He looks at his phone, and his face lights up, and I groan. My back bumps against the wall that separates the lot from the restaurant, letting out a huge breath as he stops the music.
I watch him answer the phone and hold it up to his ear.
“Timber,” he sounds completely professional as he bends himself over the counter like he did when he handed me the oatmeal laced with his slick. “I was hoping you’d call.” Is he purring, or is it just wishful thinking? The way he purred and moaned as he burrowed into my neck after the movie is something else I can’t escape from.
“I wanted to check in and see how you’re doing,” I say.And spy on you more because I can’t help myself.
“Don’t worry. I’m all ready for you to come home tomorrow,” he says.
He rises on his tiptoes, wiggling his ass with a smile that he should only make when he’s buried between my thighs.
My eyes slowly close as need and pride rumbles through my body at how happy my omega is as he talks to me
He’s got me. There’s no way I can escape from this. Not when Luke looks so good, and my body pulses with how right this is.
I have to find a way to stop these feelings now, or I’ll be screwed for life.
Timber
Ishuffle in my seat, trying not to tug at my collar and make it obvious how uncomfortable I am.
I had to confess to Marilyn that I haven’t found an omega. Not that I’ve been trying when I’ve been so obsessed with maple syrup that I basically can’t settle anymore unless I think it’s there.
I’m still kicking myself for not telling Luke I know about his designation. If I’d just fought through the fear that exploded through me when I came home, I could be sitting here with him instead of a stranger.
Marilyn’s still annoyed that I only told her two days before the actual date. But she didn’t have the fun of see-sawing wildly between telling Luke or hiding what I knew, so I could uncover the true motives that seemed nonexistent.
Or maybe he was just that good.
I hoped Marilyn wouldn’t be able to find anyone, so I could get out of it. But she said this morning that I had to be there or I’d suffer the consequences.
Ash arrived first. After we introduced ourselves, I had the pleasure of feeling guilty as well as making it as awkward as possible for both of us.
It’s not like Luke said he had feelings for me or we were anywhere close to dating. And there was no way something could happen with Ash.
It’s not just that I can’t talk to her properly; it’s that all my anxieties about omegas that Luke has fostered are swirling around in my head. Even though Marilyn vouched for Ash, it’s not enough to make me relax.
It doesn’t seem like either of us is interested in the other. As soon as the drinks come, we begin chatting, but it feels like we’re forcing the conversation.
“So, where do you come from?” she asks, twirling a slice of bread in a small bowl of olive oil. I think the bread captures her attention more than I do, and I get it. Who would be excited about going on a date with a forty-two-year-old hockey player who has nothing going for him?
I tilt my head and hold back my sigh. She’s beautiful in every way an omega should be. Her tanned skin complements her long, dark hair, which spills down her back and covers the strapsof her deep purple dress. But that’s the problem. Even if she was one of the supermodels that Kane was usually seen with, she’s still an omega. As soon as we start talking, she’ll turn out to be the same as all the others.
I could rudely burst out with, “What do you want from me?” and get it over with. I want to make an attempt to talk to her like she’s a person, and not another version of my ex-wife.
Kane pushed that I should see this as a fun experience, and what’s more fun than a forced exercise in facing my trauma? Though Kane doesn’t know I’m dealing with it all the time now that there’s a sexy maple-drenched omega in my house.
I keep scanning the restaurant for him. I already told him I won’t meet Ollie, but that’s why I forced myself into this suit and came. Well, that, and I might get more information about Luke. I need to see her, maybe scent her. Just to know I’m not going completely insane.
If it turns out that she’s not my match, I can drop the whole thing and try to sort out my feelings for Luke.
“Are you even listening to me?” Ash’s voice cuts through my worrying.
I jump as I meet her scowl, and more guilt pierces me. I’m really the worst person she could be on a date with.
“Did Marilyn make you come here as well?” I blurt out.
Her eyes widen; her hand pauses, bread buried in the bowl of olive oil.. Tenseness crowds my body as I wait for the answer. I don’t want to get stuck in my head any more than I already am.
