Page 13 of Knotty New Year

But I was killing this betasitting gig. I’d missed being around kids more than I’d realized.

“I wonder why they don’t let omegas work as nannies? I think we’re better. We can calm you little guys down, and we already like soft blankets and sweet foods…” Benny and I were finger painting with some fancy bath paints on the side of his tub. I hadn’t seen Pax for an entire day and a half—Mr. Paxson, I reminded myself firmly—but I’d sensed him, and even heard his office door open a few times. He was obviously avoiding me, which was fine. I could live my whole life without being barked at again, thank you very much.

I leaned over the tub, using the purple paint to draw a big dick on the far side of the tub. “That’s your Unky Nik-Nik,” I murmured. “A big old meanie dick-dick.”

“If I get in trouble for teaching him bad words, I think you should, too,” a deep, gravelly voice said right behind me.

I closed my eyes in humiliation. “Sorry, Mr. Paxson.”

“I told you not to call me that.” He sat on the toilet, and even though I’d glanced at him and looked away, I could feel his eyes boring into me. “That’s two, angel.”

“Two what?” He growled at me slightly. “Two what, sir?” I amended.

“You’ll find out if you get to three.”

I clenched my thighs together in the thin sleep shorts I was still wearing, hoping the damp patch wasn’t obvious. Or maybe hoping it was. The man was probably used to omegas practically floating away from slick spills every time he walked past. I snorted at the mental image and crooned a few lines of “Row Row Row Your Boat.”

“You’re a terrible singer,” he remarked. “You sound like a cat being bathed.”

When I shrieked in protest, Benjamin splashed me, babbling the unmistakable word “fuck” over and over. I slanted a glance at the hulking alpha, who… Oh, sweet, muscled temptations, he’d rolled the sleeves of his white dress shirt up his forearms and was leaning toward me, just…flexingthem at me.

“Cover yourself,” I hissed.

He scowled. “What do you mean?” He shifted forward, flexing those forearms again.

“That’s indecent,” I muttered, standing to face him. “You come in here, half naked…” I trailed off. His jaw had dropped open, and he was staring at my tits again. “Honestly, didn’t anyone ever teach you that eyes are uphere?”

He blushed, snapping his gaze to my face.“Why aren’t you wearing my clothes?” he snarled. I put my hands on my hips, ignoring Benny’s splashing around for a moment as I realized… Yup. I was once again wearing a wet shirt and no bra.

“Well, fancy seeing you two,” I muttered to my nipples.

“Did you just talk to your breasts?” He ran a hand over his face.

“Listen, if you had a pair this unruly, you’d need to keep them in line as well.” Mischief possessing me, I lifted them up, one in each hand, and said firmly, “If you two don’t settle down, I will punish you in the worst possible way.” Pax let out a strange whimpering sound, and I finished, “I will force you into a bra after ten p.m.” I looked back at my employer. “Now, if you don’t mind, it’s time for me to put the baby to bed, and then toddle off to my own room.” Where I would most likely masturbate five times before I could fall asleep, like I had the nights before.

I would’ve thought I was getting close to a heat cycle with how oversexed I’d been feeling, but I’d just had one two months ago, so wasn’t due for ten more months, thank goodness. But my skin also felt itchy and tingly, like I was allergic to something. Maybe the laundry detergent? I hoped I wasn’t getting sick. I needed the money, but I wouldn’t risk Benjamin’s health to get it.

I pulled him out of the tub and wrapped him in a towel, pretending Pax wasn’t in the room. After putting a fresh diaper on the baby, I gave him the bottle from the handy bedside bottle warmer and settled him on my lap to readGoodnight Moonsix times in a row, until he was finally drowsy enough to go to bed. Then I turned the monitor on, and tiptoed out.

Pax had left a moment before, and was waiting in the hallway.

“What?” I asked, forcing myself to look into his face. The storm clouds on his brow were scary. “...sir?”

A slow, almost sinister smile formed. “Damn, I thought we’d get to three.” He reached out with one hand to gently touch the base of my throat, where my pulse was thudding. “Come on, princess. Let’s get some dinner.”

I followed him downstairs, wondering when my neck had become a primary erogenous zone—honestly, it had felt almost as good as being touched between my thighs—and was shocked when we reached the kitchen.The island had two of the plush padded bar stools pulled up, and there was what looked like a steak pie and a green salad next to the two place settings, along with a peach cobbler, still bubbling on the side of the stove.

“How? When did you make this?” I was stunned. I’d only been upstairs for an hour and a half.

“My chef called earlier this morning. She’s beside herself that she wasn’t able to come to prepare the Christmas meals. But she had me pull these out of the freezer to thaw this morning, and I popped it into the oven when you went upstairs. You’re following that ridiculous schedule very faithfully. I’m impressed.”

My skin prickled again. So he had been paying as much attention to my whereabouts as I had his. “Well, thank you,” I told him, sitting down on the stool he pulled out for me. “Better than the energy bar dinner I’d planned.”

“You’re welcome, princess,” he said, brushing past me.

He kept that up for the whole meal, touching me lightly, brushing a hand across mine as he reached for the salad, asking me to pass him the bottle of red wine and then moving his fingers over mine when I did.

All the casual touches were driving me crazy.

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