Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder novel Chapter 504

Chapter 6 : What Do You Mean, We're Sharing a Bed?

*Lena*

I stifled my shock at seeing Xander step out onto the porch. He silently picked up the trunk as though it were weightless and turned back into the tiny cottage.

"You'll have to share the space for a few weeks until the seasonal workers start to go back to town," Bethany said, totally unperturbed by the idea of a man and a woman sharing an incredibly small space together. It was wholly inappropriate, but what was I supposed to say? She'd already mentioned the bunkhouse was full.

I didn't meet Xander's eye as I stepped inside, looking over my shoulder as Bethany stepped off the porch. "Breakfast at seven, okay? Don't miss it!" she said before she turned to walk toward her own cottage. I sucked in my breath and turned on my heel, shutting the door behind me.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I hissed, dropping my duffle bag onto the single, high-backed chair that was sitting against the wall next to a rusted wood stove. Xander was leaning against the opposite wall, a smirk on his face. I wanted to slap it off of him.

"It was the only placement left."

"You knew I was coming here-"

"I took it because I knew you'd be here, yes. I felt bad about how I handled Slate, and I wanted to make it up to you."

I gaped at him, then snapped my mouth shut, narrowing my eyes at him.

"There's only one bed, by the way," he shrugged, arching his brow.

"I guess you'll have to sleep on the porch!"

"No, I won't be sleeping on the porch," he said with a wry smile.

I sucked on my lower lip, trying to find an immediate solution. "I'll sleep on the floor then, out here." I started to open my duffle bag. which was stuffed full of my clothes. All of my books and equipment were in the trunk that Xander was now sitting on. "Do you mind?" I said, motioning to my trunk.

"I sleep on the left side of the bed, closest to the door. You'll sleep on the right side," he said casually, running his hands down the length of his thighs to brush out the wrinkles in his jeans.

"If you think I'm sharing a bed with you, you're delusional,' I laughed, shaking my head and fishing a thick sweater from my duffle bag. Even with the wood stove going, it was absolutely freezing in the cottage. I couldn't believe anything grew in such weather.

"Cold?" he asked as I pulled the sweater over my head. I glared at him as I pulled my arms through the sleeves. "It’ll be even colder on the floor tonight, you know. Well be much warmer under a quilt, sharing each others' heat-"

"If you lay a single finger on me, I'll kill you."

He raised his hands, chuckling as he shook his head. 'I'm not a monster, Lena. There's plenty of room, and extra blankets. You can have your own. I bet I can find a few sleeping bags, too. That way... we couldn't touch each other, you know, being zipped up in our bags... even if we wanted to."

I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks as he looked into my eyes. Something about the way he was looking at me sent a warm rush down the length of my spine. I didn't like the way my stomach did a little flip when he’d said “even if we wanted to," like it had been some kind of challenge.

He rose from the trunk, tucking his hands in the pockets of the jeans.

"I’m going to the bunkhouse to grab something to eat before I go to bed. Do you want anything?" His countenance had changed, and he was no longer giving me a teasing look as he spoke. His voice had been soft, almost caring. It caught me off guard.

"No, thanks," I whispered, tucking a rogue lock of hair behind my ear.

"The bathroom is through this door, and this is the bedroom," he said, reaching out to touch both doors. The cottage was small enough that it was almost uncomfortably tight with two people standing in the main room. "There’s tea in the cabinet, and the kettle on the woodstove has hot water in it, if you want a cup."

"Bethany said there was a kitchenette?" I murmured, glancing at the cabinets on the far wall. There was no refrigerator, stove, or sink.

"Yeah, she lied," he laughed, leaning down to tie the laces of his shoes. "But there are fresh towels in the bathroom if you want to take a shower. It does take a while for the water to heat up, though."

"Okay, thanks."

He looked me up and down before straightening to his full height. "I'll be right back, okay? Don't lock me out."

I glanced down at the floor, trying to hide the smile that touched my lips as he moved across the room and then disappeared through the door. It shut behind him, and I found myself alone.

I opened the door to the bathroom, finding it to be well-sized despite the tightness of the cottage in general. I turned on the water in the shower, which was frigid, just like Xander had said it would be. I walked back out to the main room, put a log in the woodstove, and poured myself a cup of tea while I waited for the shower to heat up, holding the mug in my hands for a moment while I glanced around the room.

I decided not to look in the bedroom-not yet, at least. I’d cross that bridge when it was time to accept the fact that if I wanted to sleep at all during the next couple of weeks, it was going to have to be next to Xander.

I showered, letting my journey to Crimson Creek wash down the drain. By the time I stepped back out into the main room, dressed in thick thermal leggings and a matching sweatshirt, Xander had returned. He rose from the armchair, offering it to me.