Despite my heat being over, I knew I’d feel foggy for a few days.I should take it easy, but I wanted to talk to Sam. We had a standing lunch date on the last Saturday of every month. Maybe I could convince Kaelen to replace my cell so I could talk to her.
If I didn’t show up, my best friend would worry.
I toyed with the hem of the white dress shirt that hit the middle of my thighs. Even all these days later, it still smelled faintly of him. When I found the shirt mixed in with the blankets, I immediately added it to my nest, calling out for my alpha.
Well, not mine, even if my omega thought he was. I curled my fingers around the collar, hugging it close. My omega slipped into the background—content. Flashes of the moments leading up to my heat played out in my head, and I groaned.
No alpha ever affected me like that, even on the brink of my heat.
I needed to apologize. The last thing I needed was for Kaelen Finnegan to misunderstand my intentions. No matter how much my omega preened in his presence.
The handle was smooth under my fingertips as I tentatively opened the door. Gooseflesh prickled along my arms as my body stiffened, prepared to be shoved back into my cell the moment I stepped over the threshold.
Dark, smudged eyes met mine. My breath caught when I eyed the gun strapped to his torso. He stared at me, his face frustratingly impassive, until he caught what I was wearing.
Pink blush stained his cheeks, and he averted his gaze, clearing his throat.
“Am I allowed to leave the room?” I asked, prepared to slink back inside.
“I was told to stop others from coming in. Nothing about stopping you from getting out.”
Odd. Aileen came and went freely the last few days. Maybe Kaelen was worried about other alphas being drawn to me because of my heat. The beta shifted from side to side, tugging at the collar of his shirt. I moved further out into the hall, looking from left to right, trying to get my bearings.
“Do you know where Kaelen is?”
“The boss is in his office. Down the stairs, second door on theright.”
“Thanks. What’s your name?”
“Patrick.”
“Thank you, Patrick, for making sure nobody bothered me during my…” I struggled to say the word. “You know.”
“My pleasure, Miss Sterling.”
I winced at the title, always hating when people called me Miss anything. It was far too stuffy and formal and made me think of every boring charity event.
The polished wood was cool underneath my bare feet as I padded down the stairs. I burrowed into the plush silk of his shirt, inhaling the remnants of his spiced sweetness. Even though my heat had passed, my skin was still flushed and sensitive. I had tried putting my sundress back on, but it was too itchy. The only things I tolerated were his shirt and my panties.
Voices carried out into the hall as I approached the ajar door.
Tentatively, I pushed it open and stepped inside. All eyes snapped to me, and a thick silence settled over the space.
Two men stood beside each other on one side of the room. I recognized Aidan, but the other man was new. Kaelen’s alpha scent dwarfed Aidan’s. The other man’s scent was muted, and clearly a beta. He was a good head shorter than Aidan. He dipped his chin in my direction, looking to Kaelen.
I ran my fingers through my hair, twirling a blue highlight around my finger.
Kaelen pressed his palms into his desk, rising to his full, imposing height. The tip of his tongue licked over the points of his teeth, eyeing me like a lion about to pounce on a gazelle.
A jacket sat strewn over the back of his chair, his chest taut under his shirt.
My heart beat too fast, drowning out the ambient noise.
Those piercing jade eyes met mine, and I wanted to turn and run. The intensity did something funny to my insides. They were too discerning, and I was too exposed.
“Sweetheart.”
Kaelen’s commanding tone filled the room, making me slick with want.
