Page 65 of Knight With Benefits

Despite what he was saying, he didn’t release me, dropping his nose to my neck to drag in a noisy inhale. I knew an omega’s scent when they were in heat was like a drug to alphas, Anthony would drag me around to breathe it in from the moment my cycle approached, but having Carl smell me didn’t give the same feeling of being used.

I let my head drop back, giving him better access when I felt the soft brush of his lips against my flesh. The alarm bells that should have been ringing over having him right where many alphas placed their claiming mark were silent, and I almost got lost in the sensations until he straightened with a groan.

“You smell too good. We'd better eat before you become the meal.”

I shivered at the edge of a growl in his voice, my core clenching as more slick wet my folds. My body was completely onboard with his suggestion, except for the tiny grumble of complaint from my stomach.

I barely paid attention to what I put on my plate, more of my focus centered on the aching bud between my legs. It throbbed in time with my heartbeat, demanding attention, and I couldn’t help wiggling once I’d taken my seat at the tiny table in my dining area.

“Drink?”

I’d completely forgotten the two bottles he’d clearly gotten from The Hangout until he lifted the pickle jar and shook it, sloshing the green liquid around. I hadn’t been back to The Hangout for a drink since I’d gone in to apologize to David.

Part of me said I shouldn’t, that it would be better to maintain complete control since Carl was already distracting me, but another part said it might be easier with a buzz to buffer everything. I might have anticipated what having him in my home again would lead to, but that hadn’t stopped me from worrying over what I wanted to ask him as well.

“Sure.”

He’d apparently been paying attention, because he knew exactly which cabinet to open to find the glasses. Not that I had many to choose from since I’d left almost everything behind for Adam, but I at least had two decent tumblers he could use for the drinks. I was a little surprised to see him making one for himself as well since I’d only seen him drink beer at the bar, but I was also a little excited to see what he thought of it.

He brought both drinks to the table before going back for his plate and the cup I’d gotten him that he’d filled with water. I could have been embarrassed about the emptiness of my cabinets and fridge, but I decided that if he’d acted like nothing was wrong, then I could too.

I waited until he’d taken a seat across from me before taking a careful sip. The drink wasn’t too hard to make, and vodka was pretty easy to hide unless you really put too much compared to the mixer, but I’d had enough bad drinks over the years to be cautious. If anything, it was a little weaker than I’d have made it, and once again I had to shake my head over the way he naturally tried to protect me. It had felt controlling when Anthony did the same, but nothing about Carl made me feel as if he was trying to manipulate or restrain me. His care was too obvious.

“Is it not right?”

My eyes jerked up from where they’d dropped to the table while I was lost in thought, and I realized all he’d seen was me shaking my head after tasting it. Quick to paste a smile on and take another drink before setting the glass down, I reassured him.

“No, it’s fine. A little on the weak side, but I can guess why you don’t trust me with something stronger.”

He let out a laugh, but his cheeks flushed pink above his beard, as if he was the one with a reason to be embarrassed. I loved when I could get a reaction like that out of him since it was so odd to see on a man his size, with his strength. The alphas I’d known before wouldn’t even know what embarrassment felt like, but then again, they’d thought too much of themselves to ever admit they could be wrong, much less have a reason to be embarrassed.

“Try the food. This place is supposed to be one of the best in the city.”

I’d never heard of the name on the side of the bag, but I wasn’t going to admit that to him. He looked so hopeful as he watched me lift the flauta to my mouth that even if it had tasted like dog food, I’d have pretended it was great, but luckily I didn’t have to fake my enjoyment. The tortilla had a nice crispness to it when I bit, the chicken inside still warm and juicy. The cheese wasn’t the usual boring blend I bought at the grocery store, having a bit more tang that made me think it was probably something fancy I’d never be able to pronounce.

“Definitely the best I’ve had.”

He watched me a moment longer before taking a bite of his own food. He seemed to have some of everything on the crowded plate, the sauces blending together in a way that made my eye twitch, but I’d been told often enough that I was the weird one with the aversion to letting my food touch.

“It’s good, but I think your fajitas were better.”

Arching a brow, I scoffed before taking another bite. My fajitas might be good enough, but there was no way they compared to authentic food made by a real chef.

We fell into silence as we ate, the quiet comfortable. I was so used to having to tiptoe around alphas that it still felt strange not to be worried when one was present, but I was growing more used to it the longer I was with Carl. Not for the first time I wished he had been the alpha I’d met in my youth. My life would have been so different.

“So, what did you—”

“How was your—”

We both started speaking at the same time, stopping with a laugh when we overlapped. I was starting to feel full, slowing down to pick at what was left on my plate, while Carl had already demolished almost all of his and clearly wanted to get to the point of why I’d asked him over.

“My day was pretty boring besides waiting to come see you. How was your day?”

It was clear he’d redirected his question. I wasn’t sure I was ready to answer what I knew he’d started to ask, so I finished off my drink before answering the second one.

“It was good. The inside and outside are both finally painted, although I’ve decided I want to paint the inside of the bookshelves you built. I still need to find some décor, but I’m going to wait until the tables arrive so I can try to match colors.”

“The guys didn’t bother you?”

---