“Of course.” Silas swallowed and pulled his belt free of the buckle. He popped open the button of his fly and undid the zipper beneath. With a shimmy of his hips, his pants pooled on the floor. Silas worked his boxer briefs down his thighs with his thumb, and they fell as well.
He was dismayed to find himself partially erect.
“I guess I was wrong to worry,” Harrison admitted. “I know you’re a professional. I wouldn’t expect anything less of you. I supposed after what happened with Thaddeus, it was on my mind. I don’t doubt you, Silas.”
“No offense taken.” If Harrison knew the thoughts that lurked in his mind, he wouldn’t apologize. He was right to worry. Doubt began to fog Silas’ mind, and he scrubbed at the bridge of his nose as he made his way to the bathroom. What was he doing, thinking about knotting Elijah? He was better than that.
It had to be the after-effects of Owen’s heat—there was no other way Silas would be so unprofessional about a rescue. As he padded across the cold tile, he reminded himself of all he’d accomplished, and how many lives he’d saved during his two years at Stonecrest. If he could push his libido aside, he could save one more soul.
Elijah was a job. He was damaged and vulnerable, and Silas was there to help him recover. There was no way he had any right to think of Elijah like he did.
Yet Silas did anyway.
Thaddeus had found someone to love. He’d taken Seth to bed and knotted him during his first heat, and now they were expecting. It was fast, and it was frightening, but Thaddeus said that it felt right. When the right omega came along, the pull was often undeniable.
Only Elijah wasn’t the right omega. Without a doubt, he was the wrong omega—theworstomega possible.
“I’ve got to get going before Seth gives me a concussion,” Thaddeus said. “Call back in a few days?”
“Of course,” Harrison replied. “If Seth needs anything, tell him he’s always welcome to call me.”
“Or me, if the situation warrants it,” Silas added. He was glad the call was ending. Thoughts of Elijah flooded back to him, and his erection did not wane. He was going to have to take care of it. “Talk soon.”
“Signing off.” Thaddeus ended the call.
“Nice talking with you, Silas. Take care,” Harrison concluded.
“See you later.”
The call ended in full, and Silas set the phone down. He ran the water in the shower to heat it, and while he waited, he contemplated the situation he found himself in.
If it wasn’t a temporary moment of weakness brought on by Owen’s heat, and he really was drawn to Elijah, what would be the proper course of action? Torres was counting on him to get through to Elijah in a way that the omega counselors couldn’t. Someone as scarred as Elijah wasn’t likely to listen to other omegas—he internalized his inequality so deeply that he wouldn’t see them as professionals. One of the more confident beta counselors on staff might be able to take Elijah on, but the effect wouldn’t be the same. With time, Elijah would open up. Omegas in his situation always did.
It didn’t change the fact that Torres would think poorly of him for requesting a case transfer because he couldn’t stop thinking with his dick.
The whole situation was a mess.
Silas turned the shower on and stepped under the stream once it had warmed. Shower curtain pulled into place, he allowed his muscles to relax beneath the heat.
There was a good possibility that the hint of Owen’s heat had thrown him off his game, and he was worrying over nothing. All he needed to do was work out a knot and he’d feel better. Fantasies of Elijah would fade away, and he’d return to work professional as ever.
Silas set a hand against the tiled wall and closed his eyes. Water slicked his hair against the sides of his face and worked down his shoulders and back. With his free hand, Silas gripped his length and stroked.
Elijah.
In Silas’ fantasies, Elijah lay on his stomach, naked, on Silas’ bed, legs bent at the knee so his feet swung. With a twist of his head, he looked over his shoulder at Silas and raked his teeth across his full bottom lip. The soft browns of his eyes were alive with mischief, and with nothing said he lifted his hips. To brace himself, his feet returned to the bed. The rounds of his ass were beautiful and full, his back arched, his cock hard and bobbing…
Silas thrust forward into his hand, teeth clenched.
Heat, sweet and stirring, rose with Elijah’s natural scent. Silas imagined it would smell like Elijah did—masculine with hints of something floral. Fertility. In his head, Silas ran his hands over the globes of Elijah’s ass, and Elijah gasped and trembled and dropped his head submissively. He lifted his hips a tiny bit more.
Silas had never been harder. He sucked in a breath, the air heavy and damp from the shower. Would Elijah be tight? In the middle of his heat, Silas couldn’t imagine Elijah would feel any other way.
Silas’ hand tightened around his shaft as his hips moved faster. Once he was inside of Elijah, he’d rut and claim him until Elijah’s knees would give out. They’d collapse onto the mattress together, and from there, Silas would fuck him mercilessly. The airy gasps and tender cries of an omega getting exactly what he wanted filled the room.
Alone in his bathroom, Silas grunted as he came. The fat swell at the base of his cock filled his hand and forced his grip open. White ropes of cum decorated the bathroom wall, and he opened his eyes to find himself back in his bathroom.
It was the end of his fantasies. From there on out, it was back to business as usual. There was no way he’d led Elijah get under his skin and rile him again.
Silas loved the work he did too much to let a forbidden romance interfere.
