Trying to ignore the way my stomach curdles, I examine the dessert, mapping the trail of cream melting over the surface of the pie.
“There’s something you should know.” It’s now or never. “James is my birth name, but that’s not the name most people know me by.”
Her eyebrows lower in confusion as her brown eyes stare deeply into mine, glimmering with curiosity. She has the kind of eyes that tell a story, making it easy to read her emotions.
“Okaaaaay…” She licks the spoon in a way that definitely should be illegal and sends my cock springing to attention, remembering how good it felt to be fucking her throat a few hours before. “So you’re a spy with a hidden identity then?”
“Not quite.” I chuckle.
“So what name do most people know you by?”
“Most people call me Jagger.”
I wait for the penny to drop.
“Jagger?” She frowns. “The only Jagger I know is…”
There it is.
Realization.
Her eyes widen, and she drops the spoon, sending stewed apple filling flying. The splatter on the sofa arm may as well be a bomb going off. Fear holds my heart in its grasp.
“Wait…” Her hands tremble. “Your…”
“Jagger Knight,” I confirm, a lead weight crashing to the pit of my gut. I refuse to meet her gaze, too afraid of what I may see there. Instead, I focus on the splash of pie. Will this change things? Will she look at me differently? “You may have heard of my band,Pack Fire.”
“James—I mean, Jagger—I think everyone has heard ofPack Fire.” She shakes her head. “I… I’ve heard your music, but I’venever watched any of your music videos, and I don’t really follow celebrity news. I didn’t know.”
“Sorry if this changes things,” I say abruptly, a coldness sweeping through me. “I should have told you sooner. I just didn’t want you to treat me any differently. When people know who I am, they… I guess they’re more interested in what I can give them versus getting to know me.”
Her small hand takes mine. “I don’t care that you’re famous. None of that bothers me.” She squeezes my large palm in reassurance, grounding me to the present. “I care about you. The real you. The guy I’ve gotten to know this weekend. The alpha who got me through my heat. What you do for a living changes nothing.”
How on earth have I managed to stumble upon the sweetest, most understanding omega in the world? The tension strangling my muscles releases as I smile, realizing my eyes are watery. I sniffle, blinking away the tears.
In my daily life, I’m used to omegas pursuing me because they’re chasing status or want to cross hooking up with a celebrity from their bucket list. There’s no shortage of women wanting to date me. Valerie often forces me to make public appearances with famous models or actresses as my love life is such an intense topic of interest. The speculation helps boost sales. To the record label, I’m just a product. Something to sell. They don’t care about me or what I want. Not really. As long as the money keeps rolling in.
“You’re pretty damn perfect, you know.” I brush the back of my knuckles down her smooth, brown cheek.
“I don’t know about that.” She laughs. The carefree way she’s accepted my life is something I didn’t believe was possible. “You should see my bedroom. It’s a total mess, and my knitting leaves a lot to be desired.”
“I’m used to chaos.” I wink at her. “My fans call themselves the ‘Fireflies’ and can be pretty intense. Plus, I’m used to being followed around by paparazzi, and I’ve had more than one stalker.”
I laugh wryly, but her expression hardens.
“That’s not funny.” She strokes the back of my hand with her thumb, almost like she can see past my playful facade. “You should be entitled to privacy.”
“It doesn’t always work like that.”
“Well, it should.”
“Try telling my manager that.” I sigh. “If she had her way, I’d be followed around by cameras 24/7.” I watch her closely. “Does knowing who I am really not change anything for you?”
“My feelings? No. We’re scent matches. Nothing is going to change that.” Her top teeth latch onto her plump bottom lip. “But I come from a small town. I don’t have all the life experience you do. I don’t know how things work. How will?—”
“I don’t need you to know any of that,” I try to reassure her. “I just need you to be you. My rainbow.”
She’s my destiny. The only woman for me. I don’t need her to change anything about herself. She’s the sparkling ray of light who crossed my path when I was wandering through the dark.
