Page 79 of Talk About… Rivalry

“We definitely can,” Bennett said before I even had a chance to answer.

“The color swatches are in the top drawer. There’s a sticky note telling you how much and what it’s for. Do you need money or do you want me to pay you back when you get here?”

“I’ve got it,” Bennett promised, waving him off. Leo stared for a second before nodding. He was going to have to accept that this wasn’t just his project anymore. It was all of ours.

Not an easy task for my control freak best friend.

Bennett stood and stretched out before looking at me. “I guess we found our moment, omega.”

I couldn’t help it, I was only a man. My eyes dropped straight to the monster tenting his black slacks.

“Don’t keep looking at me like that if you want to get out of here.”

I swallowed hard and stood, my own dick straining against the zipper of my jeans. Before I could turn and walk away he reached out, gripping the center of my shirt and pulling me close.

My eyes slowly moved up to meet his and he didn’t hesitate to swoop in and press his lips against mine.

I melted the moment he deepened the kiss. A moan escaped me as slick continued to dampen my boxers.

“You smell divine when you want me,” Bennett said. “Teasing you is going to be so much fun. And I haveeveryintention of enjoying that later. Depending on where the night goes, I hope that you choose to fall into my bed, omega.”

I told him that I wanted to take it slow, but in reality every part of me was demanding that I drop to my knees and worship this alpha like he deserved, right here and now.

Since that wasn’t an option, I simply nodded, knowing damn well that I was going to end up in Bennett Sinclair’s bed before the start of this heat.

He was just as much mine as Sidney was, and I wanted both of their bites marking my skin.

Bennett

It felt like Sidney was one foot in the door and one foot out. When she got back from Avery’s baby shower she seemed to be even more out of sorts.

We were constantly in this state of turmoil and uncertainty. We knew she was it for us, but we were having a hard time convincing her of that same thing.

Leo and I cooked dinner in near silence. The tension was rising with each second and I was ready to lose my mind.

Being out of control wasn’t something I was experienced in. I was confident to a fault, always had a plan. Even my backup plans had backup plans.

Right now, it was impossible to have any of that.

Except with Taylor.

It felt like an inevitability that we would find our way together. The attraction was there, we just needed to give it a chance.

He was the type of person that lit up a conversation. It was ironic that he called Sidney sunshine when he radiated warmth. I loved how adorable and genuinely happy he seemed.

He was also the one she was most comfortable with right now. They were sitting on the couch together. I glanced over, smiling to myself as I took them in. There was something on the TV but neither of them were truly watching.

The smile fell as I took in the tension. She was uncomfortably still.

My pack was falling apart before it even started and I didn’t know what to do to fix it.

“We have to tell her,” Leo said, leaning in close so they didn’t overhear. “About the blockers, I mean. I think that’s the only thing that’s going to calm her fears.”

“I’m not convinced it will,” I admitted.

It was clear that Sidney’s abandonment issues ran deep. She explained about losing her mother young and that she had been in therapy, but right now it felt like it was this huge obstacle between us.

I wasn’t sure how to scale it.

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