Page 9

I’ve been cursing West since the moment I laid eyes on the hot hockey player in the pool. It’s her fault I’m here in this situation—probably Cadence’s too—and as soon as my foot feels up to walking to the Hacienda to make a phone call, she’s going to get an earful.

In the meantime, it’s impossible to ignore the man sitting in front of me looking like a spicy wet dream. His tattooed fingers are still resting just above my ankle, the calloused fingertips giving me goosebumps. I’m playing with fire—somewhat literally—yet I can’t seem to stop the words that spill from my lips.

“If we were different people, would you kiss me right now?”

One of his dark red brows rises incredulously. “If we were different people, I wouldn’t be sitting here treating you like fine china. I’d take what I know we both want and worry about the repercussions later.”

My belly flips. I’d be lying if I said a small part of me didn’t wish he was willing to ask for forgiveness rather than permission because then I wouldn’t have to think about the million and one reasons why this thing that’s happening between us right now can only end in disaster.

“But why are you so careful with me?” My voice is barely above a whisper, mostly because I’m both hoping he doesn’t hear the question and praying he does.

His large hand raises to my cheek, thumb brushing against my skin as his fingers slide behind my neck. “Because you’re—” He cuts himself off, pursing his lips before continuing. “Special.”

My breath hitches. No one’s ever called me special before. Hard headed. Insufferable. Frigid. Ice queen. Bitch. All of those are more along the lines of what I’m used to, and usually they roll off me like water over stone. But special? Nope. That’s a new one, and I’m not sure how I feel about the way he says it like he means it with his whole damn chest.

“I’ve been nothing but a pain in the ass to your pack since the day we met, yet time and time again you’re fucking nice to me when I’ve given you zero reason to be. Doesn’t that make me the opposite of special?”

Blue eyes study mine with a softness I’m not familiar with. “Elliott Mitchell, I wish you could see yourself the way we see you. Maybe then you’d realize all of the reasons we’d worship the ground you walk on if you ever gave us even half a chance.”

My heart is trying to pound its way out of my chest, and if I’m not careful, I’m pretty sure she’d readily hand herself over to him right here and now. But he’s an Alpha, and Alphas come with things that I’ve always known I can’t give. It wouldn’t be fair to either of us to head down a road that leads to nowhere.

“Raff—”

“I know, honey bear. You don’t believe me. But you will. Just wait and see. We’re not going anywhere until you understand just how great this thing between us could be.”

I don’t see it coming until it’s too late. His lips press into mine, and heat unfurls inside me with a speed that’s frightening. He doesn’t push or take more than I’m willing to give, which is both a relief and frustrating as hell. It’s softer and sweeter than I ever would’ve expected and quite possibly the best kiss of my entire life.

He pulls back, his eyes following his fingers as he tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear. The muscles along his jaw bulge, red brows furrowing as he seems to struggle with something I don’t understand. “Stay off your feet for the night. When you’re ready to come in, call for one of us and we’ll come back out and help you up to your suite, okay?”

I nod because words don’t exist in my brain right now.

He drops one last kiss on my forehead, then stands and quickly heads inside. All while I stare after him wondering what in the fuck just happened. Minutes pass as I sit and wallow in the mess that is my head. There are so many conflicting thoughts and emotions that I can’t tell up from down or left from right. The one constant in my life—my determination to be reliant solely on myself—is suddenly feeling like it’s on shaky ground. I’m an intelligent, self-aware woman, and I can recognize that the instincts deep in my soul are coming online after years of neglect. They’re starting to wish for things that I’ve never once considered. The question is… What the hell do I do about it?

“Guess I’m not the only one who can render Elliott Mitchell speechless.”

My head whips toward the sound of Sy’s voice, and I’m forced to wonder just how long he’s been sitting there, staring at me with that silly grin on his face.

His eyes narrow. “That’s also an unfamiliar expression. Is that…guilt? Embarrassment? I can’t be sure. Enlighten me, bestie.”

This man is important to me on more levels than I think I’ve ever given him credit for. If I’m honest with myself, and I always try to be, he’s also a huge part of the chaotic clusterfuck of thoughts fighting for dominance right now.

“Tonight was…” The memory of Raff’s lips on mine almost has me touching them to make sure I didn’t daydream the whole episode, but I refrain. “Interesting.”

He snorts. “Your date almost died, you got hurt, and you actually let an Alpha take care of you without biting his head off. I’d say interesting is one word for it.”

“Do I have a fever?”

Sy blinks, pushing his glasses up his nose. “Elle?—”

“I’m not kidding.” Reaching for his hand, I put the back of it against my forehead. “Do I feel warm? Is my heat starting early? That’s gotta be the explanation for all of this, right?”

Pity flashes in his eyes. “Elle, you're as cool as a cucumber. You’re not going into early heat.”

“But there has to be a reasonable explanation for this, right? Like…jet lag or early onset dementia?”

“Yeah. It’s called biology.”

I’m shaking my head before he even finishes. “Nope. No. You are not going to pull a West or Cadence on me right now. I need my best friend Sy who always listens and does not throw the dreaded B-word in my face.”

“I don’t get it. I mean… I get you , but I don’t understand how such a sensible woman can simply ignore her instincts. Hell, I’m a Beta, so I only experience a fraction of what an Omega or Alpha goes through, and even I sometimes have to give in to their demands. How do you do it? Isn’t it exhausting? Don’t you ever wonder what would happen if you gave in, even just once?”

What I don’t say is that it was never an issue…until them . Ever since I was introduced to Nixon, and eventually Flint and Rafferty, I’ve done my best to steer clear of the very real temptation they present. I’m strong, but I’m not that strong. Of course, I’ll also never admit that.

“That’s the problem, Sy. It’s a slippery slope. You give in once, you open that door, and it’s harder to close it again.”

“Hmmm…” He studies the pool deck thoughtfully. “I guess I can understand that. Once you’ve had a taste of something you crave, it’s harder to get the flavor off your tongue.”

Whether it’s because of his words, or the memory of last night when he held me in his arms, or the kiss Raff rocked me with tonight, I can’t be sure, but my body reminds me of the very real fact that I haven’t gotten laid in months. I press my lips together to stifle my whine, and when I clench my thighs together to ease the ache in my core, a quick burst of discomfort zings up my leg.

“Dammit!” It’s not quite as sharp as before but definitely still noticeable.

Sy’s immediately there, adjusting the ice pack, his face full of concern. “You okay?”

He smells like muffins, tangy cranberry and oranges, and my mouth is suddenly watering. I ignore the slick that once again floods the apex of my thighs, praying to all that’s holy he misses the scent of my perfume lingering in the air between us.

Apparently, my prayers are unanswered because his nostrils flare and his eyes meet mine. The undeniable heat staring back at me is nearly my undoing.

“I… Um… I should probably head inside and get ready for bed. It’s been a long day.”

Those aren’t the words I wanted to say. No, what nearly left my mouth was a plea for him to take me upstairs to ease the ache that’s starting to spread with every second he looks at me the way he is right now. But we can’t cross that line, right? I said it myself—once you give in, there are some things you can’t take back.

He clears his throat. “Right. Want me to carry you up, or did you want me to go grab one of the Alphas?”

“Would you mind?”

His cocky smirk makes the butterflies in my belly take flight. “Are you kidding? I’ve been dying to have you in my arms again.”

My mouth drops open, but anything I would’ve said dies a swift death when he grabs the ice pack and lifts me off the lounge chair. The second I’m propped against his chest, I realize just how much I’ve been needing to be here too. With sure steps, he heads into the villa, which is surprisingly quiet. The main lights are off, with only the glow from the light above the stove and a light on somewhere upstairs to guide us. Sy expertly navigates us up to the Omega suite, careful to keep my foot from knocking into anything along the way.

With a skillful hand, he opens the door, closing it with his foot before he heads over to the massive four-poster canopy bed covered in a fluffy white duvet, with tan and teal lap blankets and teal accent pillows. The balcony doors are open, letting in a cool breeze that rustles the sheer curtains. However, it does little to ease the burning need inside that I’m fighting to ignore.

Strong arms settle me on top of the mattress, then, leaning over me, he carefully replaces the ice pack with a gentleness that should remind me of my injury, but instead has me thinking of all the ways that tender touch would feel along different parts of my body.

Suddenly, the image of him on top of me, moving inside me as I slowly wake becomes a technicolor imprint in my mind. His face is awash in pleasure, his muscles corded with the effort to go slow in order to not rouse me. There’s sweat dripping down his forehead from the concentration required to be absolutely silent.

A whimper escapes before I can rein it back in.

“Fuck. Did I hurt you?” he asks, fingers skimming along my calf.

I shake my head, biting my bottom lip to keep the words I shouldn’t say from slipping free.

“Dammit. I’m sorry, Elle. What do you need?”

Hazel eyes peer down at me, full of worry and misplaced guilt. I need to tell him he didn’t do anything wrong. That I’m fine. That I’m just going to go to sleep. But it’s that last thought that gets me in trouble.

Because I want to go to sleep, but only so he can wake me up.

“You have my consent,” is all I manage to blurt out in my lust-induced haze.

Fuck my life.

“I don’t—” A crease appears between his brows as I’m sure my cheeks turn as red as a tomato.

“If you ever wanted to…you know… try again … You have my consent.”

I catalog the emotions that flit across his features—confusion, dawning realization, hope, and finally desire. At least I know what I’m feeling isn’t all one-sided, though that’s not exactly a consolation as much as it is a matador’s red flag waving at a bull.

“Elliott… I?—”

“You’ve helped me through a lot, Sy. More than I can ever repay, honestly. I’m…well… I’m your friend too, and it’s time I reciprocated.” I nearly snort at the irony considering I’ll totally be on the receiving end of my generosity too. I clear my throat as I question my sanity. “I trust you. You trust me. If you wanted to get over your hesitation with your…um…you know… needs , I can do that for you. Nothing has to change between us. Just two friends, helping each other out. Nothing more, nothing less.”

Talk about embarrassing. I’m not sure I’ve word-vomited like a nervous teen since… Hell, I’m not sure I’ve ever done it to be honest. There’s at least sixty seconds of silence that have my anxiety making my skin feel too tight and my belly pitch.

“Let me see if I’ve got this right,” he begins, pushing his glasses up his nose while a pink tint spreads across his cheek. “You’re saying I could have sex with you, while you’re fully asleep, to help get over the trauma from my past experience?”

“Yup,” I chirp, a little too eagerly.

“This is simply the gesture of a grateful friend, and nothing would change between us?”

“Nope.”

For fuck’s sake. One-word replies. Way to sound like a mature, intelligent woman, Elle.

“And what would you get out of this arrangement? You said we’d be helping each other out .”

Be cool, Elle. Don’t sound like a horny Omega looking for an easy lay. Immediately, my conscience shakes her head in disappointment because she knows going down this path with Sy will be anything but easy .

“I realized the other day that I haven’t had sex in over six months.” His eyebrows nearly hit his hairline, and I roll my eyes. “Yeah, I know. I was surprised, too. I’m thinking it might be the reason I’m overreacting to outside stimuli right now, and maybe it would be mutually beneficial for both of us to work through our current issues while we’re here.”

He slips his hands into the back pockets of his pants, eyes focused on my face, giving nothing away.

“So another experiment of sorts?” he asks.

“Yes. Exactly.” I continue nodding like I’m suddenly a bobblehead.

“Okay.”

My mouth opens, then closes. “Okay?”

“Yup. Okay. Count me in.”

I swallow down my whine. “Perfect. So, how do we do this?”

A small smile plays across his mouth. “You go to sleep, and when the time feels right, we’ll find out if I’m over my aversion or not.”

My nose scrunches up. “When the time feels right? What the hell does that mean?”

His cocky smirk appears. “Means you won’t know when it’s going to happen. Can’t have you tossing and turning in anticipation. I need you to be passed out, completely unaware of what I’m doing to you. At my mercy, if you will, so when I touch you, you don’t stir. Not until my dick is so deep inside you, stroking you, that you’re practically already coming before you’re even fully awake.”

Holy motherfucking sexy Beta.

Talk about nearly orgasming from his words and his voice alone. I can’t even imagine what will happen when he finally decides to act.

He steps up to the bed, leaning down until his palms are resting on each side of my thighs. “Be real sure about this, Mitchell. This is your last chance to back out, no harm, no foul.”

Staring up into my best friend's eyes, I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.

“I’m sure. Bring it, Beckett.”

He nods, kisses my forehead, then straightens. “Sweet dreams, Elle.”

Without another word, he walks out the door, and I’m left staring at the white wood long after he’s gone, my slick starting to soak the sheets.

Future Elle might regret this decision, but present Elle plans to use her hand to ease the current ache until something longer and thicker can do it for her.