I groaned. “No, please… brain… so dead…”
“Ignore it, baby. Stay right here.”
He kissed my temple and my neck, struggling to prop himself up on his palms. When he looked into my eyes, all I saw was the lazy afterglow that I felt.
“God, that was good,” I blurted. “Don’t make me go back to work.”
He chuckled. “You don’t have to just yet. I promise.”
“Thank you, sir.”
His eyes brightened at the affectionate name. Though it had rolled seamlessly off my tongue before, I questioned its presence in my mouth, rolling the aftertaste of it around as if I had just sucked a sour candy.
Had I meant that?
Don’t think about it, I urged myself as we carefully untangled from each other and got to our feet.Just clean up and check your messages.
After using a mountain of paper towels to clean up our mess, I checked my phone. Sasha was begging me to get back to the tavern. Even Christopher had blown up my phone. It would be too reckless of me to avoid their pleas.
Even if I didn’t want to go back.
The last thing I wanted to do after having the best sex of my life was to be dragged back into the chaos of the tavern. But I couldn’t argue. Sasha needed her wolf sister. The kitchen needed their chef. My responsibilities hardly outweighed a quick fuck with a guy who absolutely knew what he was doing.
I hope I see him again, I thought while diving back into the fray.Even more, I hope he wants to seemeagain…
Chapter 5 - Adam
“Where can we look next?”
It was a simple question for Donovan, but the answer was more complicated than either of us could articulate. The mountain of possibilities that rested on the table between us was a testament to that. It was all the information borrowed from Charlotte, delivered by Charlotte, and partially penned by Charlotte. Seeing her handwriting all over the pages tickled my senses. I couldn’t get her out of my mind.
When I noticed my alpha struggling to respond to my inquiry, I snapped out of my haze. I knew I had to be the one to pick up the slack. He needed my help. “I know. I’m sorry. That’s what I’m supposed to be doing, isn’t it?”
“Did you look over these documents in Charlotte’s office?”
“Of course, I did.” I licked my lips while recalling just whatkindof documents I had reviewed. “Closely. Very closely.”
“Why do I get the feeling that you’re lying to me?”
A dashing smirk broke over my lips. “Charlotte helped.”
“Ah, that’s good to hear.” He nodded confidently while pushing a mug toward me. “Your coffee is getting cold. That’s not like you.”
“Oh, I, uh…” I lifted the mug and took a huge gulp. “Ew, it tastes like mud.”
“Because you let it get cold.
I rolled my eyes. “Thanks,Dad.”
“Shut up. Don’t call me that.Fuck.” Donovan scraped his fingers over his scalp. The guy looked unhinged. He closed his eyes, exhaled, and then focused on me as a sense of calm washed over the room. “Sorry, this whole wedding thing is just…”
“Driving you nuts?”
His groan resonated in my chest. Even I could feel the weighted expectations that hung over him.
And why wouldn’t I? I was his beta, his second-in-command. It was my job to know what he was feeling and what he needed outside of his mate.
Which led me to suggest, “Boss, maybe you should take a break or something.”