Page 193 of Altius
“Ever been to a batting cage?” he asked, trailing me out of the room into the lobby, where we began shucking off our protective gear.
“Not since I was a kid—maybe eight or nine?” I unzipped my coveralls and slipped them off my shoulders, winter air rushing to cool down my overheated body. “Audra and Ethan always had sporty birthday parties. Bowling, trampoline parks, go-karting. That sort of stuff.”
Joaquin steadied me as I stepped out of the coveralls, not seeming to mind that I had sweated through my top.
“Your parents went all out, huh?”
“More like the twins were too popular for their own good. I tended to opt for sleepovers or simple stuff since no one wants to do much the day before Halloween.”
“Wait a second.” Joaquin chucked our gloves back into the appropriately labeled bin. “We missed your birthday?”
“No.” I paused, wiping my sweaty hair out of my face before pulling on a knit hat. The gifts and flowers I’d received were from Wyatt, not the pack, and Cal’s sweater… That was personal. “I mean, not really. You were busy with the housewarming. I’m not big into birthdays anyhow.”
He held out my coat with a frown. “So, there’s no use in asking you to help me plan Alijah’s birthday party, I take it?”
“I might not be much of a party planner,” I said, slipping my arms into the sleeves, “but my siblings on the other hand…”
Joaquin paused, leaning against the half-open front door, quirking a hopeful brow. “Does Kelsey have time, with the move and everything?”
“Depends on when his birthday is,” I said, slipping past him into the fading afternoon light, not minding the chill for once.
Joaquin had indulged my temper for two full hours. I felt looser than I had in weeks.
“But even if she can’t make time, there’s still Piper and Rory. Or Papa.”
Joaquin’s arm settling across my shoulders startled me. He gave the top of my hat a noisy, overly dramatic smack of his lips. “And you wonder why we adore you.”
“Settle down.” I tried to elbow him away, prompting an outpouring of smooth laughter.
Joaquin only held me tighter as we headed for his truck.
“If you’re looking for connections,” I said, still squirming in his grasp, “I bet Cal knows a dozen event planners.”
“But they don’t know Alijah.”
Shooting a warning glance at him, I said, “Be very sure about what you’re asking for. Piper’s a big fan of drunken Twister and pin the tail on the beta.”
“I was thinking giant Jenga and cornhole, maybe a few piñatas, but drunken Twister sounds fun.” He leaned down, lips brushing my ear as he whispered, “But let’s save the beta-pinning for the three of us, okay?”
Rolling my eyes, I tried to pull away again, but Joaquin still refused to let me go.
“Oh, no you don’t,” he teased, pulling me in front of him, wrapping both arms around my shoulders as he slowly shuffled us the final few feet to the passenger side door.
“I’m not letting you slip away tonight. You might be physically spent, but your mind…” He nuzzled the side of my head. “It’s still racing, too full of worries. And I’m not letting you go until you smile at me like you did the first time we came here, when you were weightless, breathing easy—just Morgan—even if it only lasted a few seconds.”
“Joaquin…”
I started to turn, wanting to face him, but found myself pinned against the side of his truck instead. Joaquin planted his hands on either side of my head, his suggestive leer growing ever closer.
“My patience ran dry some time ago, doc. But I’ve endured. Bided my time. Through three weeks of Wednesdays, when my mate comes back smelling like a floral and citrus fucking delight. Do you have any idea how fucking luscious your pheromones are together? How greedily I suck him—”
“Stop.”
“That would have worked in October or November.” The dark promise in Joaquin’s laugh made me shiver. “Before I tasted you.”
Long fingers captured my chin, forcing me to look up and meet his gaze.
“Or felt you clamp down on my knot like a fucking vise. Before you stopped giving my mate false hopes and half-promises.” His thumb traced the underside of my bottom lip. “But now? It’s too late. He’s fallen for you. We both have.”
