Dash sat up again, groaning. “Don’t go.”
Emerson sighed. “If I stay here, will you get anything done?”
Dash sighed.“No.”
“That’s what I thought. If you intend to keep working, I should go.” Emerson didn’t want to leave, but he had to. “Do you need to lock up behind me?”
“I do…” Dash rose from his chair and carefully crossed his office. Pausing beside Emerson, he rose on his tiptoes and stole a quick kiss. “Thank you for tonight.”
“You’ve already thanked me—whichwasn’tnecessary.”
“It was,” Dash said. He hedged a second. “I wasn’t sure you’d let me… you know?”
“Let you do what?”
“Top you,” Dash murmured.
“I already told you I was willing—and it’s not the first time.”
“I wasn’t being facetious. My heat is a blur. I don’t remember topping you.” Dash sighed. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I’m not mad,” Emerson said. “I just like messing with you.”
Dash grinned, but it soon faded. “Because I didn’t remember, I worried that after what we did this weekend… that you’d see me differently.”
“Your heat didn’t change anything.” It had changedeverything,but not how he saw Dash. Well, maybe that wasn’tcompletelytrue. He couldn’t completely ignore their slight difference, but that didn’t mean the man wasn’t just as much alpha.
“That’s always been my biggest fear. An alpha seeing me as only an omega. Someone to yield to him.”
Emerson cupped both of Dash’s cheeks. “Not all omegas are bottoms, you know?”
Dash suddenly looked wide awake.“What?”
“I happen to know an omega who prefers topping,” Emerson whispered. “And I’mnottalking about you.”
“Of course not.I’mnot an omega,” Dash said with a bit of force.
Emerson took a step back and eyed Dash—and the shift in his body language.
Dash met his stare, his hard expression softening a little. He stepped closer, pressing his forehead against Emerson’s breastbone.
“I’m sorry,”Dash mumbled. “Right after a heat, my ego is shot to hell. I feel… all wrong.”
Emerson ran a hand over Dash’s silky locks, tugging the man even closer. “I can see how experiencing a heat could challenge how you see yourself—but all I see is an alpha in front of me. A unique alpha, sure, but an alpha nonetheless.”
Dash melted into him.
“I’ll try to remember to be careful after the next and consider my words better.”
Dash lifted his head. “I don’t want you to walk on eggshells around me.”
“Being considerateisn’twalking on eggshells,” Emerson said.
“It is. I don’t want you to have to consider your words before you say them.” He paused, searching Emerson’s face. “I’ll do better. This heat was just a little harder than the others I’ve had.”
“Because of me?”
“No.” Dash cringed. “Yes.”
