Page 19 of Heat Me

"Did he… try to force you?" I asked cautiously.

Damien raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Force me? No one could force me. I’d zap them with my electricity." His tone was cocky, but honestly, it was kind of hot. Even back on campus when I’d followed him into the bathroom, he wasn’t afraid—I understood now why.

"Actually," Damien continued, "the second he tried to hug me, I started to squeal, almost involuntarily. It felt damn wrong. The poor guy had no clue what was happening, and we just ended up quarreling like idiots. I texted you while we were still arguing." He sighed, rubbing his eyes, frustration etched on his face.

I glanced at the bed again, relieved they hadn’t actually fucked.

"Your nest is a mess," I said softly, lowering my gaze to the disordered fabric. Without thinking, I sat at the edge of the bed and started fixing the damage.

Damien stared at me, wide-eyed. "You don’t have to fix it," he whispered.

"But I want to. This is my fault—my refusal screwed it up for you. You probably won’t get it, but I didn’t want things to spiral like this. I just… I wanted to sleep with you because I desired you, not because you paid me."

He looked at me, his face flushed. My eyes roamed over the rose-shaped birthmark on his cheek.

"I appreciate it now," he said quietly. "Before, though… I was so all over the place, upset, having no idea what to do."

"Fair enough," I admitted. "I knew you might see it as rejection, but that wasn’t it. I just wanted more with you than a… business arrangement."

Damien snorted lightly. "You have no idea how happy I am about this—but only now. Even the fact that you returned thepayment. And you did it knowing the money wasn’t a problem for me—you could’ve just taken it and been done with the debt."

"No, I couldn’t, Damien. Nobody seems to get it—not Ragu, not my cousin, not even you. But what we had… there’s no price for that."

His cheeks flushed deeper, his eyes glistening slightly.

"I’m grateful. In a way, you’ve removed the stain I had on my first time. The fact that I had paid for it kinda tainted it, but you restored it. You made it… more normal."

Not knowing what to say, I just stared at the side of his nest.

Then, suddenly, Damien turned his head toward me, swallowing hard. "This is my first heat," he muttered, letting out a deep exhale. "I don’t even know how this is supposed to go."

His previous, slightly cocky attitude softened, and I saw uncertainty in his eyes—and maybe even fear.

"Trust me," I said gently. "I know it’s weird to ask that from a stranger, but I’ve assisted with heats before. I’ll do my best to help you if you’ll let me." My voice surprised me—it was so soft, tender. I hadn’t spoken like that to anyone in a long time, since my first time with an omega I dated in high school. But with Damien, it felt natural.

His big, wide eyes behind those glasses made him look innocent, almost vulnerable.

"I promise I’ll take care of all your needs," I continued. "I want you to feel safe and comfortable, even though we don’t know each other well. I’ll never cross any line you don’t want me to."

We again locked eyes for a long moment.

He swallowed hard, then looked down at my hand resting on the side of the bed. Biting his lip, he slowly, almost shyly, slid his hand toward mine.

I stared at this small hand, inching closer before taking it in mine. A shiver jolted through me as our skin touched, like aspark of electricity. Damien let out a tiny breath, like he’d felt it too.

Without thinking, I leaned in and kissed his warm palm, turning it up to press my lips against it. I moved slowly toward his wrist, where his little scent gland was.

He trembled, his sweet scent intensifying in the air.

My rut was starting—I felt it in every cell of my body. The fragrance of heat always triggered a strong sexual drive in alphas, giving them the stamina needed to keep up with an omega during their heat.

Damien’s breathing grew quick and uneven, his body trembling slightly.

"I’m a little scared," he admitted, his blush deepening. "But at the same time, I can’t stop thinking about one thing."

"What’s that?" I asked with a soft smile.

He rolled his eyes. "You know what."

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