Page 28 of Knight With Benefits

The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them, the question that had been on repeat in my head since I’d met him finally out in the open.

Laughing, he shook his head.

“Most of us don’t mind since we tend to be proud of what we are. I’m a grizzly.”

I grinned at finding out I’d been right, a laugh escaping.

“Are you cuddly, or are you a grouchy old bear?”

I had no idea who had taken over my mouth, removing the filter between it and my brain. My cheeks were burning, and I couldn’t stop smiling, the sunshine and breeze adding to the perfect feeling of the moment. The disheartened omega who was scared of alphas had disappeared behind the brazen woman flirting with a man she’d have run from only a year earlier.

I liked it.

“Well, that depends. Do you want to try cuddling and find out?”

His brows were raised, the look in his eyes telling me he meant exactly what I thought he was hinting at. Suddenly it was much too hot, and I plucked at the front of my shirt as we turned up the sidewalk toward my front door.

“I think I’m already sweaty enough. Cuddling with something furry would only make me hotter.”

His chuckle was dark and deep, making a shiver run down my spine as my nipples tightened painfully. The gusset of my panties was damp, and I squeezed my thighs together to try and stop the throbbing between them.

“You’re right. You’re hot enough already.”

My blush grew, the tips of my ears and my chest burning along with my cheeks. I wasn’t used to being complimented, much less hit on, and even if I didn’t really believe him, it was still nice to hear.

“I’ll go in and warm up our lunch real fast, and I’ll bring out something to sit on.”

I needed to escape and pull myself back together before I did something completely foolish.

Like throwing myself at him in my front yard.

“I’ll be here.”

His voice was still that deep resonating tone that made my insides quiver, and it took every bit of effort to turn away and put a door between us. The familiar scent of my home helped calm my heartrate, washing away the alpha pheromones that I decided were to blame for the giddy feeling bubbling in my chest.

Pushing off the door where I’d leaned back to reset, I headed for the kitchen, taking out the containers I’d prepped the day before. Popping the chicken and vegetables in the microwave, I pulled out two plates and the toppings, setting them on a sheet pan since I didn’t have any kind of tray to carry everything on.

While the food warmed I dug through my closet for one of my older, worn blankets. It was one I couldn’t bear to part with, but it wasn’t quite good enough to warrant being in my nest anymore.

I glanced toward my bed, the pull I usually felt to disappear beneath the bedding missing. Instead, I was drawn back outside to the magnetic alpha who was single-handedly changing my opinion of his dynamic.

“We can use this to sit on.”

I passed it over, not realizing until it was too late how thick my scent would be on the fabric. It might not have been part of my nest anymore, but it had been at one time, and it was kept in the closet with all my clothing and my laundry basket. Every fiber of it carried traces of me.

Carl’s pupils expanded with his first inhale, his jaw and fingers tightening. A low growl rumbled between us before he swallowed and cut it off.

“Thanks.”

The faint beep of the microwave saved me, and I darted back into the house as if it had been gunfire, except I was runningtowardthe sound. My pulse was galloping again, breath coming in short gasps as I did my best not to picture Carl’s massive form wrapped in my nest.

“Get it together, Gwyn. You’re a grown woman for fuck’s sake!”

My mutters whispered through the kitchen, mocking me as I piled the rest of the things we needed onto my makeshift tray. Fortifying myself and doing everything I could to squash my inconveniently reawakening libido, I strode out the door at a steady pace, pretending the previous interaction had never happened.

Carl already had the blanket spread beneath the tree and was seated on it, although he tried to rise to come take the tray until I shook my head.

“You said you’d eat anything, so I prepped a variety of meals for lunch this week. Today it’s fajitas.”

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