Page 10 of Rejected By the Alpha

Her breathing was calm, and I knew she hadn’t yet awakened. Her chest rose and fell in an even tempo. My attention was drawn to her breasts, and I noticed the outline of her nipples through the sheer fabric of her pajama top.

Immediately, I felt myself become aroused. I raised myself up on my elbow slightly and shifted my torso away from the pillows that separated us. I struggled against the overwhelming urge to reach out and touch her.

Don’t do it,I commanded myself. My left hand was hovering over the pillow as I battled my desire to toss it off the bed and pull her into me.

I had never taken an unwilling partner. Today would not be the day I ended that promise to myself. My hand jerked back, and I tucked it under my own pillow firmly.

The movement startled her awake. Leah’s brown eyes fluttered open and stared straight into mine.

“Good morning,” I said huskily.

She cast her eyes around the room, taking in her surroundings. Noticing that her chest was uncovered from the blankets, she grabbed the edge of the sheet and yanked it up past her shoulders.

“Were you staring at me?” she asked.

“I just woke up,” I fibbed. “I wasn’t sure whether to wake you or not.” That part was true. Part of me wondered if I should have reached out for her in her sleep. Perhaps closing the distance when her guard was down would break the ice between us and give us a chance to talk about our past.

“Well, I’m awake now,” she said. She rolled off the edge of the bed, pulling the sheet with her and wrapping it around her small frame.

“Aren’t you getting up?” she asked.

“Um, in a minute,” I said.

My erection was still at full mast. The last thing I needed after her accusing me of staring was for her to see evidence of what that voyeurism had elicited. I cleared my throat uncomfortably as she continued staring at me.

“Fine,” she said, pulling the sheet tighter around her. “I’m going to go shower. The door has a lock, right?” She fumbled around in one of her suitcases, pulling toiletries and clothes from inside before shutting the lid.

“It does, but you won’t need it. I promise not to come in while you’re getting ready,” I said.

Leah eyed me suspiciously but seemed to take my word for it. She left the bedroom, and I heard the bathroom door shut behind her, the lock clicking into place. It seemed like I had a lot of work to do if I was going to get my mate to trust me.

While she showered, I took deep breaths, focusing on anything other than thoughts of her naked form in the other room. When I had mastered myself, I got out of bed, changed into my jeans, and went to the kitchen. I opened the fridge and realized I had neglected to get any groceries prior to bringingLeah home. Cursing myself for my forgetfulness, I sat down to put on my shoes.

“Are you leaving?” Leah asked.

I hadn’t heard her leave the bathroom, and her sudden appearance startled me.

“I was heading to the store to get some food,” I explained.

For a long, awkward moment, we both stared at each other. I wasn’t sure whether to ask her to come with me or ask what she wanted me to get for her. It seemed she was having the same thoughts.

“I don’t know what you expect from me,” she admitted. “Should I come with you or stay here?”

“Whichever you prefer is what I want you to do,” I said, breathing a sigh of relief that she had brought up our mutual indecision. “Is there anything you’d like me to get, or do you want to come with me?”

“It will probably be easiest if we just go together. That way, you can tell me what you like to eat, and I can make sure to grab the ingredients for it,” Leah said.

She got her shoes on, and we left the house.

“Do you enjoy cooking?” I asked as we drove the short distance to the Pinedale grocery store.

“Sometimes. It’s easy to lose yourself in the process. I used to do all the shopping and cooking at home,” Leah said. “My parents didn’t want to waste their time doing menial tasks.”

The way she said it made me think that food preparation wasn’t the only chore she had been responsible for. My heart hurt for her, realizing that she had been responsible for so much for a family that didn’t seem to appreciate her.

“My house won’t be like that,” I promised. “We’ll work out a system so we’re each in charge of an equal number of tasks.”

Leah began chewing her bottom lip, and I realized she was feeling anxious at the thought of a future with me.

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