15. Harrison

15

Harrison

" N o. Absolutely not." I cross my arms and block the door.

"You already said we could go," Emily complains. But I only have eyes for the woman glaring back at me.

"Not dressed like that."

Meggie raises her eyebrows. "Want to try that again, old man?"

"Oh, this should be good," Oz leans back on the couch like he's ready to take in a show.

I know I have no right policing what Meggie wears. She can wear whatever the hell she wants. In theory. But seeing her like this, with so much skin on display, and her breasts practically spilling out of that tiny white dress, makes me feel primal. I want to throw her over my shoulder, lock her in my room, and fuck her senseless. She's temptation served up on a platter and the thought of another man—another alpha—seeing this much of her makes me see red.

I've never felt anything like this before. I know I'm acting like a sexist asshole, but… fuck! Look at her. No, I don't want anyone looking at her but me.

A growl builds unbidden, and I snarl.

Meggie steps back, that quick flash of fear enough to tear me back to my senses.

"Shit, Meggie, I'm sorry." I rip off my glasses and drag a hand over my face. "What the hell is wrong with me?"

"Ah, poor Harrison's finally reached puberty." Oz laughs.

I snap my teeth at him, which just makes him laugh harder. Closing my eyes, I count to five and steady my breathing, cleaning my glasses on the edge of my shirt to give my hands something to do so I don't grab for her. None of it does anything to ease my racing pulse or my throbbing cock. "I'm gonna stay in tonight."

"Why?" Meggie's voice pulls to me. "I thought you were looking forward to hanging out with the other athletes. Aren't you buddies with the guys from Brazil?"

I exhale and open my eyes. "I don't think I can."

"Why?" she pushes, stepping closer in that damn dress.

I close my eyes again, unable to look at her without wanting to throw her against the wall, yank what little material covers her ass up to her waist, and fuck her. I whisper my admission, "I don't think I can control myself."

Meggie's close enough now that even with my eyes closed I can sense her, feel her breath move the air. She brushes against my chest. "What if I don't want you to control yourself?"

I growl, fisting my hands to keep from grabbing her.

"Meggie," I plead. "I can't trust myself with you looking—"

"Yes, you can. You're a big boy, and I know you can handle it. But, Harrison…" She takes my glasses from my hand and carefully puts them back on my face. "Look at me."

I may be the alpha here, but right now, she holds all the power. I look at her. Her gaze clashes with mine, so open and trusting, like a child who still thinks the world is full of unicorns and no one will hurt her. Personally, I learned all too soon that the world can be dangerous, especially for omegas. That's what having a news journalist for a mother will do to you.

I don't want Meggie to lose the look she has on her face right now—not because of me, or anyone else. I want to protect her. And for that reason alone, I need to keep my damn control.

"I'm not scared of you," she whispers. "I trust you."

"You shouldn't. If you knew what I've been picturing, how often I think of biting you…"

Her whole body trembles and her eyes darken. Fuck, this woman will be the death of me.

"I don't have a lot of practice with this," I say. "I've never felt…"

"I trust you," she repeats.

Giving in, I wrap my arms around her and bury my nose in her hair. Nothing. Not a trace of the scent I crave. But even without it, Meggie undoes me. It's like she's flipped a switch inside me, and I don't know how to turn it off again. I hate feeling this crazed.

She kisses my cheek, putting her neck so close to my teeth they ache. A groan rumbles between us as I drop my lips to her shoulder.

"Alright, you two, let's go. We're gonna be late," Dante says.

He must have joined us in the common area while I was distracted with Meggie.

"Oh, come on, it was just getting good." Oz stands up off the couch and stretches before going to stand by Emily.

Holding both Meggie's shoulders, I pull her away and look her over. My breath is ragged. Her gaze flits to my lips, her cheeks flushed. Does she want me to kiss her? If I did, I'd never be able to stop.

When my eyes lock with hers again, she whispers, "Take off your shirt."

"Meggie."

"Take off your shirt, and I'll wear it over my dress. I don't have anything else white to wear. And I think it'll calm those alpha urges if I smell like you. Would it?"

Fuck, yes. The idea of her drenched in my scent, my clothes, immediately makes my chest swell with pride, but… "I'm being so unreasonable."

"Yeah, you are." A smile lights her face. "But it's just a dress. Not a hill to die on." She leans forward and gives me another kiss on the cheek. This time lingering just long enough to whisper, "For the record, I will wear this dress someday. I like how growly and possessive it makes you."

I reach behind my head and grab the collar of my shirt, pulling it off in one motion and handing it over. She slips it on. It only comes to her upper thighs, so her legs are still exposed, but at least her boobs aren't popping out anymore.

Fuck, if the sight of her in my clothes doesn't undo me.

She pulls the shirt up to her nose and takes a deep inhale. Her facial features relax into a happy grin. "I think this was actually a good idea." She looks up through her eyelashes at me. "Will you come to the party now? Do you have another white shirt?"

"Yeah, I'll come, love," I whisper, too softly for anyone to hear as I head to my room to get another shirt.