Chapter 46: The Next Step
The last of the chips were gone, crumpled wrappers gathering between them on the workbench. Aurora watched Rhys drain his soda, the strong column of his throat working. A comfortable silence had settled, but beneath it, a low current of something else hummed.She didn’t want to go. The thought of stepping back out into the bright, impersonal afternoon felt like a subtraction.
Rhys watched her, his dark eyes missing little. He saw the way her fingers pleated the edge of her dress, the slight hesitation in the set of her shoulders. He tipped his head, a slow, knowing smirk touching his lips.“Stalling, sweet girl?”
Her cheeks warmed.“No. I just… don’t want to be in the way.”
“You’re not.” He stood, his stool grating on the concrete, and offered her his hand.Not a question. An invitation she couldn’t refuse.She placed her small hand in his, and he pulled her gently to her feet. Instead of leading her toward the office door, he turned toward the back of the shop, past a tall rack of tires, to a dim, narrow alcove formed by a storage shelf and the wall. It was private, hidden from the bay doors and the office window.
The air here was still, warmer, thick with the scent of aged rubber and dust.And him.
He turned her so her back was to the shelf, his big body caging her in without touching. The world narrowed to this shadowy space, to the heat radiating from him, to the faint sound of Marcie’s radio chatter from the office.Aurora’s breath hitched, her heart a frantic bird against her ribs.
“You came all this way,” he murmured, his voice a low rumble that vibrated in her chest.“Brought me lunch. Been so good.” His calloused thumb brushed the line of her jaw, tipping her face up.His expression was intense, focused solely on her. “Let me thank you properly.”
Before she could form a thought, he dipped his head. He didn’t kiss her mouth. He went to the curve where her neck met her shoulder, the most vulnerable, tender part of her. His nose brushed her skin, and she shuddered, a full-body tremor that made her knees weak.He inhaled deeply, a slow, deliberate draw. A low, approving sound echoed in his chest. Then he began to rub his cheek against hers, down the side of her neck, along her collarbone.It was primal, possessive. His stubble scratched deliciously against her softness. He was marking her, spreading his scent—that powerful blend of leather, woods, and clean alpha musk—all over her pulse points.
Aurora’s head fell back against the shelf with a soft thump.Her eyes fluttered closed. A quiet, breathy sound escaped her, not quite a moan.It was overwhelming. His scent invaded her senses, blurring the edges of her thoughts, wrapping around her like a heavy, safe blanket.She felt claimed. Protected.His.
He nuzzled into the hollow of her throat, his breath hot on her damp skin.“That’s it,” he growled softly, his voice thick with satisfaction. “Let everyone know who you belong to.”
Belong to.The words should have scared her. Instead, they sparked a deep, instinctive purr in her chest, a soft, rumbling vibration she couldn’t have stopped if she tried.It was her omega response, a primal echo of his claim.
He finally drew back, just enough to look at her. Her face was flushed, her hazel eyes glassy and wide, pupils blown.She looked utterly debauched, dazed with sensation. He grinned, a flash of white in the dim light, and leaned in to press a firm, warm kiss to the tip of her nose.
“There,” he said, his own scent now irrevocably layered with hers—sweet honey and vanilla, now fused with rain-soaked earth and oak. “Now when you’re out, every alpha with half a brain will smell me on you a mile off.They’ll know you’re spoken for.”
The purr in her chest deepened. She swayed forward, her forehead coming to rest against his solid chest. “You smell like me, too,” she mumbled into his shirt, the cotton soft against her lips.
His large hand came up to cradle the back of her head, fingers threading through her blonde hair. “Good.” He held her there for a long moment, letting her float in the aftermath. Then he gave her a gentle squeeze and stepped back, breaking the spell.“Alright, sweet girl. Time to let you go before I decide to keep you.” His voice was rough, edged with a hunger that mirrored her own.
He guided her, still unsteady, out of the alcove and back toward the customer entrance. Marcie glanced up from her desk, took one look at Aurora’s dazed expression and the unmistakable, intermingled scent that now clung to them both, and smiled knowingly before looking back at her screen.
At the door, Rhys stopped her.He turned her to face him, his hands on her shoulders. “You get home safe.Text me.”
Aurora nodded, words still beyond her.
A playful, wicked light entered his eyes. His hand slid from her shoulder, down the curve of her back, and gave her rear a firm, unmistakable swat through the thin fabric of her dress. The sound was a sharp crack in the quiet office.
Aurora jolted, a yelp catching in her throat.Heat exploded across her face, flooding down her neck.
Rhys just winked, opening the door for her. “See you soon, Aurora.”
She stumbled out into the sunlight, the door clicking shut behind her.The afternoon heat was a shock against her sensitized skin. She stood on the sidewalk, the echo of his touch—both the tender scents and the shocking, thrilling slap—singing in her blood.She brought a hand to her neck, inhaling deeply. He was everywhere on her.She was wrapped in him.
A slow, secret smile spread across her face as she began the walk home, her steps light, her body humming with a new, powerful awareness.