Page 64 of The Alpha's Pen Pal

And as I sat and talked with him, I felt a layer of the carefully constructed walls around my heart coming down, just like they had twelve years ago when we first started writing to each other.

CHAPTER 23

WESLEY

Our food arrived, and I reluctantly released Haven’s hand so we could both eat. I almost wished I had sat beside her instead of across from her. I wanted to be as close to her as possible, as much as possible. But if I’d sat next to her, I wouldn’t be able to look at her as much as I had been.

Goddess, she was beautiful. The shy little girl from the photos she had sent me over those short months was long gone, and in her place was this woman. A gorgeous woman who was slowly but surely working her way further into my heart with everything that she did and said.

Even her little act of defiance of not dressing up was adorable. And a bit of a turn-on. I was so used to having everyone listen to me and follow my orders as I prepared to become alpha that it was refreshing to have someone who didn’t know or care to listen to me and be obedient.

The conversation between us flowed with ease. She told me more than I ever thought I would know about ballet, and I did my best to tell her about me without revealing anything she might view as weird. I still hadn’t worked out how I would tell her about my world. My dad said to wait and see how things worked out between us before worrying about it too much.

But I already knew what I wanted with her. A life. A future. I wanted her as my mate and my luna. I just had to hope she didn’t get scared away when I told her the truth.

“Would you like any dessert?” our server asked after she cleared away our dinner plates.

Haven’s eyes lit up, but then she looked at me and frowned. “No,” she said, shaking her head at the server.

“You can order dessert if you want,” I told her, leaning forward.

“No, it’s fine,” she muttered, looking down at her hands in her lap.

It was my turn to frown. She wanted dessert. That was obvious. And if she wanted it, then she was going to get it.

“We’ll share the profiteroles,” I told the server, and she nodded and left to put in our dessert order.

I turned to smile at Haven, and she just stared at me, considering me, as if she was seeing me in a new light.

“What?” I asked her, but she shook her head and looked down at her hands again.

Fuck this. This wasn’t the Haven I knew, the Haven who had been flirting and laughing with me all evening. This wasn’t my Haven.

I lifted my napkin from my lap and moved from my side of the booth to hers, scooting in close and putting my arm behind her on the seat back.

She shifted herself, angling her body towards me, and I moved just a tad closer to her so our knees touched.

“Hey,” I said, moving my hand to her shoulder.

“Hi,” she replied with a small smile.

“Want to tell me why you didn’t want dessert?”

She shook her head, her loose curls bouncing. “It’s silly.”

“I’m sure it’s not,” I said.

She gave me a nervous look, then tucked her hair behind her ear.

“My ex…” she began, and my eyes darkened, and my jaw clenched to block the growl threatening to escape.

She gave me a look that said, “see, this is why I didn’t want to say anything,” and I took a deep breath and gestured at her to continue.

“My ex didn’t like when I ordered desserts,” she confided. “Or did anything, really,” she added.

I held back my growl again. I didn’t even care that she’d been with men before me. Well, okay, I did a little. I couldn’t say anything, though. I had a past too. What I was more upset about was this asshole thinking he could control her and her free spirit.

“What a jackass,” I declared.

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