Fucking Andrew Martin. I’d crossed swords with him when I first came to town looking for real estate, both for administrative offices and industrial space. The guy was a real slime ball. The places he’d shown me had looked okay at the outset, but I wasn’t a fool, and had a trusted team give each possibility a good going over, and there’d been something outrageously wrong with each of them. Faulty wiring. Mold. Sewage issues. And when I’d raised the problems as things that would need to be addressed before I’d considered them, he’d hemmed and hawed about boilerplate contracts and I dropped him right then and there and found a decent agent.
From everything I’d heard since then, that seemed to be his modus operandi, and I’d made no qualms about speaking up about his work ethic and shady practices. Last I’d heard, he’d expanded out from just real estate and he’d been up against some residential apartment class action law suit. I had no trouble picturing him as a shady slum lord. If it was true—and I tried to remind myself that I didn’t know the facts, and prejudice wasn’t enough to condemn someone on—it seemed very out of place for him to be at an Omega Rights fundraiser. It might be time for me to go digging into Andrew’s current situation, though. If he was somehow interested in or tied to Miles…
It was none of my damn business. But that didn’t mean I was going to let it go.
All that had sped through my mind by the time I reached them, words spilling out of my mouth unbidden as red haze tingled at the edge of my vision. Andrew had continued to push Miles, the omega’s body language getting more and more defensive.
“Spears,” Andrew sneered, but he backed up. As the distance between him and Miles grew, my fury calmed. “It seems a little uncouth to be so… traditional at an Omega Rights event.”
What the fuck had I said? I glanced to Miles to see if he was offended, but he was looking at me with a complicated expression, but overlaying everything was relief, so I held out my hand to Miles and pressed on. “If I have offended you in any way, I apologize.”
Miles took my hand without hesitation and stepped into my protection. My ears burned and my throat swelled as I tried to process that simple act of trust.
“I’ve allowed you such liberties,” Miles said. “Unlike others.” He cast a dark glare at Andrew.
Evan Miles’s cutting words couldn’t shut him up. With a simpering sneer, he attempted to lay a hand on Miles like a father giving advice, but Miles sidestepped him, bringing him even closer to me. “I hate to cast aspersions on anyone, especially in such a dignified setting, but you need to be careful what kind of company you keep, Miles. You never know when someone seemingly successful is on the verge of collapsing.”
The only thing that was collapsing right now was my patience. There was a triumphant swell of trumpets, and the dining room doors began to open. “Excuse us,” I said, forgoing any nod or bow of politeness, “but we must find our seats.” I tucked Miles’s hand into the crook of my elbow and we turned as one to the doors. I felt absolutely elated to have Miles by my side, but I couldn’t help but wonder exactly what was going on between them. And what in the world had I said when I first approached, before I’d reigned my emotions in?
18
Miles
“Thank you.” I sunk into Parker. It was a foolish move on so many accounts. First, I wasn’t his no matter what he’d just said. Second, we were in a crowded room of who’s who and the gossip was probably already flying. Third, and probably most pertinent, allowing my body to feel comfortable near Parker, to allow it to fall into old patterns with him could only end one way—heartbreak.
“Would you be inclined to tell me what exactly I just did that requires a thanks?” His formality and cool demeanor might have others in the room fooled, but I knew him better. Rage was close to the surface, and not a lick of it was directed at me.
“Andrew was being… Andrew and you came and saved the day.” I brushed it off as much less of a deal than it was. Truth be told, Andrew invading my space like that had frazzled me much more than I realized at first. The relief I felt when Parker swooped in was more than it just being Parker, which alone impacted me more than it should. The relief was more about my safety. How could my parents think Andrew worthy of anything, much less their only son?
“Can we get some air before dinner?” I nudged my head to the patio doors and we adjusted in that direction before he even answered.
“Whatever you need,” he vowed softly. It was that serious, a vow, and not the first time he’d given it. If I hadn’t been so in need of him at that moment, I would’ve scoffed at his pronouncement.
There had been only one time I truly needed him, and he had taken the fast road out of town, not to be heard from again for years. No. His vows were useless.
The cool air caressed my face as we wove through others enjoying their drinks under the stars. One nice thing about hoity toity events like this one was that the smokers pretended they weren’t addicts, leaving the smoking bench around the corner free and clear.
“There is something I need to tell you.” I took a deep breath as we sat. He needed to know of my deception, since he was now in the thick of it, like it or not, whether he deserved my consideration or not.
“Go on.” His arm wrapped around my shoulder. To the outside world we probably looked like a couple. Heck, my body was confused on the matter as I began to sport a semi. So not what I needed.
“My folks tried to set me up with Andrew for the event. Even bought us tickets.”
Parker stiffened beside me. “So he is your date.” His clipped words threw me. Hadn’t he seen me deny the man?
“No.” I took the liberty of placing my hand on his knee and giving it a quick squeeze before realizing what I’d done, retracting my as if he were lava. Smooth. “I told them I already had a date to the event.”
“Do you?” Parker’s hand loosened as he scanned the area, presumably looking for my missing date.
“No. I don’t. I was lying because… ewww.” I didn’t want to get into any more details than that. It was pathetic enough my parents tried to set me up with anyone. That someone being Andrew just made it all the worse.
“Stay away from that man.” It was an order. Damn, that was hot. Not that it should be hot to have someone not my alpha being all bossy. But it brought my semi to the next stage as I thought of how Parker liked to be all demandy in the bedroom. Nope. Not going there. I pinched my side, hoping the slight pain would distract me from those thoughts. He’d had his chance and blew it. Done.
“Not that you’re the boss of me, but I plan to.”
“What were you going to do when no date appeared?” Good old pragmatic Parker. Sadly, I hadn’t really had a formalized plan.
“I still hadn’t figured out what I was going to do when my parents’ figured out I used the ticket they had for me and not one my date provided, but it seemed better than the alternative.” Pretty much most things were. If Andrew had been that touchy when he thought I had a date, I couldn’t even begin to imagine how he’d be if I were his date. Actually, I could imagine, and it was he stuff nightmares were made of.
“A toad is a better alternative than that… man.” Parker had to know Andrew, his tone hinting at more than just protective of an omega in need. He hated the man. “So I guess that means if an alpha were to ask you to be their date, you’d be available?”
His words brought back all the feels. They were common enough words, words I heard every day in various settings, orders, and contexts. But in that order, with his hand settled on my shoulder, outside with a slight breeze, they mimicked the very first time he had officially asked me out years ago. We hadn’t even come into our maturity yet, but he had known he was an alpha and I an omega, and many months later he confessed that he was riddled with nerves as he asked me out that night, fearing I would say no and that he might lose his one shot at winning my heart. Why did he have to bring on the feels?
“No.” I laughed hoping my fake laughter would cover up my heavy rampaging emoti
ons. “I already had an alpha call me his date, so I best stick with him.”
19
Parker
I felt a brief spike of disappointment before my brain turned Miles’s words over a second time and I realized what he’d really said—I was the alpha who had called him my date. He was sticking with me. I tried to gauge his steadiness without staring too much. When he’d asked if we could step out for a breath of air, he’d been close to shaking. Now, his breathing had calmed, the flush of anxiety had mostly receded, and his posture had straightened, the confident, carefree omega I once knew unearthing just a bit.
I didn’t like the hunched shoulder look Miles seemed to be supporting these days, as if at any moment, he expected the ceiling to drop on him. But it wasn’t my place to say.
I stood and held out my arm. “Shall we go in?”
Miles took a few deep breaths, a calming technique I keep me well, then he pushed himself to his feet with a giant sigh and placed his hand lightly in the crook of my arm. “As ready as I’ll ever me.”
We were among the last to enter, but most people seemed to pay no attention to us, their focus on the waiters attending the tables or their other table ages. I suspected Miles would have been more uncomfortable than usual if we had caused a seen and drawn everyone’s attention to us. Part of me wanted that, though. I wanted the world to see Miles on my arm, to know that, even if for just an hour or two, I had won the right to escort this beautiful man and care for him.
Just because no one was paying attention to us didn’t mean I wasn’t paying attention to them. Andrew sat at a table in the middle of the grouping. Not a bad location—actually, fairly prime—but nowhere near as well situated as my seat. As we approached the table, I pulled a server aside and let him know that my date had a last minute change in plans and had been able to make it. With no fuss at all, they quickly switched out the name of whoever Lisa had chosen to take the empty seat, and I guided Miles to his spot. As most people wouldn’t know their seating arrangements ahead of time unless they bought tickets as a group, it wouldn’t make any difference to the other person, except that they might spend a few extra minutes looking for their seat.
All but one couple was already seated at our table, and I knew them all. As well I should. Each person had paid for their entrance, but I had purchased the table for the privilege of choosing my table mates. The high price is also what earned me the prime real estate.
I could feel Andrew glaring lasers at me, and was glad Miles’s back was to the older man. I refused to give him the satisfaction of my direct attention, but I kept my eye on him. He said something and an older couple at his table turned around, scanning the crowd. I took a moment to look at them. I had never met them before in my life, but it took barely a glance to tell that the woman was Miles’s mother. He’d inherited his fine features from her side of the family, for certain.
I let them fade to the back of my mind, however, as I introduced Miles to the others at the table. Aiden and his business partner, Ethan, were one pair. One of the main organizers, Naheed Shah and his partner—
“Jace!” Miles cried happily. At my confused look, he blushed and said, “Jace and I are old, old friends.”
I felt an irrational barb of jealousy pull me out of my flow.
Jace waved away the server’s offer of wine, his hand unconsciously dropping to his belly and caressing his quite obvious baby bump.
I raised my still full but probably warm and tasteless champagne glass to them. “I didn’t realize congratulations were in order.” The rest of the table chimed in and I sipped my champagne, it was just as flat as I had suspected. Jace looked over to Naheed with such and adoring look in his eyes, I almost couldn’t bear it. That had been Miles once. That had been me. I’d never gotten to see Miles that far along with our child… but I had wanted it.
“We hadn’t planned on more…” Jace said, a teasing smile directed at Naheed.
Naheed’s own smile seemed to hold a secret as he said, “Yes, a surprise. But a good surprise.”
“You have other children?” Miles asked excitedly. “You didn’t mention that the other day! How many?”
As the talk drifted into the domestic, I found myself withdrawing. Partly because I didn’t have any personal experience to add, and partly because I knew I’d I opened my mouth, something foolish would fall out. I should be attempting to turn the topic back to business; that was one of the main objectives in attending the gala. Instead, I found myself studying Miles. In the few times I’d seen him in the last few weeks, I’d never seen him so unguarded as now. Did he think of our lost future at all? Or had he buried it?
I’d thought I had. I’d thought all my domestic hopes and dreams had finally been buried. But all it took was a moment of Miles’s attention, and I was ready to turn my entire world upside down.
But that wouldn’t happen. I attempted to resign myself to accept whatever bones Miles threw me tonight, but I had to be ready to let him go. I let the server refill my champagne and the fresh, cold bubbles burned on my tongue, bright, fresh stars of beauty and pain. Watching Miles was like drinking champagne. Surprising, intoxicating, and the more I had the more I wanted… but in the end, all you were left with was a headache and an upset stomach.
I couldn’t afford to get drunk on Miles; hangovers from love lasted years.
20
Miles
To say my parents had been impressed by the hostility rolling off of Andrew throughout their entire dinner was an understatement, but how they turned it into my issue perplexed me. I never asked them to set me up, but they went about meddling and then it had become my problem when things went awry.
Which was how I ended up in the filing disaster room at work, or as they called it—the data center—where old files went to to die. Two days I’d been in there with no end in sight, sorting through old boxes, scanning files, and then putting them back in the same exact spot where they would continue to stay until they were but dust. It was not only busy work, it was unnecessary busy work since the scanned files were harder to search through than the paper versions with the data entry system they were using.
On the plus side, it gave me time to think. On the negative side, it gave me time to think.
The gala, once Andrew had been removed from my attention, had been a magical evening, Parker and I quickly falling back into our old roles as an alpha and omega in a loving relationship. The problem, however, was we weren’t in a relationship, and even if we attempted one, there was so much between us that it could only end in disaster.
That hadn’t stopped me from daydreaming we were still together and happy happy, none of the badness having ever happened. It had been easy to do with his arm wrapped around me, his scent enveloping me, and my old friend Jace sitting with me, laughing the night away, love for his mate shining in his eyes and growing in his belly. Darn. I was turning sappy. I needed to get my life on track. No more files. No more living at my parents. No more hiding from reality.
I’d spent the night before researching what I needed to do in order to practice law locally. It was remarkably easier than I had feared, as long as there had been no official paperwork filed at my termination. In theory, the employer needed to inform you if such a thing were happening, but the state was notorious for being back logged, so I couldn’t be sure. I liked to think that my boss saw through the BS that went down, but I ran out of there and hid at my parent’s instead of facing it head on out of fear. I worked to hard to lose everything and chances were not slim that I already had.
Something about being with Parker, being treated as more than just an omega, as an equal, by such a powerful man bolstered me enough to research. So, baby steps.
“You in here, Miles?” my father called into the room. Of course he knew I was, since he was the one who sent me to my current data organizing purgatory.
“Probably for the next two weeks,” I called back in frustration.
“Miles.” The censure in his voice was remin
iscent of the one he liked to whip out in my youth when I was caught drinking or staying out too late. Wonderful. “I have been looking for you.”
“I’m right where you told me to be.” I sighed in exasperation.
“You haven’t answered your mother’s texts.” The way he spoke, it sounded as if I had ignored twenty messages from her spanning the course of weeks. True, I should’ve messaged her back at least, but his response was disproportional for the offense at hand.
“One text, and she asked me to call her when I got a chance. I will.” I had already planned to call her before I headed out to meet Marcus for dinner, something I still wasn’t sure was a good idea, but he begged, saying something about a hot new owner, and I caved quickly, still feeling guilty for throwing his brother his way unannounced.
“That was yesterday.” Father wandered to the files as if checking my work. Not that he’d see anything to indicate what was and what wasn’t done.
“I will call tonight.” I wanted to add that she could’ve come out for breakfast that morning, but bit my tongue. I knew her absence was a power play, making me follow her request and honestly, at that point, I was willing to cave.
“She expects you to bring your friend to dinner Sunday.”
That was the last thing I expected to hear. Hostility over being stuck with an angry Andrew all night—sure. Disappointment over using the ticket they purchased for me when from all appearances I already had one—possibly. Bring your new guy to dinner —not at all.
“My friend?”
“I’m not going to call him your alpha.” Ah, so it wasn’t a happy request.
Reclaiming His Omega: M/M Non-Shifter Alpha/Omega MPREG (Cafe Om Book 5) Page 6
