Page 93 of One Wild Omega

After the knot faded, Tanner was too exhausted to move. “I guess we really shouldn’t stay here long. It’s amazing we haven’t been caught in here.”

“The other side of that door is marked as a fire exit, so I doubt we’d have any visitors in here.”

Tanner chuckled as Fitz withdrew from him. “You knew that all while you got me fired up?”

“I did. But you didn’t,” Fitz said with a grin. “And it seemed to do the trick.”

“That it did.”

Fitz sat up and grabbed a paper grocery bag that was sitting on the last step. “I also figured it would make a good spot for you to change for the party.”

His alpha handed him the bag and inside Tanner found a pair of soft pants, a gorgeous tunic, and a pair of shoes in the perfect size.

“I hope this is party appropriate.”

Tanner smiled up at him. “It is… but honestly, I think I’d rather just go home and have another round of what we just had.”

“We can go home… in a bit. We need to make an appearance first.”

Tanner frowned. “Why?”

“Because,” Fitz answered.

“Because you said so?”

“Nope. You’re not puttingthosewords in my mouth.” Fitz rose and began pulling his suit back on—which was a bit wrinkled after landing on the floor in a heap. “ButI’mgoing in there. Make a round. AndthenI’m taking you home. For round two.”

Tanner wasn’t sure what Fitz was up to, but he played along. It only took him a moment to get dressed. He folded his other clothes and sat them in the bag. He turned to Fitz, who was holding the bouquet aloft.

With a few dangling flowers here and there.

“They got a little crushed in the rush to get in here,” Fitz said, looking sheepish.

Tanner took the bouquet and spruced it up a bit before clutching them in his arm. “They’reperfect.”

Fitz smiled at him, something warm and fuzzy deep in his gaze that caused a knot in Tanner’s chest. His alpha offered his arm before leading him into the party through the fire exit. He glanced around at all those in attendance, recognizing a few people right away. After offering a few nods and hellos, he turned to the first painting in the showing.

One of his.

A commission he’d done many years before. His mouth dropped open, shocked to see it again.

“I’m not very well-schooled in this whole art thing, but this artist seems pretty damned good,” Fitz murmured before taking two champagne flutes. He offered one to Tanner.

Tanner jostled the flowers into the crook of the arm holding Fitz’s and then took the champagne.

“Should we continue?”

After taking a drink, Tanner nodded. They paused before the second painting, a huge abstract landscape Tanner had painted a few years before. His head whipped to Fitz’s. “What is this?”

“An art exhibit,” Fitz murmured before pulling Tanner along. “There’s more to see.”

Tanner let himself be led away.

Painting after painting… they were all Tanner’s old works. All of them were marked as being on loan… until they turned a corner.

ARichardpainting graced the wall.

Tanner wiped away the wetness that was suddenly on his cheek. “I told you to toss those out.”

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