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 food.”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 the array of ingr
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 asks
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 frowns. “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 for me to resist him.”“Only resist him?” Miles frowns. “You mean that you will also… with—“She looks up, apprehensive. And seeing the look on her face, he takes a dee
She tucks her head against his chest, taking comfort in his presence. Tranquility starts to settle over them as they just 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. "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 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 on her lips. Izzy'
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 nods. “Of course, my love,” he says, understanding her need for space and quiet.Yet, that little endearment tugs at her heart all the more. Carter quiets down and stays on her couch and starts to work 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 their persona
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 first 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 cuisine of the day?” he asks, his tone smooth and charming, as if he just didn’t show Izzy that pained look earlier. It is the reason why she agreed to a dinner date with him. It is a token of apology for being mean to him.As the waitress starts to recommend dishes that she is not familiar with, Izzy’s attention goes to how Carter carries himself outside. He’s already
Izzy gulps nervously as the limousine comes to a stop. She can feel the tension rising as she and Carter alight from the luxurious vehicle.“Where are we?” she asks, craning her neck to look at their surroundings.Carter takes a hold of her hand and pulls her along with him. “It’s a surprise,” he says with a grin.They walk along the path, their footsteps clinking against the gravel. She feels the butterflies in her stomach as they stop in front of a building — a hotel that looks like a mansion.Once inside the building, Izzy is taken aback by its opulence. The floors glisten under the soft lighting, and the walls are adorned with expensive art pieces.“Whoa,” she mutters under her breath, feeling like she doesn’t belong in such a grand place.Carter chuckles beside her. “Impressed?”“I don’t know,” she says, looking around. There are no ushers, and after the employees greet them, they go about their own way. “The service doesn’t seem to be good. No one is guiding us.”“Why would they?
Izzy’s lips tremble as she looks at him. She can feel it, her body is throbbing with desire for him. The mate bond is making her heart race and yet, her mind is telling her that this guy is a jerk, and it’s better to steer clear of him.“Izzy,” he whispers again. “Just tell me what you want and I will make it happen.”Her eyes peer into his eyes. Desire. No, not just the mate bond. It’s him. He’s attractive and his scent is making her heady. She groans. No! It’s just the mate bond acting up again!When he moves closer again, she hits the wall. Their bodies are almost touching now. The heat between them is palpable and she can feel the pull of the mate bond throbbing in sync with her heartbeat.“Should we go outside and swim?” she asks, trying to evade the combustion that’s about to happen.“Don’t be shy,” he says with a smirk, his eyes still locked on hers. “I’ve told you. Just tell me what you want me to do.”She swallows hard. He clearly knows what she wants! Especially with this mat