Page 20 of The Bookseller and the Alpha
I began to undo the buttons on my pyjamas. “No peeking,” I warned, as I pulled off the dank nightwear. I almost moaned at the pleasure of the cool air on my sweaty skin.
The laughter had fled from his voice when he rumbled. “I swore that you would be safe. It is insulting to suggest that I would not keep my word.” The words were clipped and hard. My stomach flip-flopped. I’d hurt his feelings. Me and my big mouth. Shame washed over me. Luc had brought me to his home and looked after me. He had put himself between me and danger. He had given up his privacy and his space for someone he hardly knew. And I’d repaid his generosity by insulting him.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. I wanted to reach out and touch his shoulder in apology, but maybe he wouldn’t appreciate it. I kept my hands to myself and found the t-shirt and shorts he’d handed me. From the feel of the fabric they were old and well-worn. Soft against my skin. A hint of his scent clung to the garments and I breathed it in. The shirt fell almost to my knees when I stood on slightly wobbly legs to remove my pyjama pants and pulled up the shorts. They were ridiculously large, but I pulled the drawstring all the way tight. They sat low on my hips but at least they wouldn’t fall off.
Luc stood facing the wall, his shoulders tense. He was still angry. Shit. I didn’t know how to fix this. Honestly, I didn’t want to move. Standing up had made my head hurt worse and I really didn’t want to go back to my apartment. But Luc’s body language suggested I was no longer welcome here. And who would blame him. “I’ll go sleep on your couch,” I offered.
“Get back in the bed.” Luc’s voice was a deep rumble.
Parts of me that had no good reason to respond perked up in reaction. “The couch will be fine, really.” I would crawl there if I had to.
“Don’t push me, Caly. Not now. Get under the covers.”
Holy hell. How was it sexy that he was so bossy? A huge yawn took me by surprise. “‘Okay Mr Bossy. You win.” I clambered back into his ridiculously comfortable bed. “I’m all covered up. You can come back to bed now.” My eyes were already shutting as he padded back around the bed and climbed in beside me. His arm came around my body and sleep took me almost instantly.
Chapter 23
Luc
I poured myself a second cup of coffee, and sipped it slowly, letting the bitter flavour bring me to full wakefulness as I slouched in the doorway to my bedroom. Calypso still slept in my bed. My fingers tightened on the mug as a surge of possessiveness filled me. My mate was in my bed. Wearing clothes of mine. I suppressed a purr of satisfaction. I had lain awake for most of the remaining hours of the night after Calypso had changed into my t-shirt and shorts and dropped off to sleep. I’d been angry. A little angry at her for suggesting that I might peek while she changed, but mostly angry at myself. Because I had wanted to peek. I had wanted to do much more than peek. I had wanted to capture that smart tongue, swallow her gasp of surprise and plunder her soft mouth. My offer to help undo her buttons had been well-intentioned. She had been hurt and the last thing she needed was being hit on while she was vulnerable. Most women would freak out when they woke up in a strange man’s bed, but she had handled it smoothly after the first moment of panic. I thought I had my own emotions under tight control, Beast locked as deep as I could force him. I had been wrong.
I offered to undo her buttons. Then the sweet smell of her arousal reached my nostrils and I came unravelled, Beast roaring to life.Take her, he had demanded.She is ours.Need pulsed in my breastbone and I wanted to reach out and haul her against my bare chest. I had locked my arms behind my back, afraid that I was about to lose control.
And because I was angry at myself, I’d snapped at her. Told her she had insulted me. And my sensitive, beautiful mate had apologised.Shehad apologised to me, when I was the one at fault. I was disgusted with myself. I had promised she would be safe and I had nearly ravaged her like the Beast that I truly was. Even my dreams had been of her; Calypso riding me, her glorious hair falling around her shoulders, her head thrown back in ecstasy as I pounded deep inside her, filling her, hearing her scream my name as an orgasm took her, before I pumped my cum into her welcoming body. I’d woken with my cock aching and hard as a rock, pressed against her luscious ass. The shorts I’d given her had ridden up while she slept, and my hand rested on her bare thigh.
A shower had helped, but only because I’d gripped my cock in my own hands and pumped; once, twice. My release was so intense that I saw stars behind my eyelids and I collapsed against the tiles, breathing harsh in my throat. Water washed away the evidence.
I was a Beast. I didn’t deserve her, but I would never let her go.
I straightened in the doorway when I heard her breathing change.She is awake,purred Beast.Take her now. Calypso stirred on the bed, and her eyes fluttered. I turned my back and went back to the kitchen, toward my open laptop. Billy had sent me a report overnight, with photos of the damage in the apartment and details of the building’s security. Which was complete shit. I had taken care of that already. Then I’d spokento Sam. His version of the events was similar to Caly’s. Someone had used a portal to break into my mate’s apartment. Fucking unacceptable. I rubbed at the ache in my chest. Even with increased security, I wasn’t going to let her stay in her apartment alone until we’d resolved the threat. And I had no idea who would want to burn that much magic to get to her. I’d emailed an update to my team but it fitted none of the usual patterns. Too much magic for a basic burglary, and she wasn’t a high-profile target for a kidnapping.
Chapter 24
Calypso
I sensed Luc’s presence when I stirred. Even before my eyes opened, I could have pointed to the spot where Iknewhe stood, just outside the bedroom doorway. I sensed him. Like a compass pointing to magnetic north, my awareness was tuned to his. It was a strange feeling, like a tug on my insides when I faced in his direction. Strange, but not unpleasant. What did this hyper-awareness of him mean? I didn’t want to think about that.
He’d watched me sleep. Perhaps that should have freaked me out. But the idea didn’t feel creepy. Instead, it was intimate, like he was my protector. Or my lover. My breath caught in my chest as I remembered the dream I’d had about him. No. I slammed the door on that memory. I wanted to slap myself. This was a ridiculous infatuation and it had to stop. The man had not once shown any interest, other than maybe a little mild flirting, and I was ready to throw myself at him.Get a grip woman.
By the time I opened my eyes, I could sense that he’d already turned away. I got a good view of his tight ass and broad shoulders as he stalked down the corridor that probably led to the kitchen, going by the smell of coffee wafting from that direction. Tension rolled off him visibly. My heart dropped like astone into a deep well. Maybe he was still angry from how I had insulted him.
You can do this Caly. I would be polite. I would be grateful. And I would get the hell out of his space. With the morning sunlight, I could finally see the room I was in. It was simply but impersonally furnished. The king-sized bed took up most of the space. There was a wooden dresser, the dark wood matching the colour of the bedhead. No knick-knacks cluttered its surface and there were no pictures on the wall. It told me nothing about him. An open door led to an ensuite bathroom.
I sat up carefully. No headache. Thank gods. I scurried across the room, soft carpet under my feet. I’d take a quick shower, then be out of his hair.
The bathroom was just as impersonal as the bedroom. I spotted a toothbrush and a razor by the side of the sink, in a small wash bag. A pack of painkillers was open on the bench. But that was it. No sign that anyone inhabited the space except him. Relief washed over me. Not that there was going to be anything between us. There couldn’t be. But my inner cavewoman still stood up and cheered. Stupid hormones.
At least there was shampoo and conditioner in the shower. I’d stripped and stepped into the hot water before I remembered that I had no clothes to wear. I would need to stay in Luc’s things or put my own pjs on again. I wrinkled my nose, remembering how disgustingly sweat-soaked they were in the middle of night. I really didn’t want to wear them again. But I’d enjoyed wearing Luc’s clothing too much. I choked on a half-laugh, half sob. My business and my home had been broken into, Sam and I had been attacked, and I was mooning over the Shifter in charge of the investigation. Maybe there was something wrong with me. Or maybe it was just another symptom of my deep-seated need for someone to love me. I’d always been too clingy. It drove men away. I had learned thatit was better to not try. Being lonely was better than rejection. Than being told that I wasn’t suited for a ‘normal’ relationship. And now Luc had stepped in and my brain had started to fixate on him as the hero I’d always wanted.
I needed to end this now. After the shower I finger combed my hair but avoided looking in the mirror. I was vain enough that I didn’t want to see the stitches in my forehead. Carefully probing the area with my fingertips, I was relieved to feel only a mild tenderness, but I really didn’t want to see the damage. I’d ask Mrs S when I got home. And until then I would keep my hands and my thoughts to myself.
It was harder than I expected, to act cool and collected, when I walked into the kitchen wearing Luc’s t-shirt and shorts under a robe I’d found hanging on the back of the door. I was conscious of my bare legs and that I was wearing no bra. I crossed the robe more securely across my body so he couldn’t see how my nipples had pebbled just at the sight of him.
Luc was sitting at the kitchen table. The dark pants that moulded so nicely to his ass had been paired with a pale blue shirt, open at the collar. His eyes flicked up toward me as I entered the room. I saw a flash of vivid blue before his gaze dropped back to his screen.
I froze. His eyes were blue. His Shifter side was close to the surface. That usually only happened when they were feeling strong emotions, but his control was so good I wouldn’t have known if I hadn’t seen his eyes.
“There’s coffee in the pot and bread for toast, if you’re hungry. Billy will be here shortly with some clothes for you, then I’ll take you back to your flat. We’ll collect Pompy while we’re there and you can talk me through what happened.” His voice was cool. Impersonal. I stiffened my spine. I got the message loud and clear. He was frustrated. Sick of babysitting me no doubt.
