Page 36 of Roommates' Alpha

“Could you stir the meat? Make sure it’s browning evenly?”

“Sure thing.”

He stepped away, and I missed his touch.

The sizzle of meat as he stirred the pot, then his arms wrapped around me again.

“This is nice,” he murmured as his chin dropped onto my shoulder.

“Yeah…”

He grumbled and wrapped his arms tighter around me. “What’s wrong?”

Damnit…I grimaced. “It’s just… Micah won’t be upset about this, will he?”

“Curry?” he asked. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard him say…”

I shook my head, and he straightened, though he kept holding me.

“Um… No? What would he be upset about?”

“It’s just…” I wriggled and turned.

Xavier backed up but kept his hands on my waist.

I sighed as I looked into his warm brown eyes. “I… heard you two the other night.”

He blinked, then smiled. “Oh! You should have come up and joined us. Terry was there too, but Crow said he wasn’t feeling it.”

My jaw dropped. “What?”

He laughed. “Not interested in taking a knot? You can knot me instead.”

I shook my head. “It’s not that! It’s…”

He chuckled, leaned in, and brushed a kiss across my cheek. “Don’t be a stranger, Owen.”

I was trying to figure out what he meant when he stepped back. “I’ve got to start getting ready. I’m looking forward to dinner though.”

“O-ok.”

He reached out and ran his fingers along my jaw. “I mean it. You retreat so easily. Don’t be a stranger. You’re part of us.”

Then he turned and strode off.

What did he mean: part of them?

∞∞∞

I was on autopilot at the pass, though I should have been paying more attention.

I’d heard noises coming from Xavier’s room several more times since he’d invited me to join them, and I couldn’t get the image of him and the others out of my head.

Surely he’d been joking, right? Why would they want me to come up for group sex?

When had they started having group sex?

I needed to stop thinking about it and focus on work before I screwed up an order.