Thank god he wasn't offended. I relaxed, turning the wrench on the cap. "Oh, yes, of course. There's things I don't enjoy, like tight deadlines and other people's bad research, but aside from the work environment, I'd say it's my dream job."
His eyes sparkled. "That's great. Except those meathead fellows."
I smiled. “You’re lucky you work out here. I'd love to do all my research with nobody to bother me."
Jake tilted his head. "Yeah? Clearly, I don't know nothing about your job. I thought you'd had to have your butt glued to the lab seat 24/7."
"No," I said with a laugh. "Most of my job is paperwork, honestly. And it's not like I'm dealing in hazardous chemicals or anything. I could have a home lab if I had the space or money, but right now, it's just convenient to run down to the school's lab when I need to. Then there's field research, for which I obviously need to be... you know. In the field." I shrugged. "The city's nice and all, but I don't know where else I'd go. Besides, the rents are so high, I can't afford to leave my apartment."
I realized with a rush of hot embarrassment that I was blabbing my head off. I was usually so careful not to get personal when speaking to alphas. But for reasons I couldn’t understand, I felt a safe, comfortable connection to Jake. I trusted him, even if I hadn’t known him for long at all.
"Sorry, Jake, I didn't mean to dump my personal problems on you."
Jake was watching me intently, like he was hanging off my every word. "Not at all. Dump away. By the way... I'm guessin' by the way you talk about your coworkers that you're an omega?"
The way he asked it made me think he already knew. My ears felt hot. "Yeah. That's why I came out here alone to try and prove my worth. My alpha coworkers said I wouldn't make it by myself." My gaze fell to the black tangle of the car engine. "I guess I'm a failure, just like they think.”
Jake's usually warm eyes darkened, like moody clouds before a desert storm.
"Don’t talk about yourself that way," he said in a low voice. "You don’t need to prove yourself to nobody.”
I blinked at him. Right now he looked so assertive and dominant, brooding and—dare I say it—sexy?
"But—"
“You’re perfect just the way you are.”
I was lightheaded. When Jake’s amber eyes blazed through me, it electrified my soul.
Jake straightened. The stormy expression that shadowed his face disappeared and it returned to its usual sunniness.
“You got some grease on your arm there,” Jake noted, amused. Before I could even glance down, he rubbed my greasy elbow with the towel in his hand. I swallowed a squeak of gratitude and surprise.
Shit.
I was crushing hardon this rugged cowboy. He lit a fire up under me and I soared, burned under the intensity of his charm and hospitality.
Screw the car—I wasreallyin trouble now.
6
Jake
After workingon his car all day, the two of us were tuckered out. It took longer than it would've if I'd just done it myself, but I wanted Frederick to learn too. Of course, it wasn't all hard work. We spent half the time chatting and laughing among our easy conversation.
And I spent the whole damn time knowing Frederick was my fated mate.
I suspected it the second I laid eyes on him, and the time we spent together confirmed it. There was no one else I wanted but Frederick. He was the one.
My jackalope soul thundered his foot impatiently. He wanted to claim our mate and he wanted it now. But I couldn't throw Frederick against the side of my truck and capture his mouth with mine. He'd made it clear his alpha coworkers were a bunch of dickheads who didn't treat him right. I didn't want to remind him of a meathead.
Frederick was like a spooked horse; I had to earn his trust. He had to come to me first. Then he could eat all the carrots he wanted out of my hand.
“Y'know, there's one thing I’ll never get tired of,” I mentioned to Frederick. We sat side by side on my front porch in matching rocking chairs. We watched a couple hens waddle in a dry patch of weeds as we sipped on a pair of alcoholic sweet teas I'd whipped up.
Frederick nursed his drink. "What's that?"
I nudged my chin to the blazing landscape in front of us. The bold mix of orange, red and pink was like a painting come to life.
