A knot ached at the base of my neck. I needed her in my arms, in my bed, where I could show her how much I loved her.
At least until I figured out how to tell her.
Thirty
WILLOW
Fresh rain glistened on the leaves, mud thick under my boots as I walked around the grounds. I’d spent hours at the site for the rescue every day for the last week. Contractors came in and out, meeting with Caroline. The beta was almost as intense as Kaelen, snapping at everyone and giving directions.
At first, I thought I’d be in Caroline’s way, but she seemed indifferent to my presence. Based on her rigid attitude, I’d take that as a win. I sat at a table in a small trailer, reviewing the scope of work, and it was a massive undertaking.
Some acreage was slotted for play yards and others for housing for large and small breed dogs. Before I knew it, Torin slunk out of the shadows, snorting at my hunched figure.
“You’ll develop a hump if you keep sitting like that.”
Rolling my eyes, I saluted him with my empty cup of coffee. “I guess Kaelen will have to banish me to the bell tower then.”
“Come on, lass.”
“Lass? No more Miss Willow?”
“No.”
Deciding not to push it, in case he ended up calling me Mrs. Finnegan to make me mad, I left it alone. Kaelen greeted us at the front door of the contractor’s trailer, his hands in his pockets.
“What?” I asked.
“Come. We’re going out to dinner and you need to get ready.”
Butterflies swarmed in my belly as I let him lead me into the backseat of the car with him. My omega was delighted to spend time with our alpha. And I was excited, looking forward to a night out with my husband.
My husband.
A man I loved.
Grunting, he placed my legs over his thighs, caressing my calf as we drove through the suburbs and into the city. Once back home, he followed me into our room, his palm an anchor against my lower back.
My eyes roamed over him as he shut the door behind us. Dark suit pants hugged his thighs, with a white shirt stretched across his chiseled chest. Someone carved him out of marble. That was the only explanation of how one man could be so handsome.
“You know you don’t need to take me anywhere fancy. I’d be happy with a burger at one of your pubs.”
Smirking, he silenced me with a kiss, grabbing my hips and pulling me into him. I grinned at the combined headiness of his scent and his hands. A thumb brushed over my freckles, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
“Someday you’ll learn to enjoy it when I spoil you, mo chroí.”
Threads from his ridiculously expensive shirt slid under my fingers as I pushed him down onto the bed. His knees collapsed against the edge before he landed with a quiet thud.
“I enjoy you in jeans and a tight t-shirt,” I winked, crawling on top of him.
“Feral thing,” he chuckled, pinching my hip. “You, saying you don’t like my suits.”
I shrugged, sitting up on my knees and tracing a line of tattoosvisible under his shirt. “It has a certain appeal.”
Truthfully, I loved the way his muscles flexed under the material, and the way his body molded to the fabric. Every version of him was made for me, and my omega keened when I gave in to that realization.
A sting made me hiss as he swatted my bum.
“Get dressed, Omega.”
