Page 54 of A Beta Protects

“What about us?”

“I couldn’t help but notice that you two… you know?” She waggles her eyebrows suggestively.

I stare at her in dawning horror. Everyone stared at me as soon as I walked in, and last night, someone nearly caught me with my legs wrapped around Dom’s hips while he was naked on the porch.

Maybe they didn’t nearly catch us. Maybe they saw Dom carrying me up the stairs. It’s not like it wasn’t obvious what we were doing. I didn’t try to hide, and neither did he.

And he was naked.

What if they heard us?

Was it Sierra? Did she see?

I don’t regret what I did with Dom. Not for one second do I regret it, but I absolutely do not need to know that everyone heard us going at it like?—

Stop thinking about it, Kira. Thinking about it is not helping.

“Oh, God.” I put my hands on my hot cheeks. “This is so embarrassing.”

“There’s no reason to be embarrassed.” She drags her chair closer to mine. “I mean. This was something you wanted, right?”

I frown, confused. “I don’t… why would you think this was something I didn’t want?”

Does she think Dom hurt me? Dom?

“No reason, no reason,” she says quickly and takes a sip from her mug.

I study her through narrowed eyes, sensing there’s something I’m not getting. “But you think something is wrong. Galen too, since he dragged Dom out of here like that.”

She clears her throat and asks casually, “Did Dom tell you something about himself last night?”

What a weird subject change. “Something like what?”

She stares at me blankly. “Oh, boy.”

I shift around in my seat, getting increasingly anxious. “What do you mean, oh boy? Why can’t you just tell me what’s going on?”

“I’m not trying to panic you, Kira. I’m just curious if Dom told you something about himself last night.”

“Like what?”

Her gaze slides away from mine. “Uh, like anything.”

I study her for a beat as I think back to last night.

When I woke up, Dom had been getting ready to leave. I thought it was because I’d done something wrong, but it hadn’t been that at all. “He thought I wouldn’t want him.”

Sierra’s eyes snap back to mine. “Why would he think that?”

I shrug and sit back in my seat as I pick at the skin on my fingers, embarrassed.

“He said he wasn’t the man I thought he was, but he’s wrong.” I look down at my unpolished nails, and I miss when I used to paint them. I’m not sure when I stopped, or why, but I think I can guess. Bryce must have made some comment about it being not appropriate for his sweet wife.

“I thought Dom hated me back in Missouri because he kept avoiding me, but he was always kind to everyone else. He was always helping my brother with his car, and if anyone needed anything, he would always volunteer. Like when we’d have a storm, he’d be there. Or he’d donate stuff to the soup kitchen, and actually help out on Sundays instead of dumping things and running off because he didn’t want to miss the football game. And he nearly died saving his platoon, so they gave him a medal, and… what?”

I realize then how long I spent quietly admiring Dom from a distance, and all the things he would do in town. He did them quietly, without shouting about it, or expecting to be thanked. He was kind.

I also realize that Sierra is staring at me. Probably because I’ve spent a good long while rambling like a lovesick fool. “Uh, sorry.”

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