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Taking a leaf out of Kristie’s brazen playbook, I open my mouth to make the suggestion, but a ringtone cuts me off. I grab for my bag out of habit, even though the melody isn’t one I recognize, before Ken pulls his phone out of his pocket.
“Oh, hey, I have to take this,” he says, looking at the screen. “Give me one sec.”
He answers the call with a smile on his face and turns away, taking several steps down the sidewalk to put distance between us. I shift uncomfortably, trying and failing to avoid the pinch of jealousy in my chest, staring at his silhouette as he chatters away.
It’s awkward, standing there with my arms folded over my chest, and I’m almost tempted to walk back down to the party and find Kristie when something sweet hits my face.
The sweet smell of cupcakes floats in the air around me, and the smell of buttercream makes my mouth water. I swivel my head around, looking for the source, but there’s no one nearby.
Spinning on the spot, I stick my nose in the air to sniff, trying to find the bakery smell, but it only seems to be where I’m standing.
My stomach turns.
Could it be…surely, it’s not me.
I hesitate before lifting my hand to my nose and smelling my way up my forearm. I probably look ridiculous, but I’m so confused, I don’t care.
Lifting my arm a little higher, I’m smacked with another wave of delicious buttercream frosting.
Itisme. The scent is radiating from my skin, spilling out of my pores.
I freeze, wondering if I’ve lost my mind. Did someone put something in my drink?
Wait. I haven’t had anything to drink.
What the hell is happening?
I have no idea, but my racing heart and the sickening twist in my gut tell me it can’t be good. There has to be some scientific explanation for this, but despite all my years of biology and anatomy classes, I have no idea what it could mean.
We didn’t learn about sudden cupcake body odor in university.
And I’m way past my chance of perfuming.
An icy fear drops straight into my stomach at the thought of a very,verydelayed awakening, and even though I shake the thought away, I’m still surrounded by the cloud of sickly-sweet frosting.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
I’m screaming internally, flirting with a full-on panic attack, when Ken turns to head back my way.
“Sorry about that,” he says, shattering my train of thought and sending my heart sinking straight into my stomach. I’m so stunned, I momentarily forget about the cupcake phenomenon. “That was my mom calling to let me know my sister had her baby. I’m an uncle.”
“Congrats,” I manage feebly.
I force a smile as he takes a step closer, his mouth-watering scent making my brain foggy. Why does he have to smell so damn good? More than that, why is it having such an effect on me?
Is this some kind of new date rape drug, and now he’s got me alone so he can smother me with it?
I’m a beta. I shouldn’t be swooning this fucking hard for any alpha, especially one I just met. My pulse kicks up again, but when I stare into Ken’s crystal blue eyes and he smiles back with his flawless, toothy grin, my knees turn to jello.
“Smell me,” I say, raising my wrist to give him access.
He laughs. “What? Why?”
“Just want to see if you can still smell my cupcake body spray,” I lie through my teeth.
Cocking one of his eyebrows at me, he turns to smell my wrist, getting so close that his lips brush my skin delicately. It sends electric jolts skittering down my body, and my breath stutters before he shakes his head.
“No cupcakes,” he says. “Just a fruity suntan oil or something.”
