Page 16 of Stuck with my Pack
Sophie:Hahaha, I mean, if you don’t you can come over, though.
I text her back, putting her out of her misery.
Brodie:I’ll be there in a bit. Lol
I can practically hear her nervousness in her texts, making me chuckle. I can also picture the flush that is probably all over her face.
I look up to see Lily unabashedly reading over my shoulder. “Go,” she says, waving me off with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. “You’ve got nothing better to do, and I’m not about to listen to you brood all night.”
“I don’t brood,” I protest.
“Sure you don’t,” she replies, returning to her garden, laughing.
Sophie’salready in the dining area, spreading sketches and notes across the table. Her cheeks are flushed, and her hair’s pulled back in a messy bun. She looks…real, grounded. Like she belongs here.
When she looks up and sees me walking through the door, her whole face fucking shines. I’d do anything for her if she only smiled at me like that forever.
“Brodie, you made it!”
Tyler’s leaning on the table, looking at some magazines and an old blueprint, his quirky, lopsided smile firmly in place. I’ve missed him.
“Look who finally showed up,” he says, nodding in my direction.
“Miss me, Hawk?” I shoot back, clapping him on the shoulder and pulling him into the hug I should have given him when I first saw him a few hours ago.
“Like a toothache,” he jokes, earning a laugh from Sophie. But he can’t hide the longing from me.
Her laugh—light, unguarded—hits me square in the chest. I force myself to focus on the papers she’s laying out instead of how her scent is subtly wrapping around me, pulling me closer.
“All right,” Sophie says, her voice bright, “here’s what I’ve been thinking.”
She launches into an animated explanation, her hands slicing through the air as she talks, her energy contagious. “I want to keep the historic charm intact while making it functional. Look at this—” Sophie grabs her phone from the table and thrusts it toward me, her enthusiasm practically radiating off her.
“This is what I want in this room. Picture exposed beams, reclaimed wood tables, and these really cool old fixtures I found at the antique shop. It will make the entire room feel warm and cozy, like you’ve just stepped into an old teahouse.”
Her eyes light up as she speaks. Just beneath the surface, there’s a raw, unfiltered passion that can’t be manufactured. It feels achingly real. It’s not just captivating; it’s consuming.
My Alpha stirs, restless and possessive, urging me closer, whispering that she should be mine, ours. The thought is intoxicating, as is the need to claim her, to wrap myself around her until she’s as much a part of me as I am of her. It’s primal, undeniable, and completely uncharted territory for me.
What is happening to me? The thought claws at me as my gaze traces the curve of her jaw, the way her lips move with every word.
The image of her riding my cock, moaning as I fill her comes to mind so fast I have to adjust myself. But I don’t just want her— I want to tangle myself so completely in her life that there’s no way to tell where she ends and I begin.
“You’re sure about those beams?” Tyler interrupts, looking down at her phone, a frown tugging at his lips. “Exposed beams are a classic, but they’re also a pain in the ass if they’re not done right. You want charm, not splinters falling into someone’s soup.”
Sophie rolls her eyes but grins, her voice laced with mock annoyance. “I’m aware, Captain Practical. That’s why I planto consult an expert before anything gets ripped out. And no, that doesn’t mean you get to swing a sledgehammer without supervision.”
Tyler chuckles, the sound low and warm. “You wound me, woman. I’m more than capable of being gentle...when necessary.”
He looks at her with such heat that I’m surprised she doesn’t combust. I don’t think she even noticed, but I did.
I can’t help but smile, watching the back-and-forth. Sophie doesn’t just hold her own against Tyler’s teasing; she gives as good as she gets. Her cheeks flush, but her confidence doesn’t waver. It’s… impressive.
“Besides,” she continues, glancing between us, “I want this place to be more than just another renovation. It has to mean something. My Aunt loved this inn, and it was everything to her. If I screw it up?—”
“You won’t,” I cut in, the words escaping before I can stop them. Her eyes snap to mine, surprised. “You’ve got the vision. And with the right help, this place could be incredible.”
Her lips part slightly, as if she wasn’t expecting support from me, but before she can respond, Tyler chimes in, his tone playful, “Wow, Brodie. That almost sounded like encouragement. Should we mark the calendar?”
