Page 98 of Sweet Omega
“Should I take all my clothes off, or…?” Ford asked, already tugging at his shirt.
“Just the shirt,” Ludiin answered too quickly.
He didn’t want Ford naked. The only alpha he wanted to see like that was standing ten feet away, carved out of tension and temptation. Hovering darkly.
On autopilot, Ludiin dragged a chair toward the couch and sank into it, e-reader balanced on his knee, stylus hovering above the screen. His hand moved instinctively, sketching the outline of Ford’s form, but his mind was in shambles. How the hell was he supposed to concentrate with Tarymn looming there?
What was wrong with him? Did he have something to say or was he just going to keep staring until Ludiin snapped? Ludiin’sthroat tightened, last night flashing in his mind like a stain he couldn’t scrub away. Maybe they should just talk about it. Drag it into the open and end this slow, suffocating torture. He parted his lips, ready to speak, but before a single word could escape, Ford suddenly gasped.
“Oh, shit,” Ford whispered dramatically. “He finally left. I thought he was going to kill me.”
Ludiin blinked. “What? He wouldn’t do that.”
Ford gave him a look. “Are you sure about that?”
“Yes. Why would he do that?”
“You,” Ford said, sitting up a little straighter, his gaze focused on Ludiin. “He wants you.”
Ludiin stilled, breath caught in his chest.
“And I think you want him too,” Ford added gently.
“No. I don’t.”Ludiin shot to his feet, heart hammering so loud it filled his ears.
“Hey, I didn’t mean to upset you,” Ford said behind him, rising to his feet. Thankfully, he’d put his shirt back on. “It was just... a vibe, I got. If it’s not true, it’s not true.”
But it was true. Ludiin wanted Tarymn with every fiber of his being. No matter how many years he’d spent trying to bury it, the feeling refused to die. And gods, he was terrified. Terrified of slipping back into the same helpless path he’d stumbled down before.
“Is it that obvious?” he asked defeated.
“A little,” Ford replied with a tilt of his head. “You should go talk to him. Tell him how you feel.”
The thought alone sent an involuntary shiver crawling down Ludiin’s spine. His chest tightened, and he quickly shook his head. He couldn’t. Not when the memory of rejection still clawed at him.
So, he forced a smile, masking the ache with practiced ease, and turned back to Ford. “Sit back. This is going to take a while.”
“Yes, boss,” Ford chuckled.
Ludiin found himself smiling too. For the first time in his life, he wondered if maybe…just maybe…he’d found the second alpha he might actually like.
Chapter 20
Tarymn
“What,” Tarymn snapped, tossing the e-reader onto the table with more force than he meant to. It hit the wood with a sharp, echoing thud that made the air vibrate just like the tension between them. Hym’s raised brow and unreadable stare said it all. “I’m trying to calm down.”
“You’re doing a piss-poor job of it.”
“Fuck, I’m losing my mind.”
“I told you this would happen,” Hym muttered, sighing as he shook his head. “You can’t keep shoving everything down and expect it not to blow up in your face one day. Last night shouldn’t have happened. Not like that. You need to get yourself under control so you can talk to him.”
“Don’t you think I know that?” Tarymn growled, dragging a hand down his face so hard his skin stung. His chest heaved,fury and something darker pressing at his ribs. He’d barely held himself back in the den, barely kept from ripping Ford apart. The smug bastard, lounging there half-naked, talking to Ludiin like he had a fucking claim over him. The alpha’s sudden appearance ruined everything. He’d had a plan. As soon as Ludiin woke up they were going to talk. He was going tell him how he felt. But then… the fucking alpha from last night showed up.
A growl tore from Tarymn’s throat as he stalked to the window, shoulders tight, trying and failing to shake it off. His reflection stared back at him in the glass. Wild-eyed, raw, feral.
Fuck.
