Page 17 of Wild Omegas
Luke laughs and presses his hand lightly to the small of my back. I changed into a crop top and jean shorts so I can feel every inch of his large warm hand directly on my skin. The contact catches my breath. “Harder than it looks, Josie. But you should give it a try.”
“Only if you want to, though,” Brooks says as he holds the door open to me. He tips his hat a little. “Don’t let him push you.”
I thank Brooks and turn back to the pack once I’ve crossed the threshold into Wild Rodeo. “I want to try! Can’t let Luke have all the fun.” Not that I’ll be joining him on arealbull anytime soon.
Wouldn’t mind riding him though.
The thought strikes suddenly, but it’s raw and true. An excited shot of arousal accompanies it. My cheeks warm and I pray that none of them have seen it. It’s all too easy to imagine what I was thinking.
Carson shoots me a wink.
Shit.He knows.
“I’ll get the drinks!” I hurry toward the bar and order a pitcher of beer for us to share and return in short order with it and some cups. The alphas have claimed a table in the meantime. I pass out the cups in a not-dissimilar way to the lemonade event and try not to think about the glorioussolotime I had after it.
“Josie?”
Luke’s voice snaps me out of the heated reverie. I turn toward him. “Hi, yes?”
Carson and Brooks chuckle again and each sip beer while Luke’s gaze roams over me.
“I was asking if you’d like anything to eat?” Luke asks.
Good job, Josie.I’ve been around them for so many days now andthisis when I’m too tied up in my attraction to them to behave like a normal person? Just more ways I keep fucking things up for myself.
“I’m good.” In fact, if I eat right now I think I might be sick.
Okay, maybe that’s dramatic. But my nerves have cranked up high. I stare at the mechanical bull from across the room. It sits in the center of Wild Rodeo, in an open mezzanine area with a railing around the balcony above, so that everyone on the second floor can also watch whoever’s on the damn thing get flung off. As if on cue, a ladyisthrown off onto the pads below.
Screw it.“I’m going to go give that thing a go.”
Brooks catches my wrist. “Hey, you don’thaveto, you know?”
Luke nods. “It was mostly a joke. Just wanted us to all have a fun night out.”
I flash them all a smile I’m not entirely sure reaches my eyes. “I know.”What I feel for you all is scarier than the mechanical bull.But I can’t tell them that. I mean, Icould. But that’d open up a whole can of worms I’m not sure I’m ready for.
As amazing as these three alphas are, and as attractive as being part of a pack again sounds, the reality is I’m still running from a life I willingly burnt down. When I set my bakery on fire I was half attempting insurance fraud and half… attempting to end that tail spinning life. I still don’t think that when I lit the matches I knew which I wanted. But the attempts were made nonetheless.
Pissing off Damien wasn’t part of that plan, of course, but it was absolutely an accidental result of it.
I can look at Wild Skies Pack. I can maybe even touch them if the opportunity arises. But no matter how much I’d love to sink into their muscular arms and heady scents, I can’t be a part of their pack. I can’t gettooinvolved.
Fun, yes.
Involved, no.
“I’m going to try now,” I say and hurry away before I change my mind aboutall of it.
Focus on the present.That’s what I should do. That’s what the therapist Ishouldbe seeing would say. But which present is that? The one where I’m going to try riding this fake bull? Or the one where I’ve walked onto a ranch with three beautiful alphas and no reason to not fall into their arms? Or the one where I’m at the ranch because Damien wants me dead?
I can’t have one without the other.
I suck in a deep breath as I approach the man operating the mechanical bull. He’s over six feet tall, wearing cowboy boots and tight black jeans, and in general looks like a bull of a man himself.
“Ten dollars per ride,” he announces.
I fish out my slim wallet and hand him the cash. “Any tips?”
