I propped myself up on my elbows and narrowed my eyes. “We didn’t use the word ‘date,’ but it doesn’t matter if I was or wasn’t. And what’s wrong with seeing a Beta? There have been instances where Alphas married Betas and Omegas married Betas.”
“Though a Beta could never quench an Omega’s heat,” he pointed out sharply.
“No, they couldn’t, but does that matter when it comes to love?” I huffed, fully void of post-coital bliss. “It doesn’t matter anyone’s ordering. It’s just biology. I don’t want my life to be dictated by the fact I’m an Omega. I want to choose who I want in my life.”
“So you love Kris?” Nathaniel’s cheek twitched, and his eyes shone with something dangerous.
Fuck. “No! I barely know him. Stop being so… like an Alpha.” I groaned and tried to push away, but his knot was still too big. “Ugh. I can’t even kick you out of bed.”
The deadly glimmer was blinked away, and he motioned for me to come back and lie on his chest. “You don’t want to kick me out anyway.” That gorgeous devilish smirk was going to be the death of me. “Come here. I’m sorry for getting my hackles up like that. I understand where you’re coming from. I want someone to love me for me and not because I’m an Alpha, but they’re going to have to put up with my Alpha tendencies.”
“Good, you agree.” I relaxed. Not fully, but he was trying. That was all I could ask. I moved to lay my head against his shoulder. Why did this feel so right?
“And you putup,” he thrust himself against me, rubbing his knot inside in all the best ways. “With my Alpha tendencies very well.”
I gave a wanton shudder and both of us groaned as my pussy tightened on his knot. The fire below was stoked again. I ran a hand over his muscled chest. “I might like certain aspects of your Alpha tendencies, but I can’t have you looming over me the next few days.” If only we could stay in bed and I could bliss out through Christmas. “But, as it will likely increase in intensity—”
“Last night wasn’t intense?” Nathaniel slid a hand down and teased my clit.
It had been insanely intense, but I didn’t think it was over yet. “It’s likely to come on more frequently at that level of intensity.” I didn’t want to think how often or how much of a dent it would put in my plans. But his fingers… they were so distracting. “We shouldn’t be far from one another. If you go into work this afternoon, I can do some stuff downtown near the office and then come in to drop off my Secret Santa gift. I can stick around until my aunt is done and go to choir practice with her to her house. She’s just off of One Hundred and Twentieth Avenue.” I let out a breathy mewl as he moved his fingers a little faster. “Snowflake Lane isn’t far from your apartment when I meet Lana and Penelope for coffee.”
“You have this all planned out.” He kissed along my jaw to my mouth. His mouth moved in the most sinful of ways. “It turns me on how organized you are.”
I drew my fingers through his thick hair as I ground against him. His knot was easing down, but not fully yet. “I make to-do lists for everything. Does that make you hard?”
“Yes, very.” His lips curled up against mine as he groaned. “Did you make a list of what you wanted to do with me up here naked in your loft?”
“The only list you’ve ever made it on is the naughty list.” I circled my hips, working harder against him. We had sex so many times last night and then again this morning. I could not get enough of him. While I could have blamed my Omega hormones for it, I liked us teasing one another. I liked it even more he was in my bed. He’d come to my house for me. “And you’re the only one to ever have been on my naughty list.”
“I do like the sound of that.” Nathaniel purred as his knot dwindled enough that he could start thrusting again. He rolled me so he could pin me down and take control, ravishing me with his mouth as he fucked me.
I cried out, rising fast toward orgasm again. Pleasure flooded me, and I found myself hoping that I was the only person he wanted on his naughty list too.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO – Nathaniel
Watching Avery go off to run her errands was difficult. More than that. It was like having a piece of me torn off and walk away.
I busied myself at the office and caught up with the senior architects on the projects they were heading. Everything was running smoothly. It was like I’d never been gone from the office. It made me wonder if I could spend more time away from work, since the past few years I’d practically lived there. If I could take that time away with Avery….
First thing first: I had to make her mine. She still spoke as if everything would be over once her heat was done. If that was what she wanted… If she was interested in other people… Like Kris…No. I growled through my teeth. I had to win her over.
Calling Noelle into my office, I offered her a drink and sat back in my chair as she took a seat.
“I’m assuming this is about Avery. You have to admit, she did an excellent job for Olivia Franklin.” Noelle’s gaze seemed to dare me to say anything else.
I smiled and chuckled. “It’s not about her, but yes, she did a fantastic job. Lloyd and Olivia were immensely impressed, and Olivia has requested Avery as her personal designer for all future projects.”
Noelle grinned and lifted her glass. “Cheers to that.”
We both had a sip of our whiskeys, and I rolled my ice cubes around in my tumbler. “What I really wanted to talk to you about is that you know everyone in the office well. You’re the social organizer. I feel like I haven’t been present in that aspect recently, and I would like to change things. What have you been doing at the office for the holidays?”
“We’ve got a lot going on.” Noelle leaned back, clearly happy to be talking about something she loved. “As you know, quite a few of us belong to the choir and we sing carols every weekend in December along Snowflake Lane. We have a clothes and toy drive for the local women’s shelter. We fetched over two thousands dollars for that this year, and a bunch of us shopped with that money and delivered it to the shelter. We play a Secret Santa game.” She paused and held up a finger. “I forgot to ask, Eli said he gave you the name he pulled from the hat. Who did you give it to?”
I didn’t know whether to find it amusing or not that Noelle automatically assumed I gave the name away and didn’t play the game myself. “Hmm, maybe it was Denise?” She was the receptionist. I shrugged with a small smile. “I don’t really remember. Sorry.”
“No one seems to be missing out on presents, so it worked out somehow.” She shooed the issue away and continued on. “Since the majority of us will be gone from the office next week, tomorrow evening we’re heading out to Carmine’s for dinner and drinks.”
“Everyone will be there?” Most particularly, Avery.