Accidental Surrogate for Alpha novel Chapter 458

#Chatper 458-Preparations Ella

I jump almost out of my skin when Sinclair bangs through our bedroom door. I spin with the baby in my arms, my eyes wide. Sinclair’s clearly all worked up as he slams the door behind him, his eyes instantly fixed on me, looking me up and down.

“Why are you dressed like that?” he asks, his voice angry, though I can tell that he’s not mad at me he’s just worked up at what must have been a very stressful day.

“Like what?” I ask, looking down at myself. I’m wearing what I think is my most conservative dress – black, floor length with a little bit of a train behind me, with long sleeves and a crew neck that cuts across my collar bones, showing nothing beneath.

“Well, you look beautiful, Ella,” Sinclair bites out, glaring at me a little like it’s an accusation.

I blink at him for a moment, my eyebrows raising. “Is that a problem, Dominic?”

“Why are you all dressed up?” he growls, crossing to me.

“I just thought that I’d get ready, in case I am supposed to go to dinner – ”

“And you decided to wear that!?”

“Okay,” I say, keeping my voice calm and doing my very best to keep my own temper now, because my mate? He’s pushing it. I put one hand out, resting it against his chest. “All right, Dominic. I’m going to give you a minute now to rethink your words, and then we’ll start again.”

He narrows his eyes at me, not liking at all that I’m talking to him like a kindergartener. But I cock my head to the side, asking him to consider the irony that at this moment I need to talk to him like a kindergartener.

After a long moment he sighs and turns away from me, hanging his head and putting his hands on his hips. “I’m sorry,” he murmurs, pulling himself together. Then he drops his face in a hand. “It has been a long day, Ella.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” I murmur, taking a step forward and putting a hand on his back, stroking up and down, wanting to bring him comfort. “Tell me,” I say, and my mate turns and puts his arms around me as he tells me all about the meeting.

I sigh when he finishes. “I’m sorry, Dominic,” I say, looking up at him. “I know you tried.”

He shakes his head, looking down at me with his gorgeous green eyes. “It doesn’t matter what I tried – they’ve already decided.”

I nod, understanding, but knowing that he’s going to take the blame on himself no matter what logic presents itself.

Then I bite my lip a little, considering. “Does this mean I’m going to dinner?”

He sighs again, more deeply this time and steps away from me, putting a hand on my shoulder and turning me around. I do as his hands tell me to, spinning so that my back is to him, and then I sigh a little as he clasps my zipper in his hands and starts to pull it hastily down.

“Yes,” he says, and I sigh in disappointment –

But then I frown, because…wait, what?

“I’m going?” I ask, trying to turn, but my mate holds me still until he has the zipper all the way down to my ass. Then he starts to push at the gown at my shoulders.

“You are,” he says. “I already sent word to the Prince, accepting in your stead.” A shiver passes through me at the warmth of Sinclair’s palms against my shoulders, my upper arms, but

“Well then what are you doing?” I ask, turning and frowning at him even as he tries to stop me. “I’m already dressed! I’m -”

“I’m taking this damn dress off you, Ella,” he says, gruff. “Don’t you have like, a dirty old sack you can wear? Or a saggy sweatsuit?”

I laugh but I take a step back from him, starting to pull my dress back on. ” Dominic! I’m not going to dinner with our enemy looking like a slob. This dress is so matronly -”

“Matronly?” he says, slipping his hands into his pockets and raising a single eyebrow at me. “Ella, I was hard the moment I walked in the door and saw you in that dress – ”

“Yeah,” I say, waving a dismissive hand, “But that’s every dress – ”

“Damn right it is,” he growls, stepping towards me again, the predator in him coming out.

But this just makes me laugh, as much as it turns me on. Because Sinclair – I like him like this. Maybe we should keep this Atalaxian Prince around if it gets my mate all worked up…