Chapter 31: Part 31

I swallowed, eyes darting to the left and then to the right while trying to make sure his voice remained steady. Petulantly I crossed my arms against my chest, and my mouth pressed in a thin line.

“Answer you what?!”

“Emma.” The Alpha started, and his tone– a strange mix of gentle and firm which almost took me back. My eyes drifted upward, and I was the least bit surprised to find the tight clench of his jaw. He was certainly not trying enough to hold back.

I suddenly felt a small, dull weight settle at the bottom of my heart, tugging it lower into my stomach.

“I waited like a fool in the elevator, but you did not show up!”

"Yeah?" I raised my brow, trying for nonchalant. Two heavy beats of silence passed between us, his eyes boring into me before he finally let out a sigh, shaking his head.

“You are impossible! Will you stop acting like this is not a big deal? How could you lie to me all this time?”

The word made my jaw clench tightly, hands sliding off and balling into fists at my sides. His eyes tracked the movement before looking up quickly, glinting in all too visible triumph at finally getting a reaction out of me.

“Lie to you? You are not making any sense right now, sir.”

“About your brother. You could have told me you both are related; instead, you sat back and had fun. Is it funny toying with me?” His nostrils flared, the vein on his forehead now visible, breathing ragged.

The words were like gasoline on the fire of my anger. The flames surged upward, engulfing and licking at my throat, heating the tips of my ears.

I threw my hands in the air, letting out an exasperated sigh. “Pray, tell me, how would that help me? You formed an opinion on me from the first day, sir. Nothing I did ever pleased you, and the last thing I wanted was for you to show me fake courtesy simply because you are friends with my brother.”

Abel gritted his teeth, shaking his head and taking a step back. My chest eased at a distance, finally able to breathe something that wasn’t his natural scent.

“You know what’s your problem, Emma?”

“No, but I am sure you do!” I threw back at him.

“Yes! Your problem is that you think you are above us and form an opinion before anyone else. Don’t even try to deny it.”

“Ugh! You are such an asshole at times. I can’t believe my brother is friends with someone like you.” I yelled out harshly, unable to control the anger in my voice anymore. Even in a fury, I saw the way hurt flickered across his features for just a second before they turned cold and angry once again.

“Truth hurts, doesn’t it?”

Silence fell in the room, our chest rising, the combination of heavy breathing the only sound echoing around. I could feel my blood boil, an actual searing heat starting from inside, radiating through the pores. Partly because of how close Abel was standing, the warmth of our bodies mixing in the tight bubble around, making my skin feel buzzy.

My face felt hot, a nervous sort of energy thrumming all over.

His large fingers skittered lightly down the exposed nape, making me shiver and my eyes flutter shut.

“You infuriate me at every step, Miss Emma, have such a mouth on you and yet all I want to do is kiss you.” He placed both hands on either side of my neck and pulled me forward, closing the gap between them. The Alpha pressed the cold tip of his nose to exposed skin, making me freeze in place, breaths shallow and uneven as he dragged down the column of my throat, lips brushing my collarbone.

I held my breath as he lifted a hand, his smooth, long finger running down my before cradling it. I stuttered out a breath, my body automatically gravitating closer.

Swift and unthinking, he surged into me with the force of tidal waves and captured my lips in a kiss. He was more gentle than I expected but no less consuming. Abel kissed like he was running out of time– desperately, hungrily. Like there is nowhere else he’d rather be.

I felt the last of the tiny cracks and fissures fuse, and though my heart remained a little dented still, it began to grow, expand, swell with sudden, overwhelming, all-encompassing want.

The hand on my waist slid to the lower back, flattening at the base of my spine. I pushed my hips forward in response, letting out a slight sound. My insides felt like I was on fire, burning from the inside out.

Abel was everywhere, his thick scent sticking to my skin. I buried my trembling fingers in his wet hair, completely forgetting how to breathe when he started sucking at my neck, teeth scraping against the hollow of the throat.

“Sir…” I breathed, my voice wavering. Slick has begun to soak through the material of my panties, my mind going fuzzy.

“You make me lose all my rational thought….” He groaned, pulling back, his breathing heavy. “All I think about is bending you over and giving my knot. Sometimes that’s the only thought keeping me sane.”

He rested our foreheads together gently, his thumb coming to rub at my jaw, another hand cupping the back of my neck and head. My body was covered in goosebumps, every inch of me shaking like a leaf, so nervous, so unused to this sort of touch and words.

“You make me question myself more than I would like….”

“So, is it my fault?” I gasped, vision going hazy as I blinked against the lighting in the restroom.

“Yes.”

With that, he dipped his mouth closer, our noses bumping. I could feel his warm breath on my parted lips, and when I shifted, they brushed together, just barely.

I fell against him in the perfect way, our lush lips sliding together wetly. I began to feel a small, curling heat pull at my belly with each press of playful bite, each teasing lick.

The Alpha slipped a hand behind, cupping at my bottom and drawing lazy swirls on the dress with his finger, nipping at my bottom lip, coaxing it open. I complied, my mouth parting around a delicious, little gasp, the pad of his thumb caressing the collarbones as I allowed him in.

Abel wasted no time slipping his tongue into the luscious heat, curling it against the roof of my mouth repeatedly, eager to swallow tiny, desperate hisses.

We kissed like we bantered– a toe for toe push and pull equal to hunger-inducing and thirst-quenching. I was dizzy, realising that a kiss like this could exist, one that rocked my world.

Suddenly we both froze in our spots at the footsteps echoing outside the door, hand slacking from him. My teeth sunk into the bottom lip as I feared someone catching us in this position. There was no plausible explanation for this, nothing that could make them less suspicious.

“What are we going to do?” I whisper yelled at him, my eyes widening and panic settling in.

“Nothing…” He shook his head while turning back and facing the door, swallowing loudly.

I shivered at the sudden rush of cool air against my skin, feeling vulnerable and desperate. A douse of reality set in as the footsteps slowly faded away, shoulders sagging in relief.

“There’s no one.” Abel turned to me, a blank look on his face.

“W-We should stop….”

“I know.” He murmured but made no effort to pull back.

Shaking my head, I put a hand on his chest and pushed at him before dashing out. I could feel his stare boring into my back, my knees wobbling as I walked away.

A tall, authoritative figure stood in the middle, halting me the midway. An Alpha. He was one of the staff, judging from his outfit and a badge resting atop his chest. I almost staggered back at the look on his face. What was his problem?

“How did you get in?”

“Excuse me?” I raised a brow at his tone, teeth-gritting at the derogatory manner.

“You heard me, lady. This is not that kind of place. So I suggest you leave before we call security and escort you out.”

It dawned on me that I must be looking dishevelled, lips swollen, and hair sticking out of place. Before I could reply, a hand snaked around my waist and tugged me closer. My body immediately relaxed as I felt Abel’s side pressing into me.

“Oh, here you are!” He murmured, pressing a chaste kiss on the top of my head.

The Alpha in front of me stuttered, his eyes bulging while flickering between both of us.

“Is there anything you would like to say to my mate?” Abel turned to the poor fellow in front of us; eyes narrowed into slits.

***