Chapter Five
Tak
“Should we talk about this, or are you going to faint on me again?” Chris chuckled, but already, at the mention of the subject, my head became a little foggy.
“We should have some more coffee and maybe some sugar and then I can focus. I can’t believe you made me pass out.”
He clutched his fist to his chest. “I’m trying not to be wounded here. My first proposal, and the male fainted on me.”
I scoffed. “Puh-lease. I bet you’ve proposed to half a dozen men, at least. Anyway, we know that one wasn’t real.”
He said nothing while I prepped myself and him another cup of coffee and reheated some cinnamon rolls from the day before then placed them on the table.
“Tak?” he said, after I’d taken my first sip.
“Yeah?” I knew that look. Chris was about to say something serious. I didn’t like that look at all. It was the same one he gave me before telling me he was moving across the country to go to school and then when he informed me he wasn’t coming home that first Thanksgiving.
His eyebrows furrowed, and the deep line above his forehead was a black cloud.
“I fully intend to keep my promise. You aren’t mated. At least, I didn’t scent another male on you when we embraced, once I got past the general smells of the shop. And...well, I’ve loved you for a long time. I didn’t realize what kind of love it was until I was far away and too stupid to tell you.”
Heat flowed to my cheeks, and even my ears felt tingly along the edges. This was not happening.
“If this is some kind of birthday prank, I’m gonna kill you and Will.”
He breathed out a heavy sigh, but then reached for my hand, taking the cup from it, and pulling me onto his lap. He coaxed my legs to straddle his until my groin rubbed against his in a dance my hips seemed to be doing all on their own.
“Do you feel that, Tak? Does that feel like a prank?”
Um, yes, a really hard, big, prank.
“No. But I don’t understand. Why did you wait so long? What if you had showed up, and I was mated?”
He looked down and rested his cheek on my shoulder. “I thought of that. I did. Day and night, I tossed around the idea of another alpha holding you, taking care of you, and loving you. But they could never love you like I can, so I came. I made myself take the chance.”
My heart beat overtime as his words sank into my psyche. I’d waited decades to hear those words, but even in my fantasies they didn’t sound as sincere as they did coming from his lips.
I looked at his full lips as I spoke. “I think, in some demented reality, I knew you would come. I haven’t taken a mate, waiting for you.”
His eyebrows dipped again. “But you’ve dated. You’ve taken lovers.”
It didn’t sound like a question, but I felt obliged to answer anyway. I picked at an invisible piece of lint. “Um, I’ve dated some, especially after I lost all the weight and started to work out. But, a lover, no.”
“Tak Credence, are you telling me that two days before your birthday that you’re still a virgin?”
I looked down at his chest, the fabric of his shirt practically begging for mercy as it stretched across his pecs. His nipples were hardened just like other parts of him.
“Yes. I’m telling you that.”
“Gods, I can’t wait to get my hands on you.” He ran his pointer finger from my throat all the way down to my pants button.
A wave of bravery hit me out of nowhere, sitting there, straddling the man I’d loved since we were children.
“Let’s make a new deal.”
His dimple showed as he smiled at me, something we had in common. “Name it.”
“You have two days to woo me properly. I’ve been waiting for you all this time. The least you could do is butter me up.”
Chris chuckled. “Hmm, I’ve never tried butter before.”
“You know what I mean.”
He took a moment to ponder the idea. Rather, I hoped that was what he was doing while he chewed on his lips. I took the ticking time to sink this deep into my memory. Chris holding me, stroking my back while I spoke turned me on so much that I could barely breathe. This man that I’d waited for was here and in front of me and considering making me his.
If I died at that moment, they could inscribe satisfied on my gravestone.
“What about the shop?” he asked, pulling me from a thousand fantasies.
“What about it?”
He grazed his thumb over my bottom lip and with the other hand caressed my thigh. “‘If I only have two days, I’m gonna need you with me full-time. None of this real-life stuff to get in the way.”
“I can close the shop for a couple of days.”
What the hell was I saying? I needed the money. But as I looked into his sparkling blue eyes, I knew I needed Chris ten times more.
And we deserved this shot.
I deserved this chance at happiness.
Besides, if I needed more money, I could just sell some more things to Vivian.
“You can have me for two days. Uninterrupted. Then when I blow out the candles, I’ll make my decision. Deal?”
I almost laughed at myself. As if there was a decision to make.
“No time like the present. Stand up.”
Excitement flooded my body as I stood in front of Chris. Maybe he would take me out on a date or want to bring me to Make-Out Ridge.
“Pants, omega.”
I almost choked. “What?”
“Take off your pants.”
This was not the wooing I was looking forward to, but at the same time my hands twitched to do as he commanded. Gladly.
Still, I paused.
“You’ll need to change your pants. We’re going swimming.”
“Oh, okay. Sure.” I moved to go upstairs to change at the bidding of my alpha, but he stopped me with his hands on my hips.
He pulled me close and sucked gently on my earlobe before whispering, “We can do that, too.”
“Do what?”
He laughed low and slow, the deep sound weaving through me. “We both know what you were thinking, Tak. But trust me, when I want to suck your dick, I’ll be the one ripping your pants off.”