Page 31 of Alpha & Omega

Yeah, I liked this, too. We still touched each other,andhe fed me. Yes, please.

“I like this,” he said, reading my mind and taking another bite before feeding me some more.

“Me, too.”

“Does that mean we can date more?”

I leaned forward, wrapped my arms around his hips, pressed my mouth to his lips, and kissed him, tasting the sweet chocolate on his tongue. “I’d really like that.”

“Good. Do you want to stay with me tonight? Or better yet, can you?”

“As much as I’d like nothing better, I shouldn’t. Hudson’s at home. Even though he’s sixteen, I still hate leaving him alone overnight.”

“That’s cool.”

“But I have time before I head back.”

After we finished the pint, Kingston set the empty container on the table, and we held each other on his couch, still naked and perfectly comfortable. That was what I liked most about him. We had this ease between us like we fit just right, and it didn’t require us to fill in the silence with chatter.

“So why do they call you Alpha? Wait… let me guess. Your Rejects called you that since you’re a natural-born leader.”

“I definitely wouldn’t have called myself that,” he chuckled. “That would make me a bit of an arrogant prick, don’t you think?”

I breathed a laugh. “Maybe a little.”

Kingston bumped me with his shoulder. “Hey, whose side are you on?”

“Yours, of course.”

“So, how did you get Omega as a nickname, hotshot?”

I shrugged. “Some friends thought it was cute because I’m a bit introverted and do my own thing. Maybe I’ve turned down invites one too many times. Life’s too short, you know? After Ava, my ex, left, life was a whirlwind. I quickly learned to pick my battles, especially with Hudson, and prioritize what I could control.”

Kingston stretched his legs on top of my thighs, and I ran my hand through the dark blond hair dusting his shins. “I wish I could do that. It seems I take on so much… too much.” He rested his head on the back of the couch and stared at the ceiling. “And shit keeps happening to my crew.”

“Like how?” I asked.

He sighed and ran a hand through his long blond bangs. “First, there’s my foster brother, Tony. He got in a motorcycle accident late last year, drunkdriving. He doesn’t have insurance since he’s only a server, so I had to help with medical expenses. Then one of my employees, Stone, got hurt. We had a hate crime at the bar that same fucking night, and they beat him pretty badly, so that’s on my dime. My worker’s comp insurance went up because of it. Then earlier this year, Nacho, one of my servers, got hit by a car. He and my bartender, Pippin, live together and don’t have any insurance, so I took that on, too…”

That explained why his bar had been struggling. It wasn’t mismanagement; Kingston was taking care of everyone and carrying the financial burden. He was so empathetic, endearing, and heartening, but sometimes, you couldn’t take everything on. The thought crossed my mind to see if he’d be interested in some sort of merger again, but I shut it down.

I helped him sit back up, cupped his face, and pulled him into a kiss. “You’re an amazing human, King. I’m glad to know you.”

I smirked when his face pinked. “It’s not that big of a deal. They’re fam.”

“You can downplay it all you want. You’re still amazing.”

I reluctantly pried myself away and stood to gather my clothes. It was time I headed back.

“So… tell me who takes care ofAlphawhen he’s busy taking care of everyone else?” I asked, picking my underwear off the floor and pulling them on. Kingston did the same.

His smile was humble and shy. While he came across as confident, he wasn’t cocky. It made me like him even more. “Meh, I’m fine… or I will be. I’ve had worse humps in my life.”

I pulled on my shirt and buttoned it up before I stepped up to him and pulled him against me. “You know, you don’t have to take it all on.”

“Don’t you? With your son?”

“I do. But I also know when to delegate, especially at work. Also, Hudson helps where he can.”

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