After One Night with the Alpha
Chapter 274
Elle’s POV
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I stood there frozen, my brain struggling to catch up with what had just happened.
My cheeks burned with embarrassment as I glared up at him. “You-”
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“Forest Lily perfume? Brad interrupted smoothly, his amber eyes scanning my face with that infuriatingly casual expression. “Hmm, doesn’t seem like the latest collection.”
I blinked, thrown off by the sudden topic change. Then it hit me–he was doing it again, trying to mess with my head. Without thinking, I shoved hard against his chest with both hands.
Brad took a step back, clearly having anticipated my reaction, and I could see him fighting back laughter. The sight of his barely contained amusement only made me angrier.
“Is messing with me really that entertaining?” I snapped, my hands clenched into fists at my sides.
Brad didn’t even try to deny it. “Yeah.”
Just one word. One simple, honest word that somehow made my anger spike even higher. I was about to let him have it when he reached into his jacket and pulled out an elegant silver box. The Rayne family crest was etched into the top, and even I could tell this was something expensive and exclusive.
“Latest collection,” Brad said, his voice softer now as he held the box out to me. “Moonshade Bay exclusive. This is a custom blend made specifically for you–moonlit roses and cedar. I thought you’d like it.”
I stared at the box, my anger warring with curiosity. Damn it, I was curious about what a custom perfume would smell like. But I was also pissed that he thought he could just smooth things over with expensive gifts after making me feel like an idiot.
Brad seemed to ignore the internal battle playing out on my face and simply pressed the box into my hands.
Fuck. Now I was holding it, which meant I’d basically accepted it, which meant I couldn’t really stay mad at him, right? That’s how this worked, wasn’t it? You can’t bite the hand that feeds you, or in this case, the hand that gives you exclusive designer perfume.
“I already told them you’re free for the rest of the day,” Brad said, grabbing my elbow and steering me toward his car. “Let’s go.”
“Wait, wait, wait, I protested as he opened the passenger door. “Where exactly are we going?”
Brad leaned over to buckle my seatbelt himself, his movements careful and deliberate.
“To do some tracking, obviously,” he said, those amber eyes gleaming with amusement as he straightened up.
C
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Chapter 274
‘Track who?‘ I demanded. “Mira’s still at the company!”
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Brad slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine. “They’re meeting tonight anyway, so we only need to keep an eye on one of them.
Eric should be at the resort by now.”
I stared at him. “How do you know that?”
“Because I told him to go there.”
The casual way he said it made my jaw drop. Here I’d been thinking we were doing actual surveillance when Brad had been pulling all the strings the entire time.
“So much for surveillance,” I muttered, rolling my eyes so hard I probably looked like I was having a seizure. “You already know exactly
what they’re doing and where they’re going. What’s the point of watching them?”
I felt like such an idiot. In the span of one afternoon, I’d been fooled three separate times by this man. My IQ must be dropping by the
minute.
Brad glanced over at me, and I caught him studying my expression with what looked suspiciously like satisfaction. Great. My humiliation
was apparently entertainment for him.
“Where are we actually going?” I asked, slumping back in my seat.
“The resort,” Brad replied. “Eric will finish his business around seven or eight tonight. It’s an isolated location, perfect for private meetings. Secure and hidden. Eric won’t move from there, and Mira will head over once she’s done at the company. We just need to wait.”
I groaned internally. Well, if I’d known it was going to be this simple, why had I even bothered coming along? But as I looked out at the increasingly remote landscape, I realized going back wasn’t really an option. The resort was in the middle of nowhere.
The drive took over two hours, and by the time we reached the outskirts of the resort, the sun was starting to set. Brad parked in a concealed spot with a clear view of the main building.
“Now we wait,‘ he said, settling back in his seat. “Shouldn’t be too long before Mira shows up.”
I nodded, then immediately regretted agreeing to this as I realized what “waiting” meant. We were going to be sitting here in this car together for who knows how long, with nothing to do but stare at each other.
Perfect. Just perfect.
Brad must have noticed my expression because he leaned over to adjust my seat, tilting it back slightly. “You might as well get comfortable,”
The movement brought him close enough that I could feel the warmth radiating from his body. For a split second, my brain went completely blank, filled with nothing but the awareness of his proximity.
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17:33 Wed, Dec 31
Chapter 274
:
1 squeezed my eyes shut, pretending to be tired. “I’ll just rest my eyes for a bit.”
But instead of just pretending to sleep, the combination of the comfortable seat, the warm car, and Brad’s reassuring presence actually
lulled me into real sleep.
Brad’s POV
337
I couldn’t believe it. Elle had actually fallen asleep.
I stared down at her peaceful face, her long lashes casting shadows on her cheeks, her breathing deep and even. Here I was, having made
sure to shower, style my hair, and look my absolute best before coming to find her, and she’d just… fallen asleep.
Was I losing my touch? I’d been maintaining my physique religiously, keeping up with all my grooming routines. Had I somehow become
less attractive?
“You impossible little human,” I murmured under my breath, shaking my head.
But even as I complained, I found myself carefully brushing a strand of hair away from her face, my touch feather–light so I wouldn’t wake
her. I reached into the back seat for the spare blanket I kept there and gently tucked it around her.
Just watching her sleep like this filled me with a contentment I’d never experienced before. I could sit here forever, just observing the way
her chest rose and fell, the slight curve of her lips, the way she unconsciously leaned toward me even in sleep.
My phone buzzed with a message from Alex: “Sir, Mira Collins has left the building. ETA to resort approximately thirty minutes.”
I typed back quickly: “Got it.”
Another message came through: “Alpha Lester is keeping Beta Sophia by his side. Sophia won’t be making any appearances tonight.”
I smiled silently. Perfect. That meant tonight would be just Elle and me.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
