Page 33 of Omega in Hiding

“Yes. When I wanted to talk to Connor first, and not you. You seemed insulted.”

“Oh. Well, you explained yourself. I get why you needed to talk to him.”

He hesitates. “Okay. I have time to talk to you now, if you want. I texted you to come see me.”

“Sorry. I… didn’t notice your text.”

He takes in my robe. “It’s the middle of the day. Were you napping?”

“No.” My face feels hot and it’s hard to meet his eyes. “I told you I took a shower. I was shaken up after what happened. I needed to relax, so I took a shower. Is there some law against me showering?”

Offense is the best defense, right?

“No. Of course not.” He rubs his jaw, still frowning. “Well, so do you still want to talk to me? Or are you too shaken up?”

“I’m fine now. Shall I meet you in the study?”

Please say yes. Please go away.

“Sure.” I don’t think it’s my imagination when he tries to see around me into my room. But he must not see anything thatinterests him because he says, “I’ll see you in ten. Don’t dawdle. I have a lot of stuff to do. Valentino and I have a plan to hit back at the O’Sullivan Clan.”

“I figured you would. I’ll be down in a little bit.”

He grunts and heads back the way he came.

I watch him go, making sure he disappears down the staircase. Then I close the door and lean against it, breathing out a long, shaky breath. “Jesus. He almost gave me a coronary.”

Connor pokes his head cautiously above the mattress. “Is the coast clear?”

“Yes.”

He gets to his feet and moves toward me. “See. This is what I was afraid of. Dario is always around. He’s too fucking alert. Shit, that was way too close, Paolo.”

“I know.” I smile weakly. “But if you come at night, there’s no chance of Dario popping up. I agree maybe during the day was too risky. But at night? We’ll be fine.”

He shakes his head. “I don’t know. I really don’t want to get fired. Getting canned could affect my future manny positions.”

“You’re going to be fine.” I reach out and grab him, pulling him close. “I’m not taking no for an answer.”

He smiles grudgingly. “Is that right?”

“Yeah.” I kiss him softly. “I need more of you.”

“You’re a pushy bastard.” His tone is laced with amusement. “Fine, I’ll come to your room later tonight. Unless I see Dario lurking.”

I smile. “That’s more like it.” I glance toward the door. “Now, let me make sure it’s safe to leave.” I open the door and peek my head out. The hallway is empty. “It’s safe.”

He starts to slip out the open door, but I grab his arm.

“See you tonight, Connor,” I say, giving him a pointed look.

He nods. “Okay.” He slips out of my room and heads down the hallway toward the stairs.

Once he’s out of sight, I close the door and laugh. It’s a happy laugh because being around Connor lifts my spirits. Even though I have a boring day ahead of me, knowing I get to see Connor tonight makes the training seem less daunting. He’s a special omega, but I need to be careful not to get too attached.

In a few weeks’ time, Connor will move on to a new post, and I’ll go back to my old life. Then Connor will just be a distant, but very delicious, memory.

Chapter Nine

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