Page 27 of Stella

The next day I woke up feeling better than I had in days. Maybe the amazing sex with Jerrick had been exactly what I needed to take the edge off and I wasn’t about to go into heat early, after all.

Jerrick was curled up behind me, his massive frame nearly covering me.

I shifted so my ass was against his cock. He grunted in his sleep and pressed it against me.

Right, I thought to myself. I’m not going into heat early—and pigs would fly.

Jerrick wanted me to let his pack help me through my heat.

It was a tempting thought. If we could lay some ground rules about no bonding, I would consider it. It was adorable how I thought I could sleep with Jerrick, and not want him through my heat. Like when I told myself I would have only one potato chip.

Evan was a flirt, and Simon was convinced I was plotting the downfall of Western civilization. Before I made any decisions, I wanted to know if their reactions to me had been because I was putting out more perfume than Paris, or they wanted me.

Jerrick touched me like he saw me—the real me. I neededthatin my heat, more than the regular alpha dirty talk.

What I needed was a little time and space to feel out Evan, and Simon. I snickered. Feel out. Yeah, I’d like to feel out Evan all right.

Jerrick woke up and kissed my cheek. “How did you sleep?”

“Amazing.” I draped his arm over me. “Your new job is my weighted blanket. Let your boss know you’re putting in your two weeks.”

“Okay,” he chuckled. “Do you want me to let him know I need the rest of the week off?”

The rest of the week. It was Wednesday. I could make it through a few more days until the heat really set it. “Tell him you’ll be out next week, but I should be okay the rest of this week.”

“Alright.” He kissed me deeply, and I lost myself in his arms.

I turned a good morning kiss into good morning sex.

Jerrick did have work, so I send him off to the cottage he was renting with Simon and Evan. Smelling of me.

I made a face. He was probably having the best sex of his life right now.

Even though I’d told him at least twenty times not to stay, a half hour later I was annoyed that my sexy Viking wasn’t around.

I grumbled to Lando, who did not put up with any of my crap and stalked off to do important cat things. Like take a nap.

I made some bacon to console myself.

While I was washing the pan, I noticed some dust behind the kitchen sink and attacked it with cleaning spray. That took me down the rabbit hole. I put on an old pair of faded shorts and a ratty t-shirt and started a load of laundry, deep cleaned the bathroom, and swept and mopped the floors. I had started scrubbing the tiles on kitchen backsplash when the doorbell rang.

Huffing, I opened the door.

Evan leaned against the doorframe looking like a Greek god come to life in another pair of basketball shorts and a thin white tank top.

“Cleaning frenzy?” He grinned. “Right on schedule.”

I stepped to the side to let him in. The house had a strong aroma of lemon and bleach, but his beachwater and musk scent was better than any candle I could have burned to get rid of the harsh smell.

He looked around my living room, taking it all in. My house was boho chic, with everything an eclectic mix of shades of purple, teal, blue and green. Throw blankets and pillows scattered across my couch, and the floor rugs were thick and plush.

I had never met a candle I didn’t like, so my mantlepiece and shelves were covered with candles and my crystals. In the place of pride was a giant piece of amethyst as tall as my waist.

“Are you here to stare at my decorations or…?” I crossed my arms over my chest. Evan moved easily around my home like he belonged there.

Unnerved, I realized that it did feel like he belonged.

“Jerrick told me you don’t have a lot of food.” That grin appeared again, the one that shot heat straight to my core. My lady bits informed me it was time to go to phase two again. “I was on my way to do some errands, so I stopped by to see if you needed anything.”

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