Page 124 of In Doubt

“No, every time I look at you I see a man I could fall in love with.”

I lift my face and press my lips to his.

He sighs into my mouth, my eyes drifting shut as he does, and his arm snaking around my waist.

I kiss him with feeling, wanting to smooth away all the pain lurking beneath those eyes, knowing he wants to do the same for me. We are two broken individuals who have been hurt, who’ve given our hearts and watched them be trampled. Who had to learn to trust again. We will fix each other.

He pulls me in closer, kissing me greedily now, with hunger. I remember he never kissed me during my heat. How long has he been waiting to do this?

I stroke my hands around to the back of his head, his shorn hair like velvet against my fingers, the heat of his gland pressing against the tender skin of my wrist.

His scent curls around me as he kisses me more deeply, his tongue sliding into my mouth and his teeth nibbling at my lips.

I could sit here and kiss him all night, lose myself in the movement of his mouth.

But other scents nudge at my consciousness. I pull away, turning to find the rest of the pack watching us.

“Did you mean that, Baby Girl?” Jake asks, peering at me through the dark.

“Which bit?” I ask, my lips curling into a smile as my gaze darts back to Aiden.

“The bit about wanting to join this pack.”

“You want me to?”

“That isn’t an answer.”

Levi slaps his packmate on the back, laughing. “For fuck’s sake you two, don’t start bickering again. Of course, we want you, Giorgie. It’s all we’ve been able to think about these last few days.”

His gaze slips back to Jake, and he jerks his head, encouraging Jake to say something more.

“What is it?” I ask.

“Omega, are you on blockers?” The pack takes a collective inhale of air, holding it as they wait for my answer.

I throw them all a puzzled look.

“Blockers?” Why the hell are we talking about blockers right now? I stand up, stepping towards them and tilting my head in confusion. “Of course, I take blockers.” I don’t know an omega on the planet who doesn’t.

“Did you take them today?”

“Yes,” I say slowly, confused about where this is going.

“Because we can smell you, smell your scent.”

I laugh. “Obviously.” Everyone knows they’re not 100% effective.

“How do you think we found you at the airport, Giorgie?” Aiden asks from behind me.

I pause, considering this answer. I’d been so caught up in emotions, I’d never considered how they found me. The airport was vast and crammed full of people.

“I don’t know,” I answer.

“We followed your scent,” Dylan says.

“What?”

“We wanted to find you and talk to you. You haven’t been answering your phone,” Jake says.