Page 6 of Stella

I couldn’t. Being in heat was so personal.

My sexy Viking suddenly glanced up from his book and looked directly at me.

Electricity zipped between us. My body tingled, from the roots of my hair all the way down to my toes. My pussy, already on standby, clenched around nothing.

I sucked in a breath.

“Go talk to him,” Sunshine said. “Unless you want someone else to take that seat.”

That propelled me out of my chair. Alphas might have had the reputation for being territorial and possessive, with the general stereotype being that omegas were sweet and soft. But alphas hadnothingon an omega’s possessiveness when we saw someone as ours. It just extended to more than our sexual partners.

If an omega was going to hit the news for a major crime, nine times out of ten it was because they went momma bear on someone who’d been threatening their family.

I stopped in front of the armchair. Tall, Blond and Viking looked up, piercing me with his bright blue eyes. This close, I could see the cover of his book:A Natural History of Dragonsby Marie Brennan.

My favorite series of all time. My skin prickled, sensitive enough that even the lightest touch of air felt like a gale force wind.

“Is this seat taken?” It was such a clichéd line, but it was hard to think, standing this close to him. His scent was tart and herbal, like blackberries and basil. I opened my mouth enough to get his taste on my tongue.

“No…” He looked at me with a friendly but slightly confused expression.

I plopped into the chair before I was tempted to sit in his lap and ask ifthatseat was taken.

“This is my favorite book of all time.” I tapped the cover, leaning closer than was polite. He smelled incredible. I wanted to rub my cheek all over him, like a cat.

He smiled, his whole face lighting up. “This is my third reread.”

“I read it at least once every couple of months,” I grinned. “The witty charm, the pseudo-British naturalist, the intrepid lady scientist. It’s perfect.”

“What’s not to love?” His voice was deep and rumbly.

As he spoke, I couldn’t drag my eyes away from his wide lips. They would be perfect against mine. Soft and smooth, capable of tenderness and passion. I inhaled his scent again, like a crack addict looking for another fix.

He was a beta, which felt perfectly right. My last pack had been nothing but alphas, and I sometimes wondered now if that had been too much testosterone to handle, even for my sex drive.

“Have you read the Amelia Peabody series?”

I shook my head.

“It’s a family of British Egyptologists that ends up in a murder mystery every book.”

“Ooooo.” Maybe I could convince him to come back to my nest.

“No dragons,” he said apologetically. “But it’s witty, and funny too.”

“That sounds wonderful.” He was still watching me, like he was waiting for something. I was probably coming on way too strong, leaning into his personal space like a stalker.

I inhaled again, trying to center myself, but only managed to suck in more of his blackberry and basil scent.

My ladybits clenched as I eyed his thick forearms, his big thighs.

“What else do you like to read?” My voice was breathier than I intended. But talking about books was basically foreplay, wasn’t it?

He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. I wanted to lick his neck, drag my tongue up his skin to see if he tasted as good as he smelled.

“Everything.” He stared at me. “Horror, romance, spy thrillers. Anything historical, from Regency Romance to memoirs.”

“Have you ever checked out The Bent Page?”

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