Page 55 of Alpha Theo

Theo rakes his eyes over my body slowly, like he’s undressing me with them. I shuffle uncomfortably until his eyes meet mine again, his stare intense, penetrating. As unnerving as the deviant look in them is, it also makes me feel kinda…sexy. I swear that no guy has ever looked at me the way Theo does. Like he reallyseesme.

“Whatever,” I breathe, tucking my hair behind my ears and spinning back around to look at the view of the territory.

We stay at the top for a little longer, Theo pointing out a few more landmarks and the rest of the six-pack towns below. Then we get back on the lift- and even though I’ve still got my guard up, I let him take my hand to help me on. It’s strange, Theo holding my hand- every time he does, I get those funny little tingles on my palm. And even though it’s a friendly gesture, it feels oddly… intimate.

Theo slides me backwards on the bench with an arm again, securing the safety bar over our laps. I swish my feet back and forth underneath me as they leave the ground, actually relaxing and enjoying the ride this time.

“So I thought of something for the borders,” Theo says after a few minutes, scooching a little closer to me on the bench.

“Yeah?”

He nods. “Thermal cameras.”

I arch a brow.

Theo holds up his hands. “Just hear me out. Shifters run hot, right? If we could dial in the cameras to alert at a certain temperature, it could be like an early warning system for a border breach.”

“Wow, that’s actually really smart,” I muse. “You could have it trigger something when it goes off, too, like a floodlight or something.”

Theo’s mouth spreads into a grin. “Exactly! Something to scare them off. I’ve been thinking about it since Denver.”

I can’t help but smile. This is the Theo that I like- the one that takes initiative rather than hiding behind that detached, aloof exterior.

“You should take it to Gray, see what he thinks,” I say encouragingly.

He blows out a breath. “Yeah. I think I’m going to.”

I swing my feet beneath me again, take in the view. Cast another side-eyed glance in Theo’s direction.

He catches me.

“So how’d I do?”

“What?” I ask, turning to face him.

He sweeps his arms in front of himself, gesturing. “The anti-date. What’d you think? Better than some stuffy dinner?”

I giggle, rolling my eyes. “Yeah, it was pretty good.”

Even though this wasn’t technically a ‘date’, there’s no comparing it to Connor’s. The whole night with him was awkward, tense. Unnatural. This non-date was everything that Connor’s date wasn’t- it was actuallyfun. Unexpected. It’s easy to be with Connor, but it’s exciting to be with Theo. Even if we’re just friends. Even if this isn’t a date.

He arches a brow. “Prettygood?”

I reach over, giving him a playful little shove.

Theo grips the lap bar exaggeratedly.

“Careful, kid! You tryin’ to knock me off of this thing?”

I roll my eyes again.

This feels good. A littletoogood.

Crap, I think I like him.Likehim, like him.

Which is insane, right?! It’sTheo. Nothing good could come from getting involved with a guy like him. It’s a recipe for disaster.

I scooch a little farther away from him on the bench, look out at the trees as we pass them. Try to bury my nagging thoughts deep in the recesses of my mind. Try to just be present, enjoy the ride. Stop overthinking.

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