Page 36 of Knight With Benefits

A yawn kept me from seeing when I first pulled the door open, and I had to rub the moisture from my eyes as I stepped out. It took a moment to remember why David’s truck was out front and a ladder leaned against the opposite end of the house.

Carl turned to me after climbing down the ladder, but I didn’t need the grin on his face to remember why the space between my thighs ached. Just a whiff of his scent on the breeze had my core clenching, begging for a repeat.

Just maybe on something softer than concrete. My backside reminded me I was too old to be plowed against something so unyielding.

My cheeks heated and I knew he’d smell the direction my thoughts had gone once he closed the space between us.

“Good morning. Sorry we woke you.”

I pushed my hair back from my face, realizing I’d forgotten to brush it in my hurry to see what was going on outside. There was no use being embarrassed about it after he’d already seen me as a sweaty mess less than a day prior.

“Good morning. It’s fine, I need to be up anyway.”

My heart was thumbing behind my breastbone, my fingers tingling with the desire to reach out and run them though his beard before pulling his head down so I could feel those firm lips again. It was hard to think past the lust flooding my bloodstream, but the sight of another alpha standing in my driveway was the distraction I needed.

Carl glanced over his shoulder as if he’d noticed the way I tensed.

“That’s Jackson. He’s going to help today since Jason couldn’t.”

Swallowing, I nodded, pulling my focus back to the big alpha in front of me. I wasn’t really comfortable with another alpha so near my home, but at least he was younger than us, and I reminded myself they had a job to do.

“I appreciate it.”

Carl looked like he wanted to say more, like he wanted to close the gap between us and do the things I’d been imagining only a few minutes before as I’d dreamed, but he did an admirable job of acting casual.

“Does the plumbing work on the other side?”

Brow arching, I knew I looked confused as I let my chin dip again.

“Yeah, mostly.”

There were issues, just like with everything in my life, but it was easier to keep the answer simple.

“If you don’t mind leaving that side unlocked for us to use the bathroom and get water, we’ll get this roof taken care of in a few hours.”

My shoulders lifted, a weight I hadn’t noticed easing at his suggestion. He was constantly amazing me with how perceptive he was, and how good he was at finding ways to make me more comfortable.

“If not we can always use The Hangout, it would just save time to have access here.”

“Yeah, no problem. I’d planned to do a little work over there today, so I’d be here if you needed me, but that would work better for me to be able to focus on the café instead.”

“There’s no reason to hang around and listen to the banging. It’ll be louder here than it was yesterday since the roof is lower.”

A little part of me tried to melt, telling me he was being protective because he cared, but I reminded that part it was natural for an alpha to act that way towards an omega. It didn’t make me special or mean anything more than that.

Even after yesterday.

“Okay then. I’ll leave the front door over there unlocked and keep working on the café. You’ll call me when you’re ready for lunch?”

I ignored the way my voice changed on the last part, a little too much hope shining through. Apparently I’d regressed to a teenage girl with her first crush.

“Sounds good. Just, be careful.”

It didn’t matter how many times I told myself it didn’t mean anything, the concern he showed for me still made a warm glow spread through my chest.

Was this how it was supposed to feel with an alpha?

I went back into the house and finished getting ready for the day, chugging a cup of coffee before pouring the rest in a thermos. Carl and Jackson were already up on the roof by the time I came out and unlocked the other side of the duplex, a pile of old shingles growing in the yard.

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