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I can’t stop the smile from crossing my face. She might be timid and nervous, but I can tell she has some spitfire in her veins.
“I guess I’ll just have to make something and find out for myself, won’t I, baby?” I open the small fridge and pull out a steak from the butcher drawer. She watches me as I heat up the cast-iron skillet and plop the meat on, sending it’s sizzling and smoking. Her nostrils flare as she takes a breath, and I know from just her emerald eyes widening that I made the right call.
I quickly prep a salad and steam some broccoli, trying my best to give her a little of everything. She watches as I slice up an apple and mix up a couple different berries, putting them into a bowl.
Her stomach rumbles again, and I glance at her, catching her staring at the two plates I prep as if she might just snatch one before I even have the chance to finish.
I pick up an apple slice and offer it to her. She stares at my hand for a second before leaning forward and snatching it with her teeth. My eyes widen, and I jerk my hand away, the gesture like a zap to my cock. It’s like she’s afraid to touch me with her hands, but man, I think that mouth of hers is going to get both of us in trouble.
Her desire grows, and I realize that she might have never been offered a meal like this before. If she was in hiding and passing as a beta, I can guarantee it.
They are just...betas without packs are basically the sheep of our society. They live, they sometimes will gravitate toward each other, but they don’t hold power, and they’re not exactly desired among alphas. Only an omega can take our knots and procreate with us.
“Why don’t you go sit at the table over there, and I will bring everything out.” I motion toward the small dinette just outside of the kitchen.
“I don’t understand you.” Kinsey places her hands on her hips. “Why are you being so nice? What do you want?”
I lift an eyebrow. “I want to stop freaking you out. Your fear does nothing for me. Not like it does for some other bastards.”
She blinks a few times and relaxes her shoulders. “Oh.” Shuffling away, she doesn’t argue with my reasoning and follows my suggestion, taking it as a command. I quickly finish cooking the steak, cutting it into pieces small enough for her to easily chew, and I plate everything. Kinsey stares at her hands, resting them on the table. Her chipped nail polish sparkles under the overhead lighting, catching my attention, and she tucks her hands on her lap.
“Water? Wine? Something else?” I ask her, setting the plate in front of her.
She peeks up at me, her long lashes casting shadows on her reddening cheeks. “Water is fine.” I don’t know why I assumed she’d ask for something different. “And thank you. This smells amazing.”
I grin and fork a piece of the steak, my desire to feed her at least the first bite overwhelming me. Parting her lips, she takes a bite, humming softly as she shuts her eyes, savoring the food. And damn it, does it stir warmth inside me. Her appreciation radiates as potent as her attraction to me, sweetening her scent with something gourmand. Maybe marshmallows. Caramel. Fuck, I want to taste her to be certain.
A bang on my door snags my attention away from Kinsey, and I swear under my breath. I bet one of my fucking brothers checked in on my room cams, curious as to what’s going on.
I’m about to get my ass beat for this, and only Desmond might understand. Wilder and Arsenio won’t. They’re far too concerned with everything else that they won’t take a moment to appreciate what—who was dropped into our possession.
“Enzo, we need to talk.” Desmond’s voice trickles through the door of my suite. “I have something I need to show you.”
I turn my attention to Kinsey and shake my head. “I’ll be back. Make yourself comfortable.”
Kinsey bobs her head, taking another bite. I could watch and listen to her eat all day. Somehow, she makes the simple gesture incredibly sexy, and I find myself obsessing over her pouty mouth.
“Enzo,” Desmond calls again, cracking open my suite door.
Anger at his intrusion rushes through me, and I spin away from the table and strut toward my brother. He darts his eyes past me to Kinsey. She won’t look at him, not in my presence. A part of me finds content knowing so. As a beta, he would never get between me and an omega, whether or not she belongs to me, which she doesn’t. She can’t.
I shove him, knocking him back in the hallway. Growling, Desmond shoulders me, fighting back just as hard. I slam the door behind me and force him against the wall, scowling in his face.
“What the fuck is it?” I ask, heaving a breath. “She just settled down.”
Desmond doesn’t back down, surprising me. He’s never one to challenge any of us. “I’m saving your ass, brother. What the hell do you think you’re doing? You can’t just start treating her as a guest. We know nothing about her. She could—”
“She’s who she says she is. I saw her order mark. She’s harmless and alone. I was only being nice. She was starving. You, out of everyone, shouldn’t be pissed that I’m trying to make her comfortable.” I release him and step back, glancing over my shoulder.
Desmond shakes out his hands and cracks his neck. “I’m not pissed. I’m concerned. We need to be careful. You shouldn’t even be alone with her.”
I tighten my jaw, trying not to react. He’s absolutely right. I’ve made a huge fucking mistake, and I let Kinsey already get to me. I can’t help it. She awakens something inside me I’ve never felt, and I can’t explain it.
“I—I’m sorry. I just...” I let my voice fade, getting my head straight. It helps that I can breathe without Kinsey’s intoxicating scent numbing the world around me. I sigh and scrub my hand to the back of my neck. “You should take her. If I go back in there, I’m not so sure I’ll let her leave.”
Desmond smacks me on the back, pushing past me when I’m not quick to move away from my door. I tighten my fists, remaining straight-backed, not letting him push me around. We glare at each other for another moment, but I still don’t back down, and neither does he. Locking his fingers to the doorknob, he swings it open, giving me a view of my suite. Kinsey no longer sits at my table, and I flick my gaze around my room.
“Fuck me,” I mutter, spotting her lying on the edge of my bed, curling in on herself. She was obviously exhausted and took my comment to heart. But damn. My bed?
