She watched him pick up a fork and take a bite. Eating shouldn’t be sexy. It shouldn’t arouse her, but it did.
This was one of the reasons why she had every intention of rejecting Tanner. There was no attraction there. Not even a little smidgen. Instead, hatred in spades.
“Try it.”
She took a forkful and closed her eyes. It was so good. “Thank you.”
He chuckled. “No need to thank me. Now, Connie, this arrangement is up to you. The cold is getting to you. The rejection has already started. If you want me to work with you to bring Tanner back to you, I can. As an alpha, I’m within my right to instruct a period of time for him to give you a chance.”
“God, no. Please, no. I know that he rejected me first and that’s fine. I don’t care, but I had no intention of ever being his mate. I didn’t want to be … his. I … I don’t like him.” She averted her gaze, not wanting to tell Tanner’s father the truth.
“Fine.”
She lifted her head in shock. Out of all the reactions she expected, this was the last one. “So now, we have two, possibly three options.”
“What are they?”
“Option one, I’m your friend. You can come to me for whatever you need, and I ward off the cold and the rejection. You open your heart to me. Option two, I’m like a parent, taking care of you.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Option three?” So far, she hated both of these options.
“I become your mate. That means you are mine, Connie, in all things. Mine to protect, to love, to fuck, to claim. Not only do you open your heart to me, you open your mind and your body, and they become mine. I become the mate you need and deserve.”
Her mouth went completely dry.
Had she heard that correctly?
Dreams didn’t come true, not for her, but this sounded very much like a dream come true. But that wasn’t possible. Was it?
****
Twenty-four hours.
Gage had asked her to wait and think about his options. He knew which one he wanted her to pick, but this had to be her decision. She wasn’t his mate, but Tanner’s. If his son decided to go after her, Gage would have no choice but to step aside and give his son a chance.
He fucking hated the thought, so giving Connie a chance to think this over was the least he could do, even though he didn’t want to.
“How can I give her a job back?” Lana asked.
“Because I told you to.” Gage looked around the library. Connie hadn’t been employed for four days and the place was already a mess. Books not in their rightful place, people looking pissed off.
Lana looked ready to quit. The library was a good place for people to take their kids, a quiet space. Kids were now running rampant as well, and he knew it was because Connie wasn’t there to supervise.
He’d been to the library when the place had been overrun by kids wanting their parents’ attention, screaming. She would get them all to sit and enthrall them with a story. Connie was a natural with kids.
His thoughts quickly turned to her swollen with his kid, and he had to push the idea away as it made him hard as fucking rock.
“Look, she got rejected and then people didn’t want to deal with her, okay? They felt she’d be some kind of curse. I don’t know. She had to go.”
“Wow, this all magically happened within twenty-four hours.”
“Fine. I fired her. Okay? If your son didn’t want her, neither did I.”
His hand clenched into a fist. “I want her. Connie is mine. You will hire her.”
Lana froze, her hand going to her chest.
He felt the power of his wolf rushing forward.
She began to nod her head. “Yes, Alpha, I’m so sorry.” She bowed her head, submitting to him.
Lana was one of the women who had thrown herself at him in the hope of getting the place by his side. Like all the other women in the pack, he’d turned her down.
“She will start tomorrow.” He turned on his heel and left.
The way the pack reacted to her, anyone would think his son was the fucking alpha, not him, and it pissed him off. He was in charge of the pack. Not Tanner. His son didn’t have what it took to lead this pack.
Walking across the street, he raised his hand in acknowledgment of anyone who called his name, trying to gain his attention. No one else stopped him, and for that, he was grateful. Arriving at his home, which was situated a couple of miles from the main town, surrounded by the forest, with only the barest hint of civilization, he went straight to his office.
He came to a stop when he caught sight of Connie.
Jeans and a large sweater, again.
He missed the day she went to the pool in a swimsuit.
A one-piece that had hidden so much and hinted at everything. The back had dipped low, almost showing off the curve of her ass. Temptation wrapped up in one sexy, fulsome package.
“You’re back?” she asked.
“Tomorrow, you’ll be working back at the library,” he said.
“Oh, I will? That is … great news. Thank you so much.”
He watched her, unable to tear his gaze away. She tucked some hair behind her ear, and he was curious as to why she was here.
“Option three.”
“What?”
“That’s what I want. Option three. I get it if you don’t want that, and I will completely understand. You were only being nice and everything. I’m rambling again. I’m nervous. Er, I’ve never even kissed a guy let alone considered a mating.”
He closed the distance between them. “You’ve never kissed anyone?”
She didn’t move back. “No.”
“Do you want to be kissed?”
Her cheeks were a nice shade of red. He also noticed the way she shivered. She was so cold, and he needed to warm her up. The thought of her hurting in any way pissed him off.
He gripped the back of her neck, pulling her close. Connie didn’t fight him, for which he was grateful. He only had so much restraint, and when it came to Connie, he seemed to have zero.
“I didn’t give you the option to take it away. I will be your mate, Connie.”
“Then that’s what I want. If you will have me.”
He smiled. “How about we seal it with a kiss?”
The scent of her arousal was heady in the air. He had no idea no man had tasted those luscious lips. They looked too good to deny. When she didn’t make a sound of protest, he drew her close and pressed his lips against hers.
The first touch was like being shot by lightning. It was instant, hot, and he couldn’t do without a taste. Sliding his tongue across her lips, he heard her gasp. He plunged inside her mouth, deepening the kiss.
Gage turned to her more fully, putting a hand on her hips, holding her in place as he ravished her mouth.
She tasted like coffee and spice. The addiction was heady.
Melting against him, she moaned his name, whimpering for more.
He had so much he wanted to give her.
Moving her back, she hit the shelves, and he tugged her close, letting her feel the length of his cock.
If she’s never been kissed, she hasn’t had a cock. She’s a virgin. Pure. Innocent.
Ours.
Gage broke from the kiss and stared at Connie’s face. So open, so beautiful, all his.
Letting go of her hip, he stroked his knuckles across her cheek and watched her sink her teeth into her lip.