Page 33 of Stella

“Screw polite,” Evan said. “I promise you, my thoughts about you aren’t polite.”

Heat shot straight to my ladybits. His beachwater and musk scent mingled with the ozone coming off the ocean. Once again, my ladybits wondered when we would get to phase two. I was wetter than the ocean, and the orgasms last night only primed me for more. “I mean, the prying sort of not polite.”

“I’m an open book. You can ask me whatever you want.”

“Jerrick told me about Ava. I thought you might be really good at this alpha stuff because you had an omega before.”

Evan got a funny look on his face.

“Sorry,” I said, pulling my hand away. “Forget I asked.”

“I was thinking that Jerrick didn’t tell you everything if you think I’m a good alpha because of her.” Evan sighed, and took my hand back, like he needed to touch me as much as I needed him. “Ava was attracted to Simon. We dated her, spent time together as a pack, but she was romantic with Simon. Jerrick and I never slept with her.”

“How could she be in the same room and not want to sleep with the two of you?”

Evan shrugged. “She said she wasn’t ready to be intimate yet. I was okay with that, so was Jerrick.”

“But…” My brain shut down. “You’re dead sexy. So is Jerrick.”

“She thought I should quit my job, for one. Didn’t think teaching P.E. was alpha enough.” Evan said it like this was reasonable and not batshit insane.

“You’re literally helping raise other people’s children.” My core pulsed with heat at the thought of Evan and children. “Every time I think about you with all those kids, my ovaries do this thing where I instantly want to be pregnant with four of your children even though that’s not technically possible.”

Evan laughed. “Technically it is if we have quadruplets...”

I hit his shoulder. “Don’t you dare jinx me.”

Evan laughed again, and his shoulders relaxed.

I couldn’t believe this mystery omega would treat him like a lesser alpha, and act like Jerrick was crashing the party.

Based on what Evan told me about his family, I couldn’t see that working out for the long run.

“Your mom did not like Ava,” I observed, shoving some more peanut M&Ms into my mouth. The yellow wrapper crinkled in my hands, the salty-sweet taste of the peanut and chocolate filling me.

“Not even a little bit,” he said with a chuckle.

It also made sense why Evan and Simon weren’t acting like I was their property because I slept with Jerrick. It was sad that Ava treated them badly, but it was also a relief to know I could pick and choose and take my time without any of them acting like I was snubbing them.

I didn’t get that chance with my last pack. Maybe things would have been different if I’d had time to really date the three of them as individuals instead of dating them all at once.

Evan drove to an upscale grocery store, and we bought way too much food. I had snacks for my snacks, the makings of three course meals, and also some quick and easy meals I could throw into the oven.

Now that I wasn’t constantly on my guard, waiting for him to get mad for being so needy, I could see his joy in shopping.

Evan’s love language was apparently acts of service and gift giving.

Acts of service. I could think of several acts of service I wanted him to provide. We loaded the Jeep up and he took another back road.

“We have one more stop,” he said. “I know you’re tired, but you’re about to be in heat, and it’s important.”

“What else could I possibly need?”

Evan grinned. “You’ll see.”

Evan refused to submit to my interrogation and when we pulled into a small parking lot, I couldn’t help my gasp.

I hit his shoulder again. “I am not going inside a sex shop this close to being in heat.”

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