Page 36 of My Brutal Alpha

It was ridiculous for me to even be concerned about it, but given how deadset my parents were about me leaving Zoe, ruse or not, and accepting Nora, it seemed like a long shot that we'd ever get them fully out of my hair.

Still, we had gone that far already, and there was no point in backing out.

That being said, I found Zoe in the bedroom as she finished getting ready, and I leaned against the doorframe. At first, I took a moment to admire how good she looked. Even if she wasn't all that dressed up, the way her clothes hugged her plush, yet muscled figure wasted no time making my head spin. Gazing at her was enough to stir that longing in me once again, but I shoved those thoughts aside and forced myself to focus.

"Are you absolutely sure about this?" I asked her, still concerned that we were both in over our heads.

I was pushing it by involving her in the first place, but having them in the same space as Zoe felt like asking for trouble. They already resented that I was 'engaged' to her, so it would be no surprise if that sentiment worsened by my persistence.

But I wouldn't know until we tried, and unfortunately, it seemed like the only feasible option.

As Zoe adjusted her dark hair over her shoulder, she looked over at me and nodded before putting a pair of earrings in. "I'm sure. It'll be fine."

I had to admit, her reassurance did help resolve some of that doubt, even if a bit of it lingered still.

"Yeah, you're right," I murmured, nodding to myself. "It'll be fine."

Zoe looked at me momentarily, looking somewhat curious and vaguely amused. "Are you...nervous?"

Immediately, a wash of shame came over me at her question, and I furrowed my brows as I tried to shove the feelings back down. "No...of course not."

While she could easily have dug in and teased me about it, she put on a knowing expression and approached me. "It will be fine, you know. Technically, they already met me. This time, we both just need to try and convince them."

Having her near me helped to soothe that persistent concern swirling in my chest, and I pulled in a breath, nodding.

I wasn't a fan of how vulnerable I felt at that moment, but Zoe brought a hand up and gently moved a stray hair away from my face with a faint smile on her lips. I had no choice but to look at her eyes then, locked in by how effortlessly gorgeous they were.

"If you get nervous, just remember I'll be right there. Okay?"

Her voice was so soft and comforting that I had half the mind to throw the whole plan out the window and just keep her to myself for the night.

A faint shiver moved through me as her hand lingered by my cheek as she took in my features. Then, after a flicker of debate with herself, she gently cupped my jaw.

I remained silent as she looked up at me, looking so calm and cool that I was almost envious of her. But the warmth of her palm against my skin made me melt slightly as I leaned into her touch instinctively.

Her smile grew by a fraction then, sending a wave of affection through my entire body.

At that moment, with that touch feeling so intimate, it was like nothing else mattered. like no problems existed in the world, and it was only us, together, appreciating the peace.

That invisible cord that connected us felt more alive than ever as if nourished by that moment of quiet and the gentle reverence we exchanged.

I couldn't help but see everything through a different lens for a second. One that seemed clearer than ever and removed any previous doubt I had.

Before, I was afraid she didn't want to keep our bond because of how badly I hurt her in the past, but with those perfect eyes looking back at me, I could feel her acceptance growing.

As her thumb gently stroked my cheek, I couldn't help but close my eyes while concentrating on how nice it felt to have her touch against me and be graced with her warmth.

Everything inside me was screaming to move in and kiss her—to continue the affection and be as selfish as possible.

But the doorbell ringing through the house caused my eyes to snap open again, making us both jolt out of that calm moment.

"Shit..." I muttered, letting go of a breath as she gently pulled her hand away. Another beat of uncharacteristic nervousness rushed through me as I ran a hand through my hair. "They're here."

Zoe, still as calm as ever, nodded. "Here goes nothing then."

Reminding myself to pull it together, I steeled myself against those emotions and began towards the bedroom door with a nod.

All the way down the stairs and toward the front entrance, I could only go through everything in my mind, hoping I'd be able to subdue my parents long enough to get them off my back.

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