Page 18 of Accept Me (Fate’s Choice #4)

Was it an act? Or was that the real Star?

I glanced back at his plump lips. They looked even fuller without lipstick, softer too. And so sweet.

Fuck, Hunter!

Fighting hard my awakening sexual drive, I sat down and started eating.

Star took a cup of coffee and brought it to me. When he leaned a bit over my shoulder to put it on the table, his scent enveloped me like a pink haze…

And my body just reacted… some AO sounds were almost fully involuntary, and this was one of them, one that disobediently escaped my throat.

Appreciation .

But I caught myself in the act and drowned it out with an abrupt wave of coughing!

Star froze mid-move for a split second, but didn’t comment on it.

He went back to the kitchen counter, his back now turned.

For fuck’s sake , and… my eyes went there again.

He had a great ass. No denying it. Pretty big, actually. Even though he was slim, almost athletic in build, his hips were round, and his butt had a nice curve to it. Solid, shapely butt muscles. Its protrusion made a striking contrast to his narrow waist.

The vision flashed in front of my eyes, of him bent over the counter with his white mounds spread… No!

Storm warned me, it would hit fast, the Pull, the need for intimacy. I had naively thought avoiding the First Touch would stop it, but the Pull was just like an avalanche. It was speeding, and it took all of me to resist it.

Star turned around suddenly, and I had to pretend I was watching a Roomba, cleaning the floor nearby, like I definitely hadn’t just been drooling over his juicy, perky ass.

He served himself some pancakes and came over to the table.

As he passed, my eyes drifted over his stomach and crotch. Fuck, why couldn’t I stop myself from ogling him?

I was dying to know what he looked like naked. Did he shave? How big was he? Did he have any tattoos?

But by my own choice, I’d have to wait to find out. And that was for the best.

Right?

"When do you start work?" I asked, managing to keep my voice level.

"Not until nine, so about two and a half hours from now."

"What time do you usually finish?"

"Usually five. But I get a lunch break. And the nature of my work lets me move around during the day. I can wear headphones. I’ve got the offer memorized by heart anyway."

"Good. I’ll be back around lunchtime. We can order something then."

Star flinched slightly. "Why? I can prepare lunch too. I can move around in my headphones."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

His tone was neutral and even. It really felt like he was making a conscious effort to stay composed, to avoid showing any emotion, and I kind of liked that.

I was never drawn to the sunshine type anyway.

Nothing against people like that, but Star’s restraint gave me space to get to know him slowly. No noise, no distractions.

Except for one. My dick and my fucking ridiculously high libido.

I nodded. "I really appreciate that. I’ve grown sick of every local restaurant."

We fell quiet again.

"Okay. Now I need to go. See you soon."

Star’s face didn’t change. He said nothing. Just silence.

Hmm… I barely stopped myself from chuckling at the strange cohesion of it. We’d both made the same decision: to keep our emotions tucked away for now.

So eventually, Fate did get us right!

I turned and went to my room to change.

There were cameras in almost every room on the lower floor and in the garden, so I could see what he was doing. As I dressed, I found myself glancing at the monitor more often than I wanted to admit.

Star was already cleaning up the kitchen.

Once I had everything I needed, I headed down to the garage behind the house. It had its own separate exit from the property. A second path from the garage led to a different gate, not the main one, where a truck was already waiting. I’d borrowed it from a friend on Saturday.

I wheeled Ragnar’s motorcycle up the ramp and secured it in place. I had two hours of driving ahead of me, so I got moving without delay.

◆◆◆

After dropping the motorcycle off with Ragnar, I got back home around 11:30.

On the way, I stopped to pick up a few items I wanted to give Star: nesting supplies. I couldn’t overlook such an important thing.

Olaf had loved nesting, and he’d been a pro at it. His nests were true works of art. I couldn’t let Star think I was brushing off something so essential to an omega’s nature. Out of respect, I felt I needed to bring him these materials as a welcoming gift.

Of course, ABOs didn’t openly talk about nesting. It was an intensely private thing. Even commenting on someone’s nest was considered rude unless you were intimate partners.

I bought pillows, blankets, ribbons, and scarves in deep navy blue, all with the same pattern. A dark sky scattered with tiny stars.

My heart sped up when I saw the set in the store. It looked like it had been made for my new husband.

I just stood there, staring at it, hypnotized, until a salesclerk came over.

The set came in an opaque bag, but its size made it obvious what was inside.

Star was in the kitchen with his headphones on, having just finished talking to a customer, and was halfway through making lunch.

I passed him with a quick nod, holding the oversized bag in my arms. I must’ve looked a little strange.

He gave me a look, like he wanted to say something but changed his mind at the last second.

I carried the nesting supplies upstairs and stuffed them into his nesting chest. It barely fit.

Then I took a shower, changed clothes, and checked the monitor. Star was still downstairs, so I was waiting for the moment he’d be done.

When lunch hit the table, I got up right away and went downstairs.

He didn’t look surprised to see me.

"I made lunch," he said plainly.

"I see. Thank you, Star. It looks delicious."

And I wasn’t lying. It really did. It looked like he’d used up almost everything left in the fridge. I realized this was the time to bring something up.

I pulled out my phone, opened the grocery app I used, and slid it over to him.

"I’d like you to take care of food orders and anything else we need for the house. When you’re done eating, go ahead and pick out what we need. I’ll cover it. And if you’ve got ideas for meals, feel free to run with them. I’m not picky."

Star nodded slowly, without a word.

We ate in silence.

Out of the corner of my eye, I kept glancing at his slender forearm resting on the table. His skin was fair, as was often the case with very light blondes. No hair at all, smooth as silk. I continued to steal glances at him, drowning hopelessly in his Allure scent.

He was slightly hunched over his plate, his lashes long and curled upward. His lips were rounded in a way that gave them a sweet expression. He was… simply stunning. Absolutely stunning.

Without any makeup, there was this natural glow to him, his features somehow softer and more delicate.

My eyes traced the elegant line of his neck, the translucent skin where his pulse fluttered.

His scent glands were visible on the collar line, nearly the same white as the rest of him.

Maybe with a faint creamy-pink tone if I looked closely.

A sign, possibly, that his heat was approaching.

Not everyone showed it, especially those with darker or warmer skin tones.

But with skin like his, you could sometimes spot it early.

There were no mating marks on his glands. Apparently, he hadn’t allowed clients to do that. I knew some people were into it, had that kind of fetish. But scent marking only made sense during heat, and beyond that period, only True Mates could do it with an actual mating effect.

Once we’d finished eating, I looked him straight in the eyes.

"That was really good. Thank you. I appreciate you cleaning the kitchen and making this for me, Star."

He quickly looked away and bent over the dishwasher like he was hiding his face. I got up and walked toward him slowly. I thought I saw him tense up a little. But there was no reason to be scared. I just handed him the phone.

"Go ahead and place the order, please."

"This’ll take a minute. I need to figure out what to buy and check if we’ve got the basics… flour, sugar, milk."

"No problem. I’ll sit on the couch and wait. I’ve got a break from work. No rush."

"It’s just…" he bit his lip a little, "I’ve got ten minutes left on mine."

I tilted my head.

"I don’t want to make you late. Just put together a quick order for tomorrow. If it’s in by 2 pm, they’ll deliver it later this afternoon. You can do the bigger order tonight."

He nodded slowly and took the phone.

I hesitated. Was now the right time to bring it up? The not-working thing? People reacted in all kinds of ways to this sort of offer.

Olaf would never have agreed to it. He was so serious about his career, one hundred percent committed.

Years of internships, medical residency…

his work meant everything to him. Sometimes I missed him around the house.

And I’d wonder if maybe that was the few percent on the compatibility scale we were missing to be True Mates.

Yes, I respected his passion. He had a beautiful soul, was eager to self-sacrifice for others. But there were times I just selfishly wanted him close. And that was never possible with his career.

Star, though, worked from home, same as me. I mostly did remote consultations, rarely had to travel. Which meant we could spend way more time together. And I liked that idea. A lot.

So I decided to tell him. Whatever he did with it was up to him.

"I also want you to know I don’t expect you to work. I make enough to support both of us."

I studied his face closely. Something flickered there. I relaxed a little and tried to gently reach out toward his mind.

Even before First Touch, True Mates could pick up on each other, subtle, quasi-telepathic signals. Now I sensed confusion. Uncertainty. His face was still and his eyes cool as always, yet underneath he felt… almost shy.