Page 10 of Sugar Baby
“Ah, Sophia,” Dad says jovially, a world away from his attitude not ten minutes ago. “Come in and meet Carter Hayes.”
Taking in the good-looking alpha, probably around forty years old, I like what I see so far. He is tall, but not as tall as my dad. He has sandy blonde hair and brown eyes, and that smile. It could knock the socks off an omega — if she were wearing any.
“Sophia,” he says, aiming an interested gaze in my direction. “Your father has been telling me a lot about you.”
I want to askwhybut that seems a bit redundant. It’s obvious what’s going on here. Mother’s words are ringing in my ears.Soon you will be free to fly.
Dad is setting me up with my future mate.
That realisation washes over me, but I find that I’m neither happy nor sad about it.
Could do worse, Sugar. It could be Cain. Blergh.
“Hello,” I murmur demurely.
“Hi,” he says with more interest than I’m giving him, which sort of puts me off him.
I’d have preferred if he was as uninterested in meeting me as I am in meeting him. I don’t know why that is, but my mind is all messed up by having Cain invading my space, both personal and head.
Carter comes forward and takes my hand, kissing the back of it gallantly like we are in a medieval court and he’s the knight, and I’m the princess. Although, I suppose you could look at it like he is the big hero here to rescue me. It makes me give him another once-over, this time with more interest. There has to be something about this alpha that Daddy likes, or he wouldn’t be shoving him in front of me right now.
Curiosity gets the better of me, and I open my mouth to ask, “So what do you do?”
He looks startled for a moment but then grins. “I’m a land surveyor.”
“Oh.” Wow, boring, much. But then I narrow my eyes. “Is that how you two met?”
Daddy snickers. “She’s a bright one. Yes, in fact, we did. Carter is doing some work for me. I’m looking to extend the compound beyond its original borders, but there are limitations and preservation orders. Carter is here to ensure we toe the line, amongst other things.”
“Hmm.”
I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do next. Carter doesn’t look like he does, either.
Things get even more confusing when Daddy says, “I think it’s time for bed, Sugar; you have a big day tomorrow.”
I nod, throwing a small smile and daft wave to Carter as I back out.
“Nice to meet you,” he says.
“You too,” I murmur and hastily retreat to my safe haven.
Things are just getting really weird around here lately, and I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, which in itself, isnotgood.
ChapterEight
Sugar
Waking up, I throw the covers off me feeling stifled. It’s boiling under the soft, thick duvet, but it doesn’t help that I’m cocooned in here. For the first time ever, I closed the heavy, dark green curtains on my princess bed. I push my sweaty hair out of my face and groan. I feel like I’ve been run over with a truck. I gasp for breath. Lurching forward across the bed, I fall through the gap in the curtains, landing on my knees on the soft green carpet and fumble around for my asthma inhaler. Finding it on my dresser, I take a deep puff and try to steady out. It’s been a hot minute since I had an asthma attack, but I always have to be prepared. I close my eyes and inhale slowly, then exhale and take another puff on the inhaler. The cooler air outside of my bed-nest is a relief, and my brain fog clears.
Bed-nest.
That is precisely what that is.
I glare at it in disgust.
Not because of what it is, but because I’m so disappointed.
The feeling came over me after Daddy paraded me around in front of Carter. I don’t know why because my heat is something of an anomaly. At twenty-six, I should’ve started it by now, but nothing happens month after month. The best doctors in the country have checked me over, and then checked again, but they found nothing to be physically wrong with me. I don’t know if that means this issue is a mental one, or an emotional, or I’m just an omega who doesn’t have a heat.
