Page 19 of Knight With Benefits

What if she’d tried to move something and got hurt?

Or what if the roof caved in on her?

Or another alpha tried to take her for himself?

The part of me that tried to be logical said these fears were highly unlikely, but it didn’t matter. My bear’s claws dug through my chest, leaving me tense and on edge.

I roared through the streets on my bike as soon as the shop closed for the night, weaving in and out of traffic to get back to Hell. I went straight to the café, barely getting the kickstand down before I hopped off my hog and jerked on the door handle. The growl that spilled from me when I was denied access would have dropped another alpha to his knees, and it took me an embarrassing number of tugs to realize the door was locked, not stuck.

Eyes sweeping the parking lot, I cursed the fact that she didn’t have a vehicle. I had no way of knowing if she’d locked herself inside, or if she simply wasn’t there.

I pounded on the door a few times before giving up and sprinting over to The Hangout, hoping to see her curvy rear perched on the stool she seemed to prefer. I hadn’t realized I was still growling until everyone in the place turned to stare at me as I peeked in.

Choking the sound down to a silent vibration in my chest, I double checked that she hadn’t decided to sit somewhere else before storming back out into the evening air. It had been a warm day, the heat lingering despite the sinking sun, but I barely noticed as I turned and took off toward her house. I didn’t even have the patience to go back for my bike.

I was puffing for breath by the time I reached the corner of Sycamore Street, and my gaze swung to the sad yard in front of the duplex I’d delivered her to the previous week. Everything appeared normal, most of her neighbors inside with their families, although I could hear the shrieks of children playing somewhere nearby.

I was already halfway across the street before I realized there was light shining through her front window. My shoulders loosened slightly, but there was still a voice in my head whispering light meant nothing. She’d mentioned she’d done some work on the duplex as well, so she could have had an accident there just as easily as at the cafe.

Or she could have been abducted from her home. The doors were far too flimsy.

The smell of cooking filled my lungs as I reached her porch, covering any sign of her delicate scent. I hadn’t eaten all day, hadn’t even thought about it with the anxiety riding me, and I had to ignore the way my stomach suddenly rumbled. There was no way I’d be able to eat or sleep until I knew Gwyn was okay.

The hollow thump of my fist on the door was harsh as I used far too much force. The door rattled against the jam, convincing me I needed to replace it to make her more secure. I wouldn’t even need the strength of my bear to get into her home uninvited.

A scuff on the other side of the door let me know someone was there, but a long pause followed before I heard the lock disengage. The fact that she locked herself in at home soothed some of my bear’s frantic energy, and I was finally able to suck in a full breath when a crack of light appeared along the edge of the door.

“Carl?”

The door opened wider, Gwyn’s confused expression reminding me I had no valid reason to be there pounding on her door. Raising my hand to rub the back of my neck, my cheeks warmed even as my gaze roamed over her to be sure she was unharmed.

“Hey, I, uh…”

Satisfied far faster than I’d have expected, my bear receded, leaving me scrambling to explain my presence as I deflated.

“I just wanted to see what time you wanted me at the café tomorrow.”

A delicate brow arched, drawing my attention to the reading glasses perched on her nose. For some reason they made me smile, which only deepened the concerned look she was giving me.

“You couldn’t have just called?”

Coughing, I let my arm drop before shrugging.

“I don’t have your number.”

The silence between us stretched, the certainty that I was crazy written across her face.

“I’m usually at the café pretty early, so you can meet me there whenever you’re up.”

I was probably creeping her out more with the way I couldn’t stop staring, but nothing could convince me to drag my eyes away. It was ridiculous, I’d seen her Friday night, and she was supposed to be nothing more than my new boss, but none of that mattered.

“We’ll have to go pick up the supplies to make the repairs before I can get started. The store opens at seven. Would six-thirty be too early to pick you up? I can always come here instead?”

Her expression finally cleared before her lips pinched and she shot a glance over her shoulder.

“I’d forgotten about that. Six-thirty should be fine, and I guess you picking me up here makes the most sense.”

I nodded, my smile stretching. For a moment I’d considered asking if she was coming to The Hangout, but the smells leaking through the opening behind her told me she was busy cooking, and asking her to come might be pushing things a little too far.

---