by Bonnar King
“Then what the hell were you pounding at my door for?”
Tom grinned. “Just checking up on you.” He opened the door, then paused. He turned back to me. “By the way?”
“What?”
“Sam rejected the promotion. And he just resigned from his company. He’s leaving New York today.”
I blinked. I stood up. But Tom was already pretty much slamming the door in my face, leaving me stunned, speechless…in great turmoil.
The shock took a long time to subside. When it did, it was replaced by an emotion that felt sorely like regret. Then panic hit in as Tom’s words came to mind again, swirling over and over in my head.
Sam was leaving New York?
And it was all my fault?
20
Sam
After a malfunctioning alarm clock, my passport getting misplaced and a gridlock traffic that almost had me running late for my flight, I didn’t think anything else could go wrong—that was, until the flight I was supposed to be in announced that it was cancelled, with all the passengers rerouted to different schedules.
“I’m sorry, sir, but we’ve already accommodated all the other passengers to the earliest flights that we could. Since you’re the last to check in, we apologize. All the other early flights are now booked, and the next available flight we have is tomorrow.”
The counter attendant went on about the next available flights, his tone impersonal, and I tried to take a deep breath and let it out slowly. He was just doing his job.
“Sir,” I said once he was done, keeping my voice even. “I appreciate the accommodation for the next available flight tomorrow, but you don’t understand. This is a connecting flight. I need to be in Paris by tomorrow morning, and this is the connecting flight that will get me there. If I miss this or am too late, then I’ll be stuck.”
“We don’t have anything available anymore,” he clipped out.
“Can you at least keep me in the waiting list? In case someone cancels?”
The counter attendant looked like he still wanted to argue, and I was ready to argue back. But before I could, a voice popped up behind me.
I froze.
“Are you sure there are no available flights at all?” the voice asked silkily, charm oozing out in spades. “Perhaps with a few adjustments, you can make room…”
I’d know that voice anywhere. It was Justin, stranding behind me. I refused to give him the benefit of the doubt by turning around to face him.
The attendant’s demeanor instantly changed, the aloofness vanishing to be replaced by a wide smile. He re-checked his computer, then focused his attention on Justin as he fluttered his lashes and spoke in a sweet, cheerful voice.
“We actually may have a seat available. It’s a premium seat for important businessmen…which I take you are?” the attendant purred.
I frowned. Justin nodded, as he stood beside me.
“But I’m not the one taking the seat. He is,” Justin said, pointing toward me. “Surely you won’t refuse?”
Now the attendant looked torn, and I’ve just had about enough of the unfair treatment and the messy situation.
I forced a smile and directed it to the omega. “No need. I can find another flight.”
I couldn’t, not really, but pride puffed inside me and refused to take the notion that it was Justin who got me in that said seat. Before the attendant or Justin could respond, I was already walking away, trying not to stumble as my traveling bag made a squeaking sound when I wheeled it behind me.
Seeing Justin again was like a blow to the senses, making me realize how much I missed him. How much I was still missing him. It was also breaking my heart that I couldn’t tell him I was pregnant with his child. My heart was threatening to burst with emotions, and it would be stupid to let them flow out again—not when he hurt me too much already with his careless words and dismissal of my declaration of love.
If it was so easy for him to reject that I loved him. God only knew how he would react to my carrying his child. I was glad he didn’t know, because that was a whole different level of rejection that I would never forgive him for.
A hand shot out and eased the bag out of my hands. Panic came over me, but I pushed it away and let out irritation instead, whirling around to face him with it.
“Do you mind? I have to get another flight as soon as possible,” I half-snapped. Those light, clear blue eyes boring in mine made me pause, my breath turning sharp just a little bit before I managed to make it normal. Not to my surprise, Justin didn’t let go of the bag.
“I have a jet waiting on the southern wing,” he said easily. “You can ride with me.”
I shook my head instantly. Being near him was torture enough, especially when I could smell that intoxicating scent of his. “No, thanks. Goodbye.”
His hand transferred to my wrist, cutting off my plan to walk away with dignity. I glared at him.
“Can’t you take no for an answer?” I goaded.
“I can,” he replied. “But I wanted to know something.”
“What?”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said.
“That you’ve rejected the promotion. That you quit your job.”
Oh. That.
“It’s none of your business,” I replied coolly.
“It is my business if it’s my fault,” he said, frustration leaking on his voice now.
Suddenly it all made sense—him rushing to the airport like this, then coming over to find me. He wanted answers.
He wanted to make sure it wasn’t his fault.
It wasn’t, really. The decision to resign had been mine, and so was the one to reject the promotion. I realized that it was no longer what I wanted, and dealing with clients who disrespected me shouldn’t be my definition of how my career should go. There were other jobs better fit for me out there, and after my vacation in Paris—where I planned to unwind and just relax—I would be readier to find that job and find happiness.
I also didn’t want to be an absent parent for my baby with such a demanding job. I would give my child the love I received when I was young, and I would hope to be around his or her life for a very long time. I wasn’t the first ever single parent, so I was determined to make the best of this situation.
As for falling in love with Justin? That was all me, too. I shouldn’t have. It was too late now, but I was doing my best to keep it in and simply move on.
And Justin was making it hard by barging into my life this abruptly.
I lifted my chin at him. “No, it’s not your fault. I wanted change. I’m getting it now.”
“You wanted that promotion.”
“Maybe I changed my mind.”
“Why?”
“I just did.”
“Sam, why?”
Suddenly I had had enough, and it all came out of me like lava erupting—like an explosion, really, the words flowing out on top of each other.
“Because you changed everything. You changed how I see things and you made me believe there was more to life than money and work. And just when I began to believe there was something good between us, you yanked the rug out from under my feet and pretty much left me hanging. But I’m over it. Happy now? You don’t have a clingy, needy omega all over you begging for your love. I’m an independent omega, and I’ll never beg for an alpha to love me back or support his baby that I’m carrying. So there’s that.”
When I was done, I realized that I had pretty much told him all over again that I loved him. But more importantly, I had just told him I was pregnant with his child in the worst way possible. Oh, God. What had I done!
“You’re… you’re pregnant?” Justin asked, gob smacked.
The stricken look on his face told me he wasn’t expecting that. There was also wonder there, some kind of fascination that I couldn’t understand, and all I wanted to do was reach out and touch him. I physically had to force myself to step back, already on
the verge of crying.
“Now, just leave me alone,” I finished. “We’re square. I’m sorry for what I did. But I’m not sorry for how I feel.”
I turned around and yanked my bag, attempting to walk away.
Justin took my elbow and turned me around.
“Justin, would you stop it with the—”
My words were cut off when his mouth pressed against mine.
Stunned, I could only stand there while he kissed me. It wasn’t a hard, insistent kiss. It was soft and sensual, cajoling me to open my mouth and participate. Before I knew it—before I could stop myself—I was responding to the kiss, the memories of all our kisses rushing back to me and making me hungry. I kissed back with all that hunger, clutching on to the lapels of his coat as his tongue came out and tangled with mine, and my body tingled all over. My heart pounded, then soared, reminding me that no matter how many times we kissed, it would be all about love now for me.
So I broke the kiss off, no matter how hard it was.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were pregnant?” Justin asked, his breathing harsh. His heart pounded under my palm.
“Justin… I didn’t want you to think I was using you for money, not when you already suspected me of using you to build my career.”
“That’s completely silly,” he murmured. “I love you, Sam. I am sorry I overreacted, and I know that you were promised that promotion before we had even met or fell in love.”
“but Justin… the baby.”
“Shush. This is the greatest gift I could ever receive. I have felt empty and hollow for so long no matter how much money I had or things I owned. Now I realize that life has gifted me with what I truly needed—the omega of my dreams and a child of my own.”
My pounding heart stumbled. I looked up at him. I stared.
“But I know this is so much for you to take on, Justin. You weren’t even ready for a committed relationship a few weeks ago and now you’ve also got to deal a baby,” I said.
I found that his eyes were brimming with a sincerity and intensity that threatened to undo me.
“I’ve loved you for so long, and I was stupid enough to not acknowledge it. I was also stupid enough to push you away instead of trying to understand how you were feeling. You changed me. You made me realize how much I’ve been neglecting in my life—connections, friendships…until you came along and showed me what was missing in my life. Fuck. I’m sorry, Sam. If you want me to get on my knees and grovel in front of everyone, I will. I want to be part of your life and the baby’s life… If you will have me.”
There were plenty of ways I could have handled the situation. I could have pushed him away. I could have rejected his love, letting my pride take over and wrap around me like a cold blanket.
But there was one thing I learned in my self-discovery, and another that Justin had taught me in our time together: that nothing could make you happy unless you were real. Until you confronted what was real.
And so I did.
I stepped forward.
Then I wrapped my arms around him. “I love you. And I forgive you.”
Now it was Justin’s turn to stare at me. “That easy?”
I nodded. “That easy. Relationships can be quite challenging, but love can be easy.”
A speculative look entered Justin’s eyes. “I like challenges.”
I laughed at what he took away from my statement. Then I grinned, realizing that Justin was never going to stop being the naughty alpha that he was, but I sure as hell could tame him.
And I was absolutely fine with that because he was my naughty alpha.
“So, challenge accepted?” I asked.
“Challenge accepted,” Justin murmured, as he rubbed his hands on my little belly where our baby was growing.
And just like that, we sealed it with a kiss.
21
Justin
On the plane to Paris with Sam, I held onto him so tightly and kissed and hugged him every chance I got. There was absolutely no way I was ever going to let this omega slip through my fingers again. What a fool I had been to let that happen in the first place. Thank god Sam had forgiven me and let me back in his life. I truly felt like he had saved me and not the other way around.
I knew I had a lot of growing up to do. My days of living dangerously and selfishly were behind me, and I didn’t feel bad about it one bit. It was actually a welcomed change and one that was long overdue. Those were the acts of an immature young alpha, but now I was realizing what I had been waiting for all my life—the love of a real omega, who had substance and a family of my own.
The thought of ever being a dad had never even crossed my mind, but surprisingly now that I was going to be one, I wasn’t afraid at all. I was actually very excited—more excited than I was when bungee jumping or skydiving. I finally felt as though my life had a purpose and everything I had done in my life had meaning now. I had build an empire and amassed wealth beyond my wildest dreams, but it wouldn’t mean anything unless I had a family to pass it down to. This would be my legacy.
But I was getting ahead of myself with such thoughts. Right now, I had the sexiest omega ever sitting right beside me, looking so fucking hot. It had been so long since I last had sex with him, that now it was all that my body desired.
“Hey Sam,” I whispered.
“Yes, Justin.”
“Do you wanna join the mile-high club?” I said, with a smirk.
“Oh god, that’s such a cheesy line. Does that actually work?” Sam said, rolling his eyes at me.
“Actually, I’ve never really used that line, but I always wanted to,” I said, laughing.
Without uttering another word, Sam stood up and started walking away from me, giving me the sweet view of his jiggling round ass in his tight jeans. Maybe it was the baby weight he was beginning to put on or just my imagination, but his ass looked juicier and bigger than ever. My cock was standing to full attention at the thought of pounding Sam in my jet.
Sam suddenly stopped walking and looked over his shoulder seductively. “Well, are you coming or not?”
I was fucking coming alright!
I would follow Sam anywhere he went.
Epilogue
Sam
We were enjoying our vacation so much in Paris that we decided to stay for as long as we wanted. It had been many months here at Justin’s apartment overlooking the Eiffel Tower. The view was absolutely breathtaking and not something I could ever see myself getting bored of. Justin was happy to take time away from his business and just be on alpha daddy duties. I wasn’t complaining—I loved having him around. The lovely cafes and restaurants around the city didn’t suck either.
I did have some fears of how things would be for me in a foreign country where I didn’t know anyone, in this new life of mine. However, it turned out that I had nothing to worry about because my real life and happiness were just waiting to happen. It was as though I had been asleep all my life, and now I was finally waking up from my previous life. I was truly living my own life for the first time, without the need to please anyone or prove myself to people.
I was in my third trimester, and due to give birth any day now. In fact, the baby seemed like he didn’t even want to come out, because it was a day overdue.
I was quickly discovering that being this heavily pregnant wasn’t all peaches and cream. My damn lower back was killing me almost all day, I had ridiculous abdominal pain, and the most annoying thing—my ridiculous temper due to the hormones running though my body. Justin was a sweetheart and would massage my back or my feet when they were aching. I never even needed to ask him to do that, but he always wanted me to be as comfortable as possible.
However, I still would get a little touchy at the worst of times. I didn’t know if the mood swings were because of me or because I was knocked up, but whatever the reason, Justin sure got an ear-full when I’d get irritable. Poor guy—I loved him so much and I definitely didn’t want to flip out on him the way I did in this con
dition, but it was as though I wasn’t being myself.
I wasn’t myself!
If Justin didn’t get me the weird food that I was craving at any given time, he’d definitely hear about because I’d shout until I was red in the face. God knows how he put up with me. I promised myself that I’d make it up to him later. He would usually just shrug off my tantrums as a temporary thing and laugh at me. I started to even think if there was anything I could ever do that would actually annoy him. He was a perfect gentleman and always stayed attentive and let me get away with absolute murder. He wouldn’t even complain that I would snore like a beast at night or ate his share of the food. He actually loved that I was eating so much because as he put it ‘I don’t want a weak ass baby. Eat more!’
No matter how big or grumpy I got, I was pleasantly surprised as to how attractive Justin still found me. He could hardly keep his hands off me, which made me feel so sexy and secure in my skin, but I’d still test that theory from time to time.
Justin had just returned from the store with the latest grocery shopping when I thought I’d ambush him with a surprise question.
“Justin, can I ask you a question?” I asked.
“Yes, what is it babe?” Justin asked, as he followed the sound of my voice to the bedroom.
“Do you still think I’m sexy?” I asked, shyly.
With that said, Justin moved closer to me and planted a passionate kiss on my lips. I opened my mouth slightly, and Justin immediately took control over it. His alpha instincts were kicking in, the desire that loomed over him overtaking his body and making him crave me even more. I moaned, enjoying the way his lips seemed to know how to perfectly mingle with my own, the desire that he felt becoming stronger over time.
He pushed me down on the bed, climbing on top of me and looking at me with lustful eyes.
