Page 12 of Blizzards and Brews
“Did you want it?” I choked out.
Horror washed across her gaze as she realized what I meant.
“Yes!” she said quickly. “Yes, everything was consensual. I promise.”
Even though that was what I wanted to hear, it didn’t make it better.
I couldn’t let go of her, didn’t want to let go of her. I wouldn’t be able to take feeling her slip through my fingers again now, not when she was still carrying another alpha’s scent, his marks all over her skin.
Intentional marks that were meant to stake a claim. On my girl.
“Firefly–”
“Can we not do this now?” she begged, her brown eyes looking up at me pleadingly. She almost looked as raw as I felt.
The thing about Lindsay was that she never asked for anything. Not when she was sick, not when someone called out, not when she broke down. She asked for nothing. So, when she asked me this, her vulnerability on full display, a reprieve from the façade she sometimes wore, I found myself nodding along.
“Later,” I relented. “You’re coming over tonight after this, no buts.”
“He already said he’d pick up your favorite,” Dustin piped in, giving her an easy smile.
Her eyes narrowed. “With extra rangoons?”
“What are we? Amateurs?” Ollie asked with a small smile.
“And that’s why you’re my favorite,” Lindsay beamed at Ollie. “For today at least.”
She patted her hand on my bicep that was still very much wrapped around her and looked at me pointedly. I relented, but not before I dragged my wrist against her skin, covering her with my scent as well.
“That will have to do for now, firefly.”
She rolled her eyes. “Why oh why couldn’t the three of you have a sister? At least then I wouldn’t be the only one knocking sense into you. I’m going to go to the back and get the flights ready for the consultant. They should be here soon, right?”
“Any minute now,” I nodded, watching as she disappeared into the back where we kept our storage and stills.
We all shared a look as she disappeared into the back. Ollie started to say something but I couldn’t talk, I needed to calm myself.
After a few breaths, I wasn’t any more centered than before. That scent lingered here, intertwined with hers, and I was about to lose my fucking mind.
An icy wind cut through the scents, dispersing them, and I glanced to the doorway to see a man walking in. He had a bit of a swagger to his step and a smile on his face. There was stubble on his chin but just enough to give him a rugged look.
“You must be Spencer,” I said with a nod, stepping toward him. “Thanks for coming.”
“Of course, you have a great place here. I’m excited to get started.”
His green eyes widened as he breathed in and it wasn’t until he reached me that I realized why. Spencer’s eyes followed the direction of where my girl had disappeared into the back room.
He was the one who’d been with Lindsay. His scent was an exact match, that same warm, woodsy tone that was wrapped around her.
Dustin stepped up to my side, gripping my bicep to hold me in place. It wasn’t until then that I realized I was growling at this man.
“I didn’t know she was going to be here this morning,” he said. “I was told the owners were the Drake brothers.”
Dustin’s grip tightened on me. “She’s a silent owner. Does she know that you are the consultant Janet set us up with?”
“I hadn’t had a chance to tell her yet. Should I go?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “I’m not saying I’ll leave Lindsay alone, but we can just end this business meeting here if we need to.”
He was blunt but honest, and that I could handle. Plus, I wasn’t going to win over Lindsay if I was an ass to her current…suitor. She wasn’t one to let just anyone mark up her neck like that. Even if the way the alpha was handling this so calmly was pissing me off.