Page 24 of Betrayed By the Alpha

Hayley nodded, her throat tightening despite the steady beating of her heart. Her temple pounded, sweat circling her underarms.Could she?She wasn’t sure. There was only one way to find out. Hayley fumbled with the buttons on Zach’s shirt, trying so hard not to lose her shit. His muscles tensed as he watched her, gaze darkening dangerously. She knew that look; it was a look he reserved for whenever they were alone. It excited her, more than she cared to admit.

She removed the last button and let him pull his shirt from his strong arms, looking at the small starlight tattoo peeping out at the base of his neck. She hadn’t noticed it before. She reached out a tentative finger, trailing the curve of the star.

A small smile touched Hayley’s lips, and she stared up at him, a silent dare in her eyes. "Make love to me." She didn’t know where the words came from or where she got the courage to say them, but Hayley felt her skin thrum with a rush ofelectricity as Zach bent low, taking one swollen dark nipple in his mouth. She moaned loudly, blinking to clear the haze from her head. It was as if she was on a high, looking numbly down at Zach pleasing her. She’d never felt this way before. On instinct, she ran a hand through his messy hair, tugging at him until his face was flat on her perky breast.

"God, I’ve wanted this." As she talked, Zach’s fingers wandered down there, and he slid a finger into her wetness, stroking lightly. Hayley gasped, feeling a rush of emotions all at once. A tear slid out of the corner of her eyes. She arched her back, giving Zach further access. He moaned, raising his head to plant a kiss on her shoulder. Hayley could feel his hardness on her belly. She tried feeling for it, but her hand grazed the thin material of his trouser.

"Take it off," she breathed. "I want you inside me. I want to feel you."

"Are you sure?" Zach asked for confirmation. Hayley nodded slowly, biting hard on her lower lip. She sighed as he removed his finger from inside her, quickly taking off his pants and settling between the parting of her legs. His member throbbed against her folds, and Hayley shifted back so her head was resting on the pillow. He looked at her again. This time, she felt certain that she wanted him.

"Do it," she whispered. And looking into her eyes, Zach slid inside slowly, inch by inch, as if savoring her tightness and sweetness. Hayley groaned, her eyes filling with tears. The pain was sharp, like a needle pricking the skin, but within a moment, it was gone, and Hayley was there, matching his pace.

"Are you okay?" Zach paused, slowing down considerably.

"Yes, of course. Go faster." Zach kept quiet and did as Hayley instructed until she cried out, gripping his arms. He came, pulling out to shoot his seed on her belly. Zach collapsed beside Hayley and pressed a kiss to her sweaty forehead.

"Hayley?" he called, but she looked too weak to talk. She hugged his arm, a lazy smile on her face. As he lay against her, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him toward her.

"Stay for the night."

Hayley woke the next morning to find herself naked, in Zach’s arms. She could have sworn it was a dream, probably because she had also dreamt about the entire experience all night long. She tried to move but he had a firm grip on her. Her movements made her even more aware of her current physical state. They were both naked. It felt surreal. She just had sex with a man, and not just any man, but the one she’d sworn to hate. Hayley sighed and fell back into his embrace. Her defense wall had crumbled. Just one kiss, and she’d asked him to make love to her. She was embarrassed, ashamed of herself, but she would worry about that later.

"Good morning."

She smiled. "How long have you been awake?"

"Too long."

"Don’t tell me you were watching while I slept." He remained quiet, and she let out a light yawn, closing her eyes to go back to sleep. She was too exhausted to think. She would ponder about the consequences of what she had just done when she was fully awake.

"Hayley, I want you as my mate again," he blurted out.

Hayley’s eyes flew open. "What?"

"I know I promised I wasn’t going to get attached and after this we’d part ways, but I don’t want that anymore." She was already moving away from him as he spoke, holding the duvet to her chest. "Hayley," he said as he tried to draw her close, but she snatched her arm away.

Panic came over her. "No, Zach. You just ruined everything. Why did you have to say this? I think you should leave," she told him.

"Hayley—"

She shook her head. "Please. This whole thing was a mistake. We should have never...this should never have happened. I apologize, I was the one that started it."

"You didn’t do anything. I kissed you because I wanted to, remember?" He sighed. "I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. Just forget what I said. I’ll never bring it up again."

Hayley felt terrible for what she’d just said, but they had a deal, and Zach made a promise. "I can’t forget just because you asked me to. Do you think this is easy for me? I need to think, and I can’t do that with you here, especially when you’re... looking at me like that. Stop it."

He smiled at her. "Okay, okay. I’ll leave. I’ll call you later?"

Hayley shook her head. "No, please. I…I need some time." Though she could feel him watching her, she refused to look, afraid that she might agree with whatever he was going to suggest. "Go home, Zach." She rolled to her side, hugging her pillow. She didn’t say another word to him, and when he tried to touch her again, she moved away.

"Goodbye, Hayley," she heard him finally say, followed by a gentle click of the door closing. Hayley sat up when he wasgone. She picked up the pillow he had laid on during the night and pressed it to her naked chest.

"It’s official. I’ve lost it," she muttered.

Chapter 12 - Zach

Her moans were the only sound that played on repeat in his mind every night before he drifted off to sleep. And even in his dreams, he was tormented by the same haunting nightmare. It always started peacefully with Hayley dancing and just when he thought everything would go fine this time, the man would show up again. He always remained in that exact spot, not able to move or tear down the wall.

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