Page 55 of Talk About… History

Trying to be as subtle as I could, I took a picture. Once she finished up for the day, I had every intention of sharing it with the other guys, but for now, she was all mine.

Finally, she put the lens cap on her camera and reached out for her bag. “I think that’s enough for today. I’ll be editing for a few days at least,” she said, almost breathless. Her face was warm from the sun, and her smile unrelenting. She seemed like such a free spirit, and I was glad she was comfortable enough around me to be that way.

“I really have to get back and get ready before tonight. It’s a big night for Whitaker Brews. If you guys want to come out, I’ll be there all night,” she said, giving me the green light from my earlier suggestion.

I held out my hand, and she didn’t hesitate to place her palm in mine, our fingers intertwining as I led her away from the lake and back into town.

We had decided to walk since she wanted to get some shots of the scenery along the way. I went for runs every morning, so it wasn’t bad for me, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that she was enjoying being outside as much as I was.

“What’s the plan with all the pictures?” I questioned.

“The Town Council—or the mayor specifically—hired me to do some social media management. I’m creating a website, taking pictures, doing video tours, and interviews. Each business will have a page and I can use them to spice it up some.”

“That’s awesome,” I said, not even surprised she won them over. She was incredible. As I studied her, completely lost in her light, she was oblivious. Avery truly didn’t know how special she was.

That was okay, we’d show her that she was worth so much more than whoever stole her light, led her to believe.

“The hope is to bring some life back to Rockwood Valley. It used to be amazing here… thriving. There was always something going on during the weekends, tons of businesses. In fact, some businesses opened after artisans came down for the Artisan Fair and just decided to stick around. Rockwood Valley’s beautiful, and I feel like it’s time for the rest of the world to see it.”

“One visit was enough for us. With all this, I think they’d have to be crazy to not want to come for a visit.”

She beamed at my response. “I’m kind of doing the same for Whitaker Brews so that my brothers can take a break. More business means a chance to hire new staff and live their own lives. After we lost our dads, everything went downhill. I think we all just coped in our own ways, and not one of them was healthy. So, this is me trying to do my part.”

“That’s noble of you,” I said, giving her hand a little squeeze. “My parents died when I was a kid. I was raised by my grandma, and Mason was my neighbor. We were childhood friends and just kind of stuck together. We didn’t grow up far from here, but when we saw the opening for Kent’s firm, we decided to give it a shot, so we rented a place here. It’s been amazing outside of what a lowlife Kent was. Now, I’m even more glad we came.”

I stopped walking and she did, too, turning to look at me, curiosity on her face that melted into heat when I tugged her closer. We were toe to toe now, our bodies aligned, and when I leaned down she met me halfway.

The kiss wasn’t sweet at all. She deepened it almost immediately before jumping up and letting me catch her. Thankfully, the camera bag was on a strap and didn’t fall to the ground.

My hands slid around her, holding her close as I tasted and teased her. She let out a small whimper, rocking her hips against me, her fingers tightening in my hair.

I’d been with other women from time to time—nothing serious—and no one ever turned me on as fast as Avery did. I’d also never had an omega take charge like this, and it was sexy as fuck.

My cock was hard, straining against the zipper in my jeans. It was uncomfortable, and it took everything in me not to grind back, but I wanted her to be in control, to take more if she wanted it. I didn’t know her full history but I suspected she needed to be the one to set the pace.

Avery’s phone rang, breaking the moment. She broke the kiss, breathless, chest heaving, and eyes dark with lust. It was a glimpse of what she looked like freshly fucked, something I’d commit to memory until I could witness the real thing.

“God, you’re beautiful, Avery,” I whispered, leaning forward and capturing her lips again. This time, the kiss was soft and commanding—a promise for more later.

Her phone went off again, and I sighed, letting her go when she tried to wiggle down to her feet. She took a breath and straightened her clothes before pulling her phone out of her back pocket.

She let out a sigh that told me our moment was over.

“My brothers want me back sooner rather than later. I guess we better keep going.”

I didn’t bother to reply as we picked up the pace, heading back to town and pretending like we were completely unfazed.

Every step we took was filled with sexual tension. Both of us were close, hands brushing or my hand reaching for hers. I wanted her more than I wanted anyone else in my life.

It was almost a relief when we reached her truck. I helped her inside, even going as far as reaching over and buckling her in before brushing my lips over hers.

“I can’t wait to see you tonight, Avery,” I said before closing her door. With one last little wave, she was off, backing out of the spot and driving away.

Mason and I didn’t have plans before, but now we definitely did. Yet, before I headed back to our shared apartment, I took a detour to Cohen’s Creations.

The bell above the door chimed as I pushed it open and stepped inside. It smelled amazing in here—earthy and sweet. A handsome beta was behind the counter.

He gave me a warm smile, his voice rich when he called out, “Welcome to Cohen’s Creations. Can I help you find anything?”

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