“Anita,” I manage. “Anita Monroe. Ash’s sister.”
“Nice to meet you, Anita.” The way he says my name does something to my nervous system. “Welcome to Mistberry.”
“Thanks. I just got here, actually. Had the best coffee at this café down the street and now I’m ready to warm up because it is freezing out here.” I’m babbling again.
He chuckles, a low sound that rumbles from his chest. “Nina makes the best coffee in town. And everything else, honestly.”
“I had beignets,” I say. “I think I might have a problem now.”
“Everyone who tries those has a problem after. It’s a town epidemic.” He glances at my luggage, then back at me. “How long are you staying?”
“Not sure yet. Helping Ash get settled with his new job, and I work remotely.”
“You’ll like it here.” He gestures at the building. “This is a good spot. Close to everything, nice view of the harbor.”
“It looks perfect,” I say honestly. “I can’t wait to see inside.”
He grimaces slightly, glancing back at the door. “Yeah, about that. I was trying to get in to check everything before you arrived, but my keys aren’t working.” He pulls out his phone, scrolling through contacts. “The real estate agent was supposed to leave a set of keys for you inside, and I was supposed to get the new keys, but…” He trails off, pressing the phone to his ear.
I stand there, awkwardly holding my suitcase.
“Hey, it’s Jasper… Yeah, I’m at the property with the new tenant… Uh-huh… No, the keys don’t work… When were you going to mention that? Right, the new security system, I got that part, but…” He pauses, listening. “So you’re telling me the only keys are inside? That’s not ideal… All right, yeah, I’ll figure it out. Thanks.”
He hangs up and looks at me with an expression that’s half apologetic, half amused. “Good news is your keys are inside on the table. Bad news is we need to get inside to get them.”
Before I can ask what the plan is, the wind shifts.
And his scent hits me.
Sandalwood. Pine. Molasses.
It’s deep and rich and absolutely intoxicating. My knees weaken.
I’ve been around Alphas before. Lots of them. I know what they smell like, how my body reacts to the pheromones. It’s biology. Unavoidable.
But this is different.
This isn’t just my body recognizing an Alpha. This is something deeper that curls low in my stomach and wraps around my spine and has every nerve ending suddenly very aware of how close he’s standing.
I grip my suitcase handle harder, trying to ground myself.
He doesn’t seem to be reacting the same way to me. He’s not leaning in, not showing any signs of being affected by my scent. Which is probably for the best, because I’m supposed tobe professional and focused and definitely not swooning over my landlord.
But damn. My knees are wobbling from his scent alone. I bet he has women fawning over him everywhere he goes. Probably has to beat them off with a stick.
Jasper steps up to the intercom panel beside the door and presses the button for apartment two.
There’s a pause, then a female voice crackles through the speaker. “Yeah?”
“Hey, Sandy, it’s Jasper.”
Silence at first. “What do you want?” The temperature in her voice could freeze the harbor solid.
Jasper shifts his weight, and I catch what might be a grimace crossing his face. “I need to get into the building. I’ve got a tenant here, and the keys aren’t working.”
“Oh, you need something?” Her laugh is sharp. “That’s rich. You ghosted me, remember? Two weeks of silence. And now you show up and want a favor?”
I raise an eyebrow. This is getting interesting.
