Page 4 of Such a Shy Omega

“It’s plenty. Thank you.”

“Let me buy you something else. Something with more substance. My treat.”

In this instance, the wordtreathad another meaning. I heard it in his voice. Saw it in the way his eyes slid down my body feeling like an unwanted physical touch. I shuddered as he winked. Men like this didn’t give treats. They gave gifts and always needed to be paid back for their generosity.

Men like this.

Men like Ramsey.

“No, thank you. It’s just a snack while I wait for my alpha.”

He let out a huff of a laugh. “Your alpha, huh? I don’t smell another on you.”

“I don’t care. Please leave me alone.”

Palms out, the man stood up. “No need to be defensive. I’ll just go in and get something, and if you’re here when I come out, maybe we can talk. “

I didn’t give him the chance. Once the man was inside, I rushed away while stuffing the last bit of my dinner into my mouth. To the club and then back to my apartment. Those two places would keep me safest.

And out of the public eye.

The more private I was, the less chance Ramsey had to find me.

The less chance he had to find me, the more I could enjoy this freedom.

Chapter Four

Erik

I’d signed up for Cuffed as a charter member, before the doors even opened, but I’d rarely had time to visit. And with my frustration level at work through the roof, I needed to relax and maybe enjoy some stress relief at the same time. There was no better place. But when I approached the front door, I realized just how long it had been since my last trip.

Originally, the club had occupied one old mansion, which had been drastically updated. The outside was still stately, and if a person did not know better, they’d never recognize what lay inside. Now, a tall, dignified brick wall rose between the building and those on either side of it, both of which were recently painted and updated.

Of course. Now I remembered. There was something on the online members site about an expansion. This must be it. I’d wondered at the time if they were going to add a level because the lot itself wasn’t that much larger than the building, but the side yards combined with those of the neighbors would likely give a good outside area. What were they using them for? I was very interested in seeing all the new spaces both indoors and out.

But for now, I needed to get inside and absorb the atmosphere. Turning my phone in at the front desk, I breathed in the air, cool and full of positive vibes. Like my shop used to be once upon a time.

“Is that you, Erik?”

I turned to see who was speaking. One of the owners had come in right after me. “Jabez, nice to see you.”

A healer, he served the shifter community and, while he swore his time at Cuffed had nothing to do with that and was his relaxation, people often bent his ear asking him all sorts ofquestions about health-related matters. He generally handled it by telling them he’d be glad to see them in his office during regular hours, demonstrating a balance between the parts of his life that I found inspiring.

My work had been my everything, which had been exciting at first, but now? I felt as if I was the only one of us still working on our actual product while the others, one in particular, focused on seeing how much money we could make.

Not that it hadn’t been part of the dream; it was just never supposed to be all of it.

“It’s been a while since you’ve been in, or have I just missed you?” He did not pull out his phone, since the owners were the only ones who didn’t have to keep them locked up either at the front desk or employee lockers. Presumably, they could be trusted not to use them to take pictures to embarrass anyone. It wouldn’t be good for business.

“No, it has been—well, I hate to think how long. Feels good to be here, though. I see I’ve missed a lot of what’s been going on.”

“Let’s get a drink and I’ll catch you up.” We strolled into the club together, while he told me a bit about the expansion. The two buildings as well as the outdoor areas on either side of this one. “One of the gardens is for the littles with a full-sized playground, which I have to say I have tested out myself, and so have most of my business partners. We’re going to have to be firm on times when nobody else is allowed but them and their daddies and mommies.”

“I’ve often wondered why there are no swing sets for grown-ups. Is there a slide?”

“A few.” He chuckled. “You’re as bad as the rest of us. Anyway, the other side is going to be— Wait. Here’s someone I want you to meet.”

Another alpha, whose tan indicated he didn’t spend his days behind a desk, turned away from the bar, holding a glass decorated with a lime. “Tonic water,” he said. “I’m a DM later on.” A dungeon monitor made sure everything was safe and people could have a good time without worry.

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