Page 51 of Hired for Research
“That’s a great idea. I should have done that from the beginning instead of waiting for them to come to me.”
Letting go of his worry, he smiled back at her. Whatever it took, he’d make sure her last few days turned out the way she wanted them to, and when the time came to let her go, he’d find a way to accept it. He didn’t think he’d ever find another omega he wanted the way he did her, but he had to put his wants aside.
***
Jett insisted on walking Evelyn back to her hotel once the laundry was done. He’d loved seeing her dressed in his shirt, one pale shoulder showing through the neck, beaded nipples poking through the fabric, but once she was redressed in what she’d arrived in it was easier to separate himself from what they’d done and pretend like things were the way they’d been in the beginning.
He left her in the lobby, turning to trudge back to his apartment. He had a pile of clothing to fold and put away, plus remaking his bed, and he really needed to do some shopping, but he was in no rush to do any of it.
Taking his time, he retraced their path back to his building. He’d almost stopped at the diner they’d had breakfast at before the storm hit, but the sight of the omega waiter stopped him outside the door.
Would he ever be able to go there without thinking about the way Evelyn had bristled at the male?
Sighing, he decided to have something delivered instead.
Despite washing everything that had been in his room, including the towel she’d used to dry with, his apartment still smelled of vanilla cupcakes. Their fluids had soaked through the bedding, leaving behind the scent of them on his mattress, and even opening the window to the cold breeze outside did nothing to erase it. He had his mattress on its side, ready to carry it down to the garbage, when he decided he couldn’t because then someone else would be able to smell her sweet slick.
Groaning, he decided he’d have to get some of the odor neutralizer and douse the entire thing with it. It was too late to go to the store, and he was still tired from days of sex, so he closed his bedroom door and threw himself down on his couch instead.
The cushions carried her scent as well, but it was the clean smell of her, not the scent of her arousal, and it wasn’t nearly as strong. Pulling the blanket that had been the top of her nest over his face to block out the light he was too lazy to get up and turn off, he was asleep in minutes, but even in his dreams he couldn’t escape his desire. The smell of her followed him into unconsciousness, and he found himself chasing it through an ever-changing landscape. Rain, snow, hail, then burning desert, from abandoned ruins, to bustling cities, and untouched wilderness, he searched and searched.
Every time he thought he had finally found her, there was nothing but a cupcake.
Taunting him.
He woke with a raging erection and a deep hatred of the sweet treat. If he never saw another one in his life, it would be too soon.
His erection refused to abate, even after spilling himself in the shower. Twice. Resigned to living with the discomfort, Jett gave up and dressed, forcing himself to focus.
It was just another workday. He wasn’t going to think about how it was one of the last he’d have with her. He wasn’t going to let the swirling, churning mess of conflict filling his head affect the way he acted.
He was going to keep it together. For her sake, if nothing else.
Jett made it to her hotel early only to find her already waiting in the lobby. She gave him a sheepish smile, admitting she was starving and wanted to stop for food before they went to the hospital.
He’d informed his commander the night before that her heat had broken and they were returning to work in the morning, but he was still surprised to find a group of alphas waiting for them in the foyer when they entered. As hard as it was to hold in the possessive need to keep her away from the other males, it was worth letting them near her to see the happiness on her face when she was done collecting their samples and two more had agreed to get MRIs.
After that, the morning was the usual slow trickle before picking up in the afternoon. They made arrangements to go back to the worksite they’d watched the morning her heat began in between donors, and made sure to leave a note on the door when they left so anyone who came to the hospital would know to come back in the afternoon. He carried the case of supplies she needed back to her hotel once they were done for the day, and once again, she rejected his offer to go out to dinner.
“I’m still a bit worn out from… you know. I’m going to get this stuff organized for in the morning and type up some notes, then go to bed.”
Her cheeks colored at the reference to her heat. He had a feeling she was just giving him an excuse, but there wasn’t much he could do about it.
Ignoring the churning in his gut, he smiled and accepted what she said, heading back out into the evening on his own.
Too antsy to go home and deal with her lingering scent, he headed to the rec area, intent on wearing himself out. Stripping off his vest, he lifted weights until his arms trembled before taking off on the track. The weight of his vest dragged on his arms as he carried it with him, and despite heaving for breath by the time the sun sank beneath the horizon, he still wasn’t any calmer.
For the first time in his life, he wished he could buy alcohol. He knew a few betas who might have been able to buy it for him, but they worked in the Administration Building with him, and he wasn’t willing to ask them to break the law for him, no matter how tempting the thought of passing out was.
It was impossible to resist the urge to walk past her hotel on the way home, and he stopped in his tracks when he spotted a blonde head through the lobby window. He scooted out of the light of the streetlamps, hiding in the shadow against the building as he watched Evelyn talking to an older couple who sat with her in the lounge area. They appeared to be having a serious conversation, and he couldn’t help the jealousy that filled him.
Who were they? Why was she in the lobby when she’d told him she was going to do some work and then go to bed? Had she lied to him to get him to leave? Why hadn’t she wanted to spend the evening with him?
The questions whirled through his head, his hands tightening on his vest as he tried to keep himself from storming into the hotel and demanding answers.
He watched until the couple stood, shaking hands with Evelyn before heading to the lift. She’d given them a polite smile that made the conversation seem more professional than personal, but if she was doing something like interviewing people, he should have been there to protect her. That was his job, even if she wasn’t at the hospital.
He was still tempted to go inside until he saw her walk over to the lift after the couple had disappeared behind the closed door. She watched the numbers over the opening until they stopped before she pushed the button and waited for it to return. He did the same after she entered the empty lift, being sure it stopped at her floor before giving up his hiding place.
