I exhale loudly and force myself to stand up.
“Okay. Don’t think about that now.” I pace across the living room. “You had drinks. You got carried away. That’s all. I probably imagined the scent being that powerful because of how horny he made me. Yep. That’s what happened.”
It sounds weak even to my own ears.
“Why did I kiss him, anyway?” I groan, running my hands through my hair. And yet I’m still shivering with excitement. Butterflies are bursting through my stomach. I’m giddy and swoony and completely ridiculous.
My body and mind are officially at war with each other.
I glance at the clock on the wall, and my stomach drops. “Shit!”
I’m running behind on the radio show I promised to do tonight. My listeners are waiting, and Marcy is probably losing her mind.
I rush to the bathroom and splash cold water on my face, trying to get myself together. Change out of the dress, change my underwear because the current pair is unsalvageable. Then I climb into comfortable leggings and an oversized sweater. On my way out of the room, I draw my hair into a ponytail.
I grab a bottle of cold water from the fridge and head to the spare bedroom, where I’ve set up my portable broadcasting equipment. The second I sit down and fire up my laptop, my comm buzzes with an incoming call.
Marcy.
I swipe to answer, already bracing myself. “Hey, I know—I’m late.”
“You’re late,” she says anyway, deadpan. “Do you even own a clock anymore?”
I grin. “Sorry. It was a big night.”
A pause. “Big… how?”
“Dinner with the team,” I say, reaching for my mic to check the levels. “Nothing wild.”
Marcy snorts. “You’re already getting close to them, aren’t you?”
I nearly choke on my water. “What? No! Well. Maybe. Technically. But it was just—it was a night.”
“Oh my God.” She sounds both horrified and delighted.
“Not helping your case,” she sings. “Girl, you need to be careful. You’re supposed to be observing, not melting into a puddle over dominant Alphas.”
“Iknow. God, I know.” I lean back, closing my eyes briefly. “It’s just… harder than I thought. They’re not what I expected.”
“Uh-huh.”
“But I’ve got this. I’m focused. Professional. Sharp as hell.”
“And full of lies.”
“Only the good kind,” I shoot back, grinning.
She laughs. “Okay, fine. Go do your thing, but no kissing Alphas unless it’s absolutely crucial to the mission.”
“No promises.” If only she knew that I already crossed that line.
We hang up, and I settle in, my equipment humming to life. Mixer’s ready. Mic’s hot. VPN is active. The chat is already crawling with early-night regulars, their screen names lighting up my dashboard.
Time to get to work.
I flick the switch and lean in, voice smooth and confident.
“You’re listening toThe Heat Line, where secrets burn hotter after dark. I’m your host, Sunny, and yes, I got some intel.”
