Page 46 of Alpha Daddy

Suddenly, my comedic front breaks, and I stare down at the tablets in my hand. It’s a tiny gesture, miniscule really, but the fact that he’s concerned enough about my potential discomfort to do something about it stirs an unexpected wave of emotions to life.

This was just supposed to be fun–a carefree night of knotting–but he’s so goddamn thoughtful, I can’t stand it. Quickly, before the lump in my throat can grow any bigger, I toss the pills in my mouth and chase them with a swig of ice-cold water.

“Thank you,” I say, pissed when the lump in my throat returns a second later. Clearly, the water didn’t help as much as I thought it would.

I swing my feet off the side of the bed, clutching the clean towel to my chest and covering most of my naked body.

“I’m just going to clean up,” I say, stepping around him toward the bathroom. I know he’s just been in nearly every hole I have, but I’m not eager to clean up in front of him. Besides, I need to pee.

“Let me know if you need anything,” he says right before I snap the door closed behind me.

I clean up, splashing cold water on my face to cool down, and I stare at my reflection in the mirror for a long second. My mind is spinning, my heart still racing, and I struggle to make sense of everything that’s happened tonight.

A shaky breath escapes my lips.

Everything was perfect, better than I could have imagined, but now I’m forced to face a rather unsettling question.

What the fuck do I do now?

I have no idea. My thoughts are a jumbled mess, a mix of post-nut clarity and unexpected emotion. Tears prickle in the corners of my eyes, and I blink furiously, refusing to cry right after the best sex of my life.

Pull yourself together. Damn it, Jessa.

When I realize I can’t hide in the bathroom anymore, I slip back into the bedroom and find Alessandro under the covers on the bed, scrolling through his phone. He looks like the ultimate sexy bachelor, leaning against his elaborate headboard in his fancy room.

Here I am, a poor, homeless omega, shacking up with him between shifts at his restaurant.

What am I even doing?

I cross my arms over my bare chest, debating whether I should get dressed before heading down the hall to the spare bedroom, or if I should just go naked. I can’t think. My thoughts are spiraling, and the only thing I want to do is crawl in bed next to Alessandro and fall asleep on his chest. That would be the only thing that could make this night even better, but it’s not allowed.

Is it?

He looks up after a second, and my cheeks flush as his gaze lands on my naked body. I can’t explain my sudden shyness, especially since he just saw and licked most of me, but I feel exposed. Naked. Raw.

“Jessa, what’s wrong?” he asks, sitting his phone aside. “You look upset.”

I swallow hard, the pesky feelings from earlier bubbling up again. There he goes again, being insanely fucking caring.

It’s such a strange reaction after what I’m used to that I’m not sure how to react. When Alessandro looks at me, I feel so goddamn important, I don’t know what to do, but it doesn’t mean a thing. None of this is permanent.

He’s not permanent.

We’renot, but fuck if I don’t want us to be, and that truth sits heavy on my chest as he stares at me. Spending more time with him is dangerous–I know I’m only going to want more.

I’m going toneedmore, and I know without having to be told that Alessandro isn’t going to claim a broken omega who lied to him about her designation in the first place. He won’t understand, and I don’t expect him to.

None of this was supposed to happen, but I made my nest, and I have to lie in it.

“I–I’m fine.” My voice sounds distant to my own ears. “Just wondering where I’m supposed to sleep. That’s all.”

He laughs, gesturing beside him in the bed. “Here, of course. Where else would you sleep?”

“I could sleep in the guest room,” I say, my eyes shifting toward the hall briefly before meeting his gaze again.

His light-hearted expression darkens a little, and he clears his throat. “Is that what you want?”

No, it’s not what I fucking want. I want to crawl up in bed next to him and fall asleep to the sound of him breathing.

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