Page 20 of Malibu Heat

I don’t have the heart to tell her that she was in heat for almost two days, or that the contest has already started. She doesn’t need to know all that. She just needs to rest and recuperate.

“I’m not worried about the contest, Bailey,” I tell her.

It might have been my reason for coming to Malibu, but it’s obvious to me now that the universe brought me here for a different reason. Hopefully, Denzel or Ryan win Exalted Waves. They deserve it.

As for me, I feel like I’ve already won.

“The only thing I’m worried about right now is you.” I squeeze her to me and let my eyes drift closed.

“I’ll be fine,” she says sleepily. “You can take the Jeep if you need to. Really, I’ll be okay.”

“Aww, you don’t trust me with the Lambo?” I joke.

“No.”

I laugh, and she giggles next to me, nuzzling into the crook of my arm and drawing the blanket up tighter around her.

“I’m staying here until you kick me out,” I say. “You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

BAILEY

I’ve never been much of a cuddler–probably because I haven’t found a man I can tolerate long enough to cuddle with–but being wrapped up with Ken in my billowing pink nest is the most peaceful thing I’ve ever experienced.

I never want to leave.

Real estate posts and appointments be damned–I want to stay here forever, curled up next to him. It’s so sweet of him to miss surfing practice to stay with me. More than sweet, actually–it’s admirable. Respectable.Exactly what I need right now.

Damn, this alpha really has me wrapped around his finger already.

I breathe in his sweet, tangy scent and let my mind wander as we lay there in silence, the pull of sleep getting stronger. I have no idea how long I was in heat, but it didn’t feel very long, a few hours at most.

Hopefully, by tomorrow, I’ll have my energy back, and I can take Ken to the beach early enough to catch a few waves before the contest starts. That’ll make me feel better about making him miss practice.

Maybe we can hit Barbara’s tomorrow for dinner, and then we can come back to the penthouse…

I stop myself short. Am I really already considering bringing him home again?

Yes. Yes, I am.

Whatever this scent match bond is that’s formed between us is strong, nearly tangible, and draws me to him like a magnetic pull. I don’t want him far away, especially not all the way back in Florida.

I want him here.With me.

Clearing my throat to dislodge the lump that’s formed there, I try to imagine what it might be like to have a long-distance relationship, but I can’t. I know it won’t work. I’d be flying across the country at least once a week to be with him.

I don’t want to think about it, but I know I’ll have to at some point, sometimesoon. If he’s leaving in a couple of days, I need to have something worked out for when he goes.

What will I do?

What if I go into heat again, and he’s thousands of miles away?

I don’t know what I’ll do.

I need him.

As if reading my mind or sensing the anxiety eating away at me, Ken draws me closer still to his chest, wrapping his arms around me to pin me in place. A purr, soft and rumbly, erupts from his chest, lulling me into a relaxing sense of comfort.

God, this is everything I’ve ever needed and everything I didn’t know I wanted for myself.

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