A laugh barks out of me, and I cringe. That was not a cute sound.
“No, she’s a Beta, and my roommate. I bring her as my date to everything. We’re…” I search for the word. How can I sum up my feelings for Clara, what she means to me, in one word?
“Close. We’re close.”
Gabriel nods stiffly and turns his back to me, making his coffee, cleaning up the sugar packets, and throwing away the spent pods.
“Well, I look forward to meeting her, then. I need to get back to my desk. I have a conference call. Enjoy the coffee.”
He grabs his coat and is out of the room before I can say anything, Rooster trotting after him.
I’m not proud of what I do next. I can’t even explain why the urge comes over me, only that my brain has convinced me that if I don’t, I’ll die. Gabriel’s red scarf sits slung over the back of a chair, calling me, begging me to take it and wrap myself up in it. I glance over my shoulder to make sure no one is around before discreetly picking it up and rolling it tightly enough that I can shove it under my sweater until I get back to my desk and can hide it in my coat pocket.
FIVE
NINE DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS
Mitchell knocks on my door,sticking his head into the room. “Whoa, what’s wrong with you?”
I pull my face out of my hands. “Oh, the usual. I made a fool of myself again.”
The dark-haired Alpha leans against my doorframe, biceps testing the limits of his gray button-up. “Felix?”
My best friend is well aware of the strange pull I have to the Omega accountant. Despite it being a potential HR nightmare, he has encouraged me to explore the possibility between us, since I’ve never expressed an interest in an Omega before.
He thinks that means something. Maybe he’s right.
“What did you do this time?” he asks, pulling a soft, buttery peppermint out of the crystal dish on my desk and popping it into his mouth. “Put your foot in your mouth?”
“Well, Rooster tripped him,” I glare at my dog. He shows no hint of shame. “I have no idea why he’s always going after Felix. And then I made him coffee, and we were having a pleasant conversation until he mentioned the date he’s bringing to the holiday party. I got all jealous and asked if she was an Alpha. He told me she’s a Beta, but I was soembarrassed at my reaction that I got all weird and ran away.”
I did, however, purposefully leave my scarf behind. I couldn’t resist finding out if Felix is drawn to me, too. I can’t stop imagining him wrapping himself up in it—an unspoken claim.
“Well, that’s not a bad thing, is it? A Beta and Omega pairing isn’t odd. Maybe she can help you get an in with him.” Mitchell reaches down and ruffles the fur between Rooster’s ears. “Your dog seems determined to be your wingman. He’s always bothering Felix.”
“Maybe he can help you out with Katy,” I float. “I bet I could train him to wrap you two up in his leash under the mistletoe like a romantic comedy.”
A frown quickly replaces his smile, and he glares at me. “Why would he? I have no interest in Katy.”
I have to fight not to roll my eyes. He can claim he’s not into her all he wants, but I see the way he watches her. I don’t know why he can’t seem to stop himself from being an asshole to her, but I think this is an ‘Alpha doth protest too much’ situation.
“Anyway,” he says tightly, “if you’re actually interested in Felix, talk to his Beta. Maybe she can help you figure out a way to win him over. You could team up.”
I shake my head, suddenly very interested in the memo my assistant Lance put on my desk earlier today. “No, it’s for the best that I work on getting over him. It’s not appropriate for me to come onto my employee like that.”
“Keep telling yourself that,” Mitchell says, pushing himself to his feet. “But, as your boss, I’m giving you permission as long as you’re not a total sleazeball to him.”
“I’ll pursue something with Felix when you do with Katy.”
Mitchell Carpenter is my best friend, but as soon as thosewords leave my mouth, I know I fucked up. All friendliness drops from his face, and the CEO mask falls into place as he stands in front of me, crossing his arms.
“We have a call with Helping Homes in fifteen minutes.”
I have to back off in pushing him to Katy. I don’t know the history between them, and every time I bring it up, he becomes more defensive.
Not like I can blame him. Talking about Felix isn’t something I want to do either.
I have wanted him since the moment I met him, and my feelings for him are growing stronger every day.
