Page 28 of Cursed Love

“Uh-huh.” He leans back in his chair, his smirk widening. “You know, they’ll be done soon.”

I don’t say anything, but the way my gaze flicks to the door gives me away. Amel chuckles, my skin heating up even more.

A knock on the door snaps me out of my thoughts. A young Beta waltzes inside a second later, her hips swaying back and forth. She doesn’t wait for an invitation, doesn’t even glance my way as she saunters up to Amel’s desk, a stack of papers in her hand.

“Mr. St. Clair,” she purrs, her voice sweet and sugary, dripping with the kind of charm that makes me immediately suspicious. She leans over the desk, her blouse gaping just enough to show off an obscene amount of cleavage. “I have the report you asked for.”

Amel doesn’t even flinch. He sits there behind his desk, calm and unbothered, his fingers laced together as he listens to whatever the hell she’s saying. He’s not giving her a second glance, but that doesn’t stop the twinge of jealousy from stabbing me square in the chest. My eyes narrow, my fists clenching at my sides as I watch her bat her lashes and practically shove her chest in his face.

Yeah, that’s not happening. Stalking across the room, I slam the folder I’m holding onto the desk with a loudthud.The sound echoes in the room, cutting off whatever the hell she was rambling about.

Amel’s head snaps up, his eyes wide with shock as he looks at me and then at the Beta. She straightens up, startled, her gaze darting between us like she’s trying to figure out what the hell just happened.

“You need something, Koa?” Amel asks, his tone even but laced with amusement.

I glare at him, my nose wrinkling as I resist the urge to say something I’ll regret. “No,” I snap, my voice sharper than I intend. “Just dropping off the files.”

Amel sits back in his chair, his arms crossing over his chest as he studies me, a slow smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Hmm,” he hums, glancing at the Beta. “I think we’re done here, don’t you?”

The Beta frowns, her lips parting like she wants to argue, but the look Amel gives her shuts her down immediately. “Of course, Mr. St. Clair,” she says, her voice clipped as she gathers her papers and heads for the door. She throws a quick glance my way, her eyes narrowing slightly before she disappears into the hallway.

The second the door closes, Amel stands, rounding the desk in a few long strides. His arms wrap around me, pulling me flush against him as his scent floods my senses. It’s grounding and infuriating all at once but I can’t stop the way my body softens against him.

“You don’t need to be jealous,” he teases as his lips brush against my temple.

“I’m not jealous,” I mutter, wrinkling my nose as I try to pull away. He doesn’t let me go, though, his arms tightening around me as he leans down, his mouth finding mine in a soft, lingering kiss. My resolve melts almost instantly.

When he pulls back, his eyes are warm, a soft smile playing on his lips. “Sweet girl,” he says, his voice full of affection, “you’ve got nothing to worry about. My focus is exactly where it should be. On you.”

I don’t know how to respond to that, so I just glare up at him, my cheeks heating as I mutter, “Good.”

He chuckles, pressing another kiss to my forehead before pulling back. “Come on,” he says, taking my hand. “I’ve got a better place for us to hang out. Somewhere quieter.”

I let him lead me out of the office, my chest still tight with a mix of emotions I don’t fully understand. We head for the elevator, going up another floor. The doors slide open, my eyes widening at the change of ambiance. Everything’s sleek and modern, all glass walls and dark wood accents, with an air of efficiency that feels intimidating and impressive all at once. Hunter and Moses are at their desks, both of them looking up the second we step inside.

“Our Omega was feeling a little out of it,” Amel muses.

Hunter arches a brow, his sharp gaze flicking to me before settling on Amel. “Out of it?” he repeats, his tone laced with curiosity. “She looks fine to me.”

“I’m fine,” I snap, crossing my arms over my chest as I glare at Amel. “And stop calling me ‘your Omega.’ I’m basically your age. We’re all the same age. Why do you keep saying that?”

Amel leans in close, his breath warm against my ear as he purrs, “Tell me you don’t like it,” he murmurs, his voice a challenge, “and I’ll stop.”

The heat that rushes through my body is instant, overwhelming. My face flushes, my pulse quickening as his words settle over me. I hate how easily he gets under my skin, how my body reacts to him without my permission. I don’t respond, refusing to give him the satisfaction, but my silence says enough.

Amel chuckles, that soft, infuriating sound, before taking my hand and leading me toward the conference room. The glass walls give a clear view of the brothers, both of them watching us with interest as Amel guides me to a seat. “Better, Koa?” I nod, feeling a little more settled than before. “I’ll order dinner for usand then we can bother the both of them in a little bit. Unless you want me to take you home?”

That’s the last place I want to be, swallowed up in that big house, alone. “Tell me what I need to do, boss,” I say, giving him a mock salute.

His lips curl into a grin, his eyes darkening slightly as he shakes his head. “Careful, Koa, you might start to like it here.”

I roll my eyes, leaning back in the chair as I try to ignore the way his gaze lingers on me, the way it feels like he’s seeing right through me. It’s annoying and comforting all at once, and as much as I want to fight it, I can’t help but feel a small spark of excitement at the thought of staying.

The brothers are still watching us through the glass, heat laced in their expressions and I have to swallow the moan creeping up the back of my throat. Heat pools in my lower belly as I search for something to occupy my thoughts, anything other than mates, Valla, cocks…

Fuck.

Amel

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