Chapter Seventeen
Lucas
“I need candied orange for the next batch. And did you really think that this was enough cinnamon?”
I’d hired Jaxon, Harrison’s photographer and assistant, to help me for the day since he’d mentioned when he stopped by to take pictures of the set for Harrison’s Instagram account that he had the day off.
The boy wasn’t the brightest or the fastest. He was flighty and flaky and stared out the window a lot.
He thought two tiny bottles of cinnamon was enough for me. He was wrong.
“Vivian, do you know where I can get candied orange in this town? The next batch has to be perfect.”
Vivian had come to see the set in person, but had stayed to watch me bake. She said there was something mesmerizing about watching me flutter about the kitchen.
“There’s no need for another batch, Lucas.” I was in the middle of stirring the bowl of dough when his voice poured over my anxiety like a vat of warm syrup.
“Mmm, looks like the way to Harrison’s heart is cookies. Keep that in mind. Tootles, boys. I’m off for a date with my Henry.” Vivian blew us a kiss.
Everyone cleared the place in seconds, leaving me standing there looking like the Swedish Chef.
“You can’t just stop me mid-batch, my love. Cookies must be baked.”
He kicked at something on the floor.
“What are you trying to prove, Lucas?”
“You don’t like them? I thought they were your favorite. Here. Try some of these. They are dark-chocolate chunk.” I wiped my hands on my apron and offered him a cookie from the eight thirty box.
He took it and took a huge bite. I held my breath, waiting on the verdict, not about the cookies.
“I think I like this one the best. Although, the ginger ones did help my stomach. Just when I thought I was out of the morning sickness threat, it came to get me.”
“Good. I can make more of those. I have tons of ginger, powdered and candied, and dehydrated. This is just a basic mix, so I’ll make more of those.”
While I fidgeted, Harrison crossed the room and grabbed my arm gently. “Lucas. Look at me.”
I couldn’t. I couldn’t look into those green eyes and see less than what my heart wanted. No matter how famous I was, when it came to Harrison, I was like glass.
“I can’t,” I admitted, shoulders slumped and the beginnings of tears forming in the corners of my eyes.
“Yes, you can. Look at me.”
I pushed out a weighted breath and lifted my head.
He chuckled, the low rumble making my desire for him bloom. “This is a hot look for you.” He tugged on the white apron tied around my waist.
“It is?” I looked down and saw the same apron I wore every day.
“Mm-hmm. So how long have you been up?”
I checked my watch for some ridiculous reason, probably because my nerves were electrified. “I haven’t been asleep yet.”
“When I drop you off for the night, I expect you to get some sleep. You don’t have a lot of time to sleep before this baby comes. Six months passes in the blink of an eye.”
I reached out on a whim and trailed my thumb along his bottom lip, loving the softness of it. “When my hot omega brings me home, I hope not to get any sleep at all.”
Harrison opened his mouth and took my thumb into it, first with his teeth and then sucked on it, circling his tongue around it. Every part of me came alive with that simple action. I couldn’t resist pulling him to me and taking his mouth, pouring everything I had into that kiss, to show him that he owned me, that I wanted to own him. Harrison reached behind me and pulled me flush with his body with his hands on my ass. I left his mouth for a few seconds to kiss his neck right under his ear, the place that made him moan my name. My already-hardened cock pressed against his as my hips rocked toward him over and over.
“Wait!” I pulled back quickly.
“Wait? What? What are we waiting for?” Harrison was as out of breath as I was.
“You need to open that box. That was the next delivery, and you ruined it.”
With an exasperated look, he turned and pointed to one of the bakery boxes. “This one?”
I nodded. I knew what was in that box.
Harrison opened it slowly, while I circled my arms around his waist and continued kissing the back of his neck. He pulled out a tiny cookie and sampled it—dried cherries and almond this time. “I changed my mind. These are the best.” He moaned while he ate. There was something about my omega eating my food while I worshipped his body that burned deep inside me. I could spend the rest of my life like this, feeding, loving, and protecting my mate and our young.
“Not the cookies. Look at the envelope taped inside the box.” I stopped to make him open it.
“Lucas? How did you get this done?” Holding the marriage license in his hand, he turned his head to the side and pulled my head down to meet his with his hand tangled in my hair. His mouth was hungry and not for anything I could ever cook.
I pulled away but kissed him softly between each word. “I. Have. Connections.”
“I can see that. You really want this? You really want me? How will this ever work? Won’t you become really famous one day, and one trip will become two, and before I know it, we haven’t seen you in months and TMZ has you making out in Paris with some guy and I’m here—heartbroken and alone?” A tear streamed down his face, and he rubbed his belly, comforting the child inside.
There it was—the truth of the matter. Harrison didn’t care if I was famous. He didn’t care about the money or any of that.
He wanted what any of us wanted—someone to love whom we could trust not to leave.
That I could do.
“Harrison, listen to me. I know you won’t trust me today or even tomorrow, but if it takes a lifetime, I will earn your trust. I won’t leave you any more than I have to, and you’ll never need to worry about me coming home because I think you are my home.”