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“Well, the birth control failed during her heat with my father, and she became pregnant with me. The academy initially tried to cover their asses by forcing my mother and father to bond, but the two just didn’t take to each other without the help of the heat hormones. For one, my father was almost thirty years older than my mother.”
I frowned at that bit of information, I was pretty sure that there were rules at the academy about accepting older alphas into the heat services. I would have to ask Eloise or Tibby about it later. “Did your mom and dad split time with you, then?” I had no idea how a custody agreement like that would even work.
Adair shook his head, his eyes going far away as he continued. “No, she didn’t want to have anything to do with me. She wanted to be a part of a pack, and a baby kind of got in the way of that. So she signed over all of her rights to my dad. I’ve never even met her.”
I reached across the table and laid my hand over Adair’s. He flipped his hand over so that he could hold it. “It’s okay—well it is now at least—my dad was great, but he passed away when I turned seventeen, which rounds us back to why I jumped into an incredibly long, trauma-filled, story. My dad graduated from Oxford, and I wanted to have another piece of him. Going to Oxford seemed like the best way to do that.”
The way that Adair spoke about his past was...incredibly bittersweet. Adair had no problem talking about his past sadness at all, in fact, it was like hewantedto share it with me so that I would know more about him. Every piece of information that I learned about Rio and Adair, whether it be Rio’s propensity to talk in his sleep, or the fact that Adair hated squid, was another string that tied me to Pack Carter. They were thin little strings coming from one direction, and I needed to decide whether or not I wanted to start sharing more with these men. The more connected with Rio and Adair that I was, though, the more I was going to need to be able to at least get along with Marcus.
I opened my mouth to share something,anything, about myself, but was cut off when Cole breezed back into the room followed by a few waiters.
“Alright you lovebirds. Prepare to be absolutely blown away by what Chef Brennan has prepared for you tonight.” He sang, referring to himself in the third person.
I moved to slide my hand out of Adair’s, but he tightened his fingers around mine and gave them a squeeze that sent a thrilled shiver through my body.
“I have two plates of roast rack lamb with brussel sprouts, mashed potatoes and a white wine reduced sauce that would make a priest come in his knickers.” The man chortled at his own joke as plates were put in front of us. The smell of the lamb made my mouth water and even though his joke was crass, I was pretty sure the taste was going to make me moan as soon as it hit my tongue.
“And lastly, before I let you continue your eye-fucking, I’ve got a lovely 1985 Pinot Noir that will make you feel like you are getting lucky, even if you don’t tonight.” Cole gestured for the waiter to pour the wine.
“Your mouth still needs work, Cole. I’m surprised you can be the head chef at this fancy place with the mouth of a horny teenager.” Adair joked with a mock-roll of his eyes before he sipped his wine.
“We keep him trapped in the back so that he doesn’t run his mouth.” One of the waiters chimed in, and Cole swatted at them playfully with the towel that had been thrown over his shoulder.
“Ingrates, all of you. Get back to work, the future governor and his lovely date don’t need you slandering me for entertainment.” The waiters laughed on their way out. Cole turned back to us with a roll of his eyes. “What can a bloke do to get a good staff around here?” He muttered, mostly to himself.
“Anywho, enjoy your dinner and if you hate it...no you won’t it’s fucking delicious.” With that, the human tornado that was Cole Brennan breezed back out of the dining room, leaving Adair and I alone again.
“I wish I could have even an ounce of his energy.” Adair began to cut into his lamb, and I did the same.
“And I can’t believe you survived living with him.” But damn was he a good cook. My first bite of the lamb exploded across my tongue in a savory mix of rosemary, garlic, and butter. I was right earlier when I said that it would make me moan. The sound that came out of my mouth was nowhere near PG and I swear I saw heat fill Adair’s blue eyes at the sound of it.
“Sorry,” I murmured sheepishly. “It’sreallygood.”
“I can’t believe Cole Brennan made you moan before I could.” Adair’s words were light, but there was that same hint of the possessiveness that I’d seen throughout the night. It made my insides clench and my toes curl. Rio was all sweetness. Soft touches, gentle smiles, and a warmth that filled me and soothed every negative thought that I had about myself. Adair Carter was full of raw energy. Just a look of his blue eyes told me that he wanted to possess me and never let me go. That intensity was probably what made him such a good politician.
“If you’rereallygood, maybe I’ll give you the chance to make me moan later.” I have no idea where the confidence to say that with a straight face came from. It was like my normally awkward self had been shouldered out of the way by my naughty alter-ego.
Adair’s eyes darkened with desire as he watched me over the rim of his wine glass, before holding it aloft. “To new beginnings.” He growled, and I hurried to clink my own glass to his.
“To new beginnings.” I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but there was no going back now.
