Chapter 42
He scowled. "You're embarrassed." "I can't tell if it's because of your friend or because of these pastries." Knowing full well that Vera was listening in on our little talk, I scoffed at that.
"A little bit of both," I acknowledged.
Derrick briefly drummed his fingers on the table while gazing down at the tower, which included pastries, cupcakes, and cream cakes. He had never tasted anything I had made before, save for the disastrous sandwich I had made him two days prior, and for some reason it worried me.
He made his decision as he lifted a tiny tartelette with a caramelized strawberry in the center and a ring of cream and short-crust pastry around it. His decision startled me because I thought he would choose something with more chocolate.
I anticipated that he would take a bite, but he once again stunned me by thrusting the entire thing into his mouth. I had to stop myself from wiping away the powdered sugar and cream that had accumulated around the rims of his lips. He closed his eyes, and a sound that sounded almost like a groan escaped his lips. I held onto the edges of my seat with my hands while I observed his slowly swallowing Adam's apple.
I was blushing and breathing a bit too heavily, and he pegged me with a knowing look as he opened his eyes.
"It's funny how fate works," he sighed. "My mate is a baker, and I have a chronic sweet tooth." His comments didn't seem to be a lie, but I still looked at his face to see if he was just repeating them to appease me.
"You do?" "You liked it?" flashed in my eyes. I found myself looking for his approval, even though I knew I shouldn't have been. I scooted to the edge of my seat and grabbed a chocolate from across the table.
I was about to transfer the item to his plate after remarking, "You'll adore this; these are my favorites," when he grasped my wrist and raised it to his lips. As he bit into it, I felt the tips of my fingers lightly touch his lips, widening my eyes.
His gesture had surprised me, but all he seemed to do was laugh at the look of disbelief on my face.
"Would you like to feed me anything else, or was that a one-time thing?" His tone had dropped significantly, and I could feel my stomach muscles tense as he asked.
He was making fun of me.
"I want to discuss a matter with you." His eyes and smile left my face, and he turned back to face the coffee maker, filling the two cups before continuing.
"I'd rather you eat something first." My gaze focused on the chocolate éclair that was in my grasp, the one that he had just nibbled on. This time, when I lifted it in the direction of my lips, he looked up at me and observed me taking a tiny bite. Since I had just woken up, my appetite had never been greater.
"The punishment you have granted your beta, I want you to withdraw it." A brief expression of relief crossed his face before a frown took its place.
"He hurt you, Kylie—I will not be lenient with the people that harm you, however close they are to me." My heart fell; I had committed to Morgan.
Derrick sighed heavily and shook his head before bending forward in his chair once more.
"Fine." It surprised me how quickly he gave in. "If you want me to do this for you, I'll want something in return." Even though his words were brief, they had a lot of weight.
When he noticed the hesitation on my face and the way my eyes fell on his body, he could tell that I was thinking about something sexual.
He shook his head a little and grinned. "Angel, nothing like that. I want a date with you; if I wanted you to touch me, it wouldn't be because of an agreement we made; it would be because you wanted to."
"A date?" He gave me a nod of his head while I struggled to process the shock.
"I'd like for you to accompany me to a party—as my date." It seemed as though my brain had shorted out when he clearly reiterated.
"Is this the type of party I have to get dressed up for?" When I didn't immediately agree with him, he scowled.
"I could have something sent over to you if that is a problem."
"No, you don't have to do that." I was reddened. "It's just that I've never been invited to a party before or been asked on a date—but that's not important." It was his turn to be perplexed this time. Before I met him, I had led an omega lifestyle; rather than receiving invitations to events, we usually served the guests.
"Then I am glad that your first time will be with me." For a moment, his eyes shifted to his wolf, and I swallowed hard. I was glad of the diversion when his phone buzzed because I had no idea what those remarks might have led to.
Breathing out, he reached for his phone in his pocket.
His demeanor abruptly shifted as the alpha king's steely resolve was strengthened, and my lustful partner was temporarily pushed aside. He rose from his chair, his fingers grabbing my chin as he peered down at me.
"I'll come get you at seven. It's formal attire, so please don't be obstinate and give me a call if you need assistance choosing an outfit. I blinked at what he said; everything made sense, but as I stared at him, it all faded.
"Rain check on breakfast?" The intensity of his gaze on me caused me to wriggle. Raising myself up from my chair, I reached out to touch his face with my own fingertips. I couldn't let him return to them with everything that was pressed up on the corners of his mouth because he clearly had his alpha duties to fulfill as the Alpha king.
Using my thumb pad to remove the powdered sugar and my index finger to remove the cream, I finished by lifting my fingers to my lips and licking away any remaining residue.
He gave me a low growl, as if to express gratitude.
"Are you teasing me, or are you indicating that I should carry you with me by tossing you over my shoulder?" I began to panic as his eyes flashed at the will of his wolf.
"No, I didn't—that's not what; it was—"
"I'm only teasing you, Kylie." He chuckled. "But I do have to leave; I will see you at seven." He gave me one last reminder before kissing me on the forehead and disappearing into the store, leaving me dazed.
I felt Vera shift to my side, and I froze in place.
"I have never seen a better-looking man; you're telling me you've run away from that fine piece of ass, not just once, but twice?" She let forth a yearning sigh. At that moment, I growled possessively and menacingly, totally uncalled for because I knew precisely what she was attempting to accomplish. "If I had him, I'd never let him leave my bed," she said.
Vera giggled and stepped back from me, raising her hands.
She had deliberately set off my wolf to illustrate her point.
"Don't give me that look; he wants you, and I know you want him—what's holding you back?" Though I knew the answer to her query, so I chose to ignore her.