Page 37 of Omega's Reluctant Mate
“Take as much as you need.”
I held him close until Tiny barked with impatience.
Cody laughed. “Go, before he decides this needs to become a cuddle pile and knocks us both over.”
“I’ll be back in an hour.”
“You want lunch here?”
I shook my head and grinned. “Nate and I are going to get lunch in town.”
Cody smiled. “Ok. Enjoy.”
I let Tiny pull me out the door and down to the beach. He immediately started towards Zaya’s house, and I knew he was as excited to see Nate as I was.
We were halfway to our normal meeting point when I saw my alpha striding up the beach towards us. I let Tiny off-leash, and he raced ahead. I ran after him, grinning as Nate scratched behind Tiny’s ears.
Nate looked up at me and smiled, then walked over and pulled me into a hug.
I melted against him, wondering if I was still dreaming. Sure, he’d held my hand, and there had been a few random touches, but nothing like this.
“Is this ok?” he asked
“Uh-huh,” I sighed. “Perfect.”
He held me until Tiny jumped up in an attempt to join us, at which point he released me so that we didn't both tumble onto the sand.
“You just wanted attention too, didn’t you?” Nate cooed as he ruffled Tiny’s ears.
I hid a smile behind my hand. Two weeks before he’d never considered having a dog, now he laughed and played easily with one.
We started walking, Tiny several paces in front, and Nate slung his arm low around my back.
I relished it. The touch was simple but it felt amazing. However, I did wonder what had changed.
“Is-is this ok?” I asked. “I don’t want to push you.”
I looked up at his face, trusting him to lead me.
Nate was silent for several steps, then he spoke. “You’re not pushing me, and I’m not pushing myself. I wanted to hug you, so I did.”
I smiled. “You can hug me any time.”
He glanced down and returned my smile. “Thank you.”
We walked on, comfortable in each other’s company, until we reached the stretch of beach where we played fetch with Tiny.
I could imagine doing this every day for the rest of my life. My mate, myself, a kid, and a dog.
Chapter 16 - Nate
Istared at my reflection in the mirror as I adjusted the sports jacket, trying to figure out what was different.
My suits fit the same, and my hair was neat. I’d developed a tan from the daily walks with Corey over the previous three weeks. But that wasn’t it.
There was something different, and I couldn’t put my finger on it.
Not that I had time to figure it out. I had a date with Corey that night, and it was time for me to treat him as he deserved.
