Speaking of which, I glance behind me and down at the rear deck where Ash is messing with the fishing rods, checking the reels, looking every bit as awkward as he has since he started.
That kid is fucking strange.
And I’m already feeling guilty about ripping into him this morning for being ten minutes late. It was unprofessional of me. Unfair. The kind of management style I’ve specifically tried to avoid.
But I know deep down it wasn’t really about him. It was about last night.
Coming home late, exhausted and ready to collapse into bed, only to discover that Mason and Dylan had company. Which is fine. They’re grown men. They can bring home whomever they want.
Except it was Anita.
Her scent hit me the moment I walked through the door. Vanilla bean and sweet citrus and warm almond milk, but stronger than on the ferry. More concentrated. Like it had seeped into the walls, the furniture, the very air I was breathing.
And something feral came over me.
It wasn’t about the sharing. That’s not the problem. We’re a pack, and we’ve always agreed that when we find our Omega, she’ll belong to all of us equally.
But I wasn’t expecting the crush of her scent to completely undo me, wasn’t prepared for how my body would respond, every instinct screaming at me to find her, claim her, make her mine in the most primal way possible.
Jasper said it first, but I know he’s right.
She’s my scent match.
Possibly all of our scent matches. I grip the wheel harder.
Who would have thought that her coming into town temporarily would lead to this? To us meeting an Omega who might actually be perfect for our pack.
From what I’ve seen, she’s more than drawn to the guys. The way she stared at Jasper that first night, then kissed him, how she spent last night with Mason and Dylan, fucking and making sounds I’m never going to forget.
And my balls tighten just thinking about her last night, naked and pleading for more. About how it would feel to bury my face between her thighs and breathe her in properly. How she’d taste, sound, and feel wrapped around me.
It’s making me tense as fuck.
Which is exactly why I took it out on Ash this morning like a complete asshole.
I’m high-strung. Desperate to spend more time with her. Need to work out for certain whether this scent-match thing is real, and if it is, figure out how to approach it. Because I’m not a man who does things lightly. Never have been.
If Anita is ours, if she’s really meant to be our Omega, then I need to be clear with her that I’m here for the long haul. That this isn’t some temporary fling or casual fun and that I want to make it work, whatever that takes.
I shake my head, forcing myself to focus on the present, and steer the boat into calmer waters, spotting the perfect location where the depth finder shows the underwater structure I’m looking for. Just as I’m preparing to anchor, Jasper appears on the flybridge stairs.
He climbs up to join me. I catch sight of Ash down below, and I swear to God that kid is staring daggers at our clients. Fuck. He’d better not be losing his shit down there. I need him to do his job, not start drama with paying customers.
“Hey,” Jasper says, settling in beside me with that confidence he always carries. “You seem stressed.”
I grunt, not taking my eyes off the water.
“Still worked up over Anita?” He’s grinning now, that knowing look on his face. “I gave her a lift this morning. From our place.”
I turn and stare at him. “Oh yeah?”
“She was doing the walk of shame when I caught her sneaking out.” His grin widens. “So damn adorable with how bashful she was. Tried to explain it away, got all flustered.”
I can picture it perfectly. The image does absolutely nothing to calm me down. It makes the need worse. Sharper. Something territorial tightening in my chest that refuses to loosen. I let out a low chuckle, one without humor, and begin slowing the engines, my grip firm on the controls.
“Well,” I say, voice rough with certainty, “I don’t care what it takes. We’re making her ours.”
“Fuck yes,” Jasper answers instantly, no hesitation, no doubt.
