Page 124 of Beautifully Scarred Omega

“Because the alternative is what we see every day,” I continue, and the emotion is rising faster than I can manage it. “Omegas in situations they can’t escape because their biology traps them. Omegas spending money they don’t have on escorts and heat services because the suppressants aren’t good enough. Omegas being coerced, being—” I stop and swallow. “Being used. Because they’re physically smaller and their bodies have needs that are purely biological. And there are people in this world who see that vulnerability as an invitation.”

I push my glasses up and press my fingers to the bridge of my nose.

“I suppose we just wanted omegas to have a choice,” I say. “That’s all. A choice.”

“Ethan,” Sophie says, looking up at me. “The things I said in the beginning... I was wrong.” She bites her lip. “I get it now.”

The way she says it, quiet, without defense, makes my throat tight.

I turn to her.

And she gives me this look. Warm and so open it catches me off guard. She moves closer to me on the desk. Her hand comes up to my jaw, her fingers soft against my skin, and her dark eyes hold mine with a vulnerability that makes my heart stutter. She’s so close now, I can feel her breath on my lips.

“Thank you,” she says.

And then she just leans forward and presses her mouth to mine, and the contact is soft—warm lips, the slight tremble in her fingers against my jaw—and I’m so shocked that I don’t move.

She leans back, her cheeks flushed, her eyes dropping from mine. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have⁠—”

“Yes, Sophie.” I take her face in both hands. “Yes, you should.”

And then I kiss her. My mouth finds hers and my tongue slides against hers and she drops the folder she’s holding.

It hits the floor with a slap that neither of us acknowledges because her hands are in my hair and she’s moaning against my mouth, a sound so raw and so real that it rewrites every fantasy I’ve had about this moment.

She grips my biceps hard, her legs parting as she drags me between them. My hands find her hips and I pull her to the edge of the desk, her skirt riding up her thighs, and I can feel the heat of her through my clothes. She wraps her legs around me and I kiss her harder—her mouth, her jaw, the curve of her throat where her pulse is beating so fast I can feel it against my lips.

“Sophie,” I whisper against her neck. “Sophie.”

Her head falls back, giving me access to more of her throat, and I take it—dragging my mouth along the soft skin, feeling the vibration of another moan building beneath the surface.

“What am I going to do with you?” I murmur against her collarbone.

“Kiss me,” she says.

So I kiss her. Deep and slow and thorough, my hands sliding from her hips up to her ribs, and slowly—reading every micro-expression for any sign of discomfort—my thumbs find her nipples through the thin fabric of her blouse.

She gasps and arches into my hands. Her fingers tighten in my hair and she pulls me closer, her legs squeezing around my hips, and the sound she makes—desperate, almost pained—makes me wonder how long it’s been since anyone touched her like this.

“You’re so responsive,” I murmur against her mouth, almost to myself, my thumbs still moving in slow circles. “Every time I do this, your breathing changes.”

She makes a sound that’s half laugh, half moan. “Are you analyzing me right now?”

“I can’t help it.” I pull back just enough to look at her face. Her eyes are dark. Half-closed. Her lips swollen and parted. “I’m curious, Sophie. I need to know—” My thumbs press gently and her hips roll against mine. “Did you enjoy kissing Finn?”

She pulls me closer instead of answering, trying to kiss me again, but I hold back, watching her face.

“What about Max?” I whisper, pressing my lips to the sensitive spot just below her ear. “Did you enjoy kissing him?”

I keep my thumbs moving in measured circles, and I can feel the heat of her body through the layers between us, answering a question her voice hasn’t yet.

“Sophie.” I kiss her throat. Feel the moan vibrate against my lips. “I need to know.”

“Yes,” she breathes.

“Yes to what?”

“To both questions.”