Jared brings my hand to his lips, kissing my palm. “Besides, I think Grady’s already on it. Did you see how fast he followed Leif out?”
“I did.” My lips quirk upward. “They’ve grown closer. Betas don’t put him on edge.”
“Grady’s easy to be comfortable around.” Jared grins, tugging me closer until our thighs touch.
His closeness shifts the air between us, the concern about Leif fading as my awareness narrows to the warm pressure of his body. Tonight, Jared’s cedar and salt air pheromones include traces of the whiskey he’d sipped at the party.
At times like this, I wish he could smell pheromones the way most Alphas can, to experience the merging of our scents the way I do. Not because there’s anything wrong with his scent-blindness, but because this intoxicating blend needs to be shared.
“You know,” I say, drawing out the moment, “you never told me what you thought of this dress.”
Jared’s pupils dilate as he skims down my body. “I think I’d rather show you.”
Heat pools low in my belly as I slide closer, lifting one leg over his to straddle his lap, the fabric of my dress riding high on my thighs. His hands find my waist, fingers digging into the curve where the material clings.
I place my palms flat on his chest. “Better view?”
“Much.” His heart pounds beneath my right hand, the rhythm quickening as I roll my hips.
I reach for his tie, loosening the knot before pulling it free. “I liked seeing you in a suit tonight.”
“Mmm.” His hands slide from my waist to my thighs, the rough calluses on his palms providing delicious friction on my skin. “I was hoping to entice you.”
The tie slithers to the floor as I move on to his buttons, revealing inches of tanned skin with each one undone. Jared’s breath hitches when my fingers graze his collarbone. His own hands aren’t idle, tracing paths up my legs to the hem of my dress and slipping beneath to toy with the elastic on my underwear.
“Zip,” I whisper, leaning forward to graze my lips over the hollow of his throat.
His hands move to my back, finding the zipper hidden beneath a small fold of fabric. The sound of it lowering fills the quiet room, followed by a soft groan from Jared as his fingers encounter bare skin.
“You’re not wearing a bra,” he murmurs, husky with desire as he pushes the dress from my shoulders.
“Couldn’t with this dress.” I finish with his shirt buttons and spread the fabric wide, revealing the lean planes of his chest. “You like?”
His responding growl vibrates through his chest as he pulls me closer for a kiss. His mouth claims mine, his tongue brushing the seam of my lips for permission, which I give without hesitation. My hips rock over him, feeling his hardness through the layers of fabric still between us.
The heady scent of his desire thickens in the air, slipping into my lungs and muddying my thoughts.
The wet heat of his mouth moves to my neck, teeth grazing the sensitive spot where my pulse throbs. His hands cup my breasts, thumbs circling my nipples until they peak, and a moan rises from deep in my throat.
As my hand reaches for his belt, a plaintive meow cuts through our haze of desire. Mixie appears on the couch, her green eyes fixed on us with feline disapproval.
She meows again, louder and more insistent.
Jared’s forehead drops to my shoulder with a laugh. “Someone’s hungry.”
Mixie hops onto the arm of the couch, her tail swishing as she glares at us.
“Traitor,” I mutter to the cat. “You have the worst timing.”
Jared kisses my lips before lifting me off his lap. “I’ll feed her. You go get comfortable.”
Mixie, recognizing the word feed, leaps down and trots toward the kitchen, pausing to peer back with expectation clear in every line of her body.
“Don’t take too long,” I say, pulling my dress back up over my breasts as I stand.
Jared’s nostrils flare, as if he can smell my desire despite his scent-blindness. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
I retreat to our bedroom, my fingers already working the zipper the rest of the way down my back. The midnight blue fabric pools at my feet in a silken puddle, leaving me in nothing but the black lace underwear I’d chosen for tonight.