Page 15 of Knight With Benefits

“It’s not ready.”

He was particular about his art, so I didn’t take it personally. Most of the tattoos on my skin had come from him, so I knew it would be killer once it was complete.

Somehow my thoughts circled around to Gwyn again, the image of her blurring in my mind as I realized I didn’t know if she had any tattoos. She acted as if her alpha had kept her close and sheltered, so I doubted it.

And of course, that thought led to me wondering if she’d want one, and what she would get. I’d always found tattoos on women attractive, not that she needed anything to make her more appealing.

I looked up when the door opened, a grin spreading when the breeze that came in brought me the scent of peppermints and pastries. It was mingled with the tang of sweat and omega pheromones, but that only made it more mouthwatering. I’d always been a sucker for the soft, pillowy peppermints, and I was certainly willing to suck on her.

Almost groaning as my cock surged against my jeans again, I opened my mouth to invite her over before clamping my lips shut. I doubted she’d be comfortable approaching a table of alphas, even if there were only three of us, and a part of me didn’t want to share her anyway. I wanted her focus on me, not other males.

David hadn’t brought my drink over yet, busy with a clump of betas at the bar, so I surged to my feet and followed as Gwyn returned to the seat she’d been in the night before.

“Will I be needing to walk you home again tonight?”

I’d meant it as a joke, but the deep flush that lit her cheeks, and the way her brow creased and her lips tugged down wiped my smile away.

“No, that won’t be necessary. I don’t usually drink that much. Yesterday was…”

She sighed and I raised my hand to stop her.

“You don’t have to explain yourself to me. We all have those days, and you handle them however you need to.”

She seemed to perk up when she realized I wasn’t going to judge her. I might not like that she’d gotten wasted in public, it wasn’t safe, but I meant what I’d said. We all had our own coping mechanisms for the demons that plagued us. I just hoped it wasn’t bad enough that she was self-destructive.

“Yesterday was an anniversary I’d rather forget. I wanted to be able to sleep and not spend the night remembering.”

I slid into the seat next to her, reaching over the bar to snag a beer from the case below. David heard the ice rattle and shot me a glance, but he knew I was good for it, so he went back to focusing on the men before him. Something had them fussing, and David was starting to look irritated.

“Was it when your mate died?”

The question was probably rude, but I was too curious not to ask. The noise she made in her throat told me I was wrong before she responded.

“No, that anniversary would be a celebration. Yesterday was the day he claimed me, when I was too lost in my first heat to know any better.”

She was staring down at the bar, which gave me a moment to get my face under control. Surprise was the first emotion to hit, quickly replaced by anger. My guesses had been right, and while I might not have known the details, learning she’d been unhappy in her bond made me wish I could resurrect her dead mate and kill him again, just for her.

“You don’t have to leave your friends to talk about the cafe. We can always discuss everything on Tuesday.”

Her quiet words let me know she was done with the previous subject, and while my bear was clawing at the inside of my chest, I ignored him.

“Eh, they’ll be there all night, and they’re not important. Plus, you’re better to look at.”

I winked as I raised my bottle to my lips, chuckling when she rolled her eyes, but I liked the pink flush on her cheeks and the way she tried to hide an answering smile. If her mate had claimed her when she was young, she might never have had the chance to date and flirt, and I was my new goal to show her what she’d missed. She deserved every minute of it.

The betas at the end of the bar caught my attention again as they raised their voices, their argument with David growing more heated. David was doing a good job keeping his cool, but it was agitating my bear. More than once, I’d helped David when things got too rowdy, and with Gwyn at the counter, I was twice as tense over things going sideways with the group.

My focus moved back to Gwyn, although I kept part of my attention on the other end of the bar.

“The roof is the most important. We don’t want a leak causing more damage that might lead to you needing more repairs, but it won’t take too long. I’ll bring a buddy with me Tuesday and have it done before the day is over, so what else would help you move forward?”

I didn’t really want to discuss the café, but I knew the subject put her at ease, and that was what was important. She was shooting anxious glances down the bar as well, and her scent was taking on a bitter note. My bear wanted to pull her into our lap and soothe her, but doing that would only drive her away, so I had to find other ways to distract us both.

“Well, I can’t paint the dining or lounge area until it’s separated, so building the dividing wall is probably the next task. Once that’s done, I’d be able to lay the flooring and start filling the space. I’m still trying to figure out how to get the walk-in repaired and looking for appliances for the kitchen. I’ve picked out the new counters but didn’t want to order them until I knew how much space I’d have.”

Nodding, I tried to focus, but spotted David flicking his fingers behind his back. It was his way of asking for help without drawing attention, and I slid from my stool.

“Gwyn, I need you to go to the ladies’ room for a moment. Don’t come out until I knock on the door.”

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