“Need any help?” he asks, his voice cutting through the silence that’s stretched between us since we entered the apartment.
“I’ve got it,” I say quickly, moving to my dresser. I hesitate, my hand on the drawer where I keep my underwear and bras.There’s no way I can pull those out with him watching. I grab some jeans from another drawer instead.
“You know, we could have sent someone to do this for you,” he says, pushing off the wall and taking a step closer.
I shake my head. “I don’t want strangers going through my things and looking at everything.”
“Just me?”
Despite my nervousness, I roll my eyes. “You weren’t invited either.”
I try to work efficiently, moving around him to gather toiletries from the bathroom and books from the nightstand. All the while, I’m acutely conscious of his gaze following me, of his scent permeating my small space. It’s both intoxicating and infuriating how much I like him being here, despite everything.
Eventually, I can’t avoid it any longer. I need my underwear and bras if I’m going to stay at the Silverwood mansion. Taking a deep breath, I slide open the drawer and begin quickly transferring stacks of panties and bras into the suitcase, trying to hide them under the other clothes.
“Cute panties,” Drake comments, and I freeze, a pair of pale blue lace underwear in my hand.
Heat floods my face.
“You don’t need to be here for this,” I say, not looking at him. “You can wait in the car.”
“I’d much rather be here with you than try to make conversation with the boring driver,” he says, taking another step closer. “And you’re much prettier to look at.”
The compliment catches me off guard, making my heart skip a beat. I continue packing, pretending his words don’t affect me, but inside I’m a mess of conflicting emotions.
“Besides,” he continues. “I’m here for your protection. One of the perks of your nanny job.”
I glance around my shabby apartment, with its peeling wallpaper and water-stained ceiling. “Protection from what? The dust bunnies?”
He doesn’t laugh. “This isn’t a good neighborhood for an unmated omega.”
“I’ve managed so far,” I reply, a defensive edge creeping into my voice.
“Have you?” he asks softly.
I don’t answer that. Instead, I continue packing, trying to ignore how Drake’s presence makes my skin tingle with awareness. His overpowering alpha scent fills the small bedroom like it did the last time, making it hard to think clearly. I unconsciously look over at the spot on the bed that I masturbated to his scent not too long ago, and my face reddens. I hadn’t washed the sheets in a couple of days to preserve his scent.
I know, deep down, that I can never have a real relationship with him. He and his brothers are wealthy beyond imagination, the talk of the island, while I’m just a poor omega from the wrong side of town. To them, I’m the help—a nanny for their little sister, nothing more.
The reminder helps calm my attraction to him somewhat.
“Almost done,” I mutter, more to myself than to him.
I reach for the last stack of underwear on top of my dresser, but my hands are still trembling. The stack topples, panties scattering across the floor like colorful confetti. I gasp, mortified, and drop to my knees to gather them.
Drake crouches automatically to help, his large hand reaching for a black lace thong at the same time as mine. Our fingers collide, the brief contact sending electricity shooting up my arm. He inhales sharply, his pupils dilating instantly.
“Fuck,” he mutters, standing up too quickly. There’s a sharp crack as his head connects with the shelf above the dresser.
“Are you okay?” I ask, rising to my feet. I can’t help the small laugh that escapes me as he rubs the top of his head, his expression a mixture of pain and chagrin.
“Yeah, fuck.”
“Aw, I’m sorry,” I say, reaching out to touch his arm. But the moment my fingers connect with his skin, electricity crackles in the air between us. His eyes darken as he steps closer, his body heat radiating against mine.
I back up instinctively until the wall presses into my spine.
Drake is close enough that I can feel the heat of his body, smell the intoxicating scent of his skin. His arm braces beside my head against the wall, caging me in.
