Page 45 of My Three Hometown Alphas

A few of the workers who are sitting at the table start chatting with her as she grabs a bag of chips from the cupboard.

“Lyles, I’m going to go talk to Will,” I tell her.

She nods and goes back to eating.Kids.

I wasn’t planning on talking to Will, but now that we’re here, I need to know. I knock twice on his door before peeking my head in. “Hey.”

He’s leaning over his desk, typing away. His face softens when he sees me. I don’t understand why, but I like that.I like it a lot.

“Is everything okay?” he asks, turning his chair to face me more.

I take a few steps inside. “Yeah, everything is fine. We were at Peak Brews and Lyla wanted to say hi.” I chuckle. “I actually think she just wanted more to eat. You’re probably going to need to buy more chips for the break room.”

He laughs, leaning back in his chair. “She eats a lot.”

“Yeah, she does.” There’s an awkward pause, so I just blurt it out. “Did you buy the new chairs?”

There’s no need to specify which chairs. By the look on his face, he knows.

“I did.”

“Thank you. They’re really nice.”

I expect him to play it off or say he did it for some reason that has nothing to do with me. I’m surprised when he says, “I thought they would be more comfortable for you to read in out there.”

A flutter of warmth passes through me.He got them for me.

“So, you’ve been watching me,” I say, tilting my head to the side.

He sighs, running his fingers through his already tousled hair. “Despite my best efforts and better judgment, yes.”

This makes me smile.

“Is that why you bought two chairs?” I ask.

He hesitates for a moment, like there’s something he wants to say but won’t let himself.

“I thought you might want to sit out there with Lyla.” He pauses, taking a deep breath. “Or one of my brothers.”

Oh, how I wish he would have mentioned himself somewhere in there.

It’s obvious there’s an attraction between Will and me. Maybe I just need to let it go. I have Owen and Miles… at least for the rest of the summer.

Maybe I don’t want to let it go, though. Maybe I want Will, too. Call me crazy. Call me greedy. I don’t care. It’s an indisputable fact.

I want Will Kingston. He could be the cherry on top of this spicy summer sundae.

I peek back at him as I walk out the door. “Thanks for the chairs, Will.”

Our eyes stay locked until the door closes between us, severing the heavy tension between us that’s getting thicker with each passing day.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Owen

Some people hate doingmanual labor, but I love it. The burn in my muscles always quiets my mind.

Painful memories and emotions have become a constant in my brain, and sometimes I just don’t want to face it. Even if it’s only for a few minutes, the reprieve is well worth it.