Page 49 of Talk About… History

This was my life now, one I actually wanted, and I wouldn’t be giving up easily.

Cohen

Avery: I’m on my way to you!

That was all it took for me to go into a nervous cleaning frenzy—as if I hadn’t already been doing this since the moment she first texted.

It wasn’t necessarily nerves about her seeing my place or being alone with my omega, it was the fact that something was up. She’d been silent all day, then suddenly texted me to come over. Something happened, and my mind was being a dick, conjuring up all the worst possibilities.

When her tires finally crunched on the gravel of the long driveway, I stepped out onto the porch, forcing myself to stay calm. I stood back long enough for her to park before I hurried forward and opened her door for her.

She looked exhausted, but her smile was bright as she greeted me.

“Hey you,” she offered. It felt like that gentle smile was just for me, and that chased away every insecurity I had. This wasn’t a girl who was ready to break some bad news.

“Thanks for letting me stop by,” she said. Now that she was standing in front of me the nerves amped up, but I wasn’t about to let anything get in my head again, especially not when she slipped her hand into mine for reassurance. Instead, I focused on the warmth of her palm and gave her a little squeeze to promise I was here for her.

“Let’s go inside first,” I encouraged her, closing the truck door and leading her inside.

We paused on the porch, and I turned to her, realizing I hadn’t told her about Lola or Molly yet.

“Are you a dog person, Avery?”

Her eyes lit up at my words and she peeked past me to see. “Are you telling me you have a puppy?”

“Not exactly a puppy anymore, and there are two of them. Come in. Meet my girls, and then we can talk.”

She practically pushed past me to open the door. Of course, that was all it took to set off the beagles. They rushed forward, howling at her at first until she crouched down to their level, holding out her hands.

They both sniffed her, their tails wagging like crazy, before they started covering her in kisses. They were so excited, howling and carrying on.

If she wasn’t having so much fun, I’d have been worried it was too much.

“Oh my god, they’re so cute! What are their names?”

“They were actually my uncle’s dogs.” I squatted down next to her, reaching out for the closest beagle. “This sweet girl is Molly, and her sister here is Lola. Lola is the sassy one.”

Avery gasped dramatically before scratching Lola’s ears and talking to her in a cutesy voice that Lola ate up. “Did you hear what he said about you, Lola? I bet you’re the sweetest girl.”

I burst out laughing when Lola cast me a look. I swear, if a beagle could look smug, she did just then.

“Don’t worry, she’ll be on my side when I feed her dinner,” I joked. That was the magic word. Both girls let out an excited bark and took off toward the kitchen, slamming right into their stainless steel bowls with a clatter.

“Now that you’re covered in slobber, can I help you up?” I joked, holding out a hand for her. She put her hand back in mine and let me pull her up.

She was inches from my face now, her cheeks flushed, which seemed to be her normal reaction to me. If only she knew that my body reacted the same way, my cheeks flushing, body heating, heart pounding.

I tucked a loose strand of dark hair behind her ear and leaned in, moving slowly and giving her plenty of time to pull away.

When she didn’t, I pressed my lips against hers. She melted into the touch instantly, my hand curling around the nape of her neck, holding her in place as I deepened the kiss.

One kiss and I knew she had ruined me for anyone else. The seconds stretched into blissful eternity as her scent overwhelmed me in the best way. Sweet, tart, and all Avery. I wished I could bottle it and keep it with me always.

Someday, she’d be waking up in our pack bed and I wouldn’t have to miss her when she was gone. For now I’d savor these moments.

Avery let out a happy sigh as I pulled away. It went straight to my cock, conjuring images of her making those sounds in a much sexier scenario, but now wasn’t the time for any of that.

I let go of her long enough to let the dogs outside before leading her to the kitchen.

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