Chapter Four
Forrest
What was wrong with me? One minute, I am arguing with him over a place that is rightfully mine for the time being, and the next minute, I’m acting like I’m his alpha. There was so much of that that was simply wrong even if it felt right.
The scent of the hot cocoa tickled my nose as I added a heaping pile of marshmallows to it and put a few more in a small bowl beside it on the tray. And yeah, I added a couple of cookies to the mix because saying no to his puppy-dog eyes just wasn’t in me.
I quietly made my way back to the master bedroom, unsure if I would find him asleep or not. The shower had really done a number on him, probably from the balancing act he needed to accomplish his task. Not that I should be thinking of him naked as water cascaded down his body, forming little droplets on his muscular chest. And, of course, I managed to get myself hard just trying not to think about that. At least I had the tray to block it from sight. Who was I kidding? He probably noticed my boner earlier when I helped him get ready for his shower but was just gentleman enough to not mention it.
“Knock knock.” I spoke softly wanting to announce my arrival without waking him if he had fallen asleep. He was awake—barely, propped up against the headboard, Snowflake nestled on his lap. Little traitor.
“You have my cocoa.” He beamed.
“I do.” I settled the tray on the dresser then brought him his mug and the bowl of chocolate surprises.
“Extra marshmallows?” He eyed the mug, his tongue swiping across his lips making my lips jealous. I needed to thwart that kind of thought, but when he kept being all sexy, that just wasn’t working for me.
“With a side of extra marshmallows to go with it.” I placed the extra bowl on the nightstand and handed him his mug. “I caved on the Oreos. There are a couple of those as well.” I found myself winking at him. Flirting with an injured omega trapped in my presence was a dick move, and I needed to shut it down.
“Your omega is lucky.”
Comments like that weren’t helping.
“I don’t have an omega.” I didn’t add that I was pretty pathetic as an alpha. I just wasn’t strong enough for what an omega needed. History proved this as each one found a stronger, better alpha than me. “If I did, getting you ready for a shower might be considered a little less than appropriate.”
“Being kind is always a good idea.” He peered at me, a little moustache on his face as he lowered the mug. He alleviated that problem with the swipe of his tongue, and I bit back a groan.
“You look too tired to be up.”
“But you brought cocoa,” he countered, eyes still sagging. He looked so sweet all nestled in the blankets and sleepy.
I sat on the edge of the mattress with my cocoa, near the foot of the bed so as not to invade his space. Part of me hoped he’d invite me closer—beside him even. Which was crazy dumb. Why did he have to smell so good, be so damn hot, and all the things?
“And I can make more in the morning.” I took a long sip of my drink, not wanting him to see the need in my eyes.
“Promise?” And then he winked. I was so going to need to handle my erection on my own before bed if I had any hope of not looking like a horny freak in the morning. Shit. Maybe I would need to do it again then, too.
“Promise.” I nodded before finishing my cocoa.
“Thanks for not being an ass. I mean after I tried to kick you out and all.” He sounded so vulnerable and innocent, so very much unlike the River I first met, but somehow equally alluring.
“It sounds like you had a communication misfire with your cousin is all.” And from the barrage of texts she sent me, he still had her to deal with over it, but I was going to let him deal with that. No man needs a stranger coming in between him and family business.
“I might have not told her I was coming.” He settled his mug on the table before snagging the bowl of marshmallows and cookies and popping a marshmallow in his mouth. “This injury hit me hard.”
I couldn’t even begin to imagine. His eyes lit up when he talked about the championship and, paired with the decals on his car about skiing, this injury meant he wasn’t enjoying one of his favorite pastimes for at least the rest of the season.
Chances were I saw him at the championships. The cold required snow attire that hid what we all looked like well, so there could’ve been so many different events we might’ve been standing beside each other. Not that I should be focused on that. Maybe I needed sleep, too.
“It must be hard. If I injured my hand or my wrist and couldn’t write, I’d be a grumpy jackhole pretty much nonstop.” Sure, they technically had programs I could use to dictate, but I didn’t think that way, so a hand injury would pretty much shut me down.
“Was I?” he asked, all serious all of a sudden.
“What?” I’d been so in my head, I had no idea what he meant, but knew from his brow it was serious.
“A grumpy jackhole?”
“That wasn’t what I meant.” Further evidence I sucked as an alpha. I couldn’t even comfort a hurt omega without making him feel worse. “I meant I would be.”
“I was, wasn’t I?” He smirked, humor filling his face and giving me some relief from my self-imposed guilt trip.
“Just a little bit.” I held up my pointer and thumb fingers mashed together. “You did have a reason to be, though. You came into a house, expecting it to be vacant, and found me instead.”
“And Snowflake,” he added, setting down his now-empty mug and snuggling down into bed with Snowflake nestling in closely and purring loudly.
“You don’t get to keep my cat.” I spoke more to Snowflake than River.
“Never asked to.”
The darn cat rubbed against his chin before rolling onto her back for a belly rub.
“No.” I pointed to the cat. “She kind of did.”
“She has good taste.” His eyes stayed hooded. I needed to let him sleep, even if I was enjoying my time with him.
“That maybe.” I gathered the mugs on the tray. “You need to sleep. Want me to leave Snowflake with you?” Snowflake wanted me to.
“Naw. You can take her. He looked like he only half meant it, but I would. Some people liked animals well enough but not in their beds while they slept.
“Give me your phone.” It came out far more demandy than I had intended.
“Yes, Dad.” He made a move to get out of bed, and I gave him my best you-better-just-point glare, and he did. He was right. I was acting like a dad. I needed to get a grip.
“Not like that.” I was kind of telling the truth. It had been my intention to be helpful and not bossy. I grabbed his phone off the bookshelf, where it was plugged in, and plugged it back in within his reach.
“I’ll text myself so you have my number in here, and then if you need anything, I can get it for you.”
“You aren’t my nurse.” He scowled as he unlocked his phone to let me text him.
“No, but, technically, I am your host, so there is that.” I shrugged as my phone vibrated in my pocket, letting me know it went through.
“But, still.” He settled back in, not really fighting the idea anymore but putting up a good front.
“Listen, between my exhaustion, you being hurt, and us being pretty much trapped, my alpha instincts are going wonky.” I snapped my mouth closed. Not that it topped my hot comment earlier. “Just do this for me so I can sleep.”
“Fine,” he conceded and closed his eyes.
I was halfway out the door when he called my name.
“And Forrest?”
“Yeah.”
“Thanks.”
“It was nothing.”
I had sneaking suspicion that nothing about this weekend was nothing.