Back on her desk, Izzy tries to focus on her work but finds it impossible. Every time she shuts her eyes, she can feel Miles’ lips on hers, warm and tender. She shakes her head vigorously as if trying to shake off the memory.But it’s there, etched in the corners of her mind, resurfacing every so often with a potency that makes her catch her breath. She rubs her temples, willing herself to concentrate and move on from the distracting memory.“Concentrate, Izzy,” she mutters to herself, forcing her eyes back on the pile of work on her desk. But it’s no use. Her thoughts keep on drifting back to Miles — his warm voice, his soft gaze, the way his kiss made her feel... and her wanting more of those gentle kisses.She pushes the papers away in frustration, knocking over a cup of pens. She stares at the scattered pens for a while before bending down to pick them up. As she does, a picture falls out from one of the books stacked on her desk. It is a picture of her and Miles from last summer’
Miles takes her hand gently in his, lacing their fingers together. “I want to embrace you the entire night.” She frowns. “The elders and your other mates allowed it,” he adds, his eyes pleading. ‘Hugging, huh,’ she thinks as she gazes into his eyes. They’ve hugged before, so it doesn’t sound so bad. Annoyed by all the second-guessing, she groans. If Miles is already taking up this much head space, how could she handle more mates? Still, she cannot be selfish. This is Miles. He has been a dear friend to her since five years ago. “Okay, we can hug,” she agrees. “But we can’t do anything... intimate.” Miles smiles before pulling her close to him, their bodies pressing together. “Of course not, Izzy. Just... be with me.” She can feel his warm breath tickling the skin of her throat as he sighs softly against her neck before replying in a quiet, shaky voice, “Thank you.” Izzy has to admit, it feels strange at first — the way Miles is holding her, their chests pressing against each ot
Izzy walks into the kitchen and finds Miles already there, preparing the ingredients for their breakfast. His back is on her, but she can sense his happiness from the way he moves. He turns to her and finds her looking at him. “Hey, good morning!” She makes another of her lopsided smile. “I’ll help you,” she says, walking towards the counter where Miles is standing. “As promised?” he asks, looking pleased, and then he laughs. “What?!” she asks, confused at his reactions. “I’m sorry for teasing you earlier.” “You already apologized earlier.” “That’s not a complete apology, though.” Her frown deepens. “Then what does a ‘complete’ apology look like, Mr. Miles?” she asks, looking at him skeptically. “Well, for starters,” he says, turning toward her with a playful glint in his eyes. “It involves breakfast.” She rolls her eyes. “And here I thought it would involve something more dramatic.” He laughs, a warm sound that fills the kitchen and makes her heart flutter. He gestures to t
After a long day of work, Izzy and Miles finally meet up at the park. They found a secluded spot under a large oak tree, where they spread out a picnic blanket and opened a box of steaming hot pizza.“Here’s the pizza as you requested,” Miles says while Izzy prepares drinks for both of them.“This pizza is amazing,” Izzy exclaims as she samples one slice.“I know, right? Perfect for a lazy day like this,” he replies with a grin. “This reminds me of that movie we watched before, about pizza and cheese as ultimate weapons.”“Ah! I remember!” She clears her throat before continuing, “Watch out, I have the ultimate weapon,” she says, making her voice a little deeper while pretending as if her pizza is a weapon.Miles laughs and holds up a gooey slice. “Oh no, I will need to defend myself by using the dripping cheese attack!”“Pffft!”And then they both burst into laughter. For Izzy, spending hours with Miles has always been effortless.“Remember that time we got lost in the woods?” he ask
Izzy stands through the entryway of her room. Her mind is still fixed on that scene with Alpha Landon. Miles accompanied her to her room and is looking down at her, observing her reactions.“Thank you, Miles,” she murmurs.She is grateful for his intervention with Alpha Landon earlier. She can’t even imagine how things would have turned out if he hadn’t stepped in — or what she could have allowed him to do — and that makes things even scarier. “And sorry about earlier.”“Why are you apologizing?”“Well, about that thing with the alpha. Thank you for stopping him.”Miles furrows his brows. “You mean when he was about to touch you? You could have stopped him yourself, though.”Her shoulders slump at his words. “I don’t think I can,” she admits, glancing down at her hands. “This mate bond is trying to cloud my senses, making it hard
She tucks her head against his chest, taking comfort in his presence. Tranquility settles over them as they lay there, tangled together on the bed. "Hey Miles," she starts after a while, her words muffled by his shirt. He hums in response, his fingers lightly tracing her spine. "Yeah?" She swallows nervously before continuing. "Can you... can you loosen your hold on me?" she asks hesitantly. "I mean, it's getting really tight..." Miles chuckles softly, causing his chest to rumble under Izzy's ear. "Are you saying I'm suffocating you?" He teases, his grip slowly loosening around her waist. "No, it's just..." she fumbles with the words again, feeling oddly vulnerable under his gaze. "I can't think clearly..." "About what?" His voice is a soft inquiry and Izzy can feel his warm breath flutter against the top of her head. She looks up at him to scold him, but he might have seen the need in her eyes, because the next thing she knows is that he is leaning over her and placing a kiss o
Izzy groans audibly and then she takes another deep breath to calm herself before speaking again. “Look, I’m sorry. But can you please quiet down for a bit? I really need to focus on my work.” Carter’s face softens as he nods, understanding her need for space and quiet. “Of course, my love,” he says. The little endearment tugs at her heart all the more. Carter quiets down and stays on her couch, working on some documents, same as her. She sighs and rubs her temples. She is turning into someone she doesn’t like. But then, why of all people should she have three mates?! She was content living on her own, working hard to achieve success in her career! But now, everything seems so complicated and overwhelming! With a shake of her head, Izzy tries to push her thoughts aside and focus on finishing her report. However, it’s proving to be difficult with Carter constantly popping up in her mind. She can’t deny the sexual desire she feels for him. But she also can’t ignore the fact that thei
Izzy’s stomach grumbles as she scours her eyes around the place. It is grand and elegant, with sparkling chandeliers and plush velvet chairs. She can’t believe that Carter took her to a five-star restaurant for their date. And it’s even in a different town!“Next time, can we have dinner somewhere nearby?”“You didn’t enjoy the ride here?” he asks. “Maybe I should pilot the chopper next time?”That’s not the point! She’d like to tell him, but then a waitress approaches, and she can’t help but notice how Carter seems completely at home in the fancy setting. He even flashes the waitress an easy smile.“So, what’s the meal of the day?” he asks, his tone smooth and charming, as if he just didn’t show Izzy that pained look earlier, before she agreed to a dinner date with him.As the waitress starts to recommend meals that she is not familiar with, Izzy’s attention goes to how Carter carries himself outside. He’s already in his late thirties, but he looks younger than most of his peers in t