Page 53 of Hired for Research
“Yeah, just a little tired from standing so long. I’m more used to sitting at my computer lately.”
She let out a little laugh and shrugged. She’d never claimed to be in the best shape. She was too busy to worry about proper exercise and all that.
He hefted the case as she slung her bag over her shoulder.
“I could always carry you too.”
He tried to keep a straight face but the corner of his lips twitched, and she arched a brow at him, wondering if he’d take her seriously if she accepted. He’d probably use it as an excuse to toss her over his shoulder, so she decided it was better not to give him the opportunity.
“I know you like projecting the big, strong alpha façade, but what would people think if they saw you carrying an omega down the street?”
He snorted, backing into the door to hold it open for her. The sun was already high overhead, and it was warmer than it had been during the rest of her time in Eden.
“That the poor little omega couldn’t keep up, so I got impatient and decided to carry her too.”
Chuckling, she shook her head. He was probably right, and she could see him doing exactly that if he got tired of waiting for her. It was so different than what would happen in any other city. At home, the alpha would be apprehended before he made it more than a block, then spend hours explaining his actions to the Controllers, hoping to convince them it had been harmless.
They walked to the corner and Jett paused to look down at her.
“Still up for the food truck, or straight to the hospital?”
Her feet really were tired, but it seemed like things were growing comfortable between them again and she didn’t want to risk putting a damper on that.
“Food truck. I didn’t eat breakfast this morning and I’m starved.”
He frowned at her, brows creasing again.
“You need to take better care of yourself. You’re still depleted from your heat, you shouldn’t be skipping meals.”
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him even though part of her preened at the show of concern. It was equally sweet and irritating, but she wasn’t his responsibility.
“How did you learn so much about omegas? Do they teach you about them?”
“I used to work at a stud facility.”
The growl ripped from her throat before she could stop it, jerking Jett to a stop on the sidewalk. Brows raised, he watched as she coughed and struggled to cut off the sound, the thought of him tending another omega through her heat infuriating her more than she’d even been.
“You what?”
His lips twitched at the harsh question and her growl deepened. If he laughed at her she wasn’t sure what she would do, and she couldn’t get hold of herself. Only the precious case he carried had stopped her from launching herself at him already.
“I was a guard at the Omega Den for a couple years. I picked up a lot of information while the studs were being trained.”
The words sank in and she managed to cut off the growl, clearing her throat as her breathing slowed and she forced her shoulders to relax. She couldn’t explain herself without admitting to the roaring jealousy that had flooded through her, so the next best thing was to pretend it had never happened.
Turning away from him, she started walking down the sidewalk again. She knew she should be concerned about her reaction, but she’d have to accept it to do that, and she wasn’t willing to face it yet.
She was a few steps away before she heard the thud of Jett’s heavy footsteps behind her. While he remained silent, and glance from the corner of her eye showed the grin spread across his face. Huffing, she walked faster, hoping he’d let it go.
She thanked whatever deities were smiling down on her when the food truck came into view once they passed the next corner. Turning, she let herself drop back beside Jett again instead of staying ahead of him.
They ordered their food, deciding to sit at the little table and bench set up in front of the truck to eat it before continuing on to the hospital since the weather was nice. It wasn’t quite warm enough to take her coat off, but the wind that always seemed to blow was missing and sitting in the sun was comfortable.
She went straight to the lab when they made it back, dropping off the samples that needed refrigerated before going to the exam room. There wasn’t anyone waiting so she put away the pheromone samples and the extra supplies before heading back to the lab. She didn’t want to waste time sitting around when she could be doing something, so she spent the rest of the day going back and forth between the two areas.
By the time she was ready to leave for the day her feet were throbbing, the pain traveling up into her calves. Evelyn had pulled off her shoes to massage her arches while Jett ran the trash out for her and didn’t realize he’d returned until thick fingers pushed hers out of the way, a palm wrapping around the back of her calf to pull her foot closer.
“Let me do that.”
