“Hmm,” he says as he drops the bottle back to the table with a clunk. “Tragically, I was posting in the wrong tag. I ended up finding your fans, and we trauma-bonded over how hot you and Kane are when you fight.”
I choke on my first sip of wine as he snorts.
A small smile brushes my lips as I settle back into the chair. The orange light cast shadows on his face and makes it easier to look at him. At least like this, he doesn’t seem like a carbon copy of his sister.
He settles back into the chair, tucking his feet under him, his gaze distant as he looks out on the skyline of the city.
I bought a house far away from the center so I can see the twinkling lights in the evening, but I’m usually so tired with games and practice that I never stop to watch them.
Luke helps slow me down and actually makes me enjoy things.
Which is the total opposite of those rushed kisses with his sister that hum through my body.
We settle into a silence as we both sip our wine, and I can sense a conversation is building. Everything feels so huge and light that I just want to get into it straight away and ask him about her.
I squeeze my fist around my wine glass, scolding myself, forcing myself to remember that it’s her perfume and taste I’m attracted to, not her.
“How was your date?” he asks, finally breaking the tension. He sounds casual, even though I want it to mean more. Like he could be jealous or upset or something that says he feels the same as me.
I pause, drawing in a slow breath. The wine I shared with Kane at the restaurant has already gone to my head more than I thought it would, because I just burst out with it.
“I met your sister,” I say, staring straight at him.
He stiffens before he turns his head, meeting me with a smirk.
“Did you now? Well, she said she was going out tonight; I just didn’t realize it was with you.” He takes a sip from his glass. “That’s a bit mean,” he hums. “If I’d known you were going together, I could have warned you.”
“Warned me about what?” I ask, narrowing my eyes.
“Warned you to stay the hell away from her.” He chuckles at my shocked expression. “Come on, she’s family. I don’t want my boss dating her. You’re her boss as well, you know.”
It’s not just about my being her boss. It’s that she’s going into heat soon, and Luke must know. And I can’t handle the idea of not being there for her.
Maybe I should just come out with it and ask him when he’ll go into heat. That could solve some of this confusion, like any of it can be fixed at this point.
All those stupid alpha parts of me are hopping and jumping around because what if she really does go into heat with other alphas, even though she’s scent matched with me? What’s going to happen to Luke if I bond with his sister and he’s left behind? What kind of fucked person am I to be thinking all of this in the first place?
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to do anything. I wasn’t even supposed to be on a date with her in the first place. Things just happened.”
“Yeah, you mean things like Kane?”
I suddenly sat up in my chair, my eyes wide. “What? You know about her and Kane?” I snap out.
He gives me a wide grin. “There’s a lot of things I know, Timber. I’m just not sharing them with you because you’re still my boss, no matter how close we get.”
He arches a brow, glancing at my glass as if he’s telling me to drink up. Even in the flickering light of the fire, he can’t hide his darkening expression.
“Nothing is going anywhere with your sister. I only met her once,” I say.
“What? Why not?” Luke asks. “You came back here with a big smile on your face. Or, your version of a smile. I’ve never seen you look so happy.”
“Hang on, why are you defending her after telling me to stay away?”
“She’s still my sister. Even if her getting together with anyone is gross, she deserves a good partner. And you’re alright, as they come.”
I pause, trying to figure out which way the conversation is going. I don’t plan on telling Luke what actually happened at the restaurant, or how I’ve been taken over by all of this, but I can still reassure him that his sister is safe from me.
I don’t know how to say it in a way that tells him that keeping clear of omegas is more important than my feelings for him or my lust for Ollie.
