Page 48 of Rut Bar

It’s not like it really matters. There’s no way that Brendan is coming tonight after we traumatized him. He’s probably calling the IRS office right now and getting our case reassigned. I amdefinitelygoing to IRS jail for unrestrained horniness.

“Fine,” I sigh. “But when Brendan doesn’t show up, you’ll learn how to behave in public.”

Anthony grins. “Okay. And when he does, I want your promise that you’ll give him a fair trial. If you don’t like him or he’s not a good match, fine. But if he is, don’t cut your nose off to spite your face.”

He wiggles his pinky in the air. I bat it away, and then I ignore the both of them so I can head into the back. We need to clean up and run the fans on high exhaust before everyone gets here.

While they stay downstairs to get started working, I hide in my office. But I can’t focus on my paperwork.

My phone buzzes, and I see that it’s a text from Jamie asking for permission to come.Poor guy.We really left him hanging and I feel guilty. It’s not fun when everyone in the room gets to come but you. I enjoy leveraging orgasm denial, but only to edge the pleasure higher. Not as a punishment. I roll my chair to the windows and examine the club, but they’re nowhere in sight.

I text back a confirmation and he sends me a pink sparkling heart emoji in return. My lips curl with a smile. Is he thinking about me while he’s stroking his cock? Is Anthony helping? I wish I were there, but I don’t trust myself around them when the rest of my employees are due at work any minute. I’ve never had such an egregious lapse in self-control than the last several days. Ever since Brendan showed up, if I’m being honest.

We can’t afford to get caught. Two employees getting caught fooling around is different than the boss fucking both of them.

I hang my head in my hands and wonder what the fuck I’m doing. This is crazy. A few minutes later, my phone buzzes again. It’s Jamie saying thank you and calling me Ma’am again. My body feels tingly and my sore pussy attempts to boot and rally for a round two it won’t get.

I don’t know why the fuck I’m really letting all of this happen, but the truth is, I’m powerless to stop it.I want them.

If I’m honest with myself, I’ve wanted them for a while now. Years. And I can’t remember why I ever thought that sayingnobut keeping them around was a viable long term option. The longer you deny a scent match, the worse the craving gets. It’s simple biology.

This won’t end well. But I’m not sure what’s worse. Not trying at all and knowing I’m a coward, or trying, but having it crash and burn around me anyway.

Deep down, I didn’t realize a sliver of me is still hoping for some sort of fairy tale happy ending. Those sorts of stories aren’t meant for me. Life taught me early the world is full of disappointments and everyone leaves in the end. The only one you can really rely on is yourself.

Look at the omegas I help. They try, and they still don’t get their happily ever after with their alpha or pack. The very people who are meant to protect them are the ones perpetrating their violence.

But Anthony is right. The three of them do feel like pack material, even if I’m trying so damn hard to suppress these useless omega urges.

Grumbling, I push these confusing thoughts away and dig through my desk for my extra strength nullifying spray. I’m gonna need to spray myself down like I’m in a hazmat decontamination.

ChapterThirteen

BRENDAN

The parking lotis packed by the time I arrive well after the doors opened. I find a spot after some circling and then sit in the car for twenty minutes while I work up the courage to get out and walk over.

“What the fuck am I doing?” I ask my reflection as I check myself in the mirror. I should go home. Jerk off for the fourth time today, pop some ibuprofen, and go to bed. But I can’t stop thinking about how damn good they all are together. It should be illegal for people to be this beautiful and smell this good.

There’s no way they actually wantme. Maybe twenty years ago, but now?

“I’m a moron,” I say as I open the door and get out. My car door slams shut behind me, and I click the lock on my fob and shove my keys in my jacket. This has to be a joke. I’ll show up and they’ll laugh and then I’ll have to call the office tomorrow and tell my supervisor they need to reassign this case to someone else, but I can’t explain why.

There’s a line of people waiting at the door and they barely glance at me, other than a quick assessment to see who’s joining the throng.

“Hey, IRS man,” the enormous bouncer says, making me stop mid-step as I head toward the back of the line.

“Uh, yeah?” I turn and crane my head up because he keeps going and going. The alpha who guards the door is a brick house of a man. He’s got to be over six and a half feet tall and nearly three hundred pounds of muscle and bulk. The faded leather vest he’s wearing is covered in motorcycle patches. A name tag that ironically says Tiny is sewn over his heart.

“Brendan is fine. It’s Dan, right?” I ask. It always pays to be polite to an alpha who could knock you on your ass while barely trying. In my glory days, I might have put up a good fight, but after I tore my knee and lost my scholarship, I’ve never been quite the same. Long days spent at a desk for years have finished me.

Why do you think they’d want you,the bitter voice in the back of my mind asks,when there’s a room full of healthy, powerful alphas she could summon to their bed with the crook of her finger?

Dan nods and unlocks the hook on the red velvet rope. “Go on, man. No cover for you. Enjoy your time at Rut.”

The line of people waiting to get in protest at me cutting ahead, but a sharp look from the burly alpha makes them quiet down. I wait for the bouncer to hook the rope back together and laugh before I can get inside, but he doesn’t.

“Thank you.” I shove my hands in my pockets and duck inside. Rut is so different when there are customers here. Like night and day. Talk radio and workplace banter have been replaced with dance music and the thump of base. The lights are down and the floors are sticky from spilled drinks.

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