Page 48 of My Brutal Alpha

Ezra nodded as we arranged everything that was needed. "It should be inside. I can go get it."

Giving him a grateful smile, I nodded in return. "That would be great."

That gaze lingered for a moment, and without meaning to focus on him, I couldn't help but admire how the light caught his eyes and resembled a forest bathed in sunbeams.

It stirred those feelings within me, and they begged to come out, but I immediately reminded myself that it wasn't the time.

Noticing and apparently feeling the same thing, Ezra's smile pulled as he looked at me for a moment longer. "I'll go get that pudding, then."

Nodding to dispel the distracting thoughts, I murmured, "Of course."

With the faintest grin, he walked off towards the house.

As the expecting couple were occupied with conversing, I glanced over as someone asked to feel Lydia's stomach while Sebastian's eyes were firmly on me.

It caught me off-guard, having not realized it until then. But as he glanced between me and then to Ezra's retreating form, his brows furrowed slightly with that questioning expression.

Returning my focus to the game's table, my heart clenched at the realization.

The night Ezra and I met up with his parents, I went to Sebastian's place and confided in him about what happened. I even spilled everything about our history together and how Ezra broke my heart.

In hindsight, I shared too much, but I had no choice at the moment. When I showed up to his place crying, I had to say something.

And with Ezra and me acting more cordial for once in front of everyone, he could surely tell that I wasn't torn up about it anymore.

He was probably piecing two and two together, and I felt incredibly guilty for going to him in the first place.

It didn't paint Ezra in the best light, and it was fortunate that Sebastian hadn't already torn into him over it. But we patched things up between us, and I didn't need him to play the role of protective big brother—I just didn't have the opportunity to explain all of that to him yet.

Although, I knew I had to at some point. I had to spare Ezra from Sebastian's growing irritation, but given that it was the baby shower with tons of people around, it would have to wait.

I assumed that was likely why Ezra was even still there—Sebastian hadn't had the chance to unload on him yet.

Forcing myself to play it cool, I tried to keep a reasonable distance from both of them as the baby shower festivities continued. But as hard as I tried, it was hard not to feel affected by being near Ezra.

Ever since we both accepted the bond and stopped resisting, that urge to constantly be close and maintain some sort of physical contact was nearly impossible to ignore.

The feeling of his skin was so beyond addicting, along with his warmth and the way he could push me over the edge soeasily. It didn't take much for my thoughts to run wild, and with such a fresh bond, those feelings were fairly volatile.

Between those glances and knowing looks we shared throughout the day and the few moments when we had to be close for various reasons, it was getting harder to resist.

But as the baby shower went on, with games being played, food made, and gifts unwrapped, I could feel my self-restraint fraying little by little. It was getting harder to keep my hands to myself.

The attraction I felt for Ezra seemed to have tripled since we fixed our bond and smoothed things out between us. He didn't have to do much of anything, and I'd already be pulsing with that need to be near him.

As much as I tried to focus on the day and appreciate the time spent with everyone gathered, my mind kept going back to him. To go back home and relieve that pressurized desire within me.

When it was time for cake, I went inside, pulled the themed dessert out of the fridge when Ezra came in, and let go of a breath. He leaned against the counter with his eyes on me.

"Anything I can help with?"

Even being alone in the room with him was enough to trigger that longing in me, and I had to stop and collect myself as I looked over at him.

He looked far too appealing in his dark-wash jeans and the casual cream button-down he had on. Even if it seemed somewhat dressed up for him, he made it look so effortlessly sexy, and I couldn't get enough.

He lifted a brow at me as I stared at him without saying anything. "Everything all right?"

Swallowing hard, aware that I couldn't hide it, I sighed. "Today has been...a struggle."

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