“Don’t you worry, Habibi,” he calls up after me. “I’ve got everything under control down here.”
I grip the banister, pulling myself up another step.
I will not Google that word.
I will not Google that word.
I repeat this mantra for each step I take, welcoming the distraction it gives me.
When I finally get to my room, I’ve drenched my underwear in slick, my pants are tented from my throbbing dick, and my chest is heaving like I’ve been running for hours instead of walking up a small set of stairs.
I will not Google that word.
I grab two suppressants, just in case, and swallow them with a sip of water.
I will not Google that word.
I wash up in the bathroom real quick, stripping my clothes off so they don’t get ruined any further.
I will not Google that word.
I finally lay down in bed and breathe out a long sigh of relief.
I last exactly three minutes before grabbing my phone because, obviously, I’m weak.
HABIBI
Beloved.
My heart stutters and my face heats, fanning the flames burning inside of my gut.
That… That is interesting.
A slow smile curves my lips.
Of course, he would say something like that. And now… now I have that knowledge in my brain.
During a random heat flare.
Which is the worst possible time to figure it out.
“Fuck,” I murmur to myself, reaching for my cock as I think of Ember’s mouth forming that beautiful word
Habibi.
I don’t hate the nickname.
Not even a little.
Chapter Ten
Ember
I’ve assisted with cremations, will raisings, embalming, funeral setups, and one deeply regrettable incident involving a raccoon, a votive candle, and what I can only describe as malicious intent, but I have never, not once, run the funeral home by myself.
This feels like a mistake, but it’s not like I have a choice. Sunshine is out for the duration of his heat.
This morning was a shocking show of restraint for my inner alpha. Sunshine was in the office, hunched over his desk, losing the fight against his hormones. His hair was a mess, his shirt sleeves pushed up impatiently like he didn’t have timefor his meticulous attention to detail, and his lips were pressed together in a determined line.
