“Woah, right to the point,” I laughed, though the humor felt thin. “Actually, I had my first date in six years, this week. I’m… I’m new to all of this.”
Uriel’s expression softened, his brows furrowing. “Six years is a long time, Vera.” He paused, his voice dropping to a more serious frequency. “And you guys never…?” He didn’t have to finish. He was looking for the bite mark. The permanent scar of a claim.
“No,” I said, the word coming out sharper than intended. “No claim.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.”
“You don’t have to apologize.” I needed to change the subject before the ghost of Amos filled the empty chair next to us. “So, what do you do when you aren’t making Omegas nervous in bars?”
“Now who’s getting right to it?” he teased. He waited until I popped another cheese curd before leaning in, his lips by my ear. “I’m a boxer.”
The food turned to ash in my mouth. I fought and failed to stop myself from tensing. I nearly choked, the crunch suddenly sounding like a snapping bone.
A boxer.
My gaze dropped instantly to his hands. They were large, his knuckles slightly thickened—fists meant for heavy bags and soft ribs. I’d spent years learning the geometry of hands like those;the way they curled when his mood soured, the weight of them when they were no longer ‘kind.’ Amos had the same build, the same deceptive smile, the same lethal potential hidden under a layer of charm.
“I own a gym in the city,” he continued, oblivious to the way the air had just been sucked out of my lungs, but his brows furrowed as he caught the sharp, metallic spike of my fear, noting the change in my scent. I couldn’t smell it, but I knew he could. “I enjoy what I do.”
“That sounds… fun,” I lied, my voice sounding like it belonged to someone else. “Doing a job you actually enjoy is a rare thing.”
He downed the rest of his drink, the glass hitting the bar with a definitive thud. He looked at me, his eyes dark and expectant.
“Wanna get out of here?”
The alarm bells were screaming in my head, telling me to run the other way. But Ami’s advice—and my own desperate need to overwrite my memories—pushed back. I needed a new ghost to replace the old one.
“I thought you’d never ask,” I said, forcing a smile that didn’t reach my eyes. He threw down a bill to cover my food as I stood.
He took my hand. I stared at the contact. The contact didn’t make me flinch, and that was the scariest part. His warmth settled into my bones like a curse. Then he led me past the crowd. I shouldn’t feel this calm. Calm meant I was letting my guard down, that I was weak and inviting disaster.
He held the door open, the cool night air kissed my skin. The neon lights from the bar across the street flashed. His hand rested on my hip and my mind raced. I started to close up; I fought the urge to pull away as he led me to his car. The sleek all-black car with tinted windows. He hopped into his seat and I opened the door to mine before jumping in.
Uriel’s car had clean leather seats. As the car clicked shut, the silence of the night felt heavy, pressurized.
“You’re nervous again,” he rumbled, reaching over, his large hand covering mine.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve… allowed myself to just be in the moment,” I murmured. It was the truest thing I’d said all night.
“Lucky me, then,” he said. He leaned in, his intent clear, but I turned my head at the last second. His lips brushed my cheek instead.
“No kissing,” I whispered.Too intimate.I couldn’t handle the softness—didn’t want it.
“Okay,” he said when I turned back to him. His voice steady despite the sadness swirling in his eyes. “I can do that.”
His understanding was a balm, but my skin was still crawling with the need tofeelsomething that didn’t hurt. “Unzip,” I demanded.
The sound of the zipper was like a pistol. He didn’t hesitate, and I liked that. My heart hammered against my ribs as I watched as his hand dipped beneath the material. As he exposed himself, I couldn’t help the mental tally. He was clean, beautiful, and twice Amos’s size, but as I wrapped my hand around his base, my mind didn’t stay on Uriel. It drifted to the Snarl messages. To Dane.
I dragged my eyes from his knot and looked him in the eyes. “You’re pretty,” I murmured. A thrill ran down my spine. His brows raised, and he chuckled.
“What?” I asked as I leaned over the console. His chin dipped as I lowered my lips until they were only a breath away.
“I’m going to be honest. You’re too close to my dick for me to be able to think,” he laughed.
I joined him and he groaned as my lips slid against his wet tip. I wasn’t a dick sucking expert. I didn’t do this for Amos. Heliked to tell me how much he hated that I didn’t give him what he was owed. So my experience was limited.
“It’s okay. Just be a good boy and watch,” I murmured.
