Page 24 of My Three Hometown Alphas

“What is?” I say, smirking down at her because even though I’m not quite as tall as my middle brother, she’s still muchshorter than me. “Because I’m kind of the master of bad ideas. They’re usually the ones that lead to the most fun.”

She bites her lip, indecision written all over her face.

“What is it?” I ask her again.

Her eyes clear, shoulders straightening. She surges up onto her tiptoes, arms wrapping around my neck. Her lips slam against mine. It takes my brain a few seconds to catch up to what’s happening, but once it does, I’m all in.

I might have had a delayed start to this kiss, but I’m determined to give her just as much as she’s giving me. My arms wrap around her, pulling her flush against me. Her toned yet curvy body feels perfect.

She nips at my bottom lip, and I can’t help the half laugh, half groan that slips from my mouth. Her head tilts back, smirking up at me. The lightness surrounding her is there for a few more seconds before it fades away.

“Fuck,” she says, slamming her eyes closed. “Why the hell did I do that?”

I stroked my hand up and down her back. “You aren’t going to see me complaining over here,” I say, trying to bring her back to the happy bubble we were both in a moment ago.

“You’re basically my boss, though, and I’m leaving,” she says.

“I’m not really your boss.”

She gives me a look like,yeah, you kind of are.

Okay, maybe she has a point.

I shrug. “I couldn’t care less. It’s not like you asked me to marry you.”

She snorts, and for some reason I find it incredibly attractive.

“It was just a kiss,” I say.

Her eyes narrow on me. “A damn good kiss,” she snaps.

Damn straight.

I press a quick kiss to the corner of her mouth. “You aren’t wrong about that, gorgeous.” She seems to be relaxing a little in my arms. “It doesn’t need to mean anything. It was just fun.”

She lets out a heavy exhale.

“I can’t say I would be opposed to having it happen again,” I say, giving her a flirty smile.

Her grin is like a lure latching on my heart, drawing me closer.

What the hell is this girl doing to me?

CHAPTER TEN

Owen

I’m outside rearranging lumber,since Miles finished with the shelving earlier.

At this high altitude, the temperature might never get very high, but the sun is intense. I came in to grab a bottle of water from the fridge in the break room.

I nearly finish the bottle in one go. I pause, seeing a head of black hair walking through the store at Miles’s side. My feet are walking in their direction before I’ve even decided to do so.

I haven’t been avoiding Avery since our moment in the garage a few days ago, but I also haven’t been seeking her out, either. Well, I guess that’s changed now as I walk toward the greenhouse they just disappeared into.

Kissing her again was the worst idea ever. I thought maybe I could get her out of my system with just one more kiss. I’m a fucking idiot because obviously that didn’t work.

If I thought it was a problem how stuck in my brain Avery was before, it’s a full-blown crisis now. It’s making me want to throw caution at the wind and just go for it.