Page 52 of The Heart of Winter

It was like he always happened to be leaving work at the exact time I was finishing up.

Of course, he never initiated anything, never said a word to me. And yet, somehow, he always seemed to be exactly where I was.

Or maybe… maybe it was me? Perhaps I was the one ending up where he usually was?

One day, when I came down to the cafeteria, I spotted Winter standing in line, right at the very end of it.

Normally, his assistant, a small beta with oversized glasses, brought him his lunch. Why was Winter here in person? I knew for a fact that the beta was present today, so it wasn’t like he was out sick or anything.

And, interestingly enough, he showed up today around the same time I usually came down to eat. I quietly took my place behind the director, and he barely, just barely, tensed when he noticed it was me. We were standing unusually close now.

Suddenly, I caught his scent. I wasn’t on suppressants, though technically, I should’ve been—it was strongly recommended at the company. I used pheromone-masking deodorant instead, since I wasn’t too keen on diminishing my chances of finding my potential fated mate.

So, my nose was filled with a very subtle, delicate smell, so fresh. Lavender, with the faintest hint of lime. I doubted it was hisAllure, since betas didn’t have one at all, or if they did, it was barely noticeable. Maybe it was his shower gel?

A bit dazed, I watched Winter from behind. His ponytail reached the middle of his shoulder blades and was surprisingly thick. His dense strands were falling in loose waves over the back of his suit. I could see the skin of his neck just above the collar, nearly blending in with the fabric. I had this overwhelming urge to slide my finger there and brush over it, but… well, we were standing in line.

Winter was focused on the glass display case, where the day’s menu was laid out, his head tilted slightly. That gave me the perfect angle to analyze his profile, again, and damn… it was flawless. Whether he was albino or not, there was no denying this man was ridiculously good-looking.

Could he feel the intensity of my stare?

Suddenly, he turned. Our eyes met, and I held my breath for just a fraction of a second.

His heartbeat was slightly elevated, not a lot, but just enough to confirm he was aware of how close I was.

"See anything that looks appetizing? ’Cause I sure do…" I murmured, a little breathless. I was pretty sure he knew what I was hinting at.

"Maybe."

I glanced at the dessert display and noticed they had a set of cupcakes today, each topped with a different color of frosting.

But it was Winter’s turn to order.

"I’ll have the kale and avocado salad with grilled salmon, and… a cupcake with mint frosting."

I raised an eyebrow. "You like mint?"

Winter sent me a silent glance and didn’t respond, but… did I just catch the tiniest, faintest smirk at the corner of his lips? No, it had to be a play of light.

Well, I wasn’t about to stay out of this little game. Something caught my eye.

"Grilled chicken with quinoa and roasted veggies," I said to the food server, then added, "And that snowy white cupcake with the frosting… are those tiny sugar snowflakes on top?"

"Yes," the server grinned.

"Then I’ll take that one."

Winter, who had just finished paying the cashier, shot me another glance. No way he missed the symbolism in my choice.

He made his way toward an empty table, and after a brief moment of hesitation, I followed, unsure if he wanted me to sit with him, right here in the middle of the cafeteria, but… well, I didn’t really give him a choice.

By the time he sat down, I was already standing beside the table.

"Mind if I join you?"

His expression looked like he was being forced to accept a pushy salesperson’s offer, but after a brief pause, he gave me a curt nod.

I dropped into the chair across from him and muttered, "Well then, enjoy your meal. I can’t wait for dessert."

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