by Aiden Bates
The tasting drew to a close. A lot of the people there came over to Austin’s end of the bar to say goodbye to him, just as they’d paid their respects to Brian. That threw Cody for a bit of a loop too. All of the industry pros, every one of them knew Austin. They all had so much respect for Austin. They treated him like an equal, like a friend. It was a sight to see.
Then they cleared out, and Austin was left talking to the winery owner, Brian. Brian was a solidly built man, not as tall as Cody but broad and muscular. He jerked his head over to the barstools they’d been occupying. “Have a seat, you two. I’ve got some good stuff in the back. Let me grab it and pour a real glass.”
Cody wondered if his palate could handle more wine. He’d had enough trouble differentiating between the different samples he’d been allowed to try. His eyes brightened when Brian pulled a loaf of fine country bread off of a shelf.
Austin grinned when he saw Cody’s expression. “It helps to cleanse the palate,” he explained. “Brian makes incredible bread. I keep trying to get him to supply the shop with bread, but he’s not willing to invest in that scale of production.”
“Wouldn’t the two different yeasts not mingle right?” Cody accepted the hunk of bread their host tore off for him.
“Bingo.” Brian winked at him and disappeared to grab the bottle he wanted. Cody didn’t mean to preen under the praise, but he knew he did.
Brian returned a moment later and poured for all three of them. “So, how do you two know each other?”
“Work.” Cody picked up his glass, happy to have something other than Austin to focus on. “I needed some wine for a wedding and he was able to recommend something that worked with the menu. I think he recommended two of yours, actually.”
“They were.” Austin shifted, leaning back a little bit in his seat. “One of your whites pairs amazingly with really acidic dishes. That way people can still have wine with their lemon and tahini soup and no one winds up complaining. Go figure.”
“Glad to be of service.” Brian chuckled and sipped from his glass. “So are you going to do what we talked about and go hire someone from that omega shelter?”
“Doing it as soon as I’m functional in the morning, I promise. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before.” Austin smiled.
Cody’s eyes bulged. “You got him to hire someone new in that place? Are you a magician?” If Austin had help at the shop, he’d have more free time. If Austin had more free time, maybe Cody could see more of him.
He shouldn’t let his mind go there.
“Buddy, I’ve known Austin since he came to Skaneateles. I’m awesome.” Brian pressed his hands to his chest.
The trio shot the breeze for a little while, and when the glass of wine was finished, Cody stood up. “Thanks for the wine, but I need to head back into town. It’s a bit of a drive, and I don’t want to risk having more than I should.” He turned to Austin. “I didn’t see your car out front. Is it parked someplace else, or do you need a ride?”
Austin hesitated. “I made arrangements with a car service.” He bit his lip, looking down and away. The tiniest spot of color sprang up in his tan cheeks, and Cody wondered if Brian hadn’t just turned up the thermostat or something.
Brian flicked Austin with his towel. “I’ll catch up with you at the shop, buddy. It’s not like I don’t always know where to find you, right?”
Cody laughed. “I’m pretty sure he’s got a cot in the office. Come on, I’ll give you a ride.”
Austin’s cheeks flushed red, and they headed out into the chilly November night.
They got into Cody’s Jeep. This close, Cody couldn’t avoid his omega’s warm scent. And he couldn’t stop himself from thinking of Austin as his omega, no matter how hard he tried. “I don’t actually know your address. You don’t really sleep on a cot in the shop, do you?”
Austin laughed at him. “No. I don’t. I’ve got a house a couple of blocks away.” He put his address into Cody’s GPS and sat back, biting his lip again. “It was nice to hang out for a while today, off the clock.”
Cody licked his lips again. He could still taste Austin’s kiss, if he didn’t fight against it. He wasn’t fighting now. “Yeah. Yeah, it was.” He turned the car on and pulled out onto the back country road.
The ride out to Austin’s place took twelve minutes. He truly didn’t live far from the shop. He could probably walk it. Cody couldn’t see much of the place in the dark, only that it looked big and old. “I know it’s a long drive for you,” Austin told him. “You’re welcome to come in if you want, maybe have a cup of coffee.”
Cody shouldn’t. He knew he shouldn’t. But right then, with Austin’s scent permanently embedding itself into the Jeep’s upholstery, “shouldn’t” seemed like a very distant concept. “That’d be great.”
They entered the house through the kitchen door. Austin turned on the lights and moved toward the coffee pot. Cody got a quick impression of high-end appliances and impressive black-and-white tile work, but he wasn’t paying much attention. There wasn’t room for much besides desire in his brain right now. Every one of those twelve minutes had been spent with Austin’s scent wrapping itself around his brain, working itself into his bloodstream. He needed.
He walked up to Austin and put his hands on Austin’s narrow, sharp hips. Austin stilled immediately, but he didn’t tense up. Instead, he craned his neck to the side.
Cody growled, just a little bit, and kissed his omega’s long, tan neck. He could feel Austin’s pulse, steady and strong, under his lips. “I don’t want to push anything onto you,” he murmured into Austin’s ear. “We can just have coffee, if that’s what you want.”
“Not what I want.” Austin closed his eyes and leaned into Cody’s chest. “Upstairs.”
Cody smiled and nibbled on his omega’s ear. “You’re the one that knows where you’re going.”
Austin nodded and took a deep breath. “God, the way you smell.” He reached back and took Cody’s hand.
Cody followed Austin up some back stairs, down a dark hallway, and into a large master suite with dark green striped wallpaper. Once inside the room, he took over again. If he was going to ignore his whole plan of keeping things strictly business, he was going to go all of the way. He claimed Austin’s mouth with his own, licking his way in while he unbuttoned Austin’s purple dress shirt from the bottom up. He took the time to brush over Austin’s nipples as he passed them, to see if that was a particular turn-on for him.
It quickly became obvious that Austin wasn’t the kind of omega who just liked to passively have things done to him. He worked at Cody’s clothes just as Cody worked at his, toying with his nipples as soon as Cody played with his. It was like he was taking cues from Cody, and Cody loved it.
“I have wanted to get you naked for weeks,” Austin told him when they came up for air. “Weeks!”
“You’ve got me right here.” Cody stepped back to take a look at Austin. He’d only managed to get Austin’s shirt off, but he was still a sight to see. Austin’s body was all long, lean muscles, built from years of lifting and carrying cases of wine. Cody wanted to get his mouth on every inch of Austin’s tan skin, on the scatter of hair across the center of his chest and the little trail that started just above his belt. His mouth watered at the sight. “I want to take your pants off. Can I do that?”
Austin smirked and tugged at his belt. Cody moved his hands away. He wanted to be the one to unwrap his omega. He loosened the belt. Then he unbuttoned the fly and drew down the zipper, salivating at the hot, hard feel of what lay beneath. He gave both the underwear and the trousers a good, sharp tug, freeing everything underneath and exposing it to the open air.
Austin stepped out of his clothes and moved to take Cody’s pants, but Cody shook his head and lay a finger on Austin’s lips. “Not yet.” He took his free hand and wrapped it around Austin’s proportionally sized, hard cock. He wanted to get a feel for all of him, every inch of the amazing omega.
Austin gr
ipped Cody’s shoulders and made no objection. His breath came slow and steady at first, and then in more ragged pants. Cody backed off at that point. “Got lube and condoms?” He had some, but they were in the glove compartment in the Jeep. He hadn’t been thinking. Right then, he’d happily head out as he was and get them.
Austin grimaced at the loss of contact, but he walked over to the nightstand and pulled them out. “How do you want me?”
“Every which way from Sunday, Austin. You have no idea what you do to me. For now, though, I want you to lie down on the bed.”
Austin pulled back the covers and lay down on his back. He kept his knees up and apart. His slanted hazel eyes watched eagerly as Cody discarded the rest of his clothes and crawled into the bed, down near Austin’s knees. Cody maintained eye contact with Austin as he slicked up his fingers and started to open him up.
It hit Cody, just as he slid the second finger into his lover’s body, that it was a momentous occasion. This wasn’t some guy. This wasn’t some random omega, or some beta he picked up in a bar. This was Austin. This was a guy who got him so turned around that he couldn’t think straight. This was a guy who got all of his alpha instincts firing, so much so that he probably wouldn’t be able to identify the house again without the GPS. He hadn’t noticed anything about it. It wasn’t just an omega, it was his omega.
It didn’t make sense, but there he was. About to make love to his omega for the first time. And it was a beautiful feeling.
He stretched Austin well, and then he rolled the condom onto himself. He slicked himself up and lined himself up with Austin’s entrance. Austin rested his long legs against Cody’s shoulders, and Cody worked himself inside. He gave Austin a minute to adjust. When Austin told him to move, he pulled most of the way out and slammed home.
He set an aggressive pace. Neither of them were delicate flowers, and Austin seemed to appreciate it if his enthusiastic cries were anything to go by. Austin was tight, and he enveloped Cody’s body perfectly. He met Cody’s thrusts with rocking hips and cries of “Yes!”
The thing about Austin was that he was a fairly controlled guy. He never lost his temper or panicked. He always had a measured response for every situation that came up. Watching him lose that control under Cody was one of the hottest things Cody had ever seen. When Austin finally gripped himself and gave a few tugs, coming in heavy spurts over both of their chests, the sight of his face in orgasm was enough to send Cody over the edge.
Cody collapsed on top of Austin for a moment. Then he pulled out and went to go grab a cloth to clean them both up.
Austin looked up at him with sleepy eyes. “You’re welcome to stay, if you want.”
Cody hesitated. He wanted. He knew all of the reasons he shouldn’t. “Yeah,” he said, climbing back under the covers. “I’d like that.”
Chapter Six - Contents
Cody stayed the whole night. Austin hadn’t expected that to happen. Of course, he hadn’t expected to get any sex out of the guy at all, either, so he figured that maybe his expectations were a little out of whack. Or maybe Cody was just exceeding his expectations, which to be honest wasn’t hard.
Cody had definitely exceeded every expectation last night. Oh, yes. Austin would remember Veteran’s Day for a long time to come. Maybe he’d even institute a small sale at the shop, every year, to commemorate the event. The only problem was that it had probably been the only time he’d get to enjoy it.
He wasn’t a fool. He knew that Cody hadn’t wanted to see him last night. He’d been avoiding him for days. Sure, Cody wanted him. But Cody didn’t want to want him. Cody’s body wanted Austin’s body. Like most alphas, all he wanted was the packaging.
Austin got up and hit the shower. By the time he was done, Cody was awake. “There’s plenty of hot water,” he told Cody. “There’s time for me to do French toast, if you want it.”
Cody lifted his eyebrows. “Uh, yeah. That would be great.” He shuffled toward the bathroom. “I had no idea that you cooked.”
Austin grinned at that. What else could he do? “I’m not half bad. I’ll meet you down there.”
The door closed behind Cody. Austin stared at the unmade bed. Evidence of their coupling was right there, staring back at him in the gentle light of morning.
He would strip the bed later. He couldn’t let himself think about it. He couldn’t let himself wallow in self-pity or in fantasies about what might have come to pass if Austin were different, or if Cody were different. He had a business to run. He had two stalkers, one of whom was a family member, harassing him through all of Onondaga County. Even if the world were perfect and Cody had by some miracle decided that he wanted Austin as more than a warm body for a night, Austin didn’t have time for a new fling.
He turned away from the bed and walked over to the closet. He needed to be dressed by the time Cody got done in the shower. That would minimize the risk of their bodies and desires complicating the morning.
He managed to not only dress himself, but to get downstairs and start the French toast before Cody found his way down the stairs. Austin could have chalked that up to an overlong grooming process on Cody’s part, but he knew that he’d been very motivated to get a quick start and put some distance between himself and the bed. And besides, it had probably taken Cody a minute or two to find the stairs.
Cody milled around awkwardly when he got to the kitchen, fussing over the coffee, and Austin sighed internally. Great. This again. He finished the French toast and turned around. “Okay. Have a seat, Cody. The coffee’s not going to get up and run away.”
“That obvious, huh?” Cody’s shoulders slumped, but he laughed a little bit. “I’m sorry. I’m just… awkward, I guess.”
Austin raised an eyebrow at him. “Funny.” He gestured to a seat at the table, a not-so-subtle hint to his companion. “There was nothing awkward about you last night. Look, Cody, this doesn’t have to be awkward or weird. We’re two guys, friendly guys, and we had a good night together. There doesn’t have to be anything weird or uncomfortable about that, okay?”
Cody took a few slices of French toast off of the platter. “Doesn’t there? I mean it’s not exactly normal.”
Austin snorted. “Of course it’s normal, Cody. I’m not usually a one-night kind of guy, but I’m okay. I can live with it, you know? I know you’re not looking for a partner, and I knew that when I invited you inside yesterday. It’s fine, Cody. I’m glad we got that out of our system. Maybe now we can get back to just being normal and doing business like normal guys?”
Cody gaped, his fork halfway to his mouth. “Are you sure that’s what you want?” he asked after a second. His gray eyes were like slate, unreadable.
Austin grabbed for the syrup. “I want for both of us to make a profit, Cody. I don’t have any secret agendas. I’m a pretty open book.” He forced himself to meet Cody’s eyes. He would take a more congenial arrangement with Cody. He’d take it with glee, honestly, but he wasn’t going to ask for it. Not without knowing what Cody thought, and not with everything else he had going on. He couldn’t deal with the rejection right now.
Cody’s shoulders loosened. They had to be relaxing, right? They couldn’t be slumping. “Yeah. That’s right, you’ve always been. I guess it’ll be a busy day at the shop?”
Austin held back a wistful sigh. He shouldn’t want the guy anyway. He might have given Austin the best sex of his life, but he was still not a good candidate for any kind of affair or fling. Maybe Cody’s scent did make him feel safer and freer than he’d ever felt in his life, but that was just a ridiculous piece of fluff. Those kinds of instincts might have worked twenty thousand years ago when they were running from saber-toothed tigers, but it had no place in the modern and real world. “Yeah, it usually is. And I’ve still got to call the Omega Shelter. I could use the help, I guess. Brian was right. It will be a little weird to have time off like that, I guess.” He leaned back a little and closed his eyes. “I’ll have to give Jamie a new title. Supervisor or m
anager or something.”
Cody choking on the concept, and his French toast, was kind of gratifying. “It’s your shop.”
They both headed out as soon as breakfast was done. Austin figured Cody couldn’t get out of there fast enough.
He walked over to the shop, hands in his pockets against the chill in the air. The sidewalk had a light dusting of snow, but not enough to need a shovel or anything. It was just enough to be pretty, if someone was into that sort of thing. He kicked at the big, fluffy snowflakes as he walked along. He shouldn’t have invited Cody in last night. He enjoyed Cody’s company, it was true. He liked his presence, and his campfire scent was like liquid sex on a cold November night. Inviting him in, and accepting his love, just made him want him more.
Oh well. Hopefully they’d both have gotten all of the hormonal stuff out of their systems and they could move on with their lives.
Jamie greeted him with a smile and a wave, and Austin returned the gesture before heading into the office. He called down to the Omega Shelter, a facility for omegas who had needed to run from home for various reasons. The man who answered the phone put him in touch with a social worker, who listened to his problem and huffed out a little laugh. “I’ve heard of your place. I had no idea that it was omega-owned.”
Austin furrowed his eyebrows, even though the woman couldn’t see it. “Well, now, I don’t exactly make a secret of it. I don’t hang out a big old sign, because I’m not looking for an alpha or anything, but I don’t hide it.”
“Huh. Well, I can think of a couple of candidates right off the bat. I can have them ready on Monday, if you can come down here.”
Austin winced. “Is there any way you can bring them out here? I can pay your gas and everything, or I can pay for a car service, whatever, it’s just really hard for me to get away from the shop. As in, ever. That’s kind of the reason I’m looking to hire someone new.”
