Chapter 3 ALPHA TEMPTATION 3

Scarlett thumped at Shani's entryway with a grin playing at the corners of her lips. She'd been insidious in Knox's office prior, and the thought of it made her smile more extensive. He would never know what happened there. Gracious, he might discover the messy hanky in his drawer, and he might accept it was essentially cleared out over from a few trade assembly or a fast spill of something, but Scarlett would know. She'd know precisely what it had been utilized for. After her small self-pleasure minute in his office, she'd indeed gone as distant as utilizing his private shower to clean up.

The entire thing had been a evil, imprudent choice, but it felt so right in that minute. If she might do it once more, she would, in a heartbeat.

"You see like the cat that ate the canary," Shani's voice cut through her contemplations, giggling binding her words. "What did you do?"

Scarlett, rapidly concealing the internal warm and insidious vitality, shrugged casually. "Nothing. I'm fair upbeat it's Friday."

Shani raised an eyebrow skeptically, bouncing small Max in her arms, who murmured and cooed, his wide brown eyes sparkling with blamelessness. The differentiate of his guiltlessness and Scarlett's current state of intellect was amusing.

"Do I see like I was born yesterday?"

Scarlett laughed and squirmed her fingers at Max, energetic to take the small offspring into her arms. Her lioness murmured at the exceptionally thought of holding him. She might nearly feel her body longing for the day she would have her claim small one to care for-someone who would be totally hers.

Max settled comfortably in her arms as before long as she had him. Her lioness instantly blended, impulses swaddling him with her vitality. Scarlett breathed in profoundly, the commonplace fragrance of child blended with the connotations of lion offspring filling her faculties. There was something almost the immaculate, untainted fragrance of a child that continuously brought a surge of maternal intuitive to the surface. Her lioness moaned with fulfillment, her human side hurting for something that wasn't there yet.

Her natural clock was ticking louder than ever. The require for children appeared to frequent her each step, but it wasn't something she might effortlessly accommodate. Not with her current circumstance. Not with a damn cat who was fixated with Mr. Nerd himself, Knox. If as it were her lioness would be willing to see at other males-other shifters-but no. It had to be Knox. It would continuously be Knox. But he wasn't her mate. He wasn't the one. No matter how much her body and her lioness shouted otherwise.

"So," Shani's voice broke through her whirling considerations, bringing her back to the show, "how was work?"

"Same ancient," Scarlett answered, still shaking Max tenderly in her arms. She couldn't offer assistance the little smile that pulled at her lips, a tricky small mystery between her and herself.

Shani didn't see persuaded. "Doesn't see like it to me. You see guilty."

Scarlett grunted and moved in her situate, carefully settling Max against her chest. "Blameworthy? Me? Nah, I'm fair feeling great nowadays. Prepared for the weekend."

Shani moaned, looking at her intentionally. "Keep in mind, Knox is a great fellow. Your brother had to conversation to him to get you a job."

Scarlett gestured absently. She knew that. It wasn't like she'd overlooked. In truth, it was something she attempted not to think almost as well much. It had been Scratch who'd presented her to Knox, and it was Knox who had advertised her the work when she'd cleared out the chaos of Nick's security commerce. But that didn't cruel she hadn't made up her intellect almost him-no matter how much her lioness appeared to disagree.

Knox had been a blessing for Scratch. A virtuoso when it came to the stock advertise and funds. He'd made a difference Scratch construct his riches, and presently Scratch, Shani, and their children were well-set for life. But Scarlett? Scarlett was in a distinctive put inside and out. She couldn't wrap her intellect around Knox being anything more than a human who made a difference her family monetarily. That was it. He was as well much of an enigma-too mild-mannered, as well centered on his spreadsheets and trade methodologies for her tastes.

"I'm doing my job," Scarlett said, pushing those meddling considerations aside. "I chose to halt working at Nick's security commerce since... I got tired of getting shot at by imbecilic people. Chasing and capturing the awful folks was energizing, beyond any doubt, but my lioness needed something else. It needed out."

Shani's look relaxed with understanding, and she gestured gradually. "You misplaced your persistence a lot."

Scarlett murmured intensely. "Better believe it. Well, there were a part of truly stupid shifters who needed to be secured and did the correct inverse of what we told them to do. It got depleting. I cruel, how numerous times can you tell somebody not to do something some time recently they conclusion up getting themselves into more profound trouble?"

"Sounds frustrating."

"It was. And when I realized I'd or maybe thump a few of those nitwits out myself than secure them, I knew it was time to go." Scarlett bounced Max on her lap, her expression astute. "I do my work for Knox. He has no complaints. But I can't offer assistance myself when it comes to him. I don't know what it is. Possibly it's the glasses. Or his freaking bow tie. But each time I'm in his office, I have to remind myself not to drag him into my lap and kiss him until he's panting for air."

Shani, who'd been tasting on her natural product punch, grunted with chuckling. "You're truly something, Scarlett."

Scarlett chuckled, shrugging once more. "Possibly. But I can't offer assistance it. The fascination is there, and it's... distracting."

"Are you energized around the party this end of the week?" Shani refilled her glass and given it to Scarlett. "Knox welcomed each representative and client. It's going to be huge."

Scarlett's heart sank a small. "That party? Meh. I'm not beyond any doubt if I'm going."

Shani gave her a sharp see. "What do you cruel, 'meh'? You're certainly going."

Scarlett raised a forehead at her. "Why? I don't require to go."

Shani turned absent, a blameworthy see blazing over her confront. "We as of now said you would."

Scarlett's eyes extended in skepticism. "What? Why?"

Shani jumped. "Knox looked so energized to have you there. It was difficult saying we didn't know if you seem make it, so we said yes for you."

"Shani!" Scarlett gasped.

Shani shrugged timidly. "Too bad. But yes, presently you have to go."

"Well, at slightest I'll have you folks there." Scarlett rolled her eyes but couldn't offer assistance the entertainment that bubbled up. "That's the as it were reason I'd go."

Shani clinked her glass against Scarlett's with a perky smile. "You're not going to get out of this, sis. You have to go, and you have to have fun."

With a moan, Scarlett surrendered herself. "Fine. But as it were since you said so."

Once she laid Max down for his rest, she waited at his bunk, observing him float off into a quiet rest. Her contemplations strayed back to Knox-his glasses, his bow tie, his relentless nearness. She felt her lioness murmuring interior her, whispering to her, requesting that she recognize the truth. Her body hurt, and her lioness cried out with need.

Mine. Mine. Mine.

"No," Scarlett murmured beneath her breath. "Knox is not my mate. He's fair... human." She shook her head, attempting to thrust absent the frantic throb in her chest. The truth was straightforward: Knox was as well delicate. She couldn't live with herself if something happened to him since of her.

Her lioness snarled, unsatisfied, but Scarlett disregarded it. No. It wasn't going to happen. Not ever.