Page 9 of Knot Your Business

“I can’t imagine what you’d do to the Alphas here if you showed up in a sheer dress,” I say, still chuckling. “Guarantee half of them are sporting hard-ons just with this one.” Me included.

Her cheeks bloom a gorgeous deep red, and I grin.

“So you’re Rylan, right?” she asks, sidestepping my comment.

Nerves clench my stomach. Why am I suddenly so unsure how to interact? I’ve been going to stuffy functions like this for literal years as part of the philharmonic.

You didn’t know how to interact with Jasper either, you idiot.

True. But, again, it’s not like this can end similarly to how everything shook out with him. So why do I care if I make a wrong move now?

Clearing my throat, I hand her the plate of finger foods and take the still-empty cup from her hands, turning to fill it from the large pitchers unobtrusively guarded by two waitstaff.

“Wasn’t aware Omegas worried about the names of the Alphas,” I say, handing off the water.

She shrugs and glances away. “Maybe I’m not like other Omegas.” She grimaces, her nose scrunching. “Oh, disgusting. That makes me sound like a freaking ‘pick me’ girl. Not what I meant.”

Tucking my hands into my pockets, I gently lead her away from the food and toward the nearest table, pulling a chair and dropping into it. She leans against the edge, cocking her hip and messing up the tablecloth. The damn dress moves over her again, highlighting the very real fact that she’s a goddamn bombshell and I want to fuck her into next week.

I glance around the ballroom, trying to tell if the guys are back from Jasper calming down Dominic.

Except thinking about the ways Jasper enjoys calming down Dominic the most just has my dick going from half-hard to fully aching. I spread my legs a bit and lean back in the seat, trying to take some of the pressure off without making it noticeable.

“I made sure to know your name so I could request you again,” she admits in a fast rush of air. Before I can respond, she looks back toward the dance floor and then shoves a small pastry into her mouth. Whole.

Fuck, why does she have to be so fucking alluring? I shouldn’t have sought her out. I should have just let Dominic stay in a bad mood and keep us sequestered in the far corner like his plan clearly had been. What the hell could even happen? Absolutely nothing but the sad state of my dick.

“Couldn’t they just look up your file?” My voice has dropped an octave. I stretch my neck and clear my throat.

She shrugs and focuses back on me. Her throat ripples with her swallow. “Assuming I get there in time to still be reasonably with it. And then assuming they pull the right Alpha. I’m not one to leave that many variables to chance.”

That’s only two variables. They’re significant, sure, but still… I bite back the question. The last thing I want is to sour this one final interaction with my own curiosity that ultimately will mean nothing.

She traces the edge of the plate and crosses her ankles. Her gaze flicks across the room, like she’s looking for someone. The movement has the light catching on a long silver bar in her ear, simple and understated.

“You didn’t have that piercing,” I offer instead of calling out her nervous fidgeting.

Who was she looking for? Maybe that girl she’d been chatting with? Or was there someone else she was hoping to find?

Something very similar to jealousy lodges in my stomach.

She shakes her head. “I took them all out so I didn’t risk them ripping out.”

There’s another long pause.

“I guess this explains why they said you weren’t available last month.”

My chest absolutely does not twist under the thread of melancholy weaving through her voice.

“It’s a noncompete type thing,” I say, trying to ease the sting of not being with her for a second heat. I’m happy with Jasper, damn it. Dominic is convinced we can make this work without an Omega. There’s no way I’m going to jeopardize our dynamic now when we’re so close to being on his father’s good side. I offer a quick explanation. “Once you’re registered as a pack, they don’t allow you to work at the Haven.”

She tilts her head, her lips pursing. “I suppose that makes sense.”

Her eyes widen, her hands stilling. Before I can say anything, she’s ducking away, her food forgotten on the table. I’m two seconds away from going after her when a hand lands on my shoulder. I twist around, finding myself nearly nose to nose with Jasper. His eyes are wide, his mouth set in a firm line.

“I thought you were getting food,” he says.

I glance behind him, but Dominic’s nowhere to be seen.

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