Especially not when he saw her gaze dip to his lips for the briefest moment. Hunger flared bright in her eyes before she glanced away, refusing to look at him.
As an alpha, he knew when to retreat and regroup so he stood and nudged the bag closer to her side of the table. “They’re probably still warm.”
He’d be back tomorrow morning and every morning after until he convinced her to go for a run with him, or out to breakfast. Whatever. Something to just spend time with her. Today wasn’t that day though. He could see it in the firm set of her jaw. It was hard to leave, but it was his only option without risking alienating her further.
“Thanks for the coffee and muffins,” she murmured, clearly not going to walk him out.
Not that he blamed her. At the sliding glass door, he paused. “You were wrong before. I did make a couple promises to you that I intend to keep.”
When her brow furrowed, he resisted the urge to cover the distance between them and smooth out the frown lines.
“I promised to make you come all over my tongue and fingers and to give you so much pleasure you’ll crave me when I’m not with you.”
“Reece,” she gasped out, nearly knocking her drink over. Her tone was a mix of shock and a little arousal. The first real show of emotion since he’d arrived. Her cheeks flushed and that was definitely desire that sparked in her bright gaze.
The sight made him instantly hard, but he didn’t say anything, just left through the open door. He hoped that gave her something to think about. God knew he’d certainly be thinking about it.
* * *
“Thanks,” Alyssa said as Charlie slid her a bottle of water across the high-top table. She was already edgy enough, especially since Reece had walked into the bar twenty minutes ago. She didn’t need any alcohol to rattle her brain. And with her shifter metabolism it would take a lot to get her even buzzed right now.
“You’re still thinking about him,” Charlie said with a grin, her voice low enough that no one else would be able to hear them. Not above the chatter of voices and music pumping through the speakers in the martini bar. Red and purple-hued overhead lights illuminated their table and the whole bar area they were in, giving everything a soft glow.
“So?” No need to deny it. Not when all she’d been able to think about today was Reece O’Shea, sexy alpha with a dirty mouth and sculpted body. Well, what she’d seen of it, but it was clear the male was built. Most shifter males were.
Charlie lifted a shoulder. “Hey, I’m impressed with the guy.”
“You said he was a dick.”
“He was a dick, but he also stormed into another alpha’s territory to see you. You said yourself he wasn’t lying about what you’d overheard. The fact that he was willing to face Grant’s wrath just to see you is impressive.”
“Yeah, maybe.” Alphas could sometimes cover their scents depending on how powerful they were so it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility that he’d lied and just covered his scent. But deep down she believed Reece. Which just confused her more. She’d never expected him to come after her and now that he was here, she felt all sorts of mixed up. She’d put him into this box in her mind, convinced herself he was one thing. Now…ugh, maybe she did need a drink.
“No maybe about it. Grant said Reece wasn’t lying and he’d be able to tell.”
“Oh, are we talking about your alpha?” A woman named Lauren asked as she slid onto one of the empty barstools, a new martini in hand. Petite with honey brown hair and big brown eyes, the jaguar shifter had mated Max McCray, the Kincaid pack’s second-in-command a little over a year ago.
Alyssa had met Lauren and her cousin Ella for the first time last night and they were both incredibly sweet. “He’s not my alpha.”
“Oh, he’s most definitely yours,” Charlie said. “He’s been watching you for the last twenty minutes as if he could do very, very wicked things to you.”
Charlie and Lauren dissolved into giggles and Alyssa wondered just how much they’d had to drink. They’d all arrived at the Sunset Martini Bar a couple hours ago and while she’d been drinking mostly water in between dancing, the other two had been working on vodka martinis. With the exception of last night, it had been over a year since she’d been able to go out and enjoy herself like this. At home she worked a lot and while she loved her job she’d always found it hard to cut loose.
That had a lot to do with being the alpha’s daughter. Everyone was always worried about keeping an eye on her, as if she was completely helpless. Or needed to be protected. She ran all the finances for the pack and did most of the scheduling for, well, everything pack related. She was basically an accountant/shifter party planner for the Clare pack. Right now she liked being basically anonymous.
Tingles traced up her spine, and even before she turned around she knew Reece was moving her way. That shouldn’t excite her so much, but after his visit this morning he was all she’d been able to think about. Obsess about. Her nipples beaded tightly against her bra as his earthy, masculine scent grew stronger, invading all her senses.
Damn that male.
She turned to see where he was right as his heavy hand landed on her shoulder. When their gazes clashed she felt the heat of his dark stare all the way to her toes.
“Dance with me?” he asked quietly.
Before she could even formulate a response, her traitorous body was already moving into action, sliding off the stool and taking the hand he offered. Yeah, she wanted to press up against him, to feel his big arms wrap around her and hold her close. She was vaguely aware of her surroundings, the plush chairs set up in intimate groupings for people to talk and relax, another set of high-top tables before they reached a small but packed dance floor.
A smooth Latin jazz beat started as Reece pulled her into his arms. One hand slid to the small of her back as one grasped her hip. Not tight, but with enough pressure that she felt the possessiveness of his hold.
Swaying to the music, she linked her fingers behind his neck. It was a good thing she hadn’t been drinking because looking into his mesmerizing gaze, she felt lightheaded as it was.
“You look beautiful,” he murmured, his gaze never leaving hers.
She was pretty much powerless to look away. Not that she wanted to. Being in his arms had a rightness to it, as much as it annoyed her. “Thanks. You look pretty good yourself.”
In dark jeans and a soft, dark gray sweater, he looked delicious. Of course he looked delicious no matter what. His lips quirked up slightly. “Thanks. I’ve been thinking about you all day.”
She blinked at the admission, unsure how to respond.
Those wicked lips curved up again. “You want to know what I’ve been thinking about?”
“No.” Yes. She cleared her throat, desperately needing to change the subject. “How’s your pack doing without you?”
“They’re fine. What about yours? I know they depend on you for a lot.”
The fact that he knew that meant a lot. “I brought my laptop with me.” She’d gotten a lot of emails—some under the guise of random questions even though she knew they’d been checking in on her for her father, but most of the stuff she did was easy enough to do online.
“Will you go running with me tonight?”
“Ah, no.” Because she didn’t trust herself to get naked with the male. Weak? Yep. And she had no problem admitting it. Plus she was a little nervous. The whole nude thing wasn’t a big deal to the majority of shifters and for the most part, not to her either. But she’d never slept with a male before so getting naked with a male she wanted to have sex with was a lot different than just getting naked with packmates before a run. And going running with a shifter not part of her pack implied a certain amount of trust. You were at your most vulnerable during the change from human to wolf. They weren’t there in the trust department yet. Maybe they’d never be.
He’d totally changed everything by showing up here. Knowing that he’d been lying to Ben soothed her hurt feelings but still,
he was an alpha. She needed a male to be proud of her, to want to tell everyone that yeah, this is my female. Not just make an excuse for why he was mating her.
And that was the crux of it. His confession had pissed her wolf off way more than her human side. Wolves were very primal and he’d offended her, simple as that. She figured she’d be able to get past it, but not tonight.
A hint of frustration edged into his expression, highlighting the hard planes of his face. “You want to.”
She wanted to trace her fingers over those lips. It was the only soft part about him. Finding her voice, she nodded. “I do.”
“So why not come with me?” His voice dropped an octave and was it just her imagination, or did he put extra emphasis on the word come?
She couldn’t very well say, “Because if I see you naked I’ll reveal myself to be weak, weak, weak—and jump your bones.” So she did the mature thing and shrugged.
His grip on her tightened and he pulled her closer so that her breasts pressed completely against him. She was wearing a sweater dress and high-heel boots. The boots gave her a few extra inches so she fit against him perfectly. She’d had way too many fantasies about what it would feel like to be pressed against him, skin to skin. The last time they’d kissed had been in his living room and she’d been ready to find out then.
Until he’d pulled back. She’d straddled him, had been grinding against him and he’d put the brakes on. The most insecure part of her wondered why but she’d been too afraid to ask. She’d worried she wouldn’t like the answer. “So how long are you here?”
“As long as it takes to convince you to come back with me.”
Shock rippled through her. “You can’t…”
“I can’t what?”
“Nothing.” She glanced away from him.
“I don’t like the scent of other males on you,” he murmured, drawing her attention back to him.
She was surprised when his wolf flickered in his gaze for just a moment. That loss of control wasn’t like him, at least not the male she’d gotten to know. “I haven’t been with any other males—not that it’s your business.”
Was that relief in his expression? “You danced with some tonight.” Not a question or an accusation. But he sounded agitated and his wolf showed again.
“So?”
“So, I don’t like it.”
She noticed he wasn’t telling her not to dance with anyone else, just making a statement. The truth was, she wouldn’t like the scent of another female on him either. Even the thought of it had her wolf clawing, ready to break free. Sometimes her animal side made her crazy. “I won’t dance with anyone else tonight.” The words were out of her mouth before she could analyze them or even think about stopping herself.
His eyebrows raised then something that looked a lot like triumph flickered in his dark eyes before it disappeared. As the song started to end, he cupped the side of her face with his big hand, his palm rough and callused. “You sure you don’t want to run with me tonight?”
“I’m sure.” Liar, liar, her inner voice shouted. She needed more time to think and when she was around him that seemed a difficult feat.
He didn’t respond, just pulled her tighter to him in a completely dominant, possessive move as a new song started to play. She’d planned to make her way back to her friends after their dance but it seemed he wasn’t content to let her go. Which was fine with her. She didn’t want to let go of him either.
Chapter Five
Four days later
Alyssa’s heart rate kicked up at the sound of a knock on the front door. It was Reece, no doubt. He’d been meeting her every morning and bringing her a cappuccino and breakfast the past few days like clockwork. He kept asking her to go for a run with him and she’d kept turning him down.
Her wolf, and okay her human side, wanted him to work for it a little. Work for her. Because there was no denying she wanted him. She wasn’t certain she wanted to be an alpha’s mate, but she wasn’t going to ignore the attraction between them. She’d forgiven him for what he’d said but there was still a lot to consider if she started a relationship with him.
When she opened the door, sure enough Reece stood there with two to-go cups and a brown bag of blueberry muffins, if she scented right. She couldn’t have stopped the smile that spread across her face if she’d wanted to. Seeing him in the morning was the right way to start any day. It touched her that he was trying to make amends without being pushy. Instead he was courting her, the way shifters tended to do when they wanted to mate.
“Morning,” he murmured. His gaze dipped to her mouth, hunger flaring bright, as he handed her a cup.
“Morning yourself,” she said, taking the bag from him. She set it on the entryway table before stepping out into the hallway with him. She pulled the door shut behind her. Charlie was still sleeping, and anyway and Alyssa wanted some alone time with him. “Feel like taking a walk on the beach?”
His gaze went molten hot as he nodded. The walk down to the beach was quiet, not too many people out this time of morning. Not with the chilly breeze coming up off the water. It didn’t bother her though, not with her shifter blood. The weather was a lot different than where they lived too, so she was wearing a light sweater and jeans. She left her shoes by the end of the wooden walkway and dug her feet into the sand as they made their way down to the shoreline.
“If you want to shift, Grant said this stretch of beach is private,” Reece said before taking a sip of his coffee.
“I’d rather just talk.” She was to the point where her wolf trusted him enough to shift and be vulnerable, but she’d gone running with Charlie last night and was feeling pretty settled. Probably had something to do with being in Reece’s presence because her shifter side had definitely forgiven him by now. She had too, but it was one thing to let go and another to truly trust that he’d support her no matter what. That was something she’d only know when and if he showed her.
“Good.” He clasped her hand and linked his fingers through hers.
The sweet action took her off guard, but she liked it. “Can I ask you something personal?” It wasn’t her business but it was something she needed to know.
“Yes.”
She kept her gaze ahead, focused on the stretch of white sand and washed up seashells. “I don’t have a lot of experience with pack life other than my own and…” This was a little awkward. Now that she’d started she wondered if she should even ask. “My father has never slept with any of the females in our pack. I assume he, well, finds…companionship elsewhere, but he doesn’t sleep around.” She knew it was partially because he’d been so broken when her mother died, but also because it could lead to a power imbalance.
“You didn’t actually ask a question but I think I know what you’re asking. Since I became alpha, I haven’t slept with any females in my pack for probably the same reason as your father. There would be too much inter-pack fighting or a pack member could feel as if they had to sleep with me because of my position.”
She was silent, digesting his words. It was something she wanted to know because if he had slept around and they mated, she would want to know who in the pack might have a grudge against her.
“I did sleep with some females in the pack before I became alpha,” he continued. “But those have moved onto other packs since I took over.”
She shouldn’t feel relief at that, but experienced it all the same. “Was it hard taking over?” She’d only ever known her father as an alpha so wasn’t sure what it would be like during a transition. And Reece was young for an alpha. Not that his age mattered. Power pulsed around him as if it were a tangible thing.
He paused and she liked that he took his time answering. “It was exhausting in the beginning. For about the first two months I was challenged almost every other day for authority. At first I simply dominated the other males in fights but didn’t make my wins overkill. After two months…” He shrugged, trailing off.
He didn’t need to fi
nish though. She understood completely. He got tired of the challenges so he wiped the floor with those who continued to push him. Shifters, especially males, seemed to only respect physical strength. It was something that annoyed her about her species, but it was just the way things were.
“When I went to see your father I met a female named Ember,” he continued. “Who is she to…you?”
Alyssa snorted. Ember had it bad for Alyssa’s dad, but both of them were too cowardly to do anything about it. “She’s one of my dearest friends but I think you really wanted to ask who she is to my father. If he can ever get his head out of his butt, he’ll mate Ember.”
Reece laughed, the rumbling sound soothing to every bit of her.
“I love your laugh,” she said.
She felt him look at her, but she didn’t meet his gaze, just kept their steady pace along the sand. Grant was right, this stretch was incredibly private and quiet. Seagulls and the crash of waves were the only sounds.
“I saw you, you know. Before I asked you and your father to my territory.”
Now she glanced over at him. “You did?”
His dark eyes met hers. “I saw you shopping over in Waterstone. You had a couple bodyguards with you.”
She hadn’t seen him because Reece was the type of man she’d remember—the type any woman would remember. She wondered why he hadn’t said anything before. “Oh… Did you know who I was then?”
He gave a small shake of his head. “No, but I wanted to know you. I would have talked to you too, but the males with you kept you pretty close. So I might have done a little research on you.”
She raised her eyebrows.
To her surprise, his cheeks flushed. “I snapped a photo of you and had one of my guys see what he could find. And…I might have followed you and your guards to Clare territory. When I realized what territory you were going into it wasn’t hard to find out who you were after that.”
To Catch His Mate (Crescent Moon Series Book 5) Page 4