Page 36 of Foxy Filthy Omega

River’s knees were pointing toward Frankie and she looked at her alpha like she was the only person in the room, but it wasn’t a look I’d call adoring. It was more…calculating.

And either Frankie wasn’t aware of it, or she didn’t care. She just sipped her espresso and then complimented the omega like she’d been the one to make it, not the barista.

Was River aware that Frankie didn’t like straight espresso, unlike her father? Did she know her alpha had a sweet tooth in addition to her crippling caffeine addiction? Even I knew that and I’ve only been studying her for a few days.

It annoyed me that Frankie drank that espresso like it was nothing. She showed no signs of disliking the bitter taste and sipped it gracefully before carefully placing the empty cup back on the saucer.

Neither of them spoke for a long time. It seemed kind of awkward but they didn’t seem to notice or care.

It almost felt like they were speaking telepathically.

Logically, I knew that was impossible and it was crazy to even think that, but there was no other explanation for this weird aura between the two of them.

“I don’t need anything,” River finally said, breaking that awkward silence.

Then Frankie’s genuine smile turned into the one she’d given Taylor and I forced myself to turn the page. The muscles between my shoulders felt tight and my instincts were screaming at me.

Something weird was definitely going on.

“Is there anything you want?” Frankie asked as she tilted her head slightly.

Why was she suddenly acting like she was being threatened?

River Steele lived up to her reputation though.

She didn’t smile or try to ease her expression into something that might soothe the volatile alpha in front of her. She juststared at Frankie like she was a stranger despite the way she reached for her hand.

Frankie took it and rubbed her thumb over River’s knuckles. I couldn’t say why, but she looked sad as she stared down at the fragile hand in hers.

“It’s my father’s birthday soon,” River told her. “It would be nice if you could escort me.”

The sharp edge to Frankie’s smile softened at that. “I would love to.”

I watched her bring that delicate hand up again and brush her lips against River’s knuckles, her eyes closing as she did so.

My stomach twisted and I dropped my gaze back down to my book, blindly turning another page.

Frankie was a very caring and attentive person. It seemed like she’d do anything for her fiancée if she’d just ask, but River wasn’t asking her for anything and even I could see how much that was destroying the delicate alpha in front of me.

I didn’t think this qualified as a weakness exactly, but it was something that made Francesca Lopez vulnerable and she didn’t seem to care if the whole world saw it.

How could River see that vulnerability and still look so unimpressed?

Why wasn’t Frankie angry about this? Why the fuck was she letting this omega walk all over her?

I turned the page again, reminding myself that it was none of my business. I was just the new recruit she was supposed to train and her personal life had nothing to do with me outside of work.

The waiter set my caramel macchiato on the table in front of me and I went to thank him, but this guy wasn’t wearing an apron or anything that would indicate he worked here as a barista.

He had pink hair and bright red eyes that damn near sparkled at me.

I had no idea what to say when the guy took the liberty to sit down in the chair across from me, sipping his own latte with a little smirk on his face.

What the fuck was a legacy alpha doing bringing me my coffee and getting in my space?

“I saw you order,” he explained. “I thought I could do you a favor when I saw how engrossed you were in your book.”

“Thank you.” I didn’t reach for the cup though, suspicious of his intentions.

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