(ASA)
I was very aware of my undressed state. It made me feel vulnerable and uneasy.
Even though he acted as if he'd never make a move on me, I could smell his arousal.
I could see the hunger in his eyes. I could also sense his frustration that he felt those things toward me.
"We need to figure something out," I said quietly. "Something that makes both of us happy, don't you think?"
He nodded. "Yes."
"I enrolled in The Auction, hoping to find an alpha who could bond with me. To be honest, I feel a little cheated."
He looked mildly insulted. "I saved you. You keep ignoring the fact that Nigel, the alpha who's abusive, was going to win you at auction. I didn't steal you from a better alpha. Finlay was interested in you, but he couldn't outbid Nigel. I could."
I gave a frustrated sigh. "You say Finlay was attracted to me. Perhaps you could arrange a meeting between Finlay and me?" I grimaced. "Maybe if we meet, we'll have chemistry, and he'll want to take me off your hands."
"I doubt he'll go for that. He knows how much I paid for you. I suspect his pride won't allow him to… take you."
A muscle worked in Zev's cheek.
"You could try," I said softly.
He kept his face averted. "You should rest. It's a long drive back home, and we'll leave early tomorrow morning." He gestured toward the dripping clothing on the chair. "Those will never be dry by morning. I'll instruct Ronin to purchase you some clothes to wear home."
I wrinkled my brow, ignoring him. "You won't even consider me and Finlay meeting?"
"You already met at The Auction."
"I mean, I'd like to meet him when I'm not on display. I'd like to meet him on a level playing field to see if there's a possibility of us being compatible."
He blew out a shaky breath. "Not yet. It's too soon."
"I don't know what that means."
He glanced at me, his eyes still that weird light blue color. "It doesn't matter. Just trust me when I say I can't let you go just yet."
As I held his gaze, my body warmed. There was a weird energy between us tonight. Different from the other nights.
He was possessive of me. That was becoming very clear. He didn't want me, but he was unwilling to let me go. Would that pass? I wanted to actually live my life, not be treated like a pretty doll on a shelf.
"I'll bet Lukas would be on my side," I grumbled.
His face flushed, and his mouth hardened. "What did you say?"
I grimaced, uneasy at his angry tone. "I… I just mean he would understand how I feel."
He curled his lip. "I understand how you feel, Asa. But nothing can be done about that yet. You'll need to be patient. When the time is right, I'll let you go."
"When the time is right," I muttered. "I'll probably be old and gray, and no one will want me."
"For someone who proclaimed they'd never wanted to be bred, you sure are eager to get knocked up." He stood, moving around the bed to the other side.
I watched him, anxiety buzzing through me. "I've had to give up my dreams. You know that. Now all I have to look forward to is being bred. But if you have your way, I'll die alone and childless."
He gave a harsh laugh, pulling off his gold watch and setting it on the small nightstand beside that side of the bed. "Don't worry. I'll try to unload you while you're still young enough to reproduce, okay?"
He began unbuttoning his shirt, and my heart stuttered.
"What are you doing?" I squeaked.
He glanced at me. "Going to bed. It's been a long and exhausting day chasing your ungrateful ass."
"But you can't sleep in this bed with me."
He frowned. "Why?"
"Well, I'm naked." I clutched the sheet higher to my chin.
He laughed. "I'm well aware since I'm the one who undressed you."
"What?" I yelped. "You undressed me?"
He smirked. "Would you rather I'd had Ronin do it? Or would you have preferred sleeping in those wet clothes?"
"No, but…" I didn't know what else to say.
The idea he'd seen me naked was mortifying. My face felt hot as I held his amused gaze.
He gave another husky laugh. "Asa, your little golden thong left little to the imagination. You looked exactly as I pictured."
"That's not helping."
"Relax. I've seen dicks before." I gaped at him wordlessly.
"There's no need for you to fear for your virtue. I just need some sleep." He shuddered, glancing at the beige carpeting. "And I'm not sleeping on the floor."
"You… you could sleep in the chair." I pointed toward a small pink wingback chair near the window.
He recoiled. "No way. There are mysterious stains on that thing, and I swear it smells like urine."
I swallowed hard as he pulled back the top cover. He'd undone his shirt, and his smooth, bare chest was visible. His skin was tanned, and the muscles of his abdomen were defined.
My dick twitched with interest, even as I cowered under the covers.
"Why are you even here?" I hissed. "Ronin is the one who found me. I'd have thought you'd stay home while he did the dirty work."
He sniffed. "I came because I wanted to come. And of course, Ronin did the dirty work. I certainly wasn't going to ride around in a car looking for you. I'm way above that nonsense."
"You stayed behind here while Ronin searched for me?" I glanced around. "This doesn't seem up to your standards."
"It's not." He sighed. "However, this motel was the only one in the area with an almost four-star rating."
"I still don't understand why you didn't just… stay home?"
He lifted one shoulder. "I felt the need to be here while Ronin looked for you."
Why?
I hesitated. "Once you found me, you could have just taken me back to your house. Why stay in this gross motel one minute longer?"
"I planned on checking out and taking you back. But you were unconscious and soaked to the bone. I wanted to get you dry and in bed ASAP. You're enough trouble healthy."
Ignoring the dig, I rasped, "Okay, but why are you in this room with me?"
He scowled. "Asa, you literally just ran away from home. Of course, we couldn't leave you in this room alone." As he spoke, he pulled off his shirt and began to undo his belt.
I scooted to the very edge of the bed. "This is insanity. You can't share the bed with me."
"I'm tired. I don't feel like arguing."
I turned my back on him and closed my eyes tight.
This couldn't be happening. Was he nuts? I was completely naked. Of course, he shouldn't be climbing in bed with me. Was he getting naked, too? My dick warmed at the thought of that.
Fuck. This isn't good.
The mattress dipped and bounced as he got under the covers.
My heart was pounding so hard I could barely breathe. I waited to see if he'd try anything, but he didn't move. After a few moments, I heard a soft snore.
Scowling, I wasn't sure whether to be relieved or insulted that he'd fallen sound asleep with me a foot away, naked, in the same bed.