Page 41 of With A Little Luck
“You want to court me?” I ask, and even I can hear the disbelief in my tone.
“I do.”
“Why?” My hand flies to my face. “I like you a lot, Hart. It’s just… My world is about to change in a big way.”
“I’ve been living with Harrison, his pack, and twin newborns since I came back to town.” He catches my hand, pulling it away from my face. “Yeah, they’re older now, but I saw every bit of what it’s like to become a parent. The good, the bad, and the ugly.” His thumb teases over my wrist as it rests against my thigh. “I saw how hard it was for them, and the thought of you trying to do it all alone kills me.”
“You’re a good man,” I say, trying to find the right words to go on.
“Not good enough to court you just so you don’t have to raise a baby alone.” He grimaces. “That came out wrong. I’m excited to meet her. I’ve known for a while that Harrison was thinking about coming back to work, and every time he mentioned it, Igot a pit in my gut. When I first came up here, I thought the days couldn’t pass fast enough. Then you came into the restaurant, and I started dreading the day they wouldn’t need me anymore…” He lets go of my wrist, moves the food to the table, and scoots closer to my side. “I don’t want to leave Burlington, which means I probably need to sell my house in Charleston. My roommates are going to be pissed, but they’ll deal. They’ve been living there rent free the entire time I’ve been up here.” He offers a chagrined smile. “Which brings me to my next question. Can I move in with you?”
“What?” I squawk.
Holy shit. I didn’t even realize I could produce that particular sound.
“Yeah, see, I’m pretty sure Harrison and his pack want their house back. The girls are getting older, and they want their privacy.” He smiles tightly and shrugs. “I’m basically like the houseguest that just won’t leave.”
The fake smile makes me think that he’s uncomfortable even talking about it, or I guess maybe he’s embarrassed that he’s overstayed his welcome with Harrison. I’m not sure what is causing his unease, but my system aches to soothe him.
“I’m sure they don’t mind having you there,” I say, patting his thigh. “You’ve been a huge help at the restaurant so Harrison can be home with his family.”
“Harrison probably would have pushed to come back to work months ago, but he knew I needed an excuse to see you every day.” Hart brushes his fingers over my cheek. “I also really fucking hate the idea of you living with a stranger. Let me stay here while we figure stuff out. I’ll chip in on the bills and whatever else you’re struggling with.”
My eyes dance over his face as my mind races. He’s either telling the truth or he’s very good at misdirection. I’m justhaving trouble believing that he’s stuck around Burlington—at least in part—due to me.
“Why wait so long to bring it up?”
He shrugs. “I wanted to ask you out from the very beginning, but it felt wrong. You were grieving your grandma, then the baby popped up. I was just trying to give you time to get comfortable with me.”
“I am,” I assure him. “You make me feel safe.”
My teeth dig into my lower lip.
I’m not sure I meant to admit that, but he’s been open and honest with me, and I feel like I owe him the same in return.
“God, you make me feel like a king.” Hart groans, leaning in and capturing my lips. His fingers slide into my hair, cradling my skull as he peppers me with sensual kisses.
Sexy little flashes of last night replay in my mind, and I whimper against his lips.
He pulls back all too quickly, settling against the couch cushion. “We never got to have any of the important conversations last night. We should probably do that now to get it out of the way.” His palm comes to rest on my stomach as he studies my face. “We didn’t even talk about using condoms. Not that I had one with me, if we’d been clear enough to have that talk.”
My face burns like I dipped it into a bowl of acid. I have some clear memories from last night, but most of it is hazy. When I really try to focus on it, it comes more as flashes and bits and pieces.
“I did some research after I saw that pamphlet for The Omega Exchange,” Hart says, sounding a lot more serious. “I know what you need, and I don’t want you to get it from anyone but me.”
My head tilts.
That sounds a lot like he knew there was a chance my system could overreact with us being in close proximity.
If that’s the case, I’m relieved.
I spent a while in the shower wondering if my need for alpha pheromones rushed us into being intimate. Then I spent a while trying to convince myself not to make something out of nothing. I was practically planning a whole future for us when I didn’t even know where his head was at.
My mom always warned me that omegas are known to be obsessive and clingy. When we find someone we want in our pack, we don’t hesitate.
“You don’t need to worry about you or the baby,” Hart says, running his hand over my stomach. “I wouldn’t fuck around with something so important. I’ve been checked multiple times since I’ve been with anyone. Everything was negative. I don’t have a copy of my records with me, but I could ask my doctor’s office to send me my last results…”
My hand falls to his, giving it a squeeze. “Thank you for telling me. I was going to ask, but I appreciate you bringing it up so I didn’t have to. They checked me for everything when I got pregnant.”
