Page 2 of Lilacs and Leather

Carrying a smaller arrangement, I rush after Wila toward the ballroom. The hallways sport cream-colored walls, accenting the mirror-finish dark wood floors and the bright red carpet running down their centers. Small chandeliers hang from the tall ceilings, the light glinting off the gold leaf accents. The hallway opens up into the most luxurious space I’ve ever had the pleasure of being in. The black-and-white checked marble floors contrast with the champagne-colored walls. Towering pillars support sweeping arches, white furniture stationed tastefully throughout the space. Hanging above, an enormous crystal chandelier casts a warm glow over everything. My pace slows to a walk, and I’m so absorbed in my surroundings that I don’t notice the scent cloud until it hits me like a brick wall.

My knees buckle, my eyes fall closed, and I suck in a deep breath on instinct alone. The scent is layered, beautiful and decadent. Whiskey,good whiskey. Leather. Old books. And… warm. I pull in another deep breath, trying to find a better word than “warm,” but that’s all my mind can come up with. My thighs clench together as I exhale, a tiny whimper escaping my parted lips. My head turns, following my nose as I search for the source. Every warning I’ve ever been given flies from my head, instinct taking over. Ineedthat scent, want to curl up in it, drown in it.

I open my eyes, and I’ve turned toward the entrance, the scent blowing in on the gentle breeze that comes whenever someone opens the door. Almost like a magnet, my eyes are pulled toward a man standing near the entrance, and he’s also staring back at me. He is easily the most striking man I’ve ever laid eyes on. Even with a lobby between us, I can tell he’s tall, head and shoulders above my five foot five. His golden blond hair is slicked back, longer on the top with close cut sides. His perfectly trimmed facial hair highlights a powerful jaw and perfect lips. He’s dressed in a well-tailored gray suit, but I gather little more than that, as my eyes are drawn back up to his remarkably blue gaze.

A door opens behind him, and another flood of his scent washes over me. My mouth goes dry while other parts of me, parts much lower, getverywet. His scent is like curling up in a library armchair, basking in the summer sun. I want to be surrounded by it. I want it to cover every inch of my skin. My knees buckle again as the insane urge to fall to the floor and present myself crashes over me.

But with that urge comes a wave of ice water through my veins. My throat constricts and my breathing becomes shallow. My hands are shaking, and cold sweat runs down my spine.

Alpha.

He advances a step toward me, and I find control of my feet at last. There’s another man standing next to him, and traces of his scent float toward me. Citrus, grass? I don’t stick around to find out. I turn on my heel, striding across the lobby in the ballroom’s direction. My heart thumps a wild, frantic rhythm in my chest, and I can hardly get my ribs to expand enough to take a full breath. My skin zings as my mind races into fight or flight, goosebumps rising up and down my arms. I keep my head down, cursing under my breath with every scurrying step away from that intoxicating alpha.

I’m sure that Wila would be on my case for gawking again, because it feels like I’ve spent hours in that lobby, but she’s only just finishing unloading the cart and is turning back toward the door. Her brow furrows as she takes me in, but I can hardly think around the sound of my heartbeat rushing in my ears. My head is spinning, my vision blurring. I set down the centerpiece before I drop it and swallow hard. I shake out my hands, trying to stop the trembling, my eyes flying around the room. We’re not alone, and the hotel staff is taking notice of my behavior.

“Lydia?”

Wila’s soft voice comes from much closer than I’m prepared for. I jump as I realize she’s moved to stand in front of me. She takes my hands in hers, the wrinkles around her dark eyes deep in concern. Eyes so different from the pale, almost luminescent blue of that alpha—no. I shake my head, trying to dislodge him from my thoughts. More of my hair shakes loose from my bun and falls around my face. My eyes fly around the room, and more of the hotel staff have stopped to stare. I look over my shoulder, hair whipping around my head. What if he follows me here? He can’t come near me. Not an alpha with a scent that makes my knees jelly and brain short circuit. I can’t let another alpha make me lose myself. Not again. I need to get out. He can’t find me. He can’t—

“Stop, Lydia. Go outside. Sit in the truck,” Wila says softly, but firmly, squeezing my hands.

My thoughts come to a screeching halt, my spine straightening. I look at her again, and the firm set of her brow, eyes hard as chips of stone, set my body into motion. Nodding, I rush out of the room to obey. I don’t even spare a glance as I rush through the lobby again, holding my breath until I’m outside again. Gabby has just finished parking the truck in the lot behind the building and is heading back. She stops short as she notices me approaching and follows me as I throw open the passenger side door and scramble up into the cab of the truck.

I curl my legs to my chest, wrapping my arms tight around them and burying my face in my knees. I count the seconds as I try to take slow inhales through my nose and exhale through my mouth. Five seconds in, seven seconds out. Five seconds in, seven seconds out.

The driver’s side door opens, and caramel candy apple fills the cab. Arms wrap around my shoulders, pulling me to lean on a warm chest. Gabby nuzzles her cheek against the top of my head, but she doesn’t speak. She brushes a hand up and down my spine, and I relax under the touch. Gabby pulls my bun loose and runs her fingers through the strands, working out the knots.

“You didn’t wash your hair this morning,” she whispers, but I still jump.

I shake my head. “Hot water was out,” I grumble.

Gabby lets out a sharp sigh. “Babe, you should have showered at my place.”

She gently turns me and starts working my hair into a tight French braid. I just shrug in response. She lets out her signature Sigh of the Long Suffering, working in silence for another moment.

“He must have been something, if his scent is anything to go by,” Gabby comments.

I stiffen briefly before relaxing again. “It just came out of nowhere. I should have been more prepared. It’s not like I’ve never scented an alpha before.”

“I guess. But…” Gabby takes a deep breath before going on. “I’m only getting the leftovers, and it’s intense. Like panty-soaking, mouth-watering intense.”

The longing in her voice makes me turn to look at her. A flood of her scent washes over me, tinged with a hint of spicy cinnamon. She cocks an eyebrow at me, daring me to deny it. But I can’t. Because she’s right. Whoever that alpha was, “intense” is the exact word to describe him and his otherworldly blue eyes. I roll my eyes, and she giggles a little before finishing up my braid.

“Feel better?” she asks, rubbing my shoulders.

I nod, taking another deep breath. She gives my shoulders another squeeze before moving back and opening the driver’s door. I climb out and she locks up before we walk back toward Wickland House.

“But, like, for real, Lyd. Was he, like, regular hot, or, like ‘Fires of Mount Doom’ hot?” she asks, the words falling out in a rush.

I roll my eyes again with a smile. “Surface of the sun hot,” I answer.

Because yes, his scent was overwhelming, but if he weren’t an alpha, I would have been drooling just as much as Gabby. She squeals but is forced to let it go for now as Wila is standing at the dock, and we get back to work. Thankfully, the mysterious alpha seems to have left the hotel, and his scent has dissipated by the time we make it back to the lobby. It doesn’t stop Gabby from trying to catch another whiff, though.

And, even against my better judgement, I do, too.

Two

Rhett

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