“I want to make you feel at home. It will be, after all.”
“So if I wanted to bring my bookshelf that my grandfather made…” I figured the worst he could say was not gonna happen.
“I’d make the call now and have it here in the morning, unless you wanted to stay up late and have them deliver it tonight.”
“Tomorrow is perfect.” Just knowing that he was willing to make arrangements that quickly, even if they didn’t pan out, made it perfect.
“You look exhausted. Why don’t you rest while I get you food and I can show you the last of the place afterward?” he offered.
As much as I wanted to see the rest of the place now, he was right. I was barely functioning, the exhaustion hitting me harder the longer I stood still.
“That sounded perfect.”
He pulled back the covers before pointing out where the adjoining bathroom was and left. I climbed into bed, not bothering to take off my pants, and pulled up the covers as I sunk into the warmth and comfort it offered. A small nap would sure be nice.
When my eyes finally opened, the room was dark. I somehow managed to sleep through dinner. I thought briefly about seeing of Aiden was still up, but my body had other plans and I slipped back into slumber, his scent surrounding me with a feeling of safety.
13
Aiden
I checked in on Chris about thirty minutes after he laid down, and he was still fast asleep. Something stirred inside me at the sight of him resting so peacefully in my bed. It was strange. I hadn't lived with anyone since rooming with Ethan in college. It hadn't occurred to me to wonder how I would do with someone else invading my space until I realized how absolutely right it seemed to have Chris here. I had been so busy with work, I hadn't realized how much I liked having someone else around. Maybe I should get a puppy after Chris left.
No, not a puppy. They require too much attention. An older dog. A rescue. I shook my head. That was a ridiculous comparison.
I closed the door softly and returned to my office with a smile on my face. Taking every precaution to protect Chris's sleep, I closed my office door behind me too before shooting a vid call to Ethan.
Ethan didn't bother looking up at his monitor when he answered, his attention on the papers splayed before him. "Evening, boss."
I kicked my feet up on my desk. "Ethan! What did I miss today?"
Ethan rattled off a short update and we fell silent, waiting to see who would give in first. Well, he was waiting to see if I would give in. I was waiting because I knew he would. Underneath the table, I started counting down on my fingers. 5... 4... 3... 2...
"So are you going to tell me what required movers and took most of your day?"
Bingo. Damn, I was good. "I'm getting mated," I announced with a grin. I was feeling more apprehensive than amused, but Ethan knew me better than almost anyone. If I didn’t sell it 100%, this would be over before it had barely begun.
Ethan looked up, startled. "You're finally giving in to your fathers' demand for an arranged mating?"
"Nope." I popped the p.
"Then..."
"His name is Chris," I said. "We've known each other for a while, but with my dads breathing down my neck, we figured, what the hell? Why not give it a go?" I had to hold back a small laugh at Ethan's complete shock. But I knew he would believe I would do something that impulsive. "I'll bring him by tomorrow, if he doesn't have to work. You're going to love him!"
"So how long have you been... seeing... each other? You've never mentioned him before."
"Oh, three or four months?" I guessed. At least, that's when I finally figured out his schedule.
"Do you think that's enough time to know each other well enough to build a relationship on?"
I shrugged. "Sure beats an arranged relationship."
Poor Ethan. He was going to kill me when we broke it off. If I told him the truth. I’d cross that bridge when I got to it.
"Anyway, that's for tomorrow. Is there anything you need from me before I get into the office tomorrow?"
"No, nothing that can't wait," Ethan said.
"Great. See you then." I cut the call.
I was a little too keyed up to sleep yet. I'd finally found the answer to my financial problem, and I was able to help out a great guy while doing so. The pieces were falling into place. But work waits for no man. I didn't have any of my supplies here at the house, but I had a bunch of research I'd been intending to do. That kept me up until three o'clock in the morning when I realized I had never gone back to check on Chris. I peeked in before going to bed, but he was still sound asleep. Awesome. I collapsed on top of the spare bed, not even bothering to move the covers or undress before passing out.
Chris was already in the kitchen when I stumbled out in the morning. He stood at the stove and froze at the sight of me. "I hope you don't mind, I was hungry...:
I waved away his concerns. "Like I said, I mostly just drink my shakes. And coffee. All the food is yours to use."
He smiled. "Speaking of coffee, I made a pot first thing this morning."
"My hero," I said, and proceeded to help myself. I inhaled the aroma and my eyes flew open. "This is the house drip from Café Om. You won't sell it to anyone..."
Chris was grinning a mile wide. "Well, I'm not anyone."
I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, taking a reverent sip. "I love you. I don't think I'm going to let you leave."
Chris laughed faintly.
"Oh shit, I don't mean that in a creepy stalker kidnapper way. You can totally leave whenever you want. But it may get ugly. I may beg. Are you open to bribes? I have no moral quandaries about bribes."
His laugh was stronger this time. "I can't believe this wasn't one of the first things you thought about when you asked me to participate in this harebrained scheme of yours."
"I can't believe it either," I agreed. "At least now you know that my reasons aren't completely mercenary. Or are my reasons completely mercenary because I was only thinking about the money?" I shook my head. "Clearly I need more coffee. We can discuss the weight of my mercenary leanings after I've had a cup or three. Your boss may not like you making this for me. He might lose a lot of business with me not coming in to the cafe."
"Oh, I hope that's not true," Chris said. "My work day just wouldn't be the same without your face."
I smiled into my coffee. Whether he was just teasing me or he actually meant it, a warm bundle of contentment settled in my stomach. "So what are your plans today?"
"Well, not much, really. I don't work again until tomorrow."
"Would you like to come to my office with me? I need to introduce you to Ethan. Oh, and we need to figure out our story and get to know each other better for when you meet my dads. But later on that. I need like, a pot of coffee and it should be afternoon before I can be expected to retain any important information."
14
Chris
Seeing the look on Aiden’s face as he breathed in the aroma of the coffee for the first time was so worth the frustrating half hour it had taken me to find all the supplies to make it. He often teased about needing the beans. I thought it was just him being flirty. Now I knew better. He was a flirt, or at least was with me, but the love of coffee, that was legit. I made a mental note to get a better supply of filters and beans. If he truly drank an entire pot first thing, I might not have enough to even get through the week.
When he asked me to join him on a trip to his office, panic began to set in, and I responded with a simple nod before going about and making him breakfast in companionable silence. He might say he liked his shakes or even felt compelled to use them to see how good they were for more than just a taste test, but he needed to eat real food. I needed him to eat real food. It was a weird sort of compulsion given the fact that what I was making probably had only a quarter of the nutrition his shakes had. But feeding my alpha was a drive I wasn’t going to ignore. Not that he was my alpha, not for more than pretend anyway.
“Here you
go.” I placed the veggie and cheese omelet in front of him, complete with buttered toast and grilled tomatoes. I wasn’t sure if he would like them that was, it tended to be a British thing, but I saw them on a cooking show once and was now obsessed with them.
I’d take note of what he ate and didn’t eat so tomorrow’s breakfast would be more to his liking. Because that was how rational people reacted to new people. Make them all the food. I knew it was my omega instincts.
“No, you eat.” He pushed the plate back in my direction. “I’m fine with my shake.”
“I already ate.” I pushed the plate back his way and picked up his fork, handing it to him directly. It was a bold mood, but I needed him to eat. “I wasn’t sure how long you would be so I didn’t cook yours until you came in.”
“I have my shake.” He shrugged, already scooping his first forkful into his mouth in a sign of defeat. One forkful became two, became three, and each brought with them a smile. I did that. I put a smile on my alpha.
“Remember when you told me not to try to change your alpha ways because you just couldn’t?” I asked, remembering how very similar our discussion was the night before even if the context was so very different. In an odd way we were both tied to our nature. Which was fine as long as we accepted that for what it was and didn’t read more into it. That was when feelings got trampled.
“Well this is me unable to contain my omega ways.” I waved my arm over the food as if he was confused by what I meant. “I need to feed you. Food. Not shakes and before you get all hurt about that and start to argue, don’t bother. I’ve already had the argument in my head. Your shakes are more nutritious than the food I prepare. I know this. It doesn’t make the omega instincts settle down at all. You and I are sharing a home and that means I have to feed you. It is what it is. Please accept it.”
I was babbling and I knew it but all the things in my head felt compelled to rush out. He gave a few subtle nods of understanding as I spoke as if it made perfect sense. In its crazy, it kind of did. Alphas and omegas were wired differently than betas and than each other. It’s just what was. That was the crux of the problems with omega rights, truth be told. Sometimes difference made people think “lesser.” It sucked, but people were people and some things were easier to change than others.
“It’s probably the same as my compulsion to figure out how you are going to get to work safely tomorrow when I have meetings all day.” He mused before taking a long sip of his coffee. That was something I hadn’t realized.
“I have a bus pass.” Buses were safe and the stop was directly outside of Om, which had been one of the reasons I asked to be transferred there. I wasn’t one for standing out in the cold during a storm, waiting for a bus. Working where I could see the bus coming and have enough time to meander out there was like gold. It also led me to Aiden, which was nice even before all of this happened.
“Which is not quite good enough for me.” He shrugged and took a bite from his toast.
It looked like my transportation would be worked out before my next shift. He wasn’t being bossy or all alpha-ass. He was just stating his feelings and me fighting against them just to be in control seemed harsh and unnecessary. I planned to give him this one and any others that really didn’t matter.
I scoffed at the idea of him thinking the food wouldn’t matter and he’d give in because to me it did matter. So very much. Just as where I slept mattered to him as did how I got to work. He was so polar opposite of Will. Before I even contemplated dipping a toe into the dating pool again I needed to soul search and figure out how I let anything happen with Will beyond a quickie in the sack.
“Aren’t we quite the pair?” I placed my hand on his shoulder, giving it a quick squeeze. “All the instincts with none of the benefits.”
“Benefits?” As dawning over what I implied hit him, his cheeks flushed. It was a glorious sight to behold. “Oh you mean…”
“I mean sex.” I put him out of his misery… or increased it tenfold. I wasn’t sure which. “You can say it. Sex. Sex. Sex.”
It was far from a playful manner, yet that was exactly how I felt—playful.
“You can stop already.” He batted my hand from his shoulder before what appeared second guessing his action and taking my hand in his, his face now closely resembling that of a firetruck.
“Big sexy alpha embarrassed by the word sex?”
“You think I’m sexy,” he teased, catching my eyes with a heat in his that could only lead to badness. Or amazingness. Definitely nakedness. I let go of his hand and grabbed the coffee pot as if that were the reason for my abrupt departure and refilled his nearly empty cup for which I was rewarded by him mouthing “Thank you.”
It took all I could do not to imagine how that perfectly formed mouth would feel exploring my body as mine explored his. This was all kinds of going a different direction than I planned. Bad omega.
“That’s what you got out of that?” I tried to refocus the talk to anything not connected to the erection I was now sporting. Thankfully the counter was now between us, blocking it from his view.
“No, what I got out of that was a boner.”
Crap on a cracker. Our bluntness went both ways.
“Me too.” I put my elbows on the counter and leaned my head into my hands letting out a sigh as I did so. “This is going to be a problem isn’t it?”
“We are both adults and once we get used to being surrounded by the pheromones things will be easier.”
In theory that sounded fine and dandy. In reality, I doubted it was that simplistic.
“I hope so. Yesterday it was all I could do not turn my head and catch your lips when you kissed my cheek.” And out slipped my secret. He wouldn’t kick me out, of that I was sure. I feared it might create an awkwardness between us though, an unnecessary one at that. Why did I feel so compelled to tell him all things?
“I like your bluntness.”
Because he liked it, apparently. His approval meant far too much to me, especially from a pretend boyfriend.
“You’re not mad.” I wasn’t asking. I was confused but I could feel the truth of it.
“No, because I kind of wanted you too.” He gave me a small smile. “But don’t worry, I know you’re in a precarious position here, and I would never do anything to make you feel unsafe.”
This man was going to be the death of me.
15
Aiden
My stomach churned with the unexpected weight of Chris's breakfast on my stomach. It tasted great, but it had been a while since I’d eaten solid food regularly, and in the last week I’d had both the dinner at my dads’ and Chris’s breakfast. That's why I was so passionate about my shake recipe. It was everything the body needed. And it removed so much wasted time. I smiled, thinking of the pleased look on Chris's face as I ate. That time hadn't been wasted.
He had taken over clean up when I finished, glaring at me when I tried to wash the dishes myself. At his urging, I left him to handle the kitchen and gathered up everything I needed for the office. Mostly just my laptop.
Once it was packed, I rejoined Chris in the kitchen. "Ready?" I asked.
"As I'll ever be." He smiled, but it wavered at the corners.
"I promise, it's nowhere near as intimidating as it sounds. I'm not intimidating, am I?"
His smiled strengthened. "Well, that's a matter of opinion."
"Well, my company is no more intimidating than I am." I picked up my keys from where I'd dropped them the night before. "Come on."
The moment the car doors closed behind us, his scent hit me in a wave. How had it gotten so much stronger in just one night? Where before the pregnancy pheromones had been just under the surface, now... now they were practically dancing in my nose.
"You okay?" Chris asked.
I closed my eyes and shook my head to clear it. "Yeah, fine." I flashed him my best "I'm alright" smile. "I may need another few cups of coffee before the day is out. I was up late last night researching."
/>
I regretted saying anything nearly as soon as the words left my mouth. Chris's face turned into worry. "Are you okay to drive? I could, well, I don't know if you'd feel comfortable with me driving this fancy car, but..."
"No, I'm fine. I mean, yes, I'd feel completely fine with you driving this car, but I'm good to drive." The pheromones were driving me crazy.
"You're sure...?" Chris's voice was hesitant.
"About letting you drive the car sometime or me driving now?"
That drew a smile from him.
I started the car and pulled out of my parking spot. "Positive. On both accounts."
I couldn't stop the bounce in my step as we parked the car and headed to my office. I had a feeling Ethan and Chris were going to get along great. They were basically my two favorite people in the world. I don't know what it said about me that one of my favorite people was a guy I'd been crushing on from a distance for months before convincing him to pretend to be my mate but... I wasn't looking to dig into it too much today, though. I took Chris's hand as we entered the building, his touch calming me.
Ethan was coming from my office with his nose buried in a pile of papers, as usual. "You making us some money?" I asked.
"It looks like one of our suppliers might be looking to offload a good supply of wheat protein at seventeen percent less than we paid for our last order."
"Blah blah blah numbers," I responded, dropping Chris's hand to drop my arm over Ethan's shoulders and pluck the papers from his hands. "The answer I'm looking for is yes. Good job."
Ethan glared at me in long-suffering frustration. "I need those, you know."
"Later." I dropped them on a nearby desk. "Ethan, I want you to meet Chris."
Chris waved shyly. "Hi, nice to meet you."
Ethan reached out to shake his hand. "You're the... new mate?"
I winced. "You say new like I've had five previous ones, man."
His Pretend Omega: M/M Non-Shifter Alpha/Omega MPREG (Cafe Om Book 2) Page 6
