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“Jessa, what’s wrong?” His panicked voice has me prying my eyes open. I loll my head to the side in time to see him kneeling next to me, and I flinch when he reaches for my face, but his fingers are a cool relief against my scorching skin. “Oh fuck, babydoll. You’re burning up… your heat…”
“It’s fine,” I lie to his face with a shrug.
“Fuck, why didn’t you tell me?” he asks, rising to his feet and offering me his hand. He pulls me to my feet and my legs wobble a bit. “I didn’t know. I can’t smell you–”
“The scent blocker hasn’t worn off,” I explain. “Alessandro, I’m sorry about everything. I wanted to tell you so bad, but I was scared…”
My voice trails off and I look up at him. He’s standing a few inches away, his warm brown eyes taking in my body frantically like he’s worried I’ll fall apart at any second.
“I accept your apology, Jessa,” he says, grabbing me by the waist and pulling me into him. “I understand, okay? You did what you had to do to survive, and I don’t fault you. Do you understand me?”
I hesitate, thoughts spinning. It seems impossible, such a quick acceptance after everything I’ve done. Shouldn’t he be more upset with me? Angry?Shouldn’t he be yelling?
I nod.
“We need to get you out of here,” he says urgently. “Now.”
I couldn’t agree more, but there’s a tiny problem.
“And go where?” I ask, enjoying the feel of his hands on me a little too much. I wish he’d slide them down and grab my ass, bend me over his desk and rut into me until I’m screaming…
My stomach cramps painfully at the thought, making me wince, and my knees threaten to give out beneath me. Luckily, Alessandro still has his arms around me. He wouldn’t let me hit the floor.
His jaw works silently as he stares into my eyes, the gears turning behind his eyes for a brief moment. His answer almost comes too quickly.
“My house,” he says shortly, his arms tightening around me slightly. “There’s no way in fucking hell you’re staying in your car.”
“But,” I say, trying to argue without even knowing my argument.But you’ll want to fuck me through my heat? But how could you want me close to you after everything I’ve done?
He shatters all my objective arguments with a single word.
“No,” His voice is stern and cuts off my train of thoughts. “We’re not arguing about this. It’s the safest place for you, but I have to ask you a very serious question before we get there, and you have to be honest.”
After all the lies I’ve told him, I don’t blame him for demanding honesty right now. And now that he knows everything and there are no more secrets, I never plan to lie to him again.
“Promise,” I say.
He swallows hard and shifts like he’s uncomfortable, which has my heart taking off at a sprint again. What could he possibly want to know that has him reluctant like this?
“You can come back to my house and nest and I can keep my distance so you can go through your heat alone,” he offers, his words slow and calculated. “Or I can help you through it, but I need an answer now while your head is still clear.”
My lips part, but no sound comes out.
Is he really offering to go through my heat with me, even though I’m not his omega?
Even though I lied to him?Even though I hurt him?
“But what about the restaurant?” I ask feebly. “My heats last several days, up to a week. Who’s going to run the place–”
“You don’t worry about that,” he says, shaking his head. “I’ll figure it all out. I hate to put you on the spot, but you and I both know you don’t have a lot of time. I need an answer.”
I shouldn’t have to think about it at all because I know exactly what I want, but I hesitate anyway. My thoughts are a jumbled mess, and I’m torn between wanting to thank him profusely and cry when a sharp jolt of pain shoots through my abdomen, making me collapse into Alessandro’s arms.
“I–I don’t want to be alone,” I struggle to get out.
“I told you before, you don’t have to do anything alone,” he says, tilting my chin up so I meet his gaze. “You’ll never be alone as long as I’m here, babydoll.”
It might be the hormones shooting through me or the way his intoxicating bourbon scent is swirling around me, making me feel drunk, but for the first time I truly believe what he’s saying. Suddenly, it’s a lot harder to picture my future without Alessandro in it, and I’m tempted to say it out loud until another pain shoots through me and my knees go weak.
