Page 123 of The Beta's Blind Date

“Not until you’re ready, remember?”

“But—”

“I can feel through the bond and see in your eyes that you’re trying to tell me right now because you think you have to, not because you’re one hundred percent ready. Just enjoy this magical Winter Wonderland Day with me and push whatever it is out of your mind for right now, okay?”

She nods, her nose brushing mine. “Okay.”

“Good. Now, get your ugly sweater on,” I say, pushing her towards the couch and swatting her tight ass.

She squeaks and glares at me over her shoulder. Or, she tries to, at least, since she’s also laughing.

She winks at me, then faces the couch, peeling the too-big T-shirt she’s wearing over her head, revealing the velvety smooth skin of her back to me. Her braids swing and sway, the tips of them brushing against the waistband of the borrowed leggings and the swell of her cute butt. She glances at me over her shoulder, catching me checking her out, then tosses the T-shirt to me, hitting me in the face with it.

Her laughter rings through my ears as I fumble with the fabric covering my eyes, yanking it down in time to sneak a peek of the curve of her breasts before she slips the cardigan up her arms and buttons it.

“What do you think?” she asks, turning around to show me, her hands out to the side.

The light tan sweater has white trim at the collar, hem, and near her wrists, resembling frosting on a gingerbread cookie, with red glittery buttons down the front and a green glittery bow at the base of the deep V neck. The tops of her full breasts are visible above the neckline, her cleavage dipping down below the bow. Her nipples form hardened peaks barely poking against the knit sweater, and I clench my fists to prevent myself from unbuttoning it so I can see all of her and play with those gorgeous breasts of hers.

Later. We can play later.

“You look good enough to eat,” I say.

“You would know,” she replies, smirking. “Now put yours on.”

I tug my shirt off and throw it somewhere in the room, then yank my sweater over my head, turning to show it off to her once I’m dressed. She stares at it, blinks, then covers her mouth and lets out a full belly laugh, her head tilting up to the ceiling.

“That is… something,” she says between laughs.

“You don’t like it?” I ask, glancing down at the gingerbread man on my sweater with abs painted on in white icing.

“It’s very you,” she answers. “So I love it.”

I cross my arms and frown at her, following her steps with my eyes as she walks to the box of ornaments. “I’m not sure if that was a compliment or an insult.”

“My lips are sealed, Cookie Monster Beta,” she says, her words reminding me of our first date.

The date that started it all. The date that changed both our fates.

What if I hadn’t lost that bet with Sebastian? What if I’d turned around and left the restaurant like I’d initially thought of doing? Would she have gotten back together with Dominic and be preparing to become his chosen luna?

“Reid?”

I shake myself and join her at the box, grabbing out a red and gold bulb and standing to hang it on the tree. “Sorry. I got distracted.”

“Push whatever that was out of your mind, okay?” she says, repeating my words from earlier back to me. “Just enjoy this moment with me.”

Her hand joins mine on the hook of the ornament, and our eyes meet for a second before we both look at the tree as we hang the ornament up together.

“Our first ornament on our first Christmas tree,” I say as her arms slide around my waist.

I lift my arm over her shoulder and lower my head to her waiting lips, kissing her as the glittering white lights of the Christmas tree twinkle and flash, a mirror of the stars in Taryn’s eyes and the charms of gold sparkling in her braids.

She melts into me, mouth opening for me, her fingers gripping my sweater. I turn so I face her, so all of her is pressed against all of me. My arm around her shoulder keeps her in place as my tongue explores her mouth, and my other hand slides along the V of her sweater, fingertips playing over the swell of her breasts and dipping into her cleavage.

Her skin is soft, warm, and inviting. Just like the rest of her. I make quick work of the button beneath the green bow on her sweater, undoing it before sliding further down her cleavage to the next button. Her skin pebbles, and her nipples harden further underneath the sweater, and my dick twitches, my hips thrusting against her in reaction.

“Reid…” she moans, and my lips move to her jaw, then her ear, and then her neck. “We should finish the tree…”

---