Alpha Theo by C.J. Primer

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Brooke

I should feel offended about what happened in the showers last night. I should feel filthy, violated. But strangely… I don’t.

I wanted to look at him. Wanted him to look at me. It was dirty, racy, exciting. I know I’m supposed to be the ‘good girl’, I’ve leaned into that role my whole life- but it felt so good to be a little bad for once.

And the way Theo was looking at me… I can’t get it out of my mind. It was wild, predatory, feral. Like I was the only woman he’d ever laid eyes on. There was no mistaking the unbridled desire in his stare… and between his legs.

It was hard!

He wanted me. If his eyes didn’t give him away, then his huge hard-on definitely made his intentions clear. That thing is massive, I don’t know how it would even fit! Not that I would let him try. It’d be crazy to give up my virginity to someone like him… right?

Still, it was exhilarating to be looked at like that. Stripped bare, my body feasted on by Theo’s eyes. It made me feel so sexy, so provocative. It was thrilling.

I’m still glad I came to my senses, got out of there before anything else could happen. And then I locked myself in my room, got in bed, and touched myself. Because the shower wasn’t the only thing that made me wet.

Damn, now I’m even thinking like him. That pervy, unfiltered talk is rubbing off on me in the worst way.

I’m returning from a run on Sunday when I bump into Theo- he’s heading out of the gate to the squad complex as I’m coming in. The sight of him catches me off guard; I’m not prepared to face him yet after last night, haven’t yet considered what I’m going to say to him after rushing out of the locker room. He’s totally casual, though, like there wasn’t a mountain of sexual tension smoldering between us last night.

“Hey kid,” Theo greets, flashing me a smile.

My belly does a flip and my mouth goes dry. I’m suddenly hyper-aware of how I must look, all sweaty and red-faced from my run.

“Hi.”

He gives me a once-over, slowly raking his eyes down my body, then back up to meet mine. “Out for a run?”

I smirk, folding my arms over my chest. “How’d you guess?”

His smile widens and he rakes a hand through his hair, chuckling.

“Where are you off to?” I reach up to fiddle with the bottom of my ponytail.

He shrugs. “Just heading over to Gray’s to give him an update on the new border system. But if you’re heading for the showers, that can wait…”

I scowl, slapping at his arm with the back of my hand as my cheeks flush.

“What?” he chuckles.

“You know what,” I say, folding my arms over my chest again, forcing back a smile.

Theo throws up his hands in surrender. “Hey, I’m sorry if my boner freaked you out. What can I say? I’m fucking attracted to you.”

My cheeks burn, the corners of my mouth tipping up into a smile on their own accord. I shrug, feigning innocence. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He rolls his eyes, a teasing smile on his lips. “Sure you don’t. You were staring straight at it.”

“Theo,” I warn.

“Brooke.” He arches a brow.

It sounds foreign for him to actually say my name rather than calling me by that stupid nickname.

I heave a sigh, throwing my hands on my hips. “Whatever. Have fun at Gray’s. Tell my sister I say hi.”

I start to walk past him, darting him a glance over my shoulder. He’s just watching me with those mischievous hazel eyes, grinning.

My wolf surges to the surface in response, peeking out at Theo.

Mine.

~

Theo

Over the past few days, my desire for Brooke has become a full-blown obsession. When I’m not with her, I’m thinking about her. When I am with her, I’m constantly fighting the urge to touch her, kiss her, make her mine. I feel like I’m going fucking crazy. Maybe I am.

I don’t know what it is about her- that good girl persona? The glimpse of the bad girl within that I saw the other night? The fact that she’s so fucking unattainable that it’s ludicrous for me to even think I’ve got a shot at getting in her pants?

She’d probably want a relationship in exchange for giving it up, and I’m not sure if I could give her that. I don’t do the relationship thing- never have and swore I never would. She’d probably get all clingy because that’s what virgins do, I’d feel trapped, and I’d wind up fucking everything up in some epic way that would destroy her.

I like the girl, I can’t do that to her. But I can’t just move on and forget about Brooke, either. There has to be some middle ground where I can keep her while still protecting her from myself.

She’s putting the finishing touches on her program, so she’s been buried in work all week. The only time I’ve gotten to spend with her is at the hub. She thinks she’ll be finished with her program on Friday, and somehow I got her to agree to let me take her out again.

I’m still dying to get Brooke on the back of my bike. She’s slowly opening up to me, becoming a little more uninhibited, so I think I can pull it off if I play it right. Which is why I talked Jax into going shopping with me. He’s got three sisters, so I figured he’d have some insight when it comes to shopping for a girl.

We’re at a women’s clothing boutique in Goldenleaf and I wonder if we look as out of place here as I feel right now. The racks around us are overstuffed with clothes- an assortment of bright colors and soft textures. As I stand and look around the little shop, I feel completely… lost.

“Are you gonna tell me what we’re doing here?” Jax asks, raking a hand through his textured dark blonde hair.

I turn around to face him, my expression stoic. “Yeah…” I breathe. “But I need you to swear that it’ll stay between us.”

Jax arches a brow, his curiosity piqued. He brings a hand up to his chin, cradling it between his thumb and forefinger. “Alright…” he says tentatively, studying me. “What’s going on, man?”

I blow out a breath. “So I’ve been trying to talk this girl into going for a ride on my bike. She keeps saying no, but I figured that if I got her a jacket like mine, maybe that’d help her come around. And since you have sisters, I thought you could help me pick something that a chick would actually wear.”

Jax furrows his brow in confusion. “What? Hold on…” he holds his hands up in front of him, shaking his head. “First of all, I thought that chicks weren’t allowed on your bike. And second, have you actually been seeing someone? What girl?”

I heave a sigh. I was afraid of this- I didn’t want to have to explain whatever the fuck this ‘friendship’ is with Brooke. But out of all my friends, Jax is the only one I feel comfortable confiding in right now. It’s not like I can tell Gray given who he’s mated to.

I pause, pressing my lips together in a tight line. “It’s Brooke.”

Jax’s eyes fly wide. “What?” He bursts out laughing. “Brooke Eastwick? Fallon’s sister?!” He scrubs a hand over his face, still chuckling. “Oh you’ve gotta be kidding me…”

My face burns.

Jax shakes his head, delivering a playful jab to my arm. “I mean, good for you, bro. She’s hot. Not exactly who I’d pin down as your type, but if you’re gettin’ that…”

My wolf bristles at Jax’s suggestion, but I don’t correct him. I’d sound like a fucking pussy if I told him Brooke and I were ‘friends’ and I hadn’t even boned her yet.

I smirk. “Like I said, this has to stay between us, dude. Fallon already tried to cockblock me, I don’t want it getting back to Gray.”

Jax holds his hands up in front of him again. “Hey, man, I get it… I won’t say anything.” He pauses, scratching his head. “But seriously, Brooke Eastwick?” He chuckles to himself again.

I roll my eyes, shoving at his chest. “Would you fucking quit it?”

I turn away from him and look around the store, trying to identify where the hell to begin my search among the jungle of silk and lace and girly shit.

“Alright, so we’re looking for a jacket?” Jax asks after he’s collected himself.

I turn back to him and nod.

He claps me on the shoulder, stepping past me. “Looks like outerwear is back here.”

I’m tempted to chastise Jax for his use of the term ‘outerwear’, but the guy is here to help me- so instead I just keep my mouth shut and follow him to the back corner of the store. I post up against a clothing rack, watching him thumb through an upper rack on the wall.

Jax pulls down a hanger, holding up a red leather jacket with a studded collar. “Heh?” he asks, waggling his eyebrows.

I shake my head, folding my arms over my chest. Definitely not something I could see Brooke wearing.

Jax returns the coat to the rack, unruffled. Keeps thumbing through the others. He continues pulling options from the rack, showing them to me while I just grunt and shake my head.

“What are you looking for, bro?” he finally asks, sighing.

I don’t know why I’m being so fucking picky.

“A biker jacket like mine,” I grumble. I push past him, reaching up to start searching the rack myself. Jax moves aside, continuing his own search.

Just when I’m about to give up and leave the damn store, Jax pipes up again.

“How about this one?”

I turn to see him holding up a black leather moto jacket with a silver zipper. It’s fucking perfect.

My lips spread into a grin. “That’s the one.”

Jax takes a closer look at the jacket inside the collar. “Medium should be good, right?”

I have no fucking idea. I just stare at him blankly.

He chuckles, thrusting the jacket in my direction. “Should be fine.”

I take it from his hands, holding it up in front of me and smiling. I can already picture Brooke in the jacket, looking like a sexy little biker babe. Throwing a long leg over my bike to climb on. Wrapping her arms around my waist as I rev the engine.

My eyes return to Jax, who’s watching me curiously.

“Holy shit… you like this girl, don’t you?” he asks incredulously.

I grunt, wiping the dumbass smile off my face.

Jax steps closer, giving me a playful shove. “I’ve never seen you put in this kind of effort. Admit it, you like her, bro!”

I roll my eyes, shoving him back. “Whatever, man. I’ve just never wanted to bone a chick this badly.”

Even as I say it, I know it’s a lie. There’s something about Brooke that’s gotten under my skin- and I don’t think fucking her will get her out of my system. As crazy as it sounds, my wolf isn’t the only one who wants to claim her.

“Damn. Never thought I’d see the day…” Jax teases.

I shove him again, turning around to head up to the register. On the way, I glance down at the tag on the jacket, inwardly cringing at how much it’s going to set me back. Brooke’s worth it, though. It’ll be worth it if this gets her to agree to go for a ride. I can’t wait to take her up to Pine Mountain.

Jax follows me to the register, flirting with the salesgirl while I make my purchase. Then he follows me out of the store, coming up beside me as I start down the sidewalk.

“So’s she your girlfriend now or what?” Jax asks, waggling his eyebrows.

This guy won’t fucking let it go.

“Would you stop?” I groan, slinging the bag with the jacket over my shoulder.

Jax laughs. “I’m just givin’ you shit, bro. You know you deserve it after all you’ve doled out every time one of us has gotten involved with a female…”

I stop in my tracks, turning to face him. “I’m not involved, dude.” I point a finger at his chest. “And you said you weren’t going to say anything…”

He holds up his hands in surrender, blue eyes wide. “Hey, I’m not gonna say anything to the guys about it. I told you I wouldn’t.”

I scowl, looking down at the pavement, kicking at a crack in the sidewalk. A pause stretches between us.

“You know…” Jax says quietly, “If you were involved with her, it wouldn’t be a bad thing. A girl like her could actually be good for you.”

Yeah, and what would I be for her? A fucking wrecking ball.

“Can we just drop it?” I grumble.

Jax slowly nods, turning to start down the sidewalk again. I walk with him in silence, shoving my conflicting feelings to the back of my mind. I’m not planning long term here; I’m living for the moment. That’s what I do. And in this moment, all I want to do is get Brooke on my bike.

And with any luck, the jacket in this shopping bag might be just the ticket.