“Dr. Gardiner, a pleasure seeing you again,” Orlando Rossi said in that smooth caress of a voice. “And you must be Ms. Valentine. It’s a pleasure to welcome you to our home.”
Pack Rossi’s leader was even more handsome in person than in the dozens of pictures in his file and those Genesis had found of him online. He was biracial, like her, with a Black mother and European sire, but his sandy brown skin was a few shades darker than hers. He was tall, but leaner than most alphas, as accentuated by his immaculately tailored suit. His curly salt-and-pepper hair was neatly styled and trimmed, as was his matching goatee. His shrewd hazel eyes studied her from behind simple, round-rimmed glasses.
It took a few seconds for Genesis’s brain to remember how speech worked. Her voice came out a bit higher than usual. “Please call me Genesis. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Rossi.”
The alpha’s lips quirked in a smile as he shook her hand. “Please call me Orlando, Genesis.”
A shiver ran through her at the sound of her name in that caramel voice. With her hand in his, she could better decipher which of the house’s scents belonged to him: bergamot, cinnamon, and cardamom. Sweet and spicy and warm, like tea by a fire on a crisp fall evening.
Genesis hadn’t become such a good journalist without developing a keen eye and strong intuition. Now, that intuitionwas telling her that her initial assessment of Pack Rossi was completely incorrect.
These alphas were definitely dangerous.
Chapter four
Luke
Genesis Valentine was going to be a goddamn problem.
Luke took one look at her big anime eyes and plump, pouty pinup girl lips and his cock immediately stirred to life. A whiff of her scent and he was rock hard, shifting uncomfortably in his jeans. The woman looked like a sex doll and smelled like spring—jasmine and oranges with a sweet honey undertone that was the perfect match for her golden-brown skin.
“Genesis, these are my packmates, Luke Wyatt Wilder and Gabriel Acosta,” Lando said, all cool and composed in that way that annoyed the shit out of Luke. He’d bet the asshole probably wasn’t even hiding a stiffy.
“Pleased to meet you both,” Genesis Sexpot Valentine said in a husky voice that went straight to Luke’s cock.
Gabriel smiled warmly and shook her hand with both of his, holding on for a moment longer than necessary while he studied the omega with his sad, puppy dog eyes. Luke saw a blushspreading across Genesis’s cheeks, highlighting a spattering of freckles he hadn’t noticed before. Her scent rose and Luke suppressed a growl in response. It irritated him how quickly and intensely his instincts were reacting to her presence.
He stepped forward and took her hand, shaking it quickly before releasing it and stomping over to the couch. He could feel Lando’s disapproving gaze on his back, but his pack leader didn’t comment on his rudeness. He simply offered the women refreshments before guiding them into the living area of the huge, open-concept space. As Lando left to get drinks, Luke watched Genesis assessing the place, taking in the high ceilings, the skylights and reclaimed wood beams, and the huge glass sliders that opened onto a lush courtyard. He used the distraction to study her body, which did not fucking disappoint. Small, pert tits beneath a white silk top that invited you to speculate about the color of her nipples. Wide hips, thick thighs, and a nice, round ass. When she noticed the enormous fireplace, her painted red lips formed an o of surprise that Luke wanted to stick his finger in, to feel her hot little mouth wrapped around him, to watch her cheeks hollow out—
Genesis’s eyes snapped to his as if she could hear his lascivious thoughts. She licked her lips anxiously and the flash of pink tongue did nothing to curtail the fantasy he’d been building. They stared at one another for a long moment.
“When I read that you’d retired to restore your grandfather’s farm, Mr. Wilder, I was expecting something less…opulent,” she said finally, a glint of sarcasm in her big, dark eyes.
Luke wanted to fuck the sass right out of her mouth. She would look so pretty on her knees, rope around her wrists, those full lips wrapped around his cock. He would have so much fun punishing her, dragging out her orgasm until she was begging him to let her cum.
Jesus Christ, Luke Wyatt, get a fucking grip.It had been a while since he’d had a woman, but it damn sure wasn’t the longest he’d ever gone. There was something about this goddamn omega that was turning him absolutely fucking feral.
“It was in bad shape, but when the pack decided this would be our main residence, we wanted to make it our own,” Luke said gruffly when he remembered how to speak. Luckily, talking about the property was something he could do on autopilot. “Gabe worked with an architect on the design. They incorporated elements from my granddad’s old farmhouse—like making the mantle from the original wood.”
Genesis reached out and stroked the mantle gently, and it was like she’d run her hand down Luke’s chest. How could she make a simple movement so sensual? Luke averted his gaze as Genesis joined the doctor on a couch across from where he sat. If he kept looking at her, he was going to embarrass himself by saying or doing something stupid.
Lando strode back into the room with glasses of lemonade for their guests. Luke watched the way his pack leader eyed Genesis as she drank. When she smiled, Lando’s shoulders relaxed and he took a seat beside her, not quite close enough to touch. It all looked very natural, but Luke had known Lando for most of his life and could read his smallest tics.
Genesis was affecting him too.
It wasn’t like their other temporary omegas hadn’t been appealing. They’d smelled nice and soothed his instincts. Both had been sweet, interesting women, mostly, and Luke had liked them well enough. But none of them had impacted him so immediately and completely. He hadn’t felt anything like this in a very long time.
Not since Evelyn.
Luke sobered at the thought. He clenched his fists and glared out at the courtyard’s Zen Garden, which Gabe used all the timeand Evie would’ve loved. It was a constant reminder of the peace she used to bring to their lives. Luke doubted he’d ever feel truly at peace again.
He knew that Lando thought he hadn’t moved on from Evie—that he was martyring himself out of loyalty to her memory. But that wasn’t true. He’d mourned the loss of their omega every day of the last decade, but his reluctance to bond again wasn’t simply out of duty or grief. It wasn’t that he didn’t want another omega, it was that hecouldn’twant another omega. He didn’t deserve another omega.
Luke hadn’t protected Evie. He’d failed her, and she’d been killed, murdered by a petty thief in downtown Smyrna City. She’d died alone in their art gallery’s parking garage.
Someone cleared their throat, snapping Luke back from his bleak memories. Genesis was watching him, those big eyes of hers seeing more than they should’ve. Had he missed a question? He couldn’t even remember what they’d been talking about.
“So, you’re a journalist,” Gabe said, breaking the silence, and distracting Genesis with a disarming smile. “I looked up some of your work and really enjoyed it.”
