“Posey!” I shout when I finally spot her just as she’s slipping out of the building. This particular building is in the center of campus, so we’re surrounded by other students rushing to one thing or another. I’m a big guy, so I draw attention anyway, but being the star catcher for the school’s champion baseball team and someone who has never paid attention toanygirl? There are alotof eyes on us right now.
She speeds up, but her strides are no match for mine so I catch up quickly and grab her arm to spin her around. The momentum of her speed coupled with my strength has her crashing into my chest with an “oomph.”
“Posey please. Please give me a chance to show you it’s worth the risk.”
“But Professor Carter?—”
I cup her cheeks, holding eye contact so she knows how serious I am. “Jude. And he will get over his hang ups. He has a lot going on right now, and I swear it’s not you.”
Her beautiful blue eyes are glassy and red-rimmed, but she’s not crying anymore. Thank god, because her tears were breaking my heart. “Do I need to get on my knees and beg you for a date? Because I will.”
Those eyes go wide, darting around as her lips part. “There are people watching us.”
That wasn’t a no.
I drop to my knees, taking her hands in mine and staringat her like the obsessed sap I’ve become in an alarmingly short period of time. “McKenzie,” she hisses, her cheeks turning a darling shade of pink.
One side of my mouth tips up in a smirk. Eventually she’ll realize I don’t say things I won’t follow through on. “Posey, will you go on a date with me?”
Her blush gets brighter, covering her entire face and neck. “If I say yes will you get up so people stop staring?”
I shrug, not willing to agree one way or the other. I’ll stay down here all day if I need to. I hope to spend a lot of time on my knees for this omega, so why not start now?
Posey sighs, shaking her head. “Okay.”
My smile is so wide it hurts. “Really?”
She nods. “I’m scared, but I’m already attached to you and the idea of letting you go hurts.”
I let out a whoop of joy and stand, scooping Posey into my arms and swinging us both around. One fist goes up in a victory cry. “She said yes!”
Cheers go up around the quad, and I bite down on my lip to hide my proud grin. The rumor mill at Harbor U is quick and wild, so I know the rumor that Mack Madden is off the market will reach every corner of campus within the hour, and I can’twait.
“Rumor has it Mack Madden got engaged to a very pretty piece of cotton candy on the quad today,” Lainey sing-songs by way of greeting when I let her into my apartment later that afternoon. Her arms are laden down with bags of lord only knows what and her smile is so wide I’m pretty sure I can see her molars.
“You remember that horror movie about a contagious smile that kills people? Those are the vibes you’re giving off right now,” I inform her drolly. Then her words sink in and I shriek, “WHAT!” I didn’t realize McKenzie goes by Mack, but it makes sense. I wonder if he got teased in school for his name like I did and that’s what made him shorten it.
My friend snickers, dropping her things onto my couch with a thud. Amusement is thick in her voice as she tells me, “I heard about it from four different people in the last hour alone. People are buzzing that someone finally locked the infamousMack Truckdown. Do you know he’s never been seen with a woman before? Or a man, for that matter. The dude is either extremely talented at being discreet or he’s never hooked up with anyone on campus.”
It’s impossible to think over the thundering of my heart in my chest, let alone digest that little tidbit of information. “Can we circle back to the whole engagement thing, please?”
Lainey is examining her nails, seemingly unaware thatshe’s just thrown me for a loop. “Hmm?” She mumbles before focusing on me. “Oh, yeah. Well I heard the big guy got down on one knee and asked a question, though I couldn’t get a clear answer on what the question was. And then he stood up, did a dance, and screamed ‘she said yes’ loud enough for the whole quad to hear.”
Other than assuming it was a marriage proposal, the rumor is pretty spot on. Except… “It was two knees. Not one.” I mutter. Lainey squeals, rushing me and wrapping me up in a hug.
“Posey! I’m so excited for you! And a little bit jealous, Mack is seriouslyhot.”
A possessive growl rattles my throat, catching me completely by surprise. I gasp in horror, clutching my throat as I stare wide-eyed at my friend. “Oh my word, I am so sorry. I have no idea why I just did that.”
There’s nothing but mischief in Lainey’s smile. “I do. Your omega just staked her claim.” She places a reassuring hand on my arm, any previous humor shifting into something more earnest. “I was just trying to get a reaction out of you. I promise I’m not attracted to your alpha and you have absolutely nothing to worry about with me. Plus,” she smirks. “I’m pretty sure a man who willingly gets on his knees for you in public is completely enamored. The entire female student body could offer him an orgy and he’d try to hide behind you.” She pauses. “Well, that and I’m more into football players.”
I almost growl again, but the thought of McKenzie using me as a human shield when I’m over a foot shorter than him is so comical I laugh instead. “Okay, okay. Enough of that. Why do you have four million bags with you? I thought you were helping me get ready for my date and finally filling me in on your mysterious absence.”
After Mack walked me home this afternoon, where he sheepishly admitted to being one of the alphasnext door and knowing who I was by my scent when we met, Lainey finally texted to let me know she is, in fact, alive. Of course I immediately offered to come over, but when she heard about the date, she insisted on helping me get ready here.
“Duh. That’s what these are for.” She points at a large white bag with ‘Ryan’ stitched into it in neon yellow. “That one is outfit options in case you hate everything you own like I do whenever I have a date.” A smaller orange and pink checkered bag. “Hair tools.” And the smallest one of all, a white drawstring bag with teddy bears on it. “Makeup.”
I raise a brow at her. “You know I have all of that, right? We’re not even the same shade.” Where Lainey has pale skin with cool pink undertones, my tan skin has a distinctly warm undertone I get from my dad Tucker. Most of her makeup would make me look like a corpse.
