Page 25 of Pack Plus Three

“Do you think I can eat them all before Jeremy gets home?” I asked, pulling out the tray. The cookies were giant, definitely alpha-sized.

“There are twenty-four cookies there!” She laughed.

“Challenge accepted.” Grabbing one of the cookies, I hissed slightly at just how hot it was. It was too late now. I couldn't back down, so I took the entire cookie, despite its steaming, and shoveled the entire thing into my mouth.

Daisy raised her eyebrows at me with a knowing look. “Are you feeling okay?” she asked, her tone making it clear that she knew full well that I wasn't okay.

“Yeah, of course, I am,” I mumbled around a mouthful of cookie. How could something that tastes so damn good also be so painful?

Instead of answering me immediately, Daisy got up and waddled over to the fridge. Her stomach was so round that she couldn't take straightforward steps and, instead, swayed side to side with every movement. Reaching into the fridge, she pulled out a glass bottle of milk and handed it to me.

Holy fuck, she is the perfect woman.

Grabbing the cold bottle that promised relief with an eager grunt of excitement, I downed half of it in three gulps. She apparently couldn't hold back any longer and broke out into a fit of laughter.

“Oh, my word.” She wheezed with laughter. “You were really going to burn your entire mouth off just to prove a point, weren't you?”

“I never claimed to be an intelligent man,” I grumbled, taking my time finishing the bottle of milk. If Jeremy wanted milk for his coffee, he was going to have to go to the store and get some. I didn't even feel bad about it. If he complained, I would say that his adorable neighbor nearly poisoned me with boiling-hot cookies.

She looked so stunning and smelled beyond description. Sweet and warm, but also tart and bright. I probably would have accepted any food she handed to me, no questions asked.

It was a miracle I had survived as long as I had. Honestly, my survival instincts were pretty shit, especially when it came to a pretty omega.

“Despite them going down like lava, those are some delicious cookies,” I complimented, taking slow sips of what little milk remained in the bottle, rationing the delicious cooling beverage.

“Next time, wait for them to cool. I assure you, the experience is a lot nicer without having to deal with molten sugar.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Does that mean there’s going to be a next time?” I asked, probably a little too excitedly.

She smiled indulgently at me. “Considering I’m constantly baking for Jeremy at the moment, I would say it’s likely. I’ll be around until he gets sick of me.” She laughed lightly, but the humor didn’t reach her eyes.

Surely she didn’t think Jeremy could possibly get sick of her?

“I highly doubt that will happen,” I told her, reaching for another cookie. “May I?”

She nodded. “Sure. Just be careful, they’re still warm.”

“Warm, I can handle,” I laughed, picking up the now significantly cooler cookie and shoving it into my mouth as Daisy moved over to her armchair and slowly lowered herself with a wince. The sheer size of her stomach must have made moving difficult.

“How far along are you?” I asked.

“Still three months to go, believe it or not!” She cradled her bump with a serene smile. “The sooner, the better. I could live without this back pain!”

She was in pain? I didn’t like that, I didn’t like that at all. It was easy to see why Jeremy had become protective of this little omega so fast.

“Gosh, I don’t know how you do it. I would suck at pregnancy!”

“I’ve not really got a choice, do I?” She laughed. “They’ve got to come out one way or another.”

I winced. I would seriously suck at being pregnant. Women were angels, in my opinion, for going through with that shit.

My phone chirped, and I saw an email from a client. I sighed.

“Bad news?” Daisy asked, cocking her head.

“Not really, just our latest client. We’re helping with an extension build, and they’re being...needy? That’s the right word. They’re calling me every twenty minutes with a new concern or complaint, and we don’t even start construction until next month!”

“Ouch.” She winced. “That sounds painful.”