Chapter One
Emily
Imove on bare feet through the kitchen, careful not to disturb Jared as I pull my bread dough from the refrigerator, setting it on the counter to warm while I wash my hands.
Mixie weaves between my ankles, her tail flicking my calf as she chirps her morning greeting.
“Shhh,” I whisper, once again thankful that Jared helped me rescue her from my evil ex-Omega, Auren. “Let’s not wake Jared yet.”
The dough remains cold beneath my palms when I turn it onto a floured surface. I put my weight into it, the resistance yielding as I fold and turn, building tension in the gluten. My shoulders loosen with each push and pull, finding comfort in the familiar rhythm. Through the window, a gentle rain flattens the purple geraniums in the garden.
Mixie jumps onto the windowsill, her whiskers twitching as she tracks a raindrop sliding down the glass. With September approaching, we’re nearing the end of our window for good weather in the Pacific Northwest, but we should still be able to pour the foundations for the staff cabins and the fitness center before the rain sets in.
I roll the dough into a taut ball, place it in a proofing basket, cover it, and slide it back into the fridge.
Mixie hops down to follow me, purring for attention.
I scoop her up, nuzzling her soft black fur before setting her down with a gentle pat. “Go on.”
I hum as I pull ingredients for tonight’s dinner, layering potatoes, carrots, and onions at the bottom of the crock pot. Mixie sits beside her empty food bowl, watching me with expectant green eyes.
“Yes, you’re next,” I tell her as I crush dried rosemary between my fingers.
The heat of Jared’s body announces him first, a wall of warmth blanketing my back, followed by a sleep-roughened growl in my ear. “This is criminal.”
His arms wrap around my waist, pulling me flush to him, and my pulse quickens as he nestles his hard length into the crease of my ass through the thin fabric of my robe.
His stubbled jaw scrapes my neck, sending a shiver through me. “Why didn’t you wake me?”
“You looked like you needed the extra sleep.” My fingers tremble slightly as I continue working, hyperaware of every inch where our bodies connect. “Besides, the bread kneaded me.”
“I needed you.” His hands part my robe, palms sliding over the curve of my waist, fingertips leaving trails of fire across my skin.
My breath catches. “Hey, now, we don’t have time for that.”
“The second taxi doesn’t leave until nine-thirty.” With a gentle tug, the knot at my waist comes undone, and his fingers dip beneath the elastic of my underwear, teasing. “We have time.”
His mouth finds the sensitive hollow beneath my ear, and the wet heat of his tongue draws an involuntary moan fromme. The vibration of his answering purr travels through me like electricity.
“What do you say?” His teeth close on my earlobe, sending a shiver down to my core. “I’ll make it worth your while.”
I arch back, my head falling onto his shoulder, exposing more of my neck to his mouth. His hand splays across my stomach while the other slides higher, cupping my breast, thumb circling.
“I can’t.” The words emerge breathless, reluctant. “The final inspection for the Homestead is at eight. If I miss the first taxi, I’ll be late.”
His hands pause their exploration, but he doesn’t pull away. “The inspection that determines whether we open on schedule or push back three months?”
“That’s the one.”
“Maybe I should have led with breakfast instead of seduction.” His arms tighten around me before he reties my robe, then steps back, and I have to resist the urge to pull him close again. “Coffee?”
My body still tingles where his hands had been, and I struggle to focus past the lingering heat.
“Please.” The word slips out rougher than intended, betraying the thwarted desire coiling low in my belly.
As I fill Mixie’s food bowl with kibbles, Jared moves through my kitchen with familiar ease, gathering mugs and measuring beans, while I try to calm my racing pulse. Three months ago, I would have bristled at anyone treating my space like home.
Now, I find myself marveling at how Jared’s movements feel like he’s always belonged here, his presence filling spaces I never realized were empty. The presence of the second mug on the drying rack and the extra towel by the sink have become as natural as my own heartbeat.