Page 34 of Marigold Run

He shrugs. “Some guy trying to deliver furniture.”

Everly looks at me with the most vibrant smile. “It’s the nesting couch for the sunroom! I wanted you to be able to nap comfortably outside of your nest too.” She reaches for my hand,squeezing gently. “I don't want you to feel like you have to stay cooped up in your room every time you want to rest.”

A nesting couch.

“Really?” I ask, a little stunned by the kind gesture.

Havenfield had a few nesting couches in the gathering rooms. They were always covered in lazy omegas, snuggled up against each other, but I never joined them. It looked too crowded and hot.

But now I have my own.

“Really,” Everly laughs, jerking her head toward the house. “Let’s go and check it out.” A flit of excitement moves through me and I take a step to follow Everly toward the house.

“Actually.” Hutch holds up a hand, and we both stop in our tracks. “I’d like a word with Mari alone.”

I tense, not sure what he wants. Is he angry I rejected him last night for Dassy? Is he here to remind me that he has a right to my body before his brother does? Or does he just want to leer at me again?

“Go on,” Hutch urges Everly when she doesn’t move.

“Oh. Okay.” Disappointment is clear in Everly’s gray eyes, but she doesn’t argue. Instead, she places a hand on Hutch’s chest and pushes up onto her toes. I expect her to kiss his cheek, but instead she whispers, “She’s still drifting off.”

Drifting off?

I frown at that. I’m notdrifting off. I’ve just got a lot on my mind.

“Go on.” Hutch pats Everly’s ass, before pushing her toward the house. “Mari’s in good hands,” he says in his deep, gravelly voice as his intense blue eyes land on me.

My body goes stiff, fighting off the urge to back up. Hutch doesn’t scare me, but he definitely puts me on edge. It’s the way he looks at me. It’s like I’m a wounded rabbit waiting to be devoured.

“What is it?” I cross my arms as I turn to properly face the alpha. All that stands between me and him is the thin material of my shirt. I don’t even have underwear on.I fucking hate it.

Hutch’s bright blue eyes narrow as he scans the full length of my face. “How did you sleep last night?” He takes a few steps, closing the space between us. I want to both backup and lean in. He smells so good.

“I slept fine.” I shift nervously, and the slick lips of my pussy slide against one another. It feels as if there’s a tiny heartbeat in my clit.Fuck, I wish I had underwear on.

“Really?” Hutch says as if surprised. “Because something has been bothering me.” He leans down, his eyes landing on my mouth. The air seems to tingle around us as his breath fans across my face. “It’s about last night.”

The growing desire in my belly shifts and fear sets in. I hold my breath, waiting for Hutch to continue, but he doesn’t. He stares at me, his massive body radiating so much heat.

“What about last night?” I ask, trying to sound cute and innocent.

“In the sitting room. What were you looking for?”

I pull my brows together in confusion, not sure what he means. “Looking for?” I ask, still staring at his mouth. Hutch’s bottom lip is full and pouty—just like Dassy’s—but there’s a tiny freckle on his top lip. I wonder if his twin has the same mark too. “I wasn’t looking for anything.” I finally look up, meeting Hutch’s bright blue eyes.

The corner of his mouth twitches up, and he smirks. “We both know you weren’t sleepwalking.”

“What?” I quickly step back, completely caught off guard.

“What were you doing in the sitting room?” Hutch repeats, his voice a little more forceful this time. “What were you looking for?”

“I wasn't looking for anything,” I say, backing up again, but this time Hutch follows my movements.

“You weren’t?” His eyes narrow, clearly not believing me.

“No,” I say as anger takes hold. I can’t tell if he found the tablet or not, but I’m not about to admit to shit. “I woke up in the sitting room, surrounded by three half-naked alphas.” I cut a glare down his impressive form. His waist is so trim compared to his broad shoulders. “It didn’t take three of you to come find me, unless you were wanting to scare me.”

A soft growl pushes from Hutch’s broad chest, but I can’t tell if it’s from frustration or simply to intimidate me. “So you just magically appeared in the sitting room?” he says. “No memory of how you got there?”

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