Catching Him (How to Catch an Alpha 1)

“Maybe if you didn’t fall asleep completely naked, I would’ve been able to control myself. I didn’t have any self-control. I was already deep inside you when I woke up,” he lies with a shrug.

“Whatever,” I grumble. I’m not going to complain about him waking me like he did when I totally enjoyed every second, including the shower we shared afterward. I catch his smile as he turns to the stove. He slides two eggs and sliced Spam from the skillet onto a plate for himself. I might be up and drinking coffee with him, but he knows in no way am I ready to start my day with a big breakfast.

“What’s on your schedule for the day?” he asks.

Since he finished with the church last week, he’s been working at the hotel with just a few of his men, getting things ready for the renovation while they wait for the new supplies they had to order after the fire. He told me that the fire marshal concluded it was arson after he found a black trail that led to a melted gasoline can just inside the door of the building. The building is still partially standing, but the contents they’d stored inside—wood, paint, carpet, anything and everything you’d use during a renovation—were destroyed either by the fire itself or by smoke or water damage.

Scott, whom I met a few days ago when he came to drop off paperwork, was not happy about what happened, but since he had insurance to cover the cost of the things that were lost, he wasn’t as devastated as he could have been. The police still have no suspects, but they did get a partial print off the gas can. They aren’t very hopeful they’ll be able to find the person responsible with the print alone, but they’re still looking at a list of suspects Tyler and Scott came up with. I really hope they find whoever set the fire. If that fire had happened anywhere else, homes could have been destroyed and lives could have been lost.

“Baby, go back to bed. You’re sleeping on your feet.” Tyler touches my face gently, and I focus on him.

“Sorry, I spaced.” I take a sip of coffee, then remember his earlier question and think about the fact it’s Monday. “I have a doctor’s appointment at noon.”

“Doctor’s appointment?” He takes a bite of eggs and Spam.

I feel my cheeks get warm, which is ridiculous, since we’ve talked about this. We talked about it the first time we screwed up and didn’t use protection. From that conversation, I found out he hadn’t been with anyone for a long time before me and is clean—thankfully. And he knows I am as well, but since then we’ve had sex several more times without a condom, so lost in the moment we didn’t think about it.

As happy as I am to be with him, this isn’t a good time to test fate. We don’t need a baby, not right now, not while we’re really just getting to know each other.

“I’m seeing my doctor about birth control,” I say quietly.

“Shit,” he mutters. “I didn’t think this morning. I—”

I cut him off. “You’re not the only one.” It’s not all on him; I should have thought about it, too, but I didn’t. “Hopefully, after today we won’t have to think about it again.”

“I should have protected you.” He reaches out and takes my hand in his. “You’re the first woman who’s ever made me so fucking hot and so fucking hard I stop thinking about everything but being inside you, connecting with you.” He shakes his head like he’s trying to get rid of the thought. “I’ll be more careful until you tell me we’re good.”

Can he be any more perfect? I doubt it, seriously.

“Thank you. That means everything,” I whisper, my emotions too high to speak any louder.

“Just so you know, baby, if we did make a child, I wouldn’t regret it for a second, not one goddamn second.”

My heart feels funny in my chest as I stare into his eyes. I know I’m not just falling for him; I’ve already fallen. I love this man. He’s every hope, dream, and wish wrapped up in the perfect man. Sure, he still makes me a little crazy from time to time, but I like that he does. I don’t think I would feel this way about him if he didn’t.

I want so badly to tell him that I love him, but I’m not sure right now is the time to admit something so huge. Not with him having to leave for work in just a few minutes. “Tyler—”

He cuts me off. “Tonight we’re going out. I don’t give a fuck about work or whatever else we have going on. I’m taking my girl out to dinner.”