Page 311 of Labor of Love

He didn’t seem to care and snuggled closer. I knew it was his childhood that made him love any and all affection, which was why, even if I wasn’t the most touchy-feely person, hugs with Asher had become a part of our daily routine.

“I’m not sure I believe the whole thing yet, but I can’t deny that I’m attracted to him in a way I’ve never been with any other alpha. A crazy part of me is screaming he’s mine,” I admitted out loud for the first time.

“Must have made you stupidly jealous seeing all the omegas lusting after him this week,” Asher teased, head raised to look at me.

“You don’t even know the half of it,” I muttered. I didn’t tell him I’d had half a mind to kick all the starry-eyed customers out. But I didn’t, because I was a professional business owner, dammit.

“I’ve seen the way he looks at you, you know?” Asher mentioned.

I frowned down at him. “And how could you see that from all the way inside the kitchen?”

He rolled his eyes and pushed himself out of the hug. “You make it sound like you keep me trapped in the kitchen, slaving away.”

“Your words, not mine,” I muttered with a grin.

Asher just shook his head. He glanced over my shoulder, a sly smile appearing on his face at whatever it was he saw.

“Looks like your puppy’s a tad bit impatient,” he commented and stood.

I flipped around, and through the long, vertical glass panels on either side of the door, I saw Luca leaning against the wall opposite it. He’d changed since we ran into each other this afternoon. He looked dashing in a dress shirt the same blue as his eyes, and tight jeans that leftnothingto the imagination.

I told myself that was the reason my heart rate kicked up, and not because of the flowers he had with him. Or the way he glowed when he saw me looking his way. His doggy ears popping out from the top of his head left a ticklish feeling inside my chest.

I now knew his lack of control over them was because he was close to his rut, making all his emotions stronger than usual, but fuck if it didn’t make me blush to see him so excited to see me.

Chuckling sounded from beside me as a hand landed on my shoulder. “You look happy, and if anyone deserves that, it’s you. I’ll be prepping in the kitchen,” Asher said, looking amused. He turned to leave but twisted around one last time to say, “Don’t forget we open in half an hour, so no fooling around out here! Now, go get your man!”

To say the ground was clouds as I walked to open the front door was an understatement. I was so giddy at hearing Asher call him‘my man,’ I was practically floating. Not that I’d admit that to anyone.

“You’re here,” I said, letting Luca inside.

“I was excited to see you again. I got you these,” he replied, handing me the bouquet of red roses.

“Thank you. It’s my first time receiving a bouquet,” I said, bringing the roses to my nose to smell them—and to cover the blush that’d crept up from receiving this gift. My cheeks were probably the same color as the roses.

Asher seemed pleased to have taken another one of my firsts. His golden tail wagged frantically behind him, making awhoosh-whooshsound in the silent room.

“I also wanted to give you this,” he said in a more serious tone. It was only then that I noticed the brown paper bag he was carrying in his other hand.

Curious, I opened the bag to find a box of medicine, as well as an inhibitor shot. Luca must have seen the confusion on my face because he coughed and explained, “It’s the rut inhibitor I was going to use to pass this rut before I met you. I want you to keep it in case you decide you don’t want to spend it with me after all.”

“Luca—” I started, but he pressed the bag into my hand.

“Keep it with you, please? I already started on the rut meds my doctor prescribed me, but with you, I’m not confident I can hold back during it. So, if you change your mind—and it’s okay if you do—or if my rut gets too much, I want you to use the shot on me. Okay?”

He was so earnest that I couldn’t do anything besides nod.

Luca perked up at my assent, pressing a happy smile-kiss onto my lips. I sighed into the kiss, the ground suddenly feeling unsteady under my feet, but Luca’s hands wrapped around my waist and kept me upright.

The kiss ended much sooner than I would have liked, especially when I felt something large and hard pressed against me.

Shit.

He was fucking bigger than he looked inside those tight jeans. And once his rut came, his giant dick was going to be inside me. Probably reaching deeper than anyone had before.Deep enough to cover my womb with his sperm, breeding me over and over again until my belly rounded, and I wasswollen with his kid.

“Fuck,” Luca cursed under his breath as he took a step back. “You’re killing me, baby.”

“Yes,babies,” I murmured in a daze, quickly realizing that Ishould notbe fantasizing about having Luca’s children already. Fated mates or not, it was entirely too soon to be thinking about that.

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