Not when I catch hints of his indulgent scent. Caramelized sugar and the slightest hint of smoke and cedar. A freshly torched crème brûlée ready to be savored.
I, of all people, appreciate the power of scent, but I never fully understood the impact of a scent match until now. It’s biology and chemistry, but it’s also an intangible magic that we’ve never been able to explain.
It’s sitting next to a giant alpha you’ve never met when you’ve been conditioned to be wary of alphas, and wanting nothingmore than to curl up in their lap and feel their hands all over your body, soothing away your discomfort.
“Would it help if I went and got some ice? We could wrap it in a napkin and…” He sees my frown at the thought of him getting up and shakes his head. “No, that’s stupid.”
I reach out and touch his arm, my omega very displeased that he’d feel bad about his kind offer. “Not stupid. But I…I’m okay. “
Beau’s eyes crinkle at the corners after a moment of surprise at my touch. “Alright.”
A purr from the other side of me draws my focus back to the other intoxicating presence on the bench. Ruby clears her throat to disguise the purr as she watches me and Beau, a hint of a flush rising on her cheeks.
I’m set at ease by her pleased reaction and her confident yet gentle aura. Then I get a lungful of her candy heart scent paired with her luscious curves that I’m trying really damn hard not to look at too much, and I’m right back to being flustered. Conversation hearts have always been my favorite Valentine’s Day treat: sweet, a little fruity, and, when used correctly, witty and fun.
I swallow hard. I’ve never been with an omega, but now all I can think about is what her slick tastes like.
“Well, uh, thank you for helping me. That was awesome and unexpected and…I guess maybe I should get your numbers?”
Ruby frowns and exchanges a glance with Beau.
Shit, are they not feeling this connection the way I am? She’s not going into heat or anything, and Beau isn’t trying to rut me, so maybe not.
“Or not. That’s fine, too. I’ll just, uh, get out of your hair then.” I go to stand up, but a well-manicured hand wraps around my wrist.
“Where are you going? Of course we want your number, but we’re not going to go about our evening and leave you to fend foryourself.” The bemusement and hint of chastisement in her tone have me sitting back down as my cock twitches.
“Definitely not,” Beau agrees.
Oh. “That’s so nice of you, but I’ll be okay. I don’t want to ruin your date, and I’m not even sure this is a heat.” That last part is a lie. Now that Ruby suggested that’s what’s going on, it’s obvious.
“No.”
I blink back at the adamant alpha. “No?”
Beau’s gentle expression grows stern. “No, you’re not ruining our date, and no, you won’t be okay on your own.”
“Yeah, sweetheart, you can’t power through a heat on your own if it’s your first one. We should get you over to the omega clinic before it gets too bad.” Ruby’s thumb strokes my wrist, attempting to soothe me. All it does is make the molten arousal spreading through my body even stronger.
I can’t go to the omega clinic. I will not have my first time with an alpha and my first heat at some medical facility. My omega bristles at the thought of a stranger touching me when I’m most vulnerable. Well, any stranger who isn’t one of the two people sitting next to me, smelling like they’re mine…
“No, no, I don’t need to go to the clinic. I’m pretty sure if I go home and take another dose of my suppressant, it should keep me from fully going into heat.” I vaguely remember the doctor telling me that as long as I take it again right away if I realize I’ve missed a dose, it won’t lose its efficacy. She didn’t mention me suddenly going into heat because of meeting my scent matches, but I’m sure it’ll be fine.
“Archer…” My name in Beau’s rumbling, concerned tone has my omega wanting to bare my neck to him.
I’m not being logical. I recognize that distantly, but I can’t help it. I haven’t waited this long to have my first heat at a sterile, impersonal clinic.
A whine slips from my lips.
Ruby laces her fingers through mine, her soft purr filling the air. “It’s okay. If you don’t want to go to the omega clinic?—”
Beau opens his mouth to protest, but she glares at him, and he immediately backs off.
“No one is going to make you do anything you don’t want to. You’re safe. We’re going to help you get home, and once you’ve taken your suppressants, we can assess things.”
That sounds really nice. The idea of getting in another rideshare alone while I’m on the verge of my heat is terrifying. And my inner omega doesn’t want to be anywhere they aren’t. He’s decided they’re what I need, with no regard for how awkward or inappropriate that need is.
“There are other services that help with heats,” Ruby continues.
