My breath caught in my lungs as he padded over to his dresser. His muscled rippled down his back, and his ass looked like it had been sculpted from marble. Good grief, I was going to burst into flames. Maybe I wasn’t hungry after all…for food, anyway.
I shook my head and tried to recapture my rational brain.This is ridiculous!I’d seen him naked many times. Touched all that smooth, warm skin, had my mouth all over him.I should not be distracted by this.
Then he turned around and bent to pull on a pair of pajama pants, giving me an excellent view of his sculpted torso with that mouthwatering V—which I’d licked every inch of—and his impressive cock. I released an audible sigh when he covered it up, and he gave me a sexy, dimpled smile. The twinkle in his eyes confirmed that he knew exactly how he was impacting me.
Damn link, I thought.Whatever.
“Breakfast can wait,” I decided out loud as I rose up onto my knees.
His blue irises became nearly eclipsed by black as they scanned my body. Good to know I affected him just as much.
Still, he shook his head and reached into another drawer before tossing a shirt at me. “Can’t have my mate wasting away. I have plans for her later.”
I perked up. “Plans?”
“Now who’s insatiable?” he asked with a playful grin.
I returned his expression before pulling the shirt down over my head and sticking my arms through the gigantic armholes. It always amazed me that he could make a tall, strong woman like me feel small and dainty. Even Nathan, who was freaking huge, had never had that effect on me. Maybe it was a mate thing? Regardless, I loved it.
Alaric came to the side of the bed and snaked an arm around my waist, hauling me close. It knocked me off-balance, and I went tumbling into his arms. Then he kissed me until I melted into a trembling pile of goo.
“Food,” he stated against my lips before taking his mouth away, making me frown.
“But—”
Alaric shook his head and swept me up into his arms again.
“I can walk, Neanderthal.”
“You could, but we both know you like it when I carry you around.”
I sighed. There wasn’t any use in denying it. He’d clearly been listening to my thoughts about feeling small and feminine when he manhandled me like a caveman.
He deposited me on the island counter just inside the kitchen and gave me a brief, hard kiss before beginning a search of the cupboards. He located a frying pan and started digging through the refrigerator, only to be interrupted by the doorbell.
I hopped off the marble counter, intending to answer it so he could cook, but his icy glare stopped me in my tracks. His gaze dropped pointedly to my naked legs. Sighing, I rolled my eyes and hopped back up to sit again. The jealousy radiated from him, and I couldn’t help feeling sorry for whoever was at the door. They were about to receive the full force of a possessive alpha, and it was my fault, not theirs.
“What?” Alaric snarled, yanking the door so hard it slammed into the wall.
I pressed my legs together, finding his display of strength and dominance ridiculously sexy. His nose lifted just a fraction, and then his eyes darted over to me.
Shit.
He could smell my arousal.
His gaze slowly returned to the person at the door, and every muscle in his body tensed. The visitor must have been a shifter, or Alaric wouldn’t care about the caller smelling me.
My mate snatched a package from the person and slammed the door in the poor guy’s face. Then he spun around and prowled to me, throwing the box on the counter.
“I don’t like other men smelling what’s mine,” he growled as he crowded me with his arms on both sides of me like he’d done the night before.
“Then stop being so damn sexy,” I returned.
That seemed to break him out of his jealous fog, and he threw his head back and laughed. “I’ll work on it,” he promised with a wink.
He stepped away to pick up the rectangular box on the counter. His brow furrowed after a second, and he angled it so I could see whom it had come from.
“E.V.I.E.?” I frowned. “I guess you didn’t really give your notice.”
