. I know I caught his scent and it made me feel the same as Mack, Paxton, and Parkers did. For him to outright say that he could never be compatible with someone like me… my omega is freaking the hell out.
My phone chimes and even though the screen is blurry through my tears, I still manage to read it and spring into action.
Maisie
You on your way, Rosie Posey? I’m here and have cinnamon rolls. They’re fresh and still warm from the oven!
I don’t care that I’m crying in public right now, the thought of hugging my cousin and then stuffing my face with warm gooey goodness is too much of a temptation to resist and has me rushing across campus. No matter how much I want to crawl back into my nest and die from embarrassment, I know I need to see Maisie and find out if what I’m feeling is rational.
The adorable cafe comes into view and my steps speed up. I’m practically jogging when I finally crash through the door and spot Maisie. Her eyes fly open when she sees my messy state. “Posey what happened? Do I need to call Aunt Lil?”
I shake my head, then nod, then shrug my shoulders, bursting into tears when Maisie throws her arms around me. She smells like her pack and the thought only makes me cry harder becauseI want that. I suspect Parker, Mack, and Paxton are part of the pack next door, but their fourth member is stilla mystery, and that’s really starting to bother me, especially after what just happened.
Maisie ushers me to a back corner where a couple of overstuffed chairs bracket a small table that holds two massive cinnamon rolls and iced coffees. As soon as I’m settled with a coffee in my hand, she levels me with a stern look. “Alright, spill. Ever since you moved into your own place you’ve been a total ghost, and when I finally do get to see you, you’re either running to class or you show up crying your eyes out. Inpublicno less. What would Nanny say?”
A watery laugh escapes as I do my best to dry the tears on my cheeks. “Somethin’ like ‘Pretty is as pretty does, Primrose. Go fix your face, hide your crazy, and start actin’ like a lady.’”
Maisie’s mouth hangs open but she quickly starts laughing. “Oh my word you sound exactly like her. Please do that impression for our parents sometime.” She eyes me, her overly perceptive eyes cataloguing every detail. “Are you ready to tell me why you look like you got rode hard and put up wet?”
“That’s because I did.”
