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My grumpy alpha was smiling.
Chapter22
Grumpy
The paparazzi were having a field day, snapping thousands of pictures, calling out questions. I didn’t care, until one of them jostled Soleil.
Then I leaped up, growling. “Touch her and die, asshole,” I barked.
The photographer, a weedy-looking guy with a ball cap and a goatee, literally fainted.
“Um, not that hearing you say those exact words isn’t the fulfillment of one of my most cherished fantasies, Grumpy,” Soleil said behind me, “but I think we should go back to the… the house now.” A sudden wash of coconut and flowers rushed around me.
“Fuck, Sunshine,” I breathed. Her skin had gone a bright pink, and sweat dotted her brow.
“Yeah, that’s the plan, right?” she muttered.
In seconds, I had her in the car, gave the driver instructions, and we were off. I rolled up the partition between the front and back seats, then pulled her seat belt around her, buckling her in. I pulled out my phone and tapped a few instructions to my staff at home, making sure the house would be ready.
“Grumpy?” Soleil was panting with need, but her expression was hesitant and uncertain.
“Yes, my love?”
She wouldn’t meet my eyes, fiddling with the seat belt buckle instead. “You were at the hospital. You were sick?”
“Yes. Rejection sickness. It’s nature’s punishment for being the world’s stupidest alpha,” I joked. But she didn’t laugh.
“You suffered for two weeks with it. You weren’t there for me, were you? You were there to see Dr. Rimbolt.”
“I was. I’ve been very ill. And extremely busy as well.” She stayed quiet for a moment too long, her scent turning bitter, and I found myself rushing to explain. “When I came ashore, federal investigators met me at the pier. Alphonse Dubois’ second cousin Muffin, as it turns out, was a scam artist, and the one with the brains, although that’s being generous.
“Alphonse was an attendant in the rehab facility Lorelei checked into six months ago. At his cousin’s urging, Alphonse befriended my sister, then convinced her he was in love. He had no real criminal record, only parking tickets and a DUI from a decade before. His cousin, on the other hand, was the person of interest to the FBI and Interpol. She’s wanted in three countries for embezzlement, fraud, you name it.” I rubbed my brow. “I’ve been tied up getting to the bottom of the mess for almost the entire two weeks.”
“How is your sister?”
“Lorelei feels wretched that she fell for him, but he did treat her well when they were together. Still, she thinks she should have seen it earlier.”
“Love is blind, right?” Soleil muttered, still looking down. I tipped her chin up.
“I don’t think so. I think love was staring me in the face the whole time, and I was the blind one.” I blew a cool breath over her sweat-dampened brow. “I came by your house, you know.”
“You did?” she gasped, her eyes widening.
“You were on your front porch, and you weren’t alone. I saw that alpha give you the ring, and you put it on. You two looked good together.”
“But… that’s not what was happening. We weren’t together; he was trying to get me to sell the damn ring and invest in my company.”
I fought back a curse. “You didn’t take it?”
“Of course not. If you’d bothered to ask, if you’d come inside…”
“I’m sorry. I thought I was doing what you wanted, driving away. I thought the pain I felt was what I deserved, for hurting you.”
“I never want you to hurt, Grumpy.” The corners of her lips turned up slightly. “Unless you’re into that sort of thing.” She twisted toward me and reached for the buttons of my shirt, undoing two before I grabbed her hands.
“Wait until we’re home, princess. I’ll take care of you, I promise.”
She whined. “Why not start now? I’ve never had hot car sex. It might be fun. Let’s find out.” She licked up the side of my throat, and I was tempted to give in. But I knew better. My control was hanging by a frayed thread.
