He leered, his thick lip curling up lasciviously. “I am mighty thirsty…” It was clear by the way his eyes were raking down my body that he wasn’t asking for a glass of water.
I sighed, debating how to handle the customer. My boss was very clear on his zero-harassment policy, and if any patrons didn’t abide by those rules, they would be banned from the club immediately. Andnobodywanted to get on my boss’s bad side. Joseph Caruso was richer than the devil, and the first time he’d shaken my hand, I was struck with this nearly uncontrollable urge to turn tail and run. Like, full-on bowel-loosening fear. The dude was terrifying on a genetic level.
So while I knew he would be more than willing to take care of this boar, I found myself reaching for the drink nozzle instead. “Let me take care of that for you,” I said, lifting the nozzle up to his face, my thumb hovering over the button for water.
Before I could drench the guy, though, a large tattooed hand slammed down on the guy’s shoulder hard enough to make his knees buckle. My gaze moved over his shoulder, and I saw the man I’d been dreaming about all week.Swirling black ink, flashing amber eyes, sharp stubbled jawline.Swoon.
“He’s not interested,” he growled, staring down the boar with a searing glare.
“S-Sorry, I d-didn’t know,” the guy blubbered, his head bobbing in a fast nod, and before I could say buh-bye, he was backing away at full speed.
I clutched a hand to my chest, gazing at North with giant heart-eyes.My hero!Although, now that I had a better look at him, he didn’t seem to be as put-together as he did the first time we’d met. There were bags under his eyes and his scruff was longer, not trimmed to precision as it had been. He looked like he hadn’t slept all week, and I wondered what was keeping him up at night.
Putting the drink nozzle back, I offered him a coy smile. “Three times now. I’m starting to think you’re stalking me,” I sassed, shouting to be heard over the music.
For some reason, he winced like he thought I was being serious. “I swear I didn’t know you would be here. Although, to be fair, the first time you came to me, so…” He shrugged tightly, and I got the sense that he was struggling to make conversation.
Was this burly beast of an alpha shy? It was so adorably endearing. But he didn’t seem to be in any hurry to leave, so I considered that a win in my book. He was gruff,intense, and rough around the edges, but also socially awkward, and it was such a welcome change from all the cocky alphaholes who usually hit on me, their confidence and swagger so overdone that I could barely breathe over their reeking pheromones.
Well, if he was too shy to make a move, I could be bold enough for the both of us.
The music was too loud to speak at a normal volume, so I leaned as far over the counter as I could and crooked my finger, beckoning him closer. My dick stiffened up as he met me halfway and offered me his ear, his sweet scent lingering on my tongue. “I know I should tell you that I had the situation handled, that I’m a strong, liberated omega and all that, but… thank you for stepping in. It was sweet of you to protect my virtue.” I beamed at him, and maybe it was the lighting in here, but I swore his cheeks tinted with a blush. For some reason, knowing I made him nervous made my stomach flutter.
I was close enough that I could feel his breath on my face, the tendons in his throat straining as he swallowed hard. “He should have known…” he shook his head, jaw tight, nostrils flaring as his eyes flicked down to my lips, “that you don’t belong to him.”
The way he said it almost seemed to imply that I belonged to someone else… perhaps him? What would that belike, I wondered, being his. I had a pretty good imagination, and it was currently painting a vibrant picture, involving a whole lot of bare skin.
Biting down on my lower lip to keep my giddy smile contained, I lingered there, desperate to stay in his presence for as long as he’d let me. My fingers itched to run a hand over his jaw, feeling the prickle of whiskers on my palms. “You have really pretty eyes. Are they contacts?”
He blinked a couple times, frowning. “Um… no?” It came out like a question, and I wondered how I’d confused him.
I opened my mouth to ask, but a familiar lithe body in a sparkly silver sleeveless skin-tight top suddenly appeared in the corner of my eye, blue hair glowing almost neon in the flashing blacklights. Kedi, my best friend and roomie, shoulder-checked North as if they were the best of buds, though I’d never seen them hang out together. I definitely would’ve remembered running into him before.
North’s upper lip curled in a snarl as Kedi threw an arm over his shoulder, and I had to admit, I was feeling pretty growly myself at my friend’s gall for hanging off the guy I liked. Couldn’t he tell I was in the middle of flirting with him? Where was the bro code?
“Hey, North. I see you’re acquainted with my buddy Joel here. My veryinnocent,naïve, humanfriend, if you know what I mean,” he said, emphasizing the words as he made faces at North, as if trying to convey some sort of secret message. The irritation disappeared from North’s face, replaced with a funny look as he glanced back and forth between me and my roommate.
“Hey, I’m not that innocent,” I complained, pouting. Was he trying to imply I was a virgin or something? He was going to scare North off, just when I was making some progress with him.
Kedi waved me off. “Sure, whatever. Look, I’m just going to borrow North for a quick second. We need to have a word, m’kay? I promise I’ll give him right back.” Kedi practically dragged North off into the crowd, and I deflated.
Why would North want a guy like me, average in every way, when he could have a literal ball of starlight like Kedi? They had way more in common. I mean, I was guessing, because I hadn’t even had a second to get to know the guy, but they both had tattoos and a certain… aura about them, something a little wild that I couldn’t quite pinpoint. All I knew was that it was something I lacked.
Sighing, I got back to work, pouring shots and mixing drinks. And even though I knew smiles earned me more tips, I couldn’t seem to force one onto my face. At least, not until North reappeared. He seemed tightly wound, alllethal beauty, but as soon as I made eye contact with him, he blew out a sigh, the tension in his body melting away.
Pulling his hand from behind his back, he held out a cocktail napkin he’d twisted into the rough shape of a flower.
“Is that for me?” I asked, as soon as he was close enough to hear me. “Nobody’s every given me a flower before.”
“I’m not sure this counts,” he said with a shy smile, trading his usual intensity for vulnerability. “Can I buy you a drink? That’s… normal, right?”
I laughed, thoroughly enchanted, as I accepted the paper flower. “Yes, completely normal, but I don’t drink while I’m on the clock.” He seemed disappointed, though, as if he didn’t know where to go from here. He needed me to throw him a lifeline. “Tell you what, I’m due for a break. How about a dance instead?”
He nodded, his eyes flashing strangely in the light. “Sure. Yes. Great.”
North waited patiently for me to wrap up a couple drink orders, and I set the flower carefully aside so it wouldn’t get crushed. There was an uncanny stillness to North, only his eyes moving to follow my every movement behind the bar. Finally, one of the bussing staff stepped in to cover for my break. It was only 15 minutes, but I would consider this time well spent.
As I rounded the counter and approached him, North seemed to go impossibly more still, and a tingle of excitement zipped through me, my skin erupting in goosebumps. My heart beat faster just being this close to him. It was intoxicating being the subject of his attention.
