Page 34 of Omega's Refuge

I laughed nervously, keeping my eyes on the river. “Are you the one in charge of… er… guest’s needs?”

He let out a shaky breath. “I guess I should have worded that differently.”

“I didn’t mind how you worded it.” I was flirting, which was probably a mistake. But my pride was wounded by how Steve had treated me, and it was fun having Rex’s undivided attention. The heated way he looked at me made me feel like less of a pathetic loser. Maybe Steve didn’t want me, but Rex did.

He swallowed. “Still, I need to be careful around you, Tanner. Especially since I feel more invested in your…needscompared to the other guests.”

Excitement shifted through me. “Is that right?”

He grimaced. “If I’m not careful, you’re going to get me in trouble again with Mrs. Rodwell.”

I frowned. “Was she really upset with you about yesterday?” I felt awful if I’d actually gotten him chewed out by his boss. He’d only been trying to help me.

He shrugged. “Upset is too strong of a word. Disappointed might be more accurate. She doesn’t like it when the employees of the ranch get too close to the guests.”

“You were just trying to help me. You didn’t do anything inappropriate. I’d be happy to tell her that, if you think it might get her off your back.”

“Nah, it might make matters worse if you get involved. It’s okay. Don’t stress about it. She’s not going to fire me. She’d be lost without me and we both know that.” He laughed.

“Okay, so long as your job isn’t in danger because of me.”

“It’s not.” He hesitated. “Can I let you in on a little secret, Tanner?”

“Sure.” I met his warm gaze.

He said softly, “I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat.”

My stomach fluttered at the way he looked at me. “Is that right?”

“Yep. You needed me yesterday, and I liked how that felt.” He sounded short of breath. “I liked it a lot.”

I gave a weak smile. “To be honest, I… I don’t know how well I’d have handled yesterday, if you hadn’t been there, Rex.”

He looked pleased at my response. “I’m happy it was me.” He glanced over when nearby, Martha and Joe started laughing and jumping around. “Anyway, I’m going to go help Marthaand Joe now. Looks like Martha just got snagged on an overhead tree, and Joe’s hook seems to be hung up on the back pocket of his pants.”

“What the heck? Yeah, of course, go help them.” I grimaced. “I think I’m fine now.”

I watched him walk away, wrestling with confusing emotions. Flirting with Rex was foolish. If I stayed, I only had a few more days at the ranch, and leading him on would be selfish. My life was back in Billings, and Rex’s was here. But even if flirting was unwise, there was something about Rex that drew me in. His energy both soothed and excited me. I’d never felt such a visceral response to an alpha before—not even Steve had affected me the way Rex did.

I’d loved Steve, and there was no denying that. But my love for Steve had developed over years of being around him and sharing a decade of friendship. Our love had been comfortable, not passionate. We’d eventually lusted for each other, but once we moved on from being just friends, the emotional connection always seemed lacking. I’d craved a deeper love, but being loyal, I’d never have strayed—especially after Steve had given me his bite.

I touched the mark on my neck, feeling sick and depressed. I’d need to get his bite removed. I wouldn’t be able to do that immediately though. I’d have to save up money to do that once I got another job. I was frustrated that Steve’s betrayalwasn’t only horribly painful, but also expensive. But unless I wanted to live my life alone, I had to get his mark off of me. Most alphas would avoid me if I had the bite of another alpha.

I went back to fishing, and while I tried to concentrate, my mind was filled with thoughts of Steve’s betrayal. By the time Rex told us to wrap things up, I hadn’t caught anything but weeds and a plastic grocery bag. Some of the others had better success. Peter caught three good-sized trout, and Martha managed to hook a medium-sized brook trout. Rex was kind enough to clean and gut the fish so we didn’t have to get our hands dirty.

At one point, I went to my tent to unroll my sleeping bag and drink some water. I flopped down on top of the bag and stared up at the ceiling of my tent. Outside, I heard the others laughing and joking around. I was tempted to go out and join them, but I felt a bit shy, still uneasy about being the only single guest on the trip.

When Rex poked his head in my tent, I jumped guiltily. He squinted at me. “What are you doing in here all alone?” he asked.

My face warmed. “I… I was just getting my tent ready for later tonight.”

“Hmmm.” He looked skeptical. “How about you help me make dinner?”

I sat up. “You want me to help?”

“Sure thing. We need to cook some pork chops and beans to fill everyone up. There isn’t enough fish.”

I grimaced. “Rub it in, why don’t you?”

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