Page 26 of Consider The Lilies

“No.” I stand in front of him, waiting for him to open the door.

The corner of his mouth twitches, and he closes the space between us. I want to back up, but there’s nowhere to go.

“Give me a kiss.” His voice is deeper than before. It makes me shiver despite how warm I am.

I know I can’t refuse. It’ll just anger him—and honestly, the kiss last night wasn’t bad—so I lift up onto my tiptoes and press my mouth to his. Thinking the kiss is over, I slowly lower myself, but Jack follows me, keeping his lips firmly on mine.

The alpha lets out a hungry growl as his hands travel up the full length of my arms. He grips my upper arms hard, holding me to him. I can’t help but notice how much nicer he smells this morning. That gross smoky smell is gone, and now all I can smell is earthy warmth and bright citrus.

“Do you taste as good as you smell?” Jack rumbles against my lips.

“I…uh…” But before I can say anything else, he shocks me by slipping his tongue into my mouth and licking me. It’s a weird sensation. His tongue and mouth are slippery and hot against mine. And he tastes surprisingly good. Warm and spicy with a hint of oranges.

Jack’s hands move, curling around my back and down to my bottom. He squeezes one of my cheeks, making me squeak. It feels kind of wrong like we shouldn’t be doing this. Like it’s inappropriate or forbidden.

“Fuck,” Jack snarls into my mouth as he grips my throat. His scent seems to intensify, and something hard presses against my stomach. All at once, a deep ache cuts through my belly, and I flash hot.

“Please,” I whimper through the kiss.

Jack groans, squeezing my neck ever so gently. It makes my face heat. “Goddammit, you taste amazing.” He breaks the kiss, looking down at me with so much intensity. “You might actually be worth all of this trouble.” He pulls me a little closer by the throat, and I whimper again. The sound makes him smile.

“Come.” He releases me, then turns and opens the bedroom door.

It takes me a few seconds to regain my senses, and I end up having to run to catch up with the alpha. I don’t know how he can strut around like nothing just happened.

We quietly walk down the hallway, cutting one way then another. Soon the hardwood floors change from glossy and sleek to older and worn. The walls are no longer smooth and white, but they’re made of stone.

Are we in a castle?

“Good morning, Mr. Stanley,” an older beta bows as we enter a long dining room.

It’s an impressive space with a high ceiling that has a beam running through it and a large iron chandelier. The table is very long with three place settings and an arrangement of colorful flowers in the center. It’s all so grand, I imagine a king would dine here, surrounded by all his knights and noblemen.

“Sit.” Jack points to a chair next to him as he takes his place at the head of the table.

“I hope you slept well, sir.” A pretty red-haired beta pours him a cup of hot brown liquid. It’s not tea. It must be coffee. I’ve never had it, but I remember my parents drank it when I was little.

“He will have the same breakfast as me,” Jack says to her.

She smiles and nods, giving a pointed look to another member of the staff standing across the room. He nods at her, then vanishes through a small archway next to him.

“Would you like some coffee?” The redhead steps up next to me, holding a black kettle. She’s so lovely. Her shiny hair is pulled back into a bun at the base of her neck. Her eyes are a stunning color of blue, and her cheeks are dusted with freckles of every shape and size. She’s wearing a simple black dress that falls to her knees with sleeves that go down to her elbows. It’s the same dress the other female betas are wearing. The men all wear black suits, buttoned up with matching skinny black ties. It seems a bit formal for serving breakfast.

“Sir?” the pretty beta addresses me, trying to re-capture my attention. “Coffee?”

“I…uh…” I look from her to Jack, not sure if I’m allowed to drink it. He narrows his eyes at me, clearly annoyed I haven’t answered yet.

“He’ll have juice,” Jack says in a sharp tone.Yup. He’s mad.

“Of course.” She bows. “I’ll bring it right away.”

“Lucy,” Jack stops her before she can vanish. “Bring him some fruit too.” His dark eyes slip over my face. “You look like you need all the vitamin C you can get.”

Soon, the pretty beta—Lucy—returns. She’s followed by two other betas, both of them carrying large silver trays.

“Your orange juice, sir.” She places a short glass in front of me. Then she leans down and says, “I added a splash of pineapple juice to it. I hope you like it.” She smiles at me like we’re old friends, and I can’t help but smile too.

I eagerly pick up the glass and take a small sip. The sweet liquid spreads across my tongue, the rush of sugar immediately hitting my veins. “This is amazing,” I gasp, taking another quick sip. While it’s not exactly the same, the flavor reminds me ofthe kiss Jack gave me upstairs. Just the thought of it makes my cheeks grow hot once again.

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