Page 7 of Choosing Their Omega

I have to admit, I found her beautiful then, and she’s stunning now, with long dark red hair and generous curves. My breath stops for a second as I take in her wide hips and thick thighs, and her breasts…

Whoa, down, boy.

I’m here to buy groceries, not turn into a horny sixteen-year-old in the middle of the checkout lane.

Still, I can’t stop looking at her. She’s got clear porcelain skin and a dainty face that makes me feel almost… protective. She’s got to be only around five feet four inches, nearly a foot shorter than I am, and damn is that giving me inappropriate thoughts about how easy it would be to pick her curvy body up. Her big blue eyes stare up at me, and I swallow hard as I catch a whiff of her scent: honeysuckle, peach, and brown sugar.

I quickly step aside and sweep my arm out. “Seriously, go on.”

“Thank you.” She hurries past me and I want to smack myself.

Get yourself under control, Ashford, for fuck’s sake.

Sunshine puts her few groceries up onto the conveyor belt while I load up mine behind her. The cashier scans them, and I watch as Sunshine’s gaze tracks the screen where the tally adds up.

“Oh,” she says softly when she sees the final number. She glances down at the groceries and bites her lip.

I’m a little confused. The woman I ran into after the game was a firecracker, and I loved that about her. Now, she seems shy and unsure. I wonder what that’s about, and what changed.

“Can you…” The redhead’s gaze darts back and forth between the screen with the total on it, and the food on the belt. “Um…”

It hits me that she’s trying to decide what food she wants to ask the cashier to take off. She can’t afford anything more.

“I’ve got this,” I say quickly, stepping up and smiling at the cashier. “Don’t worry about it, Sunshine. Can’t lose that sunny smile, can we?”

“You’ve never even seen me smile,” she mutters, but she’s blushing and I can see the corner of her mouth curling upward.

“Exactly. Let me pay for the food and maybe I’ll see it.” I wink at her and hold out my card to the cashier. “I’ve got all the stuff behind too.”

The cashier and the bagger take care of everything. “I’m Cruz, by the way.”

“Lily.” She smiles at me, then ducks her head away and clears her throat. “I didn’t get a chance to tell you that you played well at the game. I had fun.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” We get the groceries and head out. Lily doesn’t head for the parking lot, though. She heads toward the sidewalk. “Did you walk here?”

“Oh, yes.” Lily smiles again. She’s gorgeous when she smiles. “Thank you again for the groceries. I really appreciate it.”

“It’s no problem. Would you… would you like a ride?”

I hesitate to ask, because I don’t want her to feel cornered or like she has to say yes out of gratitude. She seems to be a Beta, but regardless, I can understand a woman being wary of a man she just met offering to take her in his car.

“Oh.” Lily looks conflicted. “Are you sure? I don’t want to be a pain.”

“It wouldn’t be a pain. Seriously. I’d be happy to.” I want to insist, but I still want her to feel at ease and not like I’m pushing. I’ll respect whatever her choice is. I just don’t like the idea of her lugging those groceries all on her own.

“Okay, um, sure.” She smiles at me again. “Thanks.”

“Hey, no problem.” I take her groceries from her and carry them along with mine to my car.

Once we’re inside, that sweet scent of hers is even stronger. It reminds me of warm summer days and nights, the sweet brown sugar and peaches like the iced tea and cookies you’d get, and the honeysuckle like the summer fields you’d run around in. I struggle to concentrate and get out of the parking lot.

I don’t think the smell of a woman has ever gotten to me like this and distracted me so much. I’m usually a one-track mind. My career is my life. And yet…

“Just give me directions on where to go,” I tell Lily. “So, that was really your first game?”

“Yes. I actually don’t know what offside is, by the way. I just recognized you from the Jumbotron and so I told you what my friend said during the second period intermission.”

I burst out laughing. “Are you serious?”

---