Page 12 of Stella

Pampering. When in doubt, pamper the omega until their sorrows go away.

I had a wicked idea. “Also…you could let it drop to the right people that you’re there because you’re being matched.”

She looked at me for a moment, and then smiled. It wasn’t the sweet and innocent smile she gave the press, either. “So that those jerks know I’ve moved on.”

“Exactly.” I gestured with my spoon. “I should warn you, that if you do that, we’ll get more customers.”

“That’s bad?” Meredith frowned.

I sighed. She was sweet, but I couldn’t pretend that revenge on her pack wouldn’t help my family’s business. If I didn’t let her know, I would feel slimy, like I was misleading her. “It’s not bad. But I want you to know so that it doesn’t seem like I’m trying to use you.”

“Oh.” She cocked her head. “That’s considerate. I would like it if you benefited in some way.”

“I’ll benefit when those jerkwads feel regret for dumping you so publicly.”

There were the hormones again. Instead of lust, the over-protectiveness was at full throttle.

“Sorry if I’m being too intense.” I sighed. “I’m going into heat early and it’s making me feel everything at a ten.”

She made a sympathetic noise and patted my arm. “It’s okay. It’s nice, to be able to talk openly with someone.”

“Meredith!” A male voice shouted.

Meredith stood up, and so did I, ready to throat-punch someone.

He approached us, and his scent hit me like a bag of rocks. Or dicks, since it went straight to my lady bits. I froze, too scared to move. If I did, I would tackle him to the ground.

He wore a three-piece suit like he was fresh from a GQ photo shoot. With short brown hair, hazel eyes, and a jawline that could break hearts with a single frown, Mother Nature already set him up to be a catch, but then I caught his smoky caramel and marshmallow scent, and I was a goner.

I would not drag him back to my car and ride him until we both blacked out. I would not. I could at least ask for his name first.

“Simon, I’m fine.” Meredith stepped forward, her hands up. She sounded slightly annoyed, but there was a thread of love there.

There, I had whose name I would be screaming. Can we move on to Phrase Two: No More Clothes?

Simon glared at me. “You don’t look fine.”

“I was sobbing my eyes out. Stella got me ice cream.” Meredith gestured with her ice cream. “Stella, this is Simon, my overprotective brother.”

“Afternoon.” Simon gave me a cold look. “Come on, Meredith. We have an appointment to keep.”

Lust switched to annoyance in two point four seconds. I wanted to strangle him. He shifted his body like I was some sort of barrier to his sister, a groupie he needed to extract her from.

Meredith crossed her arms over her chest, her ice cream cone at an odd angle. “Stella is taking me back to her family’s resort, Cosmic Bonds.”

Simon didn’t bother to hide his suspicion. “Is she now?”

“She is,” I snapped. “Your sister could use a break from pretending her heart isn’t shattered into a million pieces.”

“And you’re going to help her do that how?” He kept looking at me like a peasant asking the king for another morsel of bread.

“Mud baths. A massage, if she’s up for it. Quality time in the sauna.” I shrugged. “If that doesn’t work, there’s always Tony’s.”

He growled at that, and I squeezed my thighs together. Dear Heavens, the man had a sexy voice. “And who on earth is Tony?

“The best Italian food you’ll ever eat.”

Simon pinched the bridge of his nose. “Meredith, darling, if you want a spa day, I’m sure the Oceanic would accept a last minute booking—“

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