Of course he ordered onion rings. And my favourite burger, a side of fries, a super sipper full of cherry cola, and a chocolate shake.
It’s one of those things that makes me stupid happy—us doing normal stuff.
Society has this preconceived idea that omegas should be pampered princesses and only live the spoiled life. Koz with his shirt sleeves rolled up, my nickname tattooed on his forearm for the world to see, sitting next to me at the beat-up old tables overlooking the crashing surf at Belles Bay is all I want. Lew sits with us, keeping watch. Either way, it’s times like these when Koz is relaxed that fills my omega heart to overflowing.
The day is perfect, well it would be if every damn woman that walks past us stopped doing a double take when they see him. I get it, he’s one of those people that you do need to look at longer than a second or two.
I used to tease him mercilessly when we first got together about him being the beauty, and me being the beast in our relationship because he really is stunningly handsome. Black hair like the deepest ebony and almost as glossy too. When he’s dressed for business it’s always slicked back. When it’s me and him, it flops over his forehead like he knows I love. His eyes are ice blue and coupled with his black hair, everything just pops. Including his year-round deep golden tan. There is no denying that Koz has this presence to match his stunning looks, it drags attention to him.
He’s like an inked god hanging with us normal beings on earth. He doesn’t look out of place, he’s actually the only thing you see. And both women and men are not subtle at all about checking him out. They get that look in their eye, and I swear I can hear all their dirty thoughts about my man.
It gets worse when people smell him. Honestly, it’s like people go batty when they catch a whiff of him, or maybe it’s just me who gets a little fucking territorial. It wouldn’t be an issue if we were packed, people would be able to scent we were together, like our scents would scream,fuck off, I’m taken, but until my bond with the boys is severed it’s damn near impossible to bond to another alpha. Colt could do it, but… well, that is exactly what going home is all about. Sorting this bullshit out. Not today though. Today is my time with my good-looking future, it’s a time to be replacing old memories with new ones.
Even over the delicious smells of our greasy dinner and the salty freshness of the ocean, I can always scent his cherry and dark chocolate smell. And depending on his mood, those cherries are either sweetened, like cherries warmed by the summer sun or so sour it makes my jaw ache. The dark chocolate, while it isn’t his primary scent, it adds the bitter decadence, a sweetness that makes my mouth water.
He pushes over a couple of his left-over chicken nuggets—see, that right there is one of the things he does to make me swoon. A powerful underworld businessman who sources weapons for bad people, but can share with his girlfriend his nuggies?! It’s seriously no wonder I love him as much as I do. Although, let’s be real, he’s got some real skills in the bedroom too.
“Did you see the returns coming in from the short-term rollover I did? I’m a little disappointed that the mutual fund outperformed the index. I really thought I had that projection pegged to go higher. Either way, the compounding interest from the Hayman account will offset the small loss,” I say as I double dip into his sauce.
“Raney, I do not need to double check your decisions. I have complete faith in you looking after our money. You are the smarts behind this operation, I just speak Italian.” He laughs as he licks the aioli from my fingers.
It’s pretty funny that I am in fact Koz’s money maker. And have been from the night we hooked up. And I wish I could tell Omega Mother Jane that her accounting class ignited my passion for numbers. While the rest of the Scorned Girls got off on their own pleasure projects, I dived deep into forensic accounting, shelf companies, and legal money laundering. The most poetic part of it, no one has a clue who Koz’s accountant is, and they would never guess it was an omega only just graduating. Omegas generally stick to less risky professions like cooking for their alphas.
I get distracted from telling him about the earlier transfer I did, by a chick in a bikini who struts past our table, again. Koz completely ignores her, and my growling, instead he dunks his fries in my thick-shake before feeding me.
“Eat up, micina,” he coos, kissing along the edge of my jaw. “Did you tell King what time we should be arriving? He keeps messaging.”
I go to answer him, but the wench in the non-existent bikini does a slow dramatic spin at the edge of our table. “I know you!” She basically purrs at him.
“No, you don’t,” he says without looking away from me.
“I’m sure I do,” she says leaning her hip on the table, accentuating the long lean lines of her body.
I shuffle on my seat, and go to say something, but Koz beats me to it. “Leave. You’re embarrassing yourself after I clearly said I don’t know you. I’m happy to belittle you in front of the whole world, or you can read the signs on display that I’m feeding my mate, or you can scent my happiness, or you can ignore it all and keep doing what you’re doing.”
She scoffs. And it’s not a nice sound. “You can’t be serious that she’s with you.”
His attention returns to me, and he smiles at me when he answers her, “I assure you I’m very serious about our relationship.”
“You’re dating her?”
He closes his eyes, and rubs his face, “As opposed to you? Is that where you are going?”
“You need a woman, not a banged up little girl.”
He turns to glare at her then, “I’m struggling to see what gives you the right to interrupt my date. Leave.”
She scoffs again, and you know, I fucking hate that noise. It’s patronising and passive-aggressive bullshit, and of course she spins around and goes full fucking aggressive-aggressive. “And sweetie, you might need to get better concealer out of mommies handbag, your scars are showing.”
I shrug as I finally turn to watch her instead of the horizon, “Hey, thanks for the tip. And you’re probably right, I can get better concealer but, honey, you can’t do a thing about your ugly. It’s bone deep.” And I stuff another nugget in my mouth before I start mouthing off and giving her more ammunition.
Koz though has other ideas, and he basically chases that nugget down, kissing and laughing into my lips and sweeping me backwards like he’s the main character on a Mills & Boon cover. He pulls back an inch, his blue eyes twinkling more than the afternoon sun on the waves. “Fucking hell, I love you. Come on, let’s go fuck on our private jet.” And he talks loud enough so everyone using the picnic tables hears us.
Helping me up to standing, Koz keeps his back to the bikini witch as he collects my super sipper and my chocolate shake. I take my time to pick up all our litter, refusing to be hurried by someone like her. And honestly, the desperation I have seen in some people makes me not at all surprised when she slides her business card over to Lew.
And you know, it constantly gets me that our society teaches us to be most untrusting and wary of the opposite sex, and I get it’s for valid reasons, but honestly people need to know that women are just as opportunistic, vindictive, and violent. Physically and mentally too. Bitches.
“He’ll be calling me as soon as you turn your back. You’re a pitstop, junior, nothing more, and you are a whole lot less than a man like him needs. He’s all alpha.”
