“Amber?” Jude’s voice is low, rough with sleep. “You okay? Norah said you were still at the shop.”
“Yeah, I’m just finishing up now,” I tell him, leaning against the counter. “Everything is locked up. I’m heading to the car now.”
“Okay. Drive safe, okay? The roads might be icy in spots.”
“I will. Go back to sleep, Jude.”
“Right. See you in the morning.”
I hang up and slide the phone into my pocket.
Eli is leaning against the edge of the worktable, his arms crossed over his chest. “Your brother worries about you, huh?”
“He does,” I admit, walking over to him. “He’s… he’s taken on the father figure role since well…my past was a little complicated. Sometimes I think that he forgets I’m an adult.”
“He’s just protective. It’s his job as an Alpha.” Eli reaches out, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “But I get it. I worryabout Fallon, and he’s a thirty-year-old man who does parkour in his spare time.”
“Parkour?”
“Don’t ask.” He steps closer, eliminating the distance between us. The air shifts instantly, the exhaustion of the night replaced by a buzzing, electric tension. “So. We’re done. The shop is clean. You’re fed.”
“I am,” I whisper, looking up at him. “Thank you. For everything. You didn’t have to do all this.”
“I wanted to.” His eyes drop to my lips. “I really wanted to.”
He leans in and kisses me. It’s different from the kiss in the kitchen—slower, deeper, less urgent but somehow more devastating.
He kisses me like he has all the time in the world, his tongue sweeping against mine, tasting of mint and the cold night air.
I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him closer, my fingers tangling in the hair at the nape of his neck.
He feels so good. He feels solid and real, and for a moment, I forget that I’m tired, forget that I have to be up in six hours. There’s only this.
There’s only him.
I pull back slightly, breathless, and gesture to his clothes. “You know, you looked absolutely ridiculous in that apron earlier.”
He laughs, the vibration rumbling against my chest. “Oh, shut up. You loved it.”
“I did,” I admit, grinning. “It was the pink. It really brought out your eyes.”
“You’re a brat.” He kisses me again, harder this time, his hands gripping my waist. “What am I going to do with you?”
“I have a few ideas,” I murmur against his mouth.
He groans, low in his throat. “Amber…”
“Eli.”
He pulls back, his eyes dark behind his glasses. “Where can we go?”
“The back room,” I say, taking his hand and leading him toward the storage area. “There’s a rug. And plenty of packing supplies if we get creative.”
The backroom is dimly lit by a single bulb overhead. It’s filled with boxes of vases, ribbons, and floral foam, but there is a small, open space near the desk where I sometimes take my breaks. There’s a worn floral rug on the concrete floor.
Eli kicks the door shut behind us and spins me around, pressing my back against the closed door. He catches my wrists in one hand, pinning them above my head. The dominance sends a thrill straight through me.
“I’ve been thinking about this skirt,” he murmurs, his free hand tracing the hem of my wool skirt. “And these boots. Fuck! Very sexy, Amber.”
