Page 28 of Altius
“Totally. It’s way nicer than this one. Comfier furniture. Amazing snacks. We could go check it out—if that’s okay with you, doc?”
“Oh, can we?” Rory’s sticky mitts transferred to my arm, giving it a few pleading tugs. “Please, sis, please. I won’t be a pest. Promise.”
“Fine. But keep an eye on your phone.”
Rory tackled me with a hug. “You’re the best!”
He followed Landon down the hall and through the secured doorway into the omega player’s lounge, chattering away as if they’d known each other for ages.
Omega synergy was something else.
“Since you’re in a giving mood…” Alijah held out the stuffed turkey and gave it a suggestive wiggle. “Mind posing for our Thanksgiving appreciation post?”
I frowned at the offending fowl. “Ask Reyhan.”
“I did. He told me to ask you.”
Fighting the urge to sigh, I took the toy and moved to a blank portion of the wall. Wearing a practiced smile, I posed with the stupid turkey while Alijah took more photos than necessary.
Being the object of Alijah’s artistic focus was an unusual sensation that bordered on flustering.
“Just one more… Perfect!” Looking pleased, Alijah moved closer, but not too close, as he reclaimed the turkey. “I’m most thankful for the two of us being able to work together. What about you?”
Why did he always have to hint at his feelings at such inopportune moments?
Dragging a hand through my hair, I glanced at my phone. Kelsey would be here in less than twenty minutes. Pressure was building around my temples, and I was almost out of mental energy.
Which meant I was destined to disappoint Alijah yet again.
“That’s a very nice sentiment,” I said, “one that I return—but can you do me a solid and make something up for me?”
“Oh, are you still on the clock?” Alijah’s high spirits turned skittish. “I’m sorry. Thought you were done since Rory was here.”
“His last class was across the street. We’re spending the night with our parents,” I said, gesturing for him to follow me. “That way, we can have at least one civilized conversation before the rest of the family invades tomorrow. After adding our older siblings and their packs, plus various grandparents and extended family members, it’s a feast for nearly fifty people, with the conversation volume to match.”
Alijah’s brows arched up, and then a glorious laugh, rich and genuine, echoed throughout the hallway. “And I thought the four of us eating with Tabitha’s pack was a lot of people. But nine is nothing compared to fifty.”
“Nine sounds ideal, to be honest.” I leaned closer, almost brushing his arm. Having a meal with Tabitha Redmond and her pack would be a fascinating experience. “Want to switch places?”
Alijah’s near-black eyes trailed across my face and down my neck.
“No,” he said softly, hand settling on the small of my back as he pressed closer, reaching around me to open the door to sports medicine. “I’m not interested if you won’t be there.”
The pressure of Alijah’s hand increased as his head dropped forward, whispering in my ear, “I’ll write you the perfect caption—if you add a lunch back to our tally.”
I froze, not because Alijah’s full lips were millimeters from the shell of my ear or because his breath caused the ends of my hair to brush against my neck—well, not entirely.
Between the seizure and worrying about my hormone levels, I’d genuinely forgotten about my agreement to have three lunches with Joaquin and Alijah as an apology for omitting the fact that we were neighbors.
One lunch had been exchanged for serving as Alijah’s de facto date for the ballet’s fall gala.
Was a semi-embarrassing Thanksgiving social media post worth adding another date with the mated pair?
It was a tempting offer, but I didn’t want to mix work-related matters with our personal agreement.
“Nice try, but I’ll pass.” I turned, inadvertently rubbing my shoulder against his chest. “How about this? I’m thankful for the opportunity to work with and learn from an outstanding medical team during my fellowship. It’s amazing to be part of such a talented and dedicated organization.”
Alijah stood his ground, looking at me with anything but professional courtesy. “What about their immensely talented digital media coordinator?”
