Page 57 of Why Cruise

“Eric. You were always my favorite bus boy.” Ren claimed the empty station next to me.

Chef Tanaka’s knife tapped against the cutting board. “That was a long time ago.”

“Was it? Feels like yesterday you were dropping plates in my father’s kitchen.”

“Nobody dropped plates in your father’s kitchen.”

“Not if you wanted to keep your fingers. You survived. Still have all ten, I see.” Ren waggled his fingers in the air.

“As I was saying, maki is all about technique…”

Not everybody went back to work. Grace and Bridget shared that look. A look that said you found someone incredibly attractive, but your alpha was right there. Ren was that pretty. He was probably 6’3” or more. His skin was sun-kissed and glowing. Even though he was fully dressed with his shirt fully buttoned, you just knew he had abs for ever. His short hair and hooded eyes made him look dangerous.

A kitchen assistant rushed to set up Ren’s station.

“What are you doing here?” I said out of the corner of my mouth.

“What? I like sushi,” Ren shrugged, “and omegas with sticky fingers. And I absolutely did not just wander by and see you through the window with a space next to you that I could slip into.”

Angry flirting wasn’t the problem. All flirting with Ren was the problem. How was I expected to learn sushi with Ren standing right there?

I looked up and caught Sterling’s scowl.Great. And there goes my chance with the Kelwood pack.Sterling’s jaw tightened, his shoulders going rigid as he watched Ren settle in.

“Now,” Chef Tanaka continued, “Basic maki rolls. Remember to spread the rice evenly…”

I tried to focus on following Chef Tanaka’s instructions for our first roll. I went on tiptoes to see how he was getting the rice to stick to only the things you wanted it to stick to. He just waved his hand across the nori and there was an even layer of rice. I looked over at Grace and Bridget’s work. It was a little lumpy. Sterling’s roll looked like the example.

Then I looked at Ren. He was completely ignoring the demonstration, instead sculpting his rice into what appeared to be… a tiny snowman?

“What are you doing?” I whispered.

“Art.” He added little nori eyes and a wasabi smile to his creation. “See? He’s happy.”

“We’re supposed to be making rolls.”

“Boring.” He started on another snowman. “Ooo, what if we made rice dicks instead of balls?”

My bark of laughter turned heads.

“We’re going to get kicked out,” I muttered. Part of me was horrified. I had been really looking forward to this class. The other part? I watched Ren’s fingers. Not rock climbing fingers, but…

“Not like that, Theo.” Sterling’s voice cut through my concentration. “You’re pressing too hard.” My head snapped back to my own roll. My face burned.

“I don’t know,” Ren drawled. “I like it when my omegas press hard.”

“That is not your omega.” Sterling’s voice went cold.

“No,” Ren emphasized the word, “but he is a person. Not your thing to order around.”

“Theo.” Sterling’s voice carried that edge of alpha command. “Come stand by me. Now.”

The room went deadly quiet as every head turned toward us. The air crackled with alpha tension, but Ren just casually popped one of his rice balls into his mouth.

“You know what I love about Theo?” Ren said between bites. “He’s a complete person. If he’s offended by my vulgarity, he’s completely capable of telling me so.” His dark eyes met mine. “Aren’t you, baby?”

Sterling’s jaw clenched. “You have no respect.”

“For what? Your superiority complex?” Ren’s fingers brushed my hip. “Or do you think those little bite marks your pack is sporting entitle you to what is not yours?”

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