Page 8 of Instant Bond

“You look absolutely perfect,” Karter assured me. “You don’t need to worry about changing the way you dress for me, Cameron. Unless you decide you want to.”

“Um, alright. If you say so.” It wasn’t like I really owned any dress clothes anyway, other than what I’d worn to my parents’ funeral a few years back.

It was quiet for a few minutes, before Karter asked something that nearly had me opening the door and rolling out into the road.

“You do take suppressants, don’t you?”

Unmarked omegas like me took daily suppressants to dilute our unique scents, which generally prevented alphas from picking up on them. Otherwise we’d be walking around giving guys boners day in and day out. Not only would that be incredibly awkward, but it could even be dangerous, if it happened with the wrong alpha. The exception to the rule was usually only when there was a strong attraction involved.

“Of course I do,” I answered firmly, cheeks burning. They were cheap and available just about everywhere, with no prescription needed. “Can you smell me?” I asked, mortified by the idea. I’d never had an alpha bring up my scent before, so I didn’t even know what it was like. I could have smelled like cigarettes and rotting fish for all I knew.

“Very strongly,” Karter admitted. “Even that first time, when we were in the café.”

Groaning a little in my throat, I averted my gaze out the window. “Sorry. I can double up on the pills tomorrow if you want.” Because I could only do the mornings and early afternoons while Ty was in school, the company had agreed to host me over two days, today and tomorrow. “I don’t know if it will help, but-”

“No,” Karter cut me off. “I don’t want that. You smell absolutely delectable.”

“Oh.” With my pulse skipping, I bit down into my lower lip as I considered Karter’s words. Once again, his deep voice was turning me on way beyond what anyone’s voice should have been able to do. “Do you…” Pausing to clear my throat and try to knock some of the husky arousal out of it, I nervously brushed my long bangs out of my eyes. “You don’t think other alphas can too, do you?”

The idea that Karter was breathing in my pheromones, enjoying them, was completely embarrassing and felt so intimate I thought I could die, but thinking about other alphas in the same position was unpleasant and felt dirty somehow.

“I certainly hope not,” he answered. “I’ve never looked into hiring a hit man but I’m open to the idea.”

The statement was so unexpected, and spoken so flatly, I couldn’t help but let out an awkward little giggle. “You’re funny.”

The way he stared at me after made me briefly think he wasn’t joking, but I shook my head of that thought. I didn’t thinkI wanted to be stuck in a fancy car with a guy who would take out a hit on anyone.

“I’m glad you think so. But to answer your question seriously, no, I don’t think other alphas are able to scent you like I can.”

I didn’t know what made him so confident in that fact, but I didn’t ask.

“So you said this whole reviewing products was a normal business thing, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Well, isthisnormal?” I gestured around to the luxury car around us. “Do you usually pick them up and everything?”

“Only for you, baby boy.”

Those words in Karter’s sex-soaked voice had blood rushing in two directions inside me. Up to color my cheeks and down to stiffen my dick. Praying he wouldn’t notice, I shifted in my seat, trying to be subtle about hiding it.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” he practically purred out. “Did that bother you? I’m not very good at keeping my thoughts to myself.”

“N-no, it’s not that. I just… I don’t think anyone’s ever given me a nickname or anything before.”

“You don’t think it suits you?”

“I don’t know. I don’t really think of myself like that, I guess.” I didn’t think of myself like anything but Ty’s dad. I definitely didn’t think of myself as someone that Karter Morrison would be even remotely interested in.

“Like what?” He wondered. “Like the enchanting, alluring omega that you are?”

“Uh, well, yeah. Basically.” Was this conversation seriously happening, or had I suffered some head injury on the way out to the car and slipped into a coma?

“That’s shocking to me, Cameron. I think you might have a distorted view of yourself.”

“Maybe you’re the one with the distorted view.”

He smirked, letting out a soft chuckle. “My eyesight is just fine. I hope I can help remind you that, although there are clearly other aspects of your life where you are forced to give your time and energy, you deserve to be pampered and spoiled, too.”

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