“Mom,” Lars said with a growl.
“Don’t talk to your mama that way,” Frida said.
Lars cursed under his breath, and it made me smile to see the big alpha being scolded.
He pulled back and cupped my face with both hands. “I was just going to call you.” His fingers ran across my cheeks, and I wanted more of his touch. “I need to finish up some stuff here and it might take a while. Can we move our date to tomorrow? I’m so sorry.”
“You don’t have to apologize. Of course, we can move it.” What I wanted to say was that I’d be happy to sit with him while he worked. I just wanted to be near him. But that was weird, needy behavior, so I kept my mouth shut.
“I’ll make it up to you, I promise,” he murmured. His eyes flicked over my head like he just remembered we hadan audience. His lips brushed against my ear. “Do you need me to extricate you from the moms?”
“We heard that,” Jo shouted.
I chewed my lip and realized I maybe wanted to stay. His moms were treating me like I was already part of the family, and I wanted to soak up all their care and attention. The scared part of me shouted that enjoying this now would make it hurt all the more when it was ripped away, but it was hard to pay attention to that voice with Lars’s scent surrounding me.
“Oohhh, what’s going on here?”
I pulled away from Lars at the sound of Lucy’s voice. Her hair was piled on top of her head, and she was wearing a pretty, pale blue dress with voluminous sleeves.
“I’m so glad you’re here.” She pulled me out of her brother’s arms and gave me a hug, ignoring the low rumble in his chest. “Alphas,” she said with an eye roll.
“It’s just the male ones that are obnoxious,” Harper shouted from the couch.
Lars scrubbed his hand down his face. “I’m literally here fixing your wiring for free.”
“As you should,” Jo said.
“Be nice,” Isla said, scolding her alphas. “We appreciate you so much, Lars. You’re an angel. Now, go on and get back to work so we can hang out with Olive.”
Lars couldn’t keep a smile off his face. He snagged me back from Lucy and I couldn’t quite understand how I was here, with multiple people fighting over spending time with me. Lars pulled me out of the room, ignoring everyone’s indignant shouts. He stopped when we were in the kitchen. He picked me up and put me on the counter and I perfumed, my scent breaking through my deodorant. My cheeks burned as I realized he would know how much I loved him moving me around and putting me where he wanted me.
His hands were on my thighs, spreading them wide so he could step in closer between them. I let out a low whimper as slick drenched my underwear.
“Fuck, I want you,” he murmured. “I’m so sorry about tonight. Ipromise it’s not that I don’t think you’re important or that I won’t prioritize you…”
I scented the anxiety rolling off him, and I wrapped my arms around him as far as they would go. “I know that. Preventing your moms’ house from burning down is more important than a date.”
He ran his fingers through my hair, his touch so gentle it made me want to purr.
“I need you to know you are my priority, sweetheart. Not a minute of the day goes by that I’m not thinking of you.”
He looked so vulnerable, like he was worried I would reject him. I furrowed my brow, moving one hand to run it through his beard. “I feel the same,” I whispered.
Lars let out a shuddering sigh, banding his arms around me and crushing me to his chest. “I’ve never felt this way before.”
I rubbed my cheek against his neck, wishing I wasn’t wearing deodorant so I could leave a stronger scent on him.
He chuckled, the sound rumbling through his chest. “You feeling a little possessive, sweetheart?”
I nipped his neck. “Maybe.”
“Good.” And then he captured my lips in a kiss, his tongue pressing against mine. His lips were so soft in contrast to the slightly scratchy texture of his beard. I wanted to feel him all over my skin.
The sound of a throat clearing made us break apart.
“I was sent to stop you from fucking in the kitchen,” Lucy said.
Lars groaned, giving me one last squeeze before lifting me off the counter. Lucy’s smile was radiant.
