Page 120 of Ashley & the A-Listers

Ashley didn’t like that. She narrowed her gaze, studying the tension in his shoulders.

Right.Boundaries. Lines. Professional.

All it took was a little bitterness in the omega’s scent for her to cross the line so readily.

You can do better than that!

He trailed over to dump the pan in the sink, and when he sprayed it with water, steam sizzled and rose from it to fill the room.

She wrinkled her nose and followed him into the little alcove while River and Dylan flapped dish towels at the window to disperse the smoke.

“What was on the menu?” she asked.

“Literally, it was supposed to be so easy,” he complained as he grabbed a sponge. “Just pasta. I was going to make my own roux.”

Ashley reached around him and stole the sponge, their hands sliding together amongst the water and dish soap.

“Hey, we’ve all burned a meal…or three,” she admitted, and bumped him out of the way to take care of it.

“Maybe next time you can cook together,” Dylan interjected from the living room. “Make a night of it!”

Panic flared.Boundaries, Dylan, boundaries!But he couldn’t hear her thoughts, just feel her emotions.

Cameron turned his attention from the other alpha to meet her gaze, eyes wide and vulnerable, and Ashley’s chest inflated with the need to… to scoop him up, to kiss him.

Her cheeks heated at the thought, hoping maybe the steam was too foggy for him to tell.

“Like a date night?” he asked, peering closely at her.

Hesitation threaded through her, but then Dylan was there, soothing, encouraging. What an enabler. Dammit.

She folded under those big hazel movie-star eyes. The date night didn’t have to happennow.It could happen after they’d finished training. Where was the harm in that?

“Sure,” she agreed, and if she wasn’t too distracted by Cameron’s sudden smile, she thought she felt Dylan in her bond, a little smug. “How about we order in tonight? Do you still want pasta?”

He frowned down at the sink. “No, I’m mad at pasta.”

She chuckled, finishing up the pan and proving the mess was gone.

“We can leave that for now. Let’s help River and Dylan with the fanning.”

She pinched his side as she went, and his grateful smile was a little sly.

Ashley narrowed her gaze at him, this actor, but was distracted as he handed her a towel and tugged her toward the door.

As they worked on clearing the smoke, Ashley ordered Cam’s favorite Indian food from her phone, passing it around to get all their orders. By the time the apartment was clear and they’d sprayed the hell out of it with some pretty-smelling air freshener, the food had arrived.

Ashley accepted the bag and made her way back to the couch, taking her seat beside Cameron and placing the holy grail on the coffee table.

He snuggled up to her side, and Ashley tried not to feel a type of way about it, but she loved having him near.

Dylan was on her other side, but the only glances he ever sent her way were pleased and happy. The bond revealed much the same.

As River got them drinks and took his designated seat on one of the floor cushions, Ashley decided to herself that they needed a bigger couch.

She caught the thought before it could really form, realizing she was thinking of the future. Them, all together.

Like a… pack.

---