BEAU
A literal goddessgreets me when I look up from my phone.
I forget how to breathe for a second. I think I’m smiling, but it’s hard to be aware of anything beyond my racing heart.
I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’ther. How could I have? My imagination isn’t good enough to conjure up an omega this stunning. Her body is all softness and curves, her crimson dress clinging to her in a way that has my brain fuzzing and my blood sizzling. There’s something sharp and vital in her dark eyes as our gazes meet. If it weren’t so damn cliché, I’d say that it feels like I’ve been shot with Cupid’s arrow with how my chest aches.
Then I notice the displeasure in her expression before she can mask it.
Fuck.
This goddess is my date, and she doesn’t like what she sees.
She hesitates for a second, and I wonder if she was hoping to run away before I saw her.
My smile is weak as I force myself up from the barstool, my alpha retreating inside me to lick his wounds at immediatelyfailing this omega. Most alphas would see it as a challenge, but I know when I’m outmatched.
We both take a step closer and her eyes widen a touch when my height becomes more apparent next to her much shorter frame. She’s got heels on, but still only comes up to a little below my shoulder. It makes a base part of me feel good, knowing I’m bigger. Like that means I’d be able to protect her. Or toss her around in bed.
God, please don’t let her notice that my first thoughts are “me strong and big alpha who protect omega”. I know it’s hard-wired into my stupid lizard brain, but I don’t want to come off like some gross, posturing alpha douchebag.
“Ruby?” I ask, my voice an embarrassing hoarse croak.
She nods, giving me a pleasant, slightly flustered smile, like she’s having to force her brain to follow the script of meeting a blind date. “Hi! Yes, I’m Ruby. And I take it you’re Beau?”
Dammit, even her voice is sexy. Melodic and warm, like an intimate caress, even though I know she’s not trying to be seductive. It makes my brain short-circuit again, and I let out a low sound of affirmation, my throat still too goddamn dry to get my words to come out.
Her lips quirk into a lopsided smile. “Your parents did a good job naming you. Are you French?”
I blink at her, unable to tell from her playful tone if she’s joking or not. Did I misread her reaction to me? Does she think I’mhandsome?
No, it has to be a joke. I’m decent looking, but she’s so far out of my league it’s comical.
I clear my throat, trying not to flush with embarrassment. “Uh, no. Not French. At least I don’t think so? I haven’t done one of those genealogy tests. I know I’m more Scandinavian than anything else.”
“I can totally see it. You’ve definitely got viking vibes.” Ruby laughs, low and with that slight teasing edge again, and the sound goes right to my dick.
Wait,doesshe think I’m attractive?
When I’m unable to say anything because I’m yelling at the blood in my body to stay up in my brain, Ruby’s smile falters.
We thankfully aren’t left to stand there basking in my awkwardness for very long. The host calls out for our party, and Ruby jolts, like she’d forgotten she had to sit at a table with me for the next hour or so.
“It’s not too late if you want to bail on me.” The self-deprecating words come out of me unbidden and I imagine Nadine bursting into the restaurant to flick me between the eyes for being so pathetic.
Ruby’s plush red lips droop into a slight frown.
Oh god, is she actually going to accept my offer? That would be a new low.
She lets out a heavy sigh and shrugs. “We’re already here, so we might as well?”
The question in her voice confuses me, and my brow furrows.
She steps up to the host and I follow, forcing myself to take some steadying breaths so I can try to get my shit together and maybe salvage this date from my terrible first impression. I pointedly don’t let myself look at her ass or legs, even though my alpha is begging me to, because fuck, I bet they’re spectacular, but that will do the exact opposite of calming me down.
I’m so busy staring straight ahead that I almost knock right into an omega as he bends down from his chair to grab the napkin he dropped. I have to sidestep at the last second, and he gasps, eyes wide with alarm, like I’m some kind of giant who is about to crush him.
“Sorry!” I say with a grimace, before hurrying away to catch up with my date.
