Page 21 of Rejected By the Alpha

I cleared my throat awkwardly at being caught trying to manhandle him in his sleep. “Trying not to wake you up.”

“Hmm,” he said, looking down at where his arm still wrapped around my waist. “It seems like you were trying more than that.”

“I think the pillows got kicked down to the bottom of the bed while we were sleeping,” I said quietly.

His face was so close to mine, and I was distracted by the way his eyes were roving over my body. I hadn’t expected him to see my pajamas since we usually had a barrier between us, let alone be close enough for him to touch them. The silky material was thin and left little to the imagination.

“It seems they did,” he replied, still holding me.

I breathed in the musky scent rolling off him, my heart fluttering with excitement and anticipation. All I needed to do was lean in a few inches, and I could close the distance between us. Just a little bit, and then our lips would touch.

But I couldn’t do that. He and I were not lovers, as much as he seemed to enjoy claiming me as his wife. I turned my face away from him and waited for him to move his arm so I could get up. I was glad that I was a female and didn’t possess any body parts that would alert him to how aroused I was by his proximity.

He, on the other hand, had a more difficult time hiding it. His body was angled towards mine, and I felt a slight prodding in my thigh as his morning wood stood at attention.

“Sorry about that,” he said, shifting away from me.

“It’s fine.” I wasn’t sure there was anything else to say in a situation like this.

We both got out of bed awkwardly and began getting ready for the day. Killian had to work, so he left while I dawdled around the house, looking for something to keep me occupied.

After finishing my chores for the day and failing to find anything interesting to watch on television, I decided it was time to get out of the house. I hadn’t done much exploring of the townyet. It was time I started putting down some roots in my new home.

Aside from that, I realized I needed to find a job. The dresses that Kay was making for me would be done in a few weeks, and I wanted to make sure I was ready to pay for them when it was time.

I put on some shoes and walked down the street, hoping to find something that would catch my eye. I made my way to Main Street, taking a mental note of a few places that I could inquire at later. None of them immediately jumped out as a place I’d be interested in working at, but anything was better than nothing.

I turned off Main Street to make a loop back to the house when I spotted a tiny bar. The sign outside read “Moondance Tavern.”

The sound of our song drifted lightly in the air as Killian twirled me around underneath the moonlit skies. Promises of forever love poured from the car stereo.

“Someday, I’m going to dance with you at our wedding,” he whispered into my ear.

With our bodies close together, it almost made me believe that it was possible.

“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to leave Sparkle Hollow,” I said quietly. “No matter how much I want to.”

He paused our dance, placing his hand on my face as he looked deeply into my eyes. His hazel eyes sparkled in the dim light from above.

“I swear, Leah. This won’t be our last moon dance.”

I stared at the sign in wonder. The memory had sparked my curiosity, and I felt a compelling need to venture inside. This was as good a place as any to work, I figured. My skill sets certainly qualified me for the service industry.

I opened the glass door and stepped into a dimly lit but well-maintained room. The sign said they were open, but the bar was completely empty. It was still early in the day, so that wasn’t surprising.

“Hello?” I called uncertainly. “Anyone here?”

The door behind the bar opened and out stepped the last person I expected to see.

“Leah,” Killian said, his face showing as much shock as mine must have. “What are you doing here?”

“I was out walking around and saw the sign,” I explained. “Do you work here?” I suddenly realized I had never asked him what his job was.

“I just bought this place a few months ago, actually,” Killian said with a smile.

“Youownit?” I asked. “Did you name it as well?”

“It used to be called Pine Nuts Bar,” he said. His cheeks turned slightly red, and I wondered if he had realized the significance of the name he had chosen or if he was just looking for something classy to attract business. “The owner wanted to retire, and I wanted to settle down and have something of my own. It seemed like the perfect opportunity.”

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