Connor grimaces. "I fear I've grown weary of The Exchange. It can be very rewarding seeing omegas find their pack, but it can be tedious at times."
I try not to cringe. Memories of the omegas on the bus and the way Anastasia acted file through my mind. "I get it," I say,giving his arm a squeeze. "Did I hear you took over for your family pack?"
"I did," Connor says as we turn down another long corridor. He goes on to tell me how his mom passed away. His fathers were grieving, and purchasing a franchise in The Exchange gave them hope.
He mumbles a bit about how things have changed in the last few years, and finally we stop at a door.
"I was originally going to bring you to the front entrance, but we'd have to venture out into the cold again. I hope you don't mind. This won't be as glamorous as the main entrance."
My face scrunches with confusion, and my glasses wiggle down. Connor chuckles, giving them a quick push up for me.
"I still have no idea what we're doing," I confess.
"I really am out of practice when it comes to wooing a woman," Connor says. He reaches into the chest pocket of his coat and pulls out a small black box. My eyes widen; it almost looks like a jewelry box. It's a square about three-by-three inches. "Hold this for a moment." He places the box in my hand and opens the door. "I swear I'm always dragging you to sketchy places."
He unlocks the door and leads us through a huge maintenance room. We walk through to another smaller room, and Connor nods to the door.
"I'm sorry, it was the only way I could keep you out of the cold."
"It's no problem," I assure him.
"Go ahead and open it," he says. I lift the small lid and inside are several keys. My face must show my confusion because Connor reaches in and grabs the ring of keys. We head to the door, and he opens it.
My eyes scan the room. We're in a small office. Connor types in a code on the security system, and it beeps, I assume, to sayit's disarmed. He wraps his hand around mine and guides us out of the office and into a small shop.
It's adorable. There are shelves of antiques and trinkets, books and snow globes, pictures and postcards. It's a little gift shop for the lodge, but it has so much more than a normal souvenir shop.
Connor flips the light in the corner as I meander the aisles, checking everything out.
"This is awesome." I grin at him over my shoulder. "You totally fibbed. You're not out of practice at wooing a woman at all."
Connor gives me a look of pure molten sexual desire as he prowls closer. His hands land on my waist as he bends down, brushing a kiss over my lips. My nostrils flare as I get a strong hit of his coffee scent. My thighs clench together, but it doesn't help. An embarrassing little whine escapes. He tilts my head back with a handful of hair. My body melts into Connor's strong form as he fucks his tongue into my mouth. It's not a playful kiss. No, it feels like he's trying to devour me whole, and at this point…
I'd let him.
"Fuck," he hisses as he pulls back. His pupils are huge, completely dilated. A moan escapes my swollen lips. They feel sore and puffy. Connor dives back in, kissing the ever-loving hell out of me. His cock is hard against my belly as he pulls me flush with his front.
He growls, and it elicits a physical response from my body. My core throbs, feeling tender and achy.
Connor kisses my temple and works his way down my cheek and over my neck. His tongue flicks over my throat, and I moan. Huge hands grip my hips, holding me in place as he steps back.
"My apologies," he says, clearing his throat. "I lost control of myself for a moment. I haven't even explained my gift."
My chest heaves as I try to catch my breath. He's got some ridiculous self-control. I was about twenty seconds away from stretching out across the floor in offering.
I lick my lips, glancing around to try to get back some of my lost brain functioning.
"Can I pick a few souvenirs?" I ask, eyeing the wall of postcards, stickers, and magnets.
"Of course," Connor agrees, running his hands down his jeans. The thick bulge of his erection is fully visible. Even the line of his knot can be seen. Although, I know it'll swell even larger when he's locked inside me. "But I do hope you mean trinkets to send to your friends and family. You won't need souvenirs of your own. We fully intend to keep youforever."
Chapter Twenty
Connor
My head tilts, and I stare down atmyomega.
"It seems I wasn't very clear on exactly what the gift is," I growl, spinning her around to face the room. "This is part of the lodge, but it's its own section of the business. I've already shown you some of the things in the library. I'm hoping you might want to take over the store. Choose what you carry. Make it all into an old bookstore if you'd like. We're more than happy to convert it as you see fit. We want you to be happy here."