Page 10 of Alpha Brock

“Now?” Astrid asks, a little bit panicked. She sets her coffee mug on the island. “I’ve just gotta change quick…”

Fuck. It didn’t occur to me that I’d have to drive this girl around, too. I heave a sigh, flicking my gaze in her direction. “So I guess you need a ride?”

She hops down off of the barstool, sinking her teeth into her bottom lip and staring at me with that doe-eyed look again. “Yeah, is that okay?”

“Fine.”I mean, what the hell else am I gonna say?

Astrid scurries out of the room, and I resist the urge to steal another glance at her bare legs as she retreats.

“Guess I’ll have that coffee after all,” I grumble, stepping over to the barstool that Astrid vacated and sinking down onto it.

I push Astrid’s abandoned cup of coffee out of the way, watching Jared as he grabs a fresh cup from the cabinet and starts to pour me one.

“You know, it wouldn’t kill you to be a little bit friendlier to our guest,” he says, shooting me a disapproving look.

“I just didn’t realize I’d be stuck being her personal chauffeur, too,” I growl.

I see movement out of the corner of my eye as Astrid suddenly appears beside me, darting out a hand to grab her coffee mug from the island.

Fuck.

Her eyelashes flutter as she looks up at me timidly. “Um, sorry,” she mumbles, taking the coffee and spinning back around, rushing off toward the guest wing again.

Well now I feel like a fucking asshole.

I look back to Jared, and he’s still giving me that look of disapproval.

“Bro…” Brent breathes, shaking his head.

“Don’t,” I snap, shaking my own head and pushing up off of the stool. I don’t need to hear it- I already know that was a dick move. It’s not like I did it on purpose, though.

I snatch my coffee cup off of the island and stalk over toward the stairs, heading up to my room to get changed. Now I feel bad, and I’m annoyed that I feel bad. Having this girl staying here is already cramping my style. I hate that she’s up in my space, throwing off my daily routine. I hate the perky little-miss-sunshine thing that she has going on. I hate that I’m fucking attracted to her, that I can’t stop looking at her. These next few weeks might just kill me.

~

A half an hour later, I’m parking the Escalade in my usual spot at the squad complex, glancing over at Astrid as she unbuckles her seatbelt. The ride here sucked- I thought she’d be quiet after overhearing me talking shit in the kitchen, but instead she was just as chatty and bubbly as she was when I drove her to the packhouse yesterday. And I fuckinghateforcing smalltalk.

“So should I just call you later on to bring the car around?” Astrid asks, looking up at me and arching a brow.

I freeze, eyes narrowing. Slowly, her lips spread into a smile.

“Kidding,” she giggles.

I just stare at her blankly.

“You know, thechauffeurcomment earlier? I was just trying to make light of it…”

“Oh I got the joke,” I grumble, opening my door and climbing out of the Escalade.

Astrid shimmies out of the passenger side, and I’m already heading down the sidewalk when I hear her door close and her quick footsteps scrambling after me to catch up. I don’t bother slowing down for her, but somehow she keeps up- even though she’s gotta take at least two steps for every one of my long strides.

We round the corner of the complex and I head for the gate, Astrid’s little head bobbing beside me in my peripheral vision. She’s so fuckingsmall- good thing I’d never give into my attraction for her, because I’d break the girl in half.

“IT is that way,” I mumble, pointing at the second-story windows across the field. I start to walk away when Astrid pipes up.

“Actually, I think I’m gonna train with you guys this morning, if that’s alright.”

I stop in my tracks, turning to look at her over my shoulder. “Huh?”