Page 22 of Wild Alpha (Cold-Blooded Alpha #12)

“ N o,” I growl, hiding my head under the pillow and clutching it with both hands to stop Fisher from lifting it again. “Whatever it is, no .”

The finger presses into my side again, and I lift my head, blinking blearily at the man sitting on the edge of the bed. His bare chest briefly distracts me, but I suspect he intentionally left his shirt off, knowing how it would affect me. “You have a death wish.”

His smile is as cheerful as it always is. “You’re grumpy in the mornings.”

“Mornings are evil.” I dive under the covers to hide.

Too late.

Fisher has a hold of my right hand, and he’s pulling me up. “This morning, we have something to do.”

“Can we do it later?” I yawn into my hand as he tugs me toward the bathroom. “It’s still dark outside.”

“You’d know it’s not dark outside if you opened your eyes, sweetheart.”

Releasing a frustrated sigh, I slump against him. “Don’t call me that. I hate it.”

“You love it.” He’s definitely grinning as he lifts me and carries me the rest of the way to the bathroom. “It’s your kryptonite.”

My lip twitches. “No, it isn’t.”

He kisses me. “It is too.”

“You sound like you’re five years old.”

“And you sound like you’re trying not to laugh, but I know you’re happy this morning.”

I am happy.

The truth is, I didn’t used to be grumpy in the mornings. Bed has become my favorite place in the world, and that’s only because of who I share it with. Whenever someone forces me to get out of that favorite spot, it makes me grumpy.

Yes, even if that person is Fisher.

“Your eyes are still closed,” he points out.

I keep my arms wrapped around his shoulders, smiling as he kisses me. “If I pretend I’m falling asleep, you’ll take me back to my favorite place.”

I’m tempted to open my eyes, though. Bed is second only to one of Fisher’s smiles. I can never get enough of those.

His smile tastes as sweet as the kiss he places on my lips. “Not this time. My dad’s expecting us.”

Suddenly, I’m wide awake.

My eyes open, and I examine him carefully.

His dad is a topic that almost always makes me feel guilty as hell. It’s one I intentionally avoid talking about because I did something to him I could never forgive if it were done to me: I took him away from his family.

“Stop it,” he softly orders me. “You haven’t stolen me from my life.”

This man’s ability to read me is truly unparalleled.

“What if Jett is there?”

Fisher can see his dad whenever he wants; Dayne was clear about that after Fisher woke up following the bite. But since he was still struggling with a new voice in his head, it made sense to wait until he had better control of himself before he went into town to see his dad.

Now that there’s no chance of him shifting into a wolf in the middle of town, I should have known this was coming.

His lips twitch. “See, when the woman I love told me I smelled like a dog, I asked my dad if he could find someone else to watch Jett.”

I freeze. “The woman you love?”

He kisses me. “A fact you should know already, sweetheart. I’ve not exactly been trying to hide how I feel about you.”

No, he hasn’t. He wears his heart on his sleeve, and I’m so glad he does.

I smile, so happy my heart could burst with how much. “You only smelled a little like a dog. Nathan was being dramatic.”

After stripping off his clothes first, then mine, he heads for the shower.

He steps into the shower stall, lifting me with one arm and turning on the faucet with the other. He does it effortlessly. Shifter strength has boosted his strength up several notches.

As his eyes settle on my lips, warmth spreads through my belly. This shower is about to get interesting in more ways than one. “You said we had to meet your dad,” I remind him.

His kiss is a sweet caress I instantly lean into. “We have time.”

“For?” I loop my arms around his shoulders.

He smiles against my lips. “Loud, friendly times with the woman I love.”

I laugh. “Angel and Patrick are going to grow up so confused if we keep calling sex loud, friendly times.”

“Yes,” he agrees, “but that’s not our problem to deal with.

” He presses me against the slick marble wall, his smile fading, and his fingers trailing down my jaw.

“You haven’t stolen me from anything, Averie.

You’ve given me all the things I’ve always wanted.

I need you to stop beating yourself up about it, preferably before we have to figure out how to talk about sex without our own kids working out what we mean. ”

My heart stutters. “Our own kids?”

“It was probably irresponsible not to talk about it before all the sex we’ve been having.”

“It usually takes a while for a shifter woman to conceive. The chances of it happening were very low.”

He cocks his head. “Really?”

“Really. Talis and Dayne are the exception, not the rule.” In the time we’ve been here with the Blackshaws, I’ve learned more about their history, their heartbreaking past, and about her cruel uncle. “It won’t happen for a while. No one knows why. I don’t mind, though.”

“Because you’re not ready?”

“That’s part of the reason. I was kind of hoping we could do the big trip to see the Amazon you’ve always wanted. Vaden said the new alpha gave him some cash, and some of it’s mine. We’ll check out the rainforest, and I’ll make sure nothing eats you while we’re?—”

His kiss silences me for a good long while.

When we break apart, he's beaming from ear to ear, and his happiness is so radiant that it's almost painful to look at him. “You don’t like hiking,” he reminds me.

“I don’t like fishing or eating granola bars that taste of sawdust,” I correct him, my smile fading as I touch his lips. “But you? I love you. And I want to spend the rest of our lives making you as happy as you make me.”

“I love you, sweetheart.” He kisses me long and deep. “We’ll visit your pack on the way. Stay with them for a while. I want to see the place that made you so happy.”

I grin. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear.

“Then we come home once we figure out where we want that to be. I want it all with you, Averie. The cabin in the woods where we can be alone, swimming in the creek, sharing a plate of BBQ while you sit in my lap with the rest of the pack. And kids. As many as we’re lucky enough to have. ”

“That sounds…” Tears well up in my eyes. “That sounds like the best life ever. More than I ever thought I could have.”

“It’s yours.” When he kisses me again, his hips rock against me, and I gasp, then moan.

“I thought we had to go see your dad,” I remind him, my nails digging into his shoulders as I press my head against the shower wall and lock my ankles around his back.

“He can wait.” With a slow roll of his hips, he buries himself inside me.

We both groan.

He’s stretching me, and it feels so good. So right. So damn perfect.

His forehead is pressed against mine, and we’re both panting as I adjust to having him inside me. "Damn, I'll never get tired of this,” he groans.

But even as he speaks, he’s moving in me. His arms are wrapped tight around me, his lips are ravenous, and each deep thrust into my body brings me closer to the brink.

The pleasure never lasts as long as I want it to, and this time is no different.

I cling to him as we fall together. My heart is bursting with so much love that tears fill my eyes. “I love you, Fisher.”

He pulls me closer, his eyes warm and gentle, reflecting all the love in my heart. “I love you, Averie.”