“They’re the best in the city,” I say, lowering the menu just enough to catch the way four pairs of eyes are fixed on me. My heart skips a beat, their gazes making my chest tighten. I clear my throat, suddenly feeling exposed. “Even you guys might be impressed.”
West speaks for the first time since sitting down, his voice low, measured, and purposeful. "Guess we’ll find out." His gaze lingers on me a moment longer than necessary, and I feel it like a tangible thing, settling over me, unyielding, sharp. My pulse stutters, the intensity of his attention sending a ripple of heat down my spine, one I can’t ignore. I shift in my seat, attempting to stop my body's reaction.
Todd chuckles, the sound light and easy, but there’s an edge to it as his elbows rest on the table. He scans the menu, but his curiosity is still on me. “Didn’t take you for the diner type, though. This place feels… unexpected.”
I glance up at him over the edge of the menu, my heart hammering just a little faster. There’s something about the genuine interest in his expression, like he’s trying to place meback into some old version of myself. “Why? Because it’s not five stars or trending on social media?”
“No,” Todd replies softly, his tone shifting in a way that feels like it’s aimed directly at me. “Because it feels… quiet. Personal. Out of the spotlight. Like the real you.”
The words hit harder than I expect, settling on my chest with an odd mix of warmth and unease. It’s the same way he used to make me feel, like he could read me inside out—nothing hidden, no walls. It makes my cheeks flush with that familiar heat, the kind I thought I could control. I thought I was past this. But no, not with them.
Jake saves me again, his voice slicing through the thickening tension. "Well, I’m in for a burger and one of these legendary shakes. What about you, West?"
West shrugs, the faintest trace of something more flickering in his eyes before he looks down at the menu. "Same. I haven’t had a strawberry shake in a long time."
Xayden laughs, his smirk widening as his gaze flicks to me, a mix of mischief and something darker lurking in his expression. Something pure alpha. "Guess we’re all going to find out if Ash still has good taste."
“She does,” Jake chimes in smoothly, his grin lighting up the space between us. “In diners, at least.”
The teasing tone in his voice is playful, but there's a deeper undertone that I can’t ignore. His words, his nearness, the scent of him—all of them pile up on me like an electric current, wrapping tighter and tighter around my chest. His natural scent flutters in the air, mingling together in a way that grounds me. I fight the urge to breathe him in deeper.
But then, beneath it all, I catch a hint of something else. A faint trace of my own perfume, despite the blockers I applied this morning. My heart stutters again, and I wonder, for just a moment, if maybe the bottle of descenter I used is defective. Ican smell myself—no, I can feel myself in the air, calling out to them, even as I try to hide it. Even through the blockers. And I can’t help but wonder if they can smell it too. Can they tell what I’m hiding? What I’m fighting against?
Xayden’s eyes flicker in my direction, the playful glint still there but shadowed by something more intense. I feel it all—their presence, their scents, all mixing together, pulling at me, making me ache in places I don’t want to feel.
I push it down, burying the growing heat. Maybe if I try harder, they won’t notice. But my body betrays me. The slickness between my thighs is there, undeniable.
A waitress arrives, taking our orders, and then the space between us stretches, thick with unspoken words and a quiet that hums with everything that’s unsaid. It hangs over us, the kind of silence that’s only broken when someone dares to fill it.
Jake leans back in his chair, shifting his weight as he breaks the tension first. “So, about the music video. We’re filming part of it tonight, right?”
I nod, thankful for the normalcy of the conversation, the work we’re here to do. “Shelley wants the stage scenes filmed live tonight at your show. The energy of the crowd is key for the vibe. Then tomorrow, we’ll focus on the non-stage stuff.”
“Cool,” Jake says, his smile never faltering, warm and effortless, like it belongs to him and no one else. “At least we know we’re in good hands.”
I try not to let his words affect me, try not to focus on the heat that rushes to my skin whenever he looks at me like that.
Xayden turns his attention to me, his smile softening, almost tender. “You’ve got a lot on your plate, Ash. If there’s anything we can do to help, just say the word.”
Jake’s eyes flick to mine, steady and sincere, an unspoken agreement between them. “Seriously. We’ll follow your lead.”
Their words catch me off guard. The sincerity in their voices sends a wave of something thick and unexpected rushing through me. I clear my throat, trying to break free of the vulnerability that tightens my chest. “Thanks,” I manage, the words tasting like gratitude and something else—something that feels too close to longing. Too dangerous. “I’ll hold you to that.”
Jake’s smile deepens, warm and real. “You should.”
It’s a promise and a challenge, and I’m not sure which one makes my heart race harder.
CHAPTER 19
Xayden
My phone chimes,and I glance down to see a news alert lighting up my screen. That automatic search for the band is at it again. I tap the notification, expecting the usual coverage—maybe something about our upcoming show. Instead, I’m met with a shot of us at the diner, Ashlyn tucked between Jake and me, her face flushed pink in a way that makes my stomach twist.
Has Primal Pulse found their omega in Omega’s Top Model, Ashlyn Robinson?
The headline stops me cold, and all I can do is stare at the image. She looks so damnrightsitting there with us. I can’t stop the wave of heat that floods my chest, like I’m riding the thrill of the paparazzi’s guess. I want it to be true. No point denying it. I’ve wanted her since I first laid eyes on her, and time hasn’t lessened that pull. Not even with the years apart.
A shadow falls over me. Todd’s voice, low and laced with an undercurrent of something hopeful, reaches my ears. “New story?”
