“Oh.” He wrapped his arms around himself. “Well, you’re the only large donor who has ever volunteered at a community meal. The rest just like the perks of publicity and a tax write-off, but don’t really care about the people in need.”
I might have been the same if I’d grown up knowing my father and grandfather. Though Gregorious Adan was very generous with his time for his chosen charities and had encouraged me to be the same way when I chose mine.
I opened the car door for Kane before going around to get in. After he told me his address, I set off to get him home safely, my mind still lost in trying to figure out the intentions of the wealthy. It was a world I doubted I would ever understand.
When I pulled up in front of Kane’s home, a brownstone townhouse, my wolf was anxious and wanting the omega’s attention. I never remembered him being so active on a date before. Yes, I’d felt him, but not so loud and energetic. “Are you sure you won’t invite me in?”
I rushed around to the other side to get the door for him before he could answer. As he took my offered hand and stepped out, I caught his playful smile.
“My parents are waiting for me to call and tell them about all the famous people I saw tonight. They’ve already texted me. Plus, I’m not ready to take you past the lady who owns this place and the others who rent here. I only have a bachelor apartment on the top floor.”
I took his hands and, feeling how cold they were, rubbed them between mine. “Perhaps you’ll invite me up another time, then.”
“Maybe.” His eyes twinkled as he smiled.
Releasing his hands, I leaned closer before cupping the back of his neck and kissed his lips. I caught his brief gasp before he gripped my arms and pulled himself into me. With slow, gentle motions, I savored the taste of his soft lips. They were so responsive and easy to tease open as I grazed my tongue along the edge of his. He moaned into my mouth, and my lust for him skyrocketed.
When he pulled away with a soft sigh, it took me a moment to catch my bearings. “I think it’s time for me to go inside now.”
“Um, okay. You’re still coming to my party next Saturday, right?”
One corner of his mouth turned up as the twinkle returned to his eyes. “That was the deal. We can figure out arrangements for it through the week.”
“Sure.” I nodded as my mind flipped between the disappointment of saying goodbye and the excitement of getting to see him again. I struggled with the idea of letting him out of my sight and made sure he got up the stairs and into the building before I turned away. As I headed back to the driver’s side of my car, my wolf cried outmate.
Chapter Seven
Kane
I closed my eyes before walking in front of the full-length mirror at my front door. With a deep breath, I opened them again and stared at my reflection. I looked good in my red sequin pants that were tight up top and flared from my knees down. Pairing them with my white sleeveless satin turtleneck was a great choice. They were the fanciest and most expensive clothes I owned, but I worried they weren’t right for the party I was going to. Would they be too much? Not enough? It wasn’t as if I had time to change with Desmond already on his way to pick me up. He’d insisted on driving me to the party, refusing to tell me the location of it. Exactly why I worried about what to wear. If not for Adan artists posting their outfits on social media with captions likeFeeling Festive,I would have sat on my bed and stared into my wardrobe until the wolf shifter showed up to get me.
From the back of my entry closet, I pulled out a pair of white strappy sandals that I usually only wore in the summer. With Desmond driving me, I didn’t have to worry about getting wet or cold feet. Plus, they were super cozy. He’d said he wanted to dance with me at the party, so comfort was important.
My phone buzzed and I saw a message from him.I’m out front. Do you want me to come up?
Nope. Coming down now,I replied, grabbing my keys and locking the door behind me.
As I made my way down the stairs, my stomach felt heavier. Nerves left my hands sweating. Choosing an outfit had been hard enough, but I was on my way to see the man I had kissed the last time I’d seen him. Not just any kiss but one that had made my toes tingle and my cock throb. The suppressants I took kept me from going into heat, and I thought they were supposedto reduce my sexual desires. Then I’d felt the push and pull of Desmond’s lips and wondered if the medication worked at all. It had taken all my willpower the weekend before to walk away from him. I worried I wouldn’t be able to do so at the end of the night.
Pausing at the bottom of the steps, I took a deep breath. I was a grown omega who lived on my own and I knew basic self-defense if my date tried anything I wasn’t willing to do. I also knew to always keep my drink with me and covered. With Desmond, I hoped I didn’t have to worry about any of that. All the warnings I’d received from others after my Christmas party had been regarding his father, a man I knew nothing about but had learned he’d served the last ten years in prison. No one had said anything negative about Desmond though, only assuming he would be like his father. Still, I’d done my research. For some reason, my date didn’t share the same last name as his father. There was nothing mentioned about him in any paper or tabloid until after his father had been put in jail. Plus, Adan Records had long distanced themselves from Conn Adan before Desmond was hired to work there. All that was public record.
I didn’t know Desmond well enough to fully trust him, but I wasn’t going to hold his father’s actions against him. Especially since he’d been a kid at the time.
As I reached for the door handle, I stood on the tips of my toes to peek at my date. He faced away from me, so I couldn’t see much other than his black suit. Heading out the door, I nearly tripped before I even reached the first step. His eyes lit up when he saw me, and his smile made my heart melt. He looked damn fine with his curls gelled into place and his dapper suit with a button-down shirt the same color as my pants. Was it Fate? I didn’t like to acknowledge such nonsense, but Desmond had me believing otherwise.
“You look absolutely stunning.” He walked up the stairs to meet me, giving my hand a quick kiss before holding it for support as I carefully stepped down the sidewalk. As chivalrous as the Saturday before, he held the passenger side of his sports car open for me, ensuring I was inside and comfortable before closing it.
“You’re quite handsome yourself,” I said as he started the engine. It was the first time I’d seen him blush, and it helped reduce some of my anxiety. “So, are you going to tell me where the party is yet?”
“It’s at Hôtel Cyclamen.” He pulled out into traffic as my stomach folded into itself. That was the poshest hotel in the whole city. One I never imagined going to in my entire life. I definitely wasn’t dressed up enough. Heck, even with different clothes, I didn’t think I could hide the fact that I didn’t belong there.
“Um, are you sure you want to bring me there?”
“Yep.” He turned left, taking us toward the underground streets I had never been privileged enough to travel on. “If you hadn’t agreed to come with me, I wouldn’t be going.”
“There is no way I could ever afford to go there on my own. No one in my family is the CEO of anything.” Why did he think I was an appropriate date to take there?
He chuckled as he waved his key fob in front of the scanner to allow us access to the underground system. “Look, I grew up on Jackson Street. I was almost an adult when I found out I was related to the Adans.”
