Page 26 of The Beta: Part One

Chapter 12

Talia

Jasper and I are laying on either end of the couch rubbing each other’s feet and it is fabulous. This entire day has been fabulous. There’s a cooking show playing in the background and we have a full sack of gingersnaps between us. Trent and Kaleb are somewhere in the house doing the best thing ever - leaving us alone to watch our show and eat our cookies in peace.

Jasper is a little less than a week away from his heat and I’ve been working ginger, honey, raspberries, and lots of other foods and herbs into his food intake to support his system. He smells heavenly. His scent is usually a sensual combination of oranges and vanilla, but with the additional hormones running through him and the new flavors I’ve been feeding him he’s just yummy. I honestly don’t know how any of the alphas are keeping their hands off of him.

We’ve been pretty cuddly with each other in the past few days. I was chalking it up to the break-in and everything that happened after, but I’m beginning to think he’s enjoying the snuggles and extra attention because of his heat. I can’t think of a reason for me to be getting all this affection, but I’ll take it. He hits a particularly sore spot on the ball of my foot and I can’t help the groan that slips out, and his eyes snap to my face.

“Talia…” his voice sounds like it does when he’s about to ask for something he knows he shouldn’t ask for.

“Hmm?” I hum at him, continuing to work his foot.

He stalls, pursing his pink lips to the side and bringing out the dimple he has when he’s smiling. I let him work it out, figuring out which words he wants to throw at me.

He fidgets for a bit longer and sighs, “I think,” he blows out a very dramatic breath, “I think I want to ask you if you want to make out with me, just a bit.”

Oh.

Oh.

“Um,” now I’m stalling. “Um, I don’t think...that wouldn’t...um…”

What the hell am I supposed to say? Jasper is the most perfect thing I’ve ever seen and I would absolutely love to ravish him until he’s breathless, but I can only imagine how well that would sit with Devon, Kaleb, any of them.

His face is falling, “Oh, I didn’t think...I thought you might want to.” He sounds so disappointed and embarrassed.

“Jasper, no. Of course I’d want to,” I’m trying to find the right words to say that will let him know that I would if I could, but his guys wouldn’t appreciate the encroachment.

“Why?” he asks, “Do you have a boyfriend? You never said, and I thought…”

I clip out a laugh, “No, princess. I don’t have a boyfriend.”

Now he’s confused, as if the only reason I wouldn’t snatch him up is because I might have a boyfriend. He processes for a second then asks incredulously, “Well why not? You should have one.”

Then I laugh again. “If you haven’t noticed, my personality isn’t exactly conducive for relationships.”

The disbelieving and truly puzzled look he gives me makes me laugh again.

“What do you mean?” he asks, “Your personality is just fine.”

“Oh you sweet, sweet boy. Ask any one of your guys if I’m girlfriend material. They’ll give you the rundown.”

“Then why don’t you want to? If it’s not because you have a boyfriend, is there something wrong with me?”

I pinch his baby toe hard enough for him to try to jerk his foot away, but I catch him firmly around the ankle and stroke a finger up the center of his foot. “Hush it, princess. You are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. You smell delicious. I can’t look at you or be near you without wanting to touch you. There’s nothing wrong with you.”

I feel pleasure sparkle around him at my words. “Then touch me, kiss me. Let me touch you. I’ve never touched a woman before, you could show me how. We could kiss and touch and it would be so wonderful,” and it sounds so good and tempting coming out of his mouth that I find myself actually considering it.

Can I let Jasper touch me without it being more than that? Can I let him kiss me and not get addicted to his taste? Probably not. Will I be able to let him use my body to explore his curiosity and sudden interest in the female form, without making myself insane wanting more and knowing I can’t have it? Definitely not. Will his alphas be alright with any of it? Not likely. But……

My mouth speaks before my common sense can catch up, “I will consider it,” his face brightens and he sits up straight, “If you talk to your alphas and make sure they’re okay with it.”

His cheeks blush a very pretty pink, but he narrows his eyes, “You want me to ask their permission to make out with you? I have to ask them before you’ll let me kiss you? Why do they have to know?”

Spoiled brat.

“Yes. If they say yes you can look and touch and kiss until you’re satisfied. And one of them has to remain in the room.”

---