Page 33 of Scent of Home

I turn, smiling at her widely. “Turned you down, did he? I bet he fucked everyone else in town when he hit adulthood, but he took one look at you and said to himself, ‘I’d rather gnaw off my own cock that stick it in that honey pot.’ I mean, I get it. Rabid bitch isn’t my taste, either.”

Jess’ face turns the colour of puce, and this ugly-looking scowl takes over. She steps closer to me.

“Listen, you bitch, you don’t know who you’re messing with.”

I bark out a laugh. “Ditto, sweetheart, but keep going. This is getting fun. And when I fuck Brayson, and I will, we’ll have a good laugh about this moment and take a photo just for you.”

Her mouth falls open, but Benny explodes with laughter, slapping his thigh.

“Burn!”

Jess spins on her heel and stalks away. “Fuck you all.”

“Pass!” I turn back to the bar and find Finn shaking his head. “What?”

“You shouldn’t say things like that.”

“I’m confused. Should I not have put her in her place or-”

“Don’t say you’re going to fuck people.”

I blink at him, shocked by the concern on his face. “Aww, sweetheart. I don’t say things I don’t intend to follow through on. This is my holiday. I want to have some fun, and Bray is fun. Anyone can see that. I wasn’t really telling so much as making a verbal contract. I will fuck Bray. Multiple times, probably.”

Finn shakes his head minutely. “And Locke?” he almost whispers. His eyes have darkened, and he licks his bottom lip, leaving it shiny.

I lean over the bar so my lips are close to his. “Is a big boy. He can decide whether or not he wants to fuck me, but I am more than willing, providing he becomes a bit more transparent.”

Finn exhales, his breath tastes like beer, and I realise his scent is of lemons. I kinda love it.

“You’d fuck both of them-”

“Together,” I say in a low voice so no one else can hear, “separately or at the same time.” I sink back onto my seat and wink at him. “Play your cards right, barkeep, and you can join us.”

It takes him a full twenty seconds to take a breath, and when he exhales, he shudders.

“Well!”

I smirk and push up from the bar, aware of his eyes on me as I walk away.

Throughout the night, I stay close to Locke, keeping guard, even though I tell myself that’s not what I’m doing. He has fun with the ladies, ends up dancing with a group of people, and flirts outrageously with a befuddled Finn.

I lean on the wall, taking a long moment to be alone, and watch him. Finn and Locke are extroverts. They thrive in the spotlight of attention that comes their way. Finn likes to make people happy, rescue them, solve their problems, make them happy and comfortable. Whereas Locke entertains them with jokes and stories. He is a natural flirt with a charm that no one can resist. And yet, over and over again, his eyes find mine, seeking, anxious, and relaxing when he finds me. And not just me, Finn, as well.

I frown, considering that for a while. Shane said he was a scent match. Is it possible?

I chew my cheek and stroke my index finger over my lip. I remember a couple of people who came in with their scent-matched omegas over the years. Needing our firm’s help. They were devoted to each other, sickeningly so.

I need to do some research. I don’t know enough about them, but I don’t want to end up tied to an omega I don’t want.

I certainly don’t want to end up stuck here in this weird backwards, festival-loving town.

I also don’t need to be getting involved in the drama between Bray, Shane, and a well-meaning but completely ignorant Finn. The three of them scream drama and mess like nothing else I’ve ever seen. They’d get eaten up in my city.

Locke turns and smiles at me, and I smile back, and even though I think I hear a warning deep inside me, I find myself moving towards him, helpless to withstand his pull.

Chapter ten

Erin

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