The Code of The Alpha

Chapter Seven - Issues

I don't remember putting the rest of the groceries away.

But, somehow, when I returned to my senses, I was standing alone in the kitchen with empty grocery bags in my hands and the power had come back on.

I don't remember what else Luca had said to me before he walked away. I just remember watching his lips as they moved and recalling the way they felt pressed against mine.

Even after the several minutes it had been since he'd left the kitchen, the taste of Luca's mouth lingered on my tongue, leaving me longing for more.

I found myself reminiscing about the feeling of his hands on my face, wishing he hadn't pulled away from me.

The racing thoughts added weight behind the pull I felt towards Luca.

The imaginary rope I felt tethered to earlier that day had just become shorter and now tugged me backward, forcing me into a test of strength and self-control.

I wanted nothing more than to leap into his arms and let him kiss me for the entire rest of my existence.

I knew that it was nothing more than the initial infatuation that came with a mate bond, but I couldn't have anticipated that it would be as strong as it was; especially given the previous choices Luca had made in his personal life that hindered our ability to bond significantly.

Losing my first battle of willpower happened without me even realizing it:

I didn't argue with Luca when he insisted that I would sleep in his bed that night.

I didn't know why he insisted-although it wouldn't take a psychic to figure out-and I certainly didn't know why I willfully agreed so quickly.

Almost robotically, I grabbed my things from upstairs and moved myself down to his bedroom, settling in comfortably on his bed while he showered.

My fingers ran along the smooth, soft surface of the sheets. The cushion of the mattress beneath me cradled my body in a way that made me sleepy almost instantly.

I had even pushed my own pillow to the side in favor of sleeping on one of the many feather pillows stacked on Luca's bed.

I was enveloped in his scent.

You're not doing anything to help your self-control issue, I reminded myself.

The bathroom door opened and I sat up to see Luca emerge, adorned in nothing but black boxer briefs.

Luca's damp hair hung over his eyes, barely covering the glint of mischief that lingered there as he watched me lay eyes on his nearly naked body.

His olive-complected, muscular build was nothing short of Herculean.

An impressive set of pectoral muscles flexed across his chest as he closed the bathroom door. Even more impressive were the carved abs that stretched over his stomach and the taut Adonis belt that curved down his torso, disappearing into his boxers.

I had to force my eyes back upward, refusing to be caught gawking any further down his body.

"I don't understand," I admitted, looking him in the eyes.