Page 18 of Sweet Heat

“Hey! Posie, you made it!” a happy voice calls as Alex walks along the side of the building. His tall Alpha build stands out, and he runs a hand through his dark hair. His appreciative look makes me wary, eyes raking over my form to linger longer than necessary at the juncture of my thighs. Working hard, I find my social smile and give him a grin.

“I’m nervous but here!”

“No reason to be nervous, Pretty Posie. Promise. I have you set up with one of our most experienced instructors,” he says, sliding a hand to the small of my back and guiding me toward the cars. I jump at the contact, and he smiles, shiny white teeth flashing. There’s nothing inappropriate about the touch, but it feels strange all the same.

The sensation of eyes burning a hole into my back suddenly makes the hair on my body stand on end, and I scan my surroundings, searching for the source. My omega instincts are a bit muted, but I still trust them—someone is watching.

Biting my lip, I let him direct me inside.

“Thanks for doing this,” I tell him honestly.

“Anytime. And no pressure, but if you’re up for it, I would love to take you out to dinner whenever you’re free. Get to know you a bit better.”

Thinking it through, I hesitate before nodding.

With my heat on the horizon, it’s probably time to try dating. And Alex seems nice enough… he’s not Miller—but my fantasy Alpha’s not an option.

“Yeah. That sounds nice.”

Chapter Ten

The elderly gentleman gives me a faint smile as we walk toward one of the black cars. I’m pretty sure he’s a beta based on his size, but I’m uncertain, and it adds to the butterflies in my stomach.

“Nice to meet you, Posie. My name is Bert,” he says calmly. “Okay, so we will just go for a short drive on some quiet roads. It’s only day one, so I want to see how much experience you have and how comfortable you are behind the wheel. Then we can work out a plan of action—make sense?” He stands by the passenger side door looking expectantly at me, but I can’t choke out a sound, managing only a single nod, which he takes asagreement.

“Great. So, you go ahead and get into the driver’s seat, but don’t do anything. I’ll use the wheel on my side to get us to some quiet backroads.”

My legs are like lead, impossibly difficult to lift as I make my way slowly to the side of the car. Each step takes a monumental effort, and a cold sweat soaks my skin before I grab the handle.

You can do this, Posie. Prove you can be an independent omega.

But maybe I don’t want to be. Maybe I just need an Alpha who will snuggle me and invent teleportation so I never have to get in another car again—forget about driving.

Yes. That sounds much, much better.

But, of course, no such Alpha exists—so I better put on my big girl panties and suck it up.

With trembling hands, I reach forward and grasp the door handle, pulling it with trepidation. The hinges give a little squeak, and I glance at Bert as I slide inside the vehicle. His eyes are curious, but he says nothing as I reach for the belt buckle and make sure it clicks in properly.

Click. Release. Click. Release. Click. Release.

I do it three times before I’m satisfied, and through it all, Bert just relaxes in the passenger seat, letting me do what I need to. A flush heats my face, embarrassment overriding my fear for a moment.

“It’s okay. I’ve seen it all,” he says, taking over. With expert precision, he backs out of the spot and heads to the road. “Do you want to tell me why you’re afraid?”

He sounds genuine, but without my sense of smell, I always wonder if I have the best read on those around me. Still—he probably needs to know if we have any chance at success. Everybreath becomes a shard of glass, lodging itself in my lungs and tearing away a part of me. The parts I rely on to keep the memories at bay.

“I-I-I was in a pretty nasty accident when I was young…”

“What the hell is taking so long?” Owen shouts again as I stop at the door.

Black shoes? Gold shoes? Which goes best with the sparkly dress? Decisions, decisions. What’s a girl to do? I snap a picture of both and send it to Emma, tapping my foot as I wait for a reply.

Owen’s best friend, Miller, climbs back out of the limo, a frown on his handsome face. His dark hair is long, nearly hitting the tops of his broad shoulders, and his deep blue eyes flash with irritation as he stomps my way. Dressed in a fitted, navy-blue suit, I can see why all the girls are constantly throwing themselves at him, but he’s the grumpiest—so not sure it’s their best decision.

“Let’s move it along, Princess. Your brother is about to lose his mind. Wanna tell me what the hold up is?” He asks, his deep voice teetering on the edge of irritation.

Looking down at the phone, I see Emma still hasn’t texted me back. Shit.

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