Page 35 of Claiming Their Omega

Grace puts her hands up with a smile and steps away. I take it for the signal that it is—that we’re going to stop flirting now. We’ve hit the line.

It’s how it’s always been with us. I flirt with everybody, and thank god, because it meant nobody ever realized I’ve always liked Grace more than I should.

It was bad enough when she was just Aiden’s sister and a Beta. I could handle it then. Or at least I told myself I could handle it. Who knows how well I would’ve actually done, if she’d stuck around all these years.

But back when I had a crush on her, I knew Aiden would’ve kicked my ass, and I had other things on my mind. She was my best friend’s little sister, after all, and a bit too young for more than just a simple flirtation.

Now, though. Now… and she’s an Omega. As if she wasn’t fucking tempting enough when she was a Beta, now her scent is everywhere and I can’t stop thinking about her heats and what she was like when she was presenting at the bar and—

Get. It. Together.

I focus on the coffee machine and show her how to work it, then get coffee ready for everyone. “Are you the first one up every morning?” Grace asks.

“Technically Cade’s up first to milk the cows, but then he goes back to bed. He’ll be up in about an hour.”

“He likes his alone time, huh?”

“Got it in one.”

Grace nods and helps get some mugs from the cupboard. I have to help her find them, first, but she’s determined to do some things herself. I put my hands up in surrender. “You really want to make yourself at home, huh?”

“I want to be useful. You guys are sticking your necks out for me. Don’t think I don’t know that.” Grace hands me the mugs. “I didn’t even help clean up dinner last night, it was so rude of me. Mom would’ve had my hide.”

“You’re our guest, Grace.”

“I’m the Omega you’re fake courting as a favor. I’m going to pay you back for that. Let me help out.”

I don’t know what to say to that. I’m tempted to defuse things with a joke about how she can help me out of my clothes, ’cause that’s the kind of guy I am, I deflect with innuendos and flirtations. But there’s a determined gleam in her eye and I don’t want her to think I’m not taking her seriously.

She’s not the little sister tagging along with us anymore or the earnest freshman stammering out a sweet, shy hello. She’s an adult. She deserves to be treated with maturity.

Before I can figure out what to say, there’s clattering on the stairs and Jesse and Easton appear. “Coffee,” Jesse groans, heading directly for one of the mugs.

“You stayed up too late last night,” Easton chastises him.

“I just wanted to… look over things,” Jesse mutters. He takes a sip of his coffee. “I want to make sure all of our ducks are in a row.”

I know what he’s talking about. “They are. You’ve done good work, Jesse.”

“You don’t know if it’s good enough. The…”

I clear my throat as I take a sip of my coffee and I see Jesse’s gaze dart over to Grace. She’s got the fridge door open, but is clearly listening in, I can see half of her curious face over the top.

“Everything okay?” Grace asks, fully popping her head out from behind the fridge.

“Everything’s fine,” I say smoothly. “Jesse’s always cranky in the mornings.”

“Just for that, why don’t you make breakfast?”

“Oh, let me help.” Grace closes the fridge door and gives me those big eyes of hers and goddammit, I can’t say no to her when she looks like that.

Jesse and Easton raise their eyebrows. “You’re… going to cook breakfast?” Easton asks cautiously.

“Oh, don’t you start. Hendrix just tried to tell me that I’m a guest here.” Grace fixes Jesse with a firm look. “I’m going to be living here for the next few weeks and that means I’m going to help out.”

Jesse sets his coffee down and folds his arms. “Do you even know how to help out around a ranch?”

“No, but I know how to help out around a house. You still use a vacuum around here, right? You still need to do laundry. And the other stuff you can teach me. I’m a fast learner.”

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