Book Smart

Eighteen

My phone gets pushed into my hand after a gentle tap in the middle of my chest draws my attention back to the precious cargo snuggled up so sweetly in my lap. I hadn't truly been able to keep my eyes off him during my conversation with Collin, but luckily with Adrian in the room, my friend seems suddenly not to mind my distraction nearly as much. Every time I manage to refocus, Collin is there on the other side of his desk, all smiles and smart ass comments over my shift in attitude. How the hell could he expect me to be surly and grumpy with my newfound Angel snuggled up in my lap?

Glancing at the screen makes me smile, the first thing coming into focus in the cart a jug of hazelnut creamer, a can of French roast coffee, and to my surprise, a box of herbal tea. I resist the urge to scroll through the rest of the shopping cart and coo over each one of Adrian's choices and move through the check out making sure he watches me so he'll know how to do access my card information in the future.

I'm not sure how much he's actually paying attention to...I keep catching him staring at me instead of the small screen. The way he ducks his head to hide his blush filled face each time he's caught has my heart doing flips in my chest. If he can't figure it out later he can just ask, but I continue to try and keep him focused all the same... Dragging it out a bit to make sure the adorably bashful interaction lasts as long as possible. My little angel... So perfectly shy...But so genuinely sweet. And all mine.

I pass the phone back to him and he immediately ditches it in his lap in favor of grabbing hold of my hand and starts to play with my fingers by tracing the softest patterns into my skin, the small peaceful smile that finds its way to his face melting my insides into a puddle of goo.

I don't see the need to resist stealing a kiss from his pillow-soft lips, no longer interested in going over the finer details of Agatha's punishment. Something about making her give a read-aloud storytime to the pack's daycare twice a week for the next month or so. In my opinion, it's not really a punishment, but she's old, and apparently isn't very fond of toddlers because they tend to want to rip pages out of books instead of reading them.

At this point with Adrian more interested in timid affection than crying and most of the punishment settled I don't see a point in forcing my input on something Collin has somewhat handled at the moment.

...
Adrian
...

"Are you happy, Baby?"

The question feels more loaded than it probably is, but as Silas's hand captures mine while he waits for my answer it dawns on me that even with Grammy's extremely negative reaction I am happy, "I feel safe...and warm..."

I don't mean to say those exact words but it certainly seems to make Silas happy with the way he smiles against my cheek. He feels so genuine wrapped around me like this...All of my aches and anxiety over Grammy not liking my caring other half had been soothed away within minutes of being in his arms. Rubbing my face into his collar bone while his arms give me a gentle squeeze makes me feel so at home...

"That's good. That's how you should always feel, My Sweet Boy." My mate chuckles when I shiver over his decadent feeling words as he whispers them into my hair. I get squished against his solid chest in a way that has me sighing into his warmth and craving more. More soft touches. More cuddles. More kisses and snuggles and feeling safe wrapped up in his arms. Not even an entire day together and I already feel addicted to the way his scent burns my nose...The way his scent demands all of my attention when he presses us together so carefully...The feel of his body so unyielding against mine.

I have to push against his chest in order for his arms to relax enough to let me breathe properly and find myself nuzzled within an inch of my life. I can't help the giggle that erupts from his fondness... I love how freely he gives me affection...It feels so so nice to be loved on.

....
Silas
....

Adrian's giggle nearly sends me over the edge... It's like listening to Christmas bells with how innocent it sounds pouring into the air and for once today my wolf is interested in him in a way that doesn't involve fucking him on every available flat surface from here to Texas... Just pure amazement at the sound, amazed that we were the ones to elicit it from him. Peering through my eyes in wonder at the charming noise, my wolf paws at the surface of our shared mind in an effort to get to him... To reach out to his wolf and connect on a deeper level. We both want to hear it again and continue nuzzling our Sweetheart until we manage to get him to giggle and snort with cute little croons laced in between telling me half-hearted No's. Gentle hands try to push my face away from his neck and shoulder but the attempts are weak. When I finally stop he's red in the face and panting, his lips pulled into an adorably crooked smile, his hands cupping my cheeks to keep me from straying too far.

Even now my precious Adrian keeps his eyes averted as he catches his breath, his face still only inches from mine.

I make him feel safe... And warm... Just that knowledge alone makes me melt, completely captured by his charm. How can he be so perfect? How can he be mine? I have no idea what I've done to get on the right side of the Gods but thank the heavens that I did.

My hand finds itself lying over one of Adrian's as he shyly holds me still, "Let's go home, Sweetheart."

....
Adrian
....

It feels like a dream slipping off of Silas's lap and being greeting by Alpha Collin's indulgent smile as he stares at us leaning back in his computer chair with his reading glasses now folded in his hand.

I get shy...or rather more shy than I normally am around everyone else and I find myself curling into Silas's side as he stands up to escape the overly happy stare, "You take care of him, Silas. If you don't I won't hesitate to come to take him back."

Silas's growl is enough of a response to send Collin into a fit of full-bellied laughter filled with almost as much warmth as my mate's strong arms.

I get cuddled and caressed when I flinch into Silas's hold at the sound of Collin's bellows and for once my anxiety over being the center of attention doesn't swallow me whole.

"I'll see you guys next month. Don't you dare try and leave Adrian at home, okay?"

Just like that, we get dismissed and I feel so much better leaving the office than when I came in.

We pause only for Silas to pick up my backpack and slip it onto his shoulder before adjusting his arm around my waist and opening the door for me like a gentleman with the biggest of self-satisfied smiles on his face as he beams at me.