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“They like you too. Don’t worry, I’ll fight them for you. No one steals my omega.”

She laughs and our smiles match. Having her around makes being happy second nature. This beautiful, incredible woman who makes me want things I thought I’d never have.

“Is this how you let people in, Dez Morgan?” Daph asks, scratching her nails gently against my jaw. “You sweet talk them out of their panties with all this softness?”

“Don’t know, I’ve never done it before. Is it working?”

“Unfortunately, my panties are still on.” Her laugh hovers over our lips, warm and minty like she brushed her teeth before we left.

“I’ll work on that.” I’m still hard from earlier, but it’s so much worse with her scent in my nose, her body under my fingertips. The anticipation that she’s right here, ready for my touch makes it hard to concentrate but Daph doesn’t let me suffer for long.

Her lips press against mine in the softest kiss. A whisper of her affection slipping down my spine and over my body. The way I feel for Daph is like the ocean, deep and fathomless. Unrelenting and inevitable. Her mouth recalibrates me, settling the nervous energy I’ve felt without my omega’s presence.

I was always meant to find this woman. To love her, to keep her, to give her the world. What a fucking honor.

“Stay the night with me,” I beg. I need to wake up to her in more than just pictures.

Daph doesn’t answer at first and nerves take over my stomach. She sees my unease, and all but sways into me. “Not saying no, but…can you stay at mine instead? I want it to smell like you.”

Jesus, if I get any harder, I’m going to need to see a doctor.

My teeth nip her bottom lip, and I swallow the moan from her throat. “You going to let me into your nest, omega?”

She whines softly, and it’s instinct to caress her breast until she’s panting. If we keep it up, the windows are going to fog, but I’m not sure I care.

“Come here, baby.”

Daph’s crawling over the console to get to me when a throat clears outside. “Order up.”

My omega squeaks and nearly brains herself on the ceiling when she rockets back to her seat. Yet another interrupted moment, but I’m still smug as fuck as I take the food, setting thebags on the floorboard and balancing the ice cream in Daphne’s lap.

“Have a wonderful night,” the server says, slipping away with a pointed wink. I laugh as Daph tries to disappear into the seat.

“This used to be the hookup spot,” I tell her, pulling out of the lot. “Pretty sure half my class was conceived here.”

“Were you?”

I throw her a playful glare. “Don’t know, and I don’t intend to find out.”

“Maybe I should ask Mama B,” she teases.

“Don’t you dare.” My hand drops to her thigh with a dull thwack. Daphne’s moan is soft, but it rockets through my body so fast I have a hard time driving the car.

“Are you going to take me home and punish me?”

“Nope, I’m going to feed you.” Her little pout makes me laugh. “Don’t worry, baby. I won’t leave you wanting for long.”

WAGING WAR

DAPHNE

Dez takesus past Sparrow’s Peak, another hookup spot a block from Topsy Turvy, driving to an overlook five minutes away. Honestly, anywhere secluded sounds good right now so I can get my hands on my alpha. When I say that, all I get is a pointed, “Behave.”

Rude.

Finally, we park and my breath catches. Fir trees insulate us from the outside world despite the glow of Seaport below. There’s nothing up here but nature, the city I’ve grown to love and the man who’s making it hard not to love him too.

I’m glad Dez didn’t shower before seeing me. The car fills with clear hits of that deep, earthy floral that makes my knees shake. Of Pack Morgan, he’s been the most aware and the quickest to give space, even when I’m not sure I want it. I can tell it’s a defense mechanism and for a while I was patient, but the look in his eyes when he saw me at the house will haunt me forever.