is on the end table there. The TV comes with all of the umm...mature channels, if you pick up what I’m laying down,” she says mischievously, making my eyes widen. “Oh, and the power tools are in the drawers. You’ll need those,” she says with a serious expression on her face.
“Power tools?”
She gives me a knowing look. “Yeah. Power tools.”
“Oh—oh.” My cheeks burn. “I don’t think I’ll...uh, use any of those.”
She looks at me like I’m insane. “There’s no shame in drilling things yourself when the contractor is out.”
Gosh, this is uncomfortable.
“We do what we gotta do. We can take care of business ourselves, am I right?” she says, holding up a fist.
“Right.” I bump her fist lightly before hugging Luca’s towel again.
She tucks some pastel hair behind her ear. “Don’t worry, we restock each room with brand new stuff every time.”
I fidget because this conversation is really damn awkward, and I don’t know what to do with my face. Do I smile? Grimace? Do I give a little chin tilt in acknowledgement for the brand-new power tools of vibrators and dildos supplied in the nightstand and the porn on the TV? I. Don’t. Know.
Addie seems to pick up on how damn uncomfortable I am. “Alright, I’ll just leave you to it, then.”
My blush deepens because basically, everyone knows that I’ll be in here drilling myself until my heatwave is over. “This is an embarrassing way to come into a new pack,” I mutter.
Addie snickers. “Good one.”
I groan at my unintentional and very poor word choice.
“Don’t worry,” she says, giving me a sympathetic look. “No one will give you shit...until we know you better. Then it’s fair game, sorry.”
“Great,” I say dryly, but then my heat is pushing at me again, and I groan uncomfortably.
Addie plugs her nose. “Man, your scent is coming off so strongly that even I’m about to get all hot and heavy,” she jokes, her voice high-pitched as she keeps hold of her nostrils. “I’m gonna go find one of my mates. Or maybe all of them,” she says with a wag of her eyebrows. “You need anything before I go?”
A life-size Luca blow-up doll maybe.
I fan my face as my temperature rises. I just need to be alone so that I don’t have witnesses when this wave finally crashes. “Nope. I’m good. Thanks.”
“Good luck.” She waves goodbye and walks out, leaving me alone with my ceaseless mate-call. Well, me and the braying ass down the hallway. I have a feeling this is going to be a long heat.
12
Reese
I take Addie’s suggestion after she leaves and stuff my face with food. Although, I probably would’ve done that even without her suggestion. I’ve developed some food-anxiety. I blame it on all the years that Rick Dick let me starve.
I sit on the stool beside the kitchen counter, within reaching distance of all the snacks. In front of me sits an array of wrappers and empty containers from what I’ve managed to decimate in the last half hour.
I’ve had chocolate pudding, sweet honey BBQ chips, an apple dipped in caramel—because, healthy—snickerdoodle cookies, and an entire bottle of wine—because, classy.
All I can say is, it’s a good thing that I’m not wearing any pants. Saves me the trouble of having to undo the top button and the zipper.
With a very full stomach and dizzyingly tipsy mind, I drag my ass to my allotted bedroom and then head for the bathroom. My goal is to take a shower, since I haven’t had one in...wow. I don’t even want to finish that thought, because it’s been years. The closest thing I’ve come to a shower is licking myself with my rat’s tongue, and somehow, that’s just not on the same level of hygienic indulgence.
But I don’t make it to the bathroom. In fact, I don’t even make it to the bed.
I barely shut the door behind me before the mate-call in my chest starts whining like a fussy toddler, tantrum and all. I can practically feel it stomping its foot in hysterics as the sound reverberates from me and I’m overtaken with a sweep of heated lust.
Oh no. The wave is coming, and it’s a big friggen wave.
They don’t call it heat for nothing. I’m suddenly on fire. Like I’ve been laying out in the baking sun, nude, for hours. I’m burning from the outer layer of my skin, all the way down to my center. I’m so hot that sweat starts beading at my hairline, my neck, beneath my arms,