Page 146 of Labor of Love

“We weren’t. Things got carried away when I tried to cheer him up by saying he should take a knot.”

Kris’s expression went carnal as he looked down at my cousin. “A knot, huh? You would know a thing or two about how good that feels, wouldn’t you?”

Judy pushed him away, a blush rising on her cheeks. “Not now you animal.”

At her subtle glance my way, his eyes went wide. He scrubbed the back of his neck as he mumbled an apology of his own.

Standing, I raised my hands. “Let’s stop the apologies. All is well. I’ll leave you two alone since you clearly have other things on your mind.”

I went to move past them when Kris stopped me.

“Got you something. It’s not a big deal. Thought it might help distract you.”

“Thanks,” I replied on autopilot as I accepted the bag he handed me.

From past experience, I knew it was best to get out of their way before things heated up. I took off to my room with my present in hand.

The minute I shut my door, I took a deep breath. It might not have been the home I’d known for the last few years, but this room still felt welcoming enough for me to relax.

I eased onto the bed, then reached into the bag. From the feel of it, there was more than one thing inside. Grabbing the first one I could wrap my hand around, I pulled it out to find… a book?

The cover was of a shirtless man posing with one arm up and the other covering his face. It made him look mysterious and shy.

“A Mate for the Omega.”The title made it pretty easy to tell this was one of those fated mates romance books I loved. It had been so long since I’d read one. My ex wasn’t a fan, claiming they created unrealistic standards no Alpha could live up to.

Now I knew it was simply thathecouldn’t live up to them. I watched Kris treat Judy just like all the leading book boyfriends did with ease. He never complained, nor did he seem put out by it.

I wanted a love like theirs. One that was strong and true, rather than shallow and filled with heartache.

Placing the book beside me, I went in for the next item.

It was a candle. A hefty one at that.

Scents were hard for me sometimes. I was sensitive to a lot of things most people weren’t bothered by. The candle could smell amazing, yet I could still react poorly.

With reluctant movements, I eased the lid off. I didn’t immediately break into a fit of sneezes, a good sign. Testing the waters, I brought it to my nose to take a small whiff.

Cedar with a hint of mint.

My eyes nearly rolled back at the scent. Slick leaked into my underwear as heat crept up my spine. I’d never had such a strong reaction to anything like that in my life.

I went back in for another sniff. This time, I was rather disappointed.

The original scent lingered, yet it wasn’t nearly as strong. I frowned, curious as to what the hell was going on.

On the second try, notes of fresh linen softness were most prominent. It was like I’d imagined the whole experience.

Except the slick still leaking from me was proof enough. I wasn’t a faucet. These things didn’t just happen. I pushed down my frustration to grab the next item out of the bag.

Judy was beyond lucky to have Kris as her mate. He barely knew me, yet he was treating me to all these gifts. I could only imagine what types of ways he spoiled her.

Soft, plush fabric met my fingers. I quickly yanked my arm out of the bag, squealing at the sight of the plaid, fleece blanket.

“Oh, it’s perfect.”

Pulling it up to my face, I went to rub it against my cheek and froze. There it was again. That scent.

Fuck!

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