Page 19 of Cruel Alpha Bully

Any progress we made over the past week, I’ve just gone and fucked it all up.

Chapter 7 - Gina

After the terrible incident at the store, things go quiet for a few days. I don’t initiate any conversations, and I keep my answers to Bae’s questions short. Even though we have achieved a routine together, every moment feels strained.

I can’t remember the last night I had a good, restful sleep. If the circumstances weren’t bad enough, my attraction to Bailey hasn’t waned at all. In fact, it seems to be getting worse.

Especially after seeing him go after Scott.

I shake my head hard, trying to clear it of these thoughts. I’m trying to have a few moments to myself in the kitchen before Bae gets up to settle myself for the day ahead, and I can’t do that if my mind keeps running me in the wrong direction.

My fingers tighten on the warm cup, almost burning me. The strong, rich scent of the coffee right under my nose does little to bring me back to reality. All I can think about is Bae.

When he slammed through the door at the shop, I was shocked and frightened by the way he looked. His golden hair was wild around his face, his lips pulled back from his sharp, white teeth, and his amber eyes glowing with fierce power.

I want to stop this. I don’t know why it’s turning me on so much. He terrified poor Scott. He almost got me fired. I should be mad.

How can I be angry, when he just showed me how he feels about me?

I take a big sip of burning hot coffee, trying to reason with myself. I’m Bae’s property. This has nothing to do with me personally. He just has to make a statement to the rest of the pack that no one is allowed to touch his stuff.

I hear Bae’s step on the stairs, and I freeze up, looking straight at the tabletop so I don’t give myself away. All I want to do is jump up and wrap my arms around him. Give myself to him, completely and forever.

I can’t!

Lust and panic are colliding inside me. I can’t stand to get hurt again. It almost destroyed me last time. If it happened again, I know I’d never recover. I also know, with a deep, primal knowledge that comes from my very soul and the heart of my wolf, that I can’t resist him much longer.

“Good morning, Gina,” Bae says, his voice soft.

Since the day at the music shop, he hasn’t raised his voice once. He truly seems repentant, as if he would take it back if he could.

If only he knew it was the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.

I look up slowly, taking care to guard my expression as I smile softly. “Good morning, Bae.”

We go about our awkward morning routine, trying to share the kitchen without touching each other. We don’t talk much, but I feel like my entire body is screaming so loudly, surely he can hear it.

Touch me, take me, love me!

Sometimes, when I glance at him and he isn’t aware of it, I see a pained, defeated look on his face. His shoulders slump, and his eyes look dull.

As if he really feels bad about something.

But what?

We head out to work together. Bae usually drives me in the morning, even though the store is within walking distance. If he starts earlier, then I walk to town and try to get back home as often as possible. The only thing worse than being trapped in the house with him is being trapped in the car.

He goes in to open the gym, and I hurry into the music store. I wave to my boss, Martin, and start my day cleaning the shelves.

Even though I try to focus on my work, I keep finding excuses to go to the front of the store. Bae’s gym is really not far away, and both shops have wide, tall front windows.

I watch Bailey shed his jacket and shift heavy boxes from one end of the store to the other. His muscles bulge as he leans over to grab the packages. I’m so entranced, I almost drop the cleaning rags I’m holding. My heart flutters a little, and I turn around, determined to go back to work.

I manage to distract myself in the back corners for a short while, only to find myself back at the front windows again. Now Bae is demonstrating some weights for a client, using the strength in his whole body to lift and flick the bar balanced by the heavy discs.

He is so fucking gorgeous.

Somewhere, deep inside, I’m ashamed of myself. How can I want him so much after everything he’s done to me? It doesn’t make any sense.

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