Catching Him(How to Catch an Alpha #1) - Aurora Rose Reynolds Page 0,24
me at my driver’s-side door. I give him the rubdown he demands once I’m out and carry all the groceries I bought inside to the kitchen, with him bouncing at my heels.
Wednesday, when I got off work, I bought him the biggest bag of dog treats I could find and put them on the counter in a canister next to Mouse’s treats. He now knows they’re there, and he also knows I’ll give him one as soon as I reach the kitchen. Before I have a chance to give one to him, the doorbell rings. Tyler smiles at me when I open the door, and like always, his presence makes me feel a little off kilter.
“Hey.” He leans down and presses a kiss to my cheek, which leaves me stunned. He’s never put his lips on me before, and it feels like they’re imprinted into my skin.
“I’m just putting away groceries.” I turn away from him, not wanting to make a friendly kiss to the cheek awkward. He follows me to the kitchen while holding a bag of Chinese food. When we get there, I go right to Bruce’s treat jar and pull out a bacon strip for him. He sits, and I give it to him. I then watch him run off with it in his mouth.
“What is all this?” Tyler asks, looking at the stack of frozen pizzas, gallon of ice cream, box of pancake mix, and assortment of chips, cookies, and candy on the counter.
“I think I told you that Owen and Isaac are coming over tomorrow.”
“You did.” He picks up a bag of chips. “You weren’t joking when you said you’re working on being their favorite aunt.”
“I’m already their favorite aunt,” I state matter-of-factly, glancing at him. “Don’t get me wrong—Beth is cool, but she’s also a health freak, so they’re never thrilled with the idea of hanging with her for a weekend, or even a meal.”
“I see.” He smiles as he starts to help me put stuff away.
“I should also say that spending time with them gives me an excuse to eat junk food for a couple days without feeling guilty about it.”
“Why would you feel guilty about eating junk food?” he asks as I shove the chips into the cupboard.
“When my jeans are so tight that I have to lie down on my bed to button them up, it’s not a good feeling. I don’t always make the best choices at the grocery store. I try, but colorful things catch my attention and throw me off track.”
His eyes slide over me from head to toe, making my skin feel hot. “You’re beautiful, babe. You have an amazing body. I don’t think you need to worry about having junk food from time to time.”
Not sure how to respond, I don’t say anything. I go back to putting stuff away, and once we’re done, he unpacks the Chinese food. We carry our takeout containers to the living room, where we’ve eaten dinner the last few nights, and I pass him the remote so he can find something for us to watch. I dig into my sweet-and-sour chicken with fried rice and try not to moan. I love Chinese food—really, I love any kind of takeout. There’s nothing better than eating food you didn’t have to cook.
“I work tomorrow, but I’ll come over for dinner, if you’re cool with that,” he says when I have a forkful of goodness close to my mouth.
I meet his gaze and smile. “I’m cool with it. The boys already know you, so I’m sure they’ll be happy to have you hanging with us.”
He nods with a small smile, and we both go back to eating and watching the crime show he ended up on. Once I’m stuffed, I set my dish on the coffee table and lean back against the edge of the couch, tucking my feet under me.
“Are you tired?” he asks after he sets his empty dish next to mine and slouches toward me on the couch.
I shake my head. “Not really. The last few days have been busy, but it hasn’t been insane. Most days are filled with my scheduled clients. I haven’t had a lot of walk-ins this last week, so I’ve been steady but not overwhelmed with work,” I explain. “How much longer until you guys are done with the church?”
“We should finish Tuesday if things go as planned. When this job is finished, I’ll be working Monday through Friday. The hotel doesn’t want work done