Several days pass, andslowly, the changes the Council made are being reverted.
The councillors aren’t happy, and neither is half the population with the return of early morning training sessions, but they can’t complain. Anyone with eyes and functioning brain cells can see that Haven needs to be prepared for the Scourge and Lodge to attack.
This morning, Theo and I decide to let Ollie sleep in since she had a restless night, constantly waking up panting and covered in sweat. As much as I would have loved to have stayed in bed with her, there’s shit thatneeds doing.
Which is how I find myself standing in one of the spacious pantries in the communal kitchen several hours later, taking inventory of our food stocks. No one’s done it since I left with Rhys and Theo to go save Jerri and the others from the Scourge, and things aren’t looking good.
Our food stocks are much lower than they should be, especially with all the supply teams we had going out, and the meals charted out don’t account for our low stocks. So where the fuck is the food going?
I rub my throbbing temples and sigh. I’ve been at it all day and I’m still no closer to figuring out where the food is disappearing to. Darkness is falling outside and the artificial lights aren’t helping my headache.
The door to the kitchen swings open, and I frown. There shouldn’t be anyone back here yet since dinner won’t be started for another half an hour. I poke my head out from the pantry door and my frown immediately turns into a smile.
“Hey, sweetheart,” I say as I emerge from the pantry and stride over to Ollie. “What are you doing here?”
She’s looking delectable in a pair of jeans that hug her ass and thighs, leaving nothing to the imagination, and a brown wool jumper that clings to her breasts and makes the colour of her eyes pop. The dark circles around her eyes aren’t as noticeable as they were this morning.
Her face lights up when she sees me. “I came looking for you,” she says as I wrap her up in my arms and hug her against my chest.
She fits so damn perfectly against me it’s hard to remember what it was like before she entered my life. This relationship between us—while new—feels like the first breath of fresh air after being stuck underwater for so long. It soothes parts of me I didn’t even know were unsettled. I expected to be constantly terrified and on edge that she’ll turn around and throw me away like Willow did, but I’m not.
I’m just… happy.
And falling for herhard. Although telling her that is a whole other can of terrifying worms I’m not prepared to open yet.
“You might want to let me breathe, big guy,” Ollie says with a breathless laugh, her voice muffled by my chest.
“Oh, shit. Sorry.” I immediately loosen my grip, not realising that I’d been crushing her against me.
“It’s alright.” She pats my chest, her emerald eyes sparkling with amusement.
Unable to resist, I bend down and take her mouth with mine. She sighs and softens against me as her hands tighten into fists in my jacket. I’ll never get tired of how sweet she tastes or the small sounds she makes when I kiss her. It’s addictive.She’saddictive.
I still can’t believe this amazing woman is mine.
I pull away and press a kiss to her nose. “Sorry I haven’t been around much today,” I murmur as I brush strands of her chestnut hair from her face, revelling in how warm her skin is against my fingertips.
She leans into my touch with a smile. “No apologies needed. I know you guys are busy with everything. I just wish I could help more.” She glances around the kitchen. “Are you nearly done with whatever you were doing in here?”
I grimace at the reminder of what I’ve been spending my time doing and how much still needs to get done. “Not really, but I could do with a break.”Before this headache gets worse.
She nods. “One break coming up.”
Her smile turns wicked, and before I can react, she sinks to her knees in front of me. All of my blood rushes south, and I almost choke on my tongue as she reaches for the front of my jeans.
“W-what are you doing?” I ask as I gape down at her.
“What does it look like I’m doing?” she replies cheekily as she snaps open my jeans and unzips them.
Like you’re trying to kill me.
Bloody hell. She looks like a wet dream, kneeling in front of me while pulling my jeans and boxers down to reveal my rapidly hardening dick. And then she leans forwards andlicksit.
Pleasure bolts straight up my spine and a groan vibrates in my chest as I grab hold of Ollie’s head and thread my fingers through her hair.
Holy fuck.Okay, think, Alex. You need to stop this for some reason.
My thoughts scatter as she traces her tongue along the underside of my cock and draws another groan from me. My head drops back, and I stare up at the ceiling as I fight to keep control.Why does this need to stop?My gaze snags on the door that leads out of the kitchen.
