Page 13 of Such a Delicious Omega

He chuckled and took me inside. The restaurant was small. The only lights were dimmed while single candles flickered on every table.

“Table for two?” the maître d' asked.

“Yes, please. In the back, if you don’t mind. We’d like our privacy.”

The male in the suit smiled. “Of course. Right this way.”

He led us to a table in the corner, tucked away from the rest.

“Should we order wine?” I asked, perusing the menu.

“Not yet,” Samuel said, running his hand farther and farther up my thigh underneath the table. “I want you 100 percent sober for tonight, Echo.”

Chapter Twelve

Samuel

Echo had sent the paperwork required for the cursory background check we always performed for guests. One of the requirements while they were there was that they would be accompanied by a member at all times, but if they wanted to apply for membership themselves, there was a much longer form to fill out.

Our members came from all walks of life, and many preferred that their choice of personal club not be made public. We had lawyers and doctors, teachers and the mayor. Even at least one person who wore the collar of a clergyman during the day. And their privacy was paramount. They counted on us to ensure it.

But I’d already heard from the membership department that he came through fine, with no red flags at all. Not that I’d expected any, but we’d had a few members asking to bring someone who turned out to be a gossip columnist or other tattler type. Even one undercover man of the cloth who wanted to preach to the kinksters.

We didn’t need to check him out, though. Our regular clergyman recognized the name.

It was hard to believe I’d only met the omega the day before, but as we left the restaurant, I couldn’t remember a time before him. Well, of course I could if I tried, but I didn’t want to. My parents always said when you met your mate, it was like being hit by lightning, and you’d never be the same again.

Turned out, they were right, at least on my part. But did he feel the same? And how did I go about asking? My parents also said even with fated mates, free will played a role. Even thoughthey’d never met anyone who didn’t choose to stay with the one Fate had matched them with.

“Dinner was just great,” he enthused. “I’m starting to think there isn’t a good place to eat in the city that you don’t know about.”

“I’m sure there are a ton, but having been in the restaurant industry in the past, I know some. Now, all ready for the main event?”

He shivered. “I thought I was, but when you put it like that it sounds just a little scary.”

I took his arm and led him toward the car, shaking my head. “Aren’t you the man who jumped out of a perfectly good airplane? Bungie jumped? Climbed the ropes at El Capitan?”

“Yes,” he said, but his voice was very small. “I did those things.”

“Then why does a casual visit to Cuffed, the club whose door you came banging on yesterday demanding admittance, scare you?”

“I didn’t bang,” he growled, making me glad to hear returning spirit in his tone. “I just came to see if I could go in and look around.”

“Because we’re on your bucket list.” I opened the car door and helped him in, reached to pull the seat belt over his lap. “And, if I’m not mistaken, we are the final item.”

“I probably shouldn’t have ever told you that,” he said, cheeks glowing with embarrassment. “Now you’ll tease me about it forever.”

I already, in fact, had my lips parted to tease him some more until he said that last word.Forever.And what I’d planned to say changed, in the time it took me to move around and get in the driver’s side, to, “Are you planning to stay around forever?”

“I didn’t mean…that is I just…I can’t…” He cleared his throat and flicked a careful glance in my direction. “What time do you have to be at the club?”

I chuckled, appreciating his change of subject. If he wasn’t ready to talk forever, I could wait. It was the most important thing in my life. If he didn’t want to accept the gift of mating, what would I do?

Now I shivered.

Chapter Thirteen

Samuel

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