Dodging the Alpha (Betas in Waiting Book 1) Read online

  “Yes, treasure.” He inclined his head, and they were off, going through the house to the front door, and from there, he walked along the car-lined drive to his vehicle. He opened her door with one finger and slid her into the passenger seat. “Buckle in.”

  She snapped herself in, and then, she stifled a whine when he got in behind the wheel.

  The car started with a muffled roar, and she knotted her fingers together instead of whining in panic. She wanted to whine, but betas didn’t whine.

  “You have to stop at the Rathmussen mansion. I left my purse and keys in my car.”

  He nodded. “Fair enough.”

  He drove over to Ford’s, and she ran out to get her purse. Ford came out and smiled. She warned him about protection, and he blinked. “You do that?”

  “It isn’t on purpose, but it comes with the kiss, so to speak.”

  “Why didn’t you...”

  She smiled. “Because omegas don’t just kiss me. We are supposed to be handmaids, according to the Omega Centre.”

  He took a step toward her. “Yes, please.”

  She flinched. “I will slap you and then probably get fired.”

  He stopped. “Right. Sorry. You just smell so good.”

  “Yeah, my nullifiers broke yesterday and seem to have fizzled away when I needed them to work. So, unless you want to get so high, you don’t want a condom, and you want to have a little Ford running around, two steps back.”

  He nodded but whined needily. “Is there ever a time that you don’t have this effect?”

  “Yeah, when folks don’t kiss me. The Omega Centre only had records of two other folks with my condition, and neither one had a long and healthy life.”

  He scowled. “How long do your kind live?”

  She smiled. “Dead by thirty-five.”

  He recoiled. “What is the usual cause of death?”

  “Um... internal bleeding.” The ramifications were in her tone.

  His hand clamped over his mouth, and he looked at the car where Sabin was seated, waiting. “We can hide you.”

  She reached to touch his cheek and then paused. “I can’t keep hiding. He’s been inhaling me for five years and has only made one move in that time. And then, he let me go, so... what can one night hurt?”

  Ford muttered. “Call Yemeen if you need help. We’ll come.”

  “Uh, I am not really comfortable with that. Goodbye, Ford.” She waved at him with a smile. “I will come to get my car tomorrow. Whatever I am doing will be done at dawn.”

  He nodded. “Right. Well, good luck.”

  “You, too. Protection and fresh air.”

  He grinned. “Back atcha.”

  She nodded and walked to the car. She had her purse and emergency bag, which had jeans, a tee, and clean underwear. When you were around hot coffee all day, it was better than nothing.

  “Ready?” Sabin looked at her.

  “Yeah. We don’t need to stop at my place. I have a change of clothing.”

  He smiled. “Good.”

  She found her fingers had tangled again. “So... um... where are we going?”

  “My place a few blocks away.”

  “So, not your apartment?”

  “No, I would rather have a bit more privacy for you.”

  She bit her lip, “Oh.”

  He smiled slightly and drove them through some lovely avenues and lanes before he pulled up to a charming house with a huge drive. She had been here before.

  “This is where you held the holiday party.”

  He smiled. “It is close to the city and useful for entertaining.”

  “Um. Right.”

  “Have you eaten?”

  “No.”

  He frowned as he got out of the car and came around to her side, where she was opening her own door. He helped her out, and one of the neighbour women was jogging past. “Hey, Sabin. Bringing another playmate home?”

  Nora turned and smiled. “Just me, Mrs. Bresekis.”

  The woman’s expression lit up. “Oh, my god. Nora! So, he finally got you back.”

  “It has only been a few weeks. How did your pumpkins fare?”

  She grimaced. “The deer got in. We lost half our crop. Are you here getting ready for a party?”

  “We’re in the planning phase for a few things and need to check things out.”

  Mrs. Bresekis grinned, her forty-ish features grinning. “Well, I have loved every party that the neighbours have been invited to. Keep us in mind, darling.”

  “Yes, Mrs. Bresekis.”

  “Jocelyn.”

  “Jocelyn.” Nora smiled and nodded. Her weekend bag looked like a laptop bag, so she knew that aside from Olivia’s slick that was covered by the bag, she looked normal to the other beta.

  “Well, my pulse is dropping. I had better get running. Talk to you soon, I hope.” Jocelyn waved and jogged away.

  Nora returned to the waiting alpha, who was smiling. “You are so good with people.”

  “Even people who don’t eat chocolate like to get closer to it, even with the nullifiers working.” She followed him to the house, and he opened the door. The front was a sitting room, a wide hall led to the kitchen and dining room, and he walked her directly to the stairs and ushered her up the steps.

  “You are wearing too much of Olivia. Will you take a shower?”

  She blushed and nodded. “Sure. I will have to take my cuffs off. Is that a problem?”

  “I know your scent, so not a problem.” He paused. “Do you need something to wear?”

  She nodded. “Yes, please.”

  He smiled. “I have something in mind.”

  They walked the hall to the largest bedroom, and he ushered her inside. He went to the closet and pulled out a button-down shirt and handed it to her.

  She looked at the shirt and then stared at him with her eyes wide. “Oh, wow.”

  He smiled. “Indulge a harmless fantasy of mine. I always wanted to see you wrapped in my shirt.”

  She bit her lip. “Right. Shower. I am going to have to wash my hair, too.”

  He smiled. “We have time. You remember where everything is?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I will order some dinner. By the time you are done, it should be nearly here.”

  She nodded and held the shirt while she scuttled into the bathroom. She hung it up on the hook on the door, and she eased the door closed.

  She set her stuff on the counter, took off her cuffs, stripped and folded her underwear together, and then she shrugged and took her underwear and the dress into the shower. She washed the slick out of the clothing and the wet stains from her underwear and hung them over the curtain rod.

  Nora scrubbed herself from head to toe. A lot of omegas had been rubbing on her today, so getting that off her skin might slow down whatever Sabin was planning.

  When she was clean, she looked into the spray of the shower and tried to think about what she was doing. He was good-looking like most alphas were. Dark brown hair and ice-blue eyes were a fun combination when coupled with an incredible body. She could almost overlook the canines that became obvious when he was irritated.

  She thought she heard something and turned off the water. She wrung her hair out and looked, but the only thing that looked odd was the shirt that was swaying slightly.

  She dried off, brushed her hair, and switched from the towel to his shirt. She nearly dropped to her knees. This was not the shirt from the closet. This was the shirt he had been wearing. She gritted her teeth. “Bastard.”

  She brushed her teeth and brushed her hair again. She checked her cuffs, and they were out. They ran on body heat, so when she spiked, she must have just blown her charge. Nora sighed. All of her canisters were at home.

  A knock on the door made her smile. “Nora, the food is on the way. It will be here in five.”

  She opened the door, and he was leaning against the wall, shirtless with a ridiculous amount of muscle moving as he breathed. She inhaled with a jolt. “We are eating in the dining room?”

  “I thought the living room would be better.” He stroked her cheek. “Did you just hold back a whine?”

  “Of course not. Betas shouldn’t make omega noises.”

  “Yeah, but I have met a few who do. It is normally an affectation, though.” He looked her over. “You look amazing.”

  “I look like there is only one layer between us and your self-control.”

  He smiled. “Welcome to my fantasy.”

  She walked past him when her legs got weak. She left the bedroom and headed for the stairs. Nora headed for the living room, and she thanked her stars that he was huge. The tail of the shirt hung to her knees. The doorbell rang, and he walked to the door, but she stared as she saw the vehicle through the window, and it was a pharmacy delivery. Her face went scarlet, and she grabbed a throw and buried her face in it.

  She didn’t look up as he came in and set some items down on the coffee table before he headed upstairs. She peeked out past the fabric, and she ducked again when she saw condoms and lube set neatly on the table with some moist towelettes.

  Nora blinked, and she whimpered, pressing her thighs together. He had just returned to her and slid his hands down her arms when the doorbell rang again. He chuckled and pressed a kiss to her damp hair. “Back in a moment.”

  She nodded and pulled her legs up to her chest. He came around with the box of food. She perked up. She only knew of one company that packaged its takeout in that specific box. He handed her a box, and there was a smile on his face as he set out her burger, and then, he brought it to her.

  She was going to lean forward, but he said, “No, stay just like that.”

  She frowned. “Why?”

  He leaned toward her, and she felt his fingers on her thighs, and then, his fingertip was teasing her labia. He stroked her lightly, and she went to shift her position. But he paused her. He chuckled. “We need to start somewhere.”

  The slide of his fingertip into her as it drew slow circles, spreading her wetness, was hypnotic.

  “Eat your burger, Nora.”

  She blinked. “You want me to eat while you are doing that?”

  “If you finish your burger, I will stop doing this.”

  Nora stared at Sabin, but he watched his finger, and she was getting wet alarmingly quickly.

  He looked at her with his ice-blue eyes. “Unless you don’t want me to stop by then.”

  She stared at him, her heart thudded in her chest, and she opened the box and took a bite of the burger. “I will keep you posted.”

  Chapter Five

  Nora breathed as she tried to take a bite of her burger, but she gritted her teeth on a moan. She kept herself calm and tried to take a decent-sized bite. His finger circled inward a little deeper, and she clenched her eyes and exhaled through her nose.

  “What is the resistance you have to omega sounds? I think you have it in you to whimper and beg very prettily.”

  She chewed and swallowed. “My mother said the sounds weren’t for betas. Only omegas could beg for alphas. It was their right.”

  He leaned his chin against her knee. “That is a decided opinion. Do you know how she came by it?”

  She took another bite and swallowed. “Sure. She’s an omega.”

  He paused. “What?”

  She mumbled. “You heard me.”

  She kept eating while he was distracted.

  “So, you are not allowed to make sounds because your mother said so?”

  “Mother, father, uncles, brothers. I couldn’t play omega like other girls because I most definitely wasn’t one.”

  “And your body made sure that your encounters with alphas were unpleasant. How were betas as lovers?”

  She sighed. “Quick. So, I stopped bothering after a while, and alphas were the only ones to hire me, so they became the people I was around most, and the nullifier worked more often than not. Alphas were quick in their own way. Once they locked in, I was attacked immediately or in three seconds. I learned to move fast.”

  She finished her burger and tried to set the box aside, but his finger had moved deeper, and she couldn’t let go as she fought the deep pressure, and she panted as his finger moved inside her, and then, she felt a rush of her honey around his finger as she contracted hard on it. The box was crushed as she shook, and his finger went around and around. She fought the whine as her internal spasms went on and on. The sound was sticky, wet, and obscene, but she was stuck and unable to squirm away. She had given herself too solid a backing.

  With focus, she set down the crushed container, and then, she gripped his wrist as she kept softly fluttering around him. She squeezed his arm and said, “Please stop.”

  He looked at her, and he nodded, withdrawing his finger. He sucked on his finger and smiled. “Did you know you taste like a chocolate truffle?”

  She blushed scarlet and tried to bring her legs down and to the side. “Uh, yeah, I did. Apparently, it can be a little much. It’s just all chemical translation anyway.”

  He smiled. “Why do you say that?”

  “I tested it for sugar once when I was a teen. No sugar.”

  He grinned. “I am going to offer a second opinion. I smell like toasted marshmallows, after all. Would you like something to drink?”

  She nodded, and he popped a straw through a lid and held it out to her. She reached for it, and he pulled it back. “I’ll hold it, you drink.”

  Nora leaned forward and took a sip of the soda, and when she lifted her head, he sipped from the straw. She suddenly wanted the straw back in the worst way. She licked her lips and inhaled in a shaking breath.

  He sipped again. “Did you want some more?”

  She bit her lip and nodded. “Yes.”

  He held the cup toward her, and she captured it with her lips. She tasted the sweetness of him, and it overpowered the soda.

  She circled her tongue around the straw and got the last taste of him before she pulled away. She shivered and whispered, “This is weird.”

  He smiled slowly and ran the back of his hand along her thigh. “It isn’t even six in the evening. We literally have all night.”

  Nora nearly passed out. He was going to seriously warp her memories of fast food. “Um, you haven’t eaten yet. Your food is getting cold.”

  “Don’t worry about me. If I only have you for one night, I want to make sure I make an impression, Nora.”

  She swallowed. “Mission accomplished. So, we’re done?”

  Sabin laughed. “I have missed you. No, we are not done.”

  He sipped from the soda, and he sighed. “I really want to rush, but you wouldn’t like the result, and neither would I.”

  Nora swallowed. “What result are you looking for?”

  He set the soda down and leaned in to kiss her. “I want you to come back for more, again and again.”

  The press of his lips against hers was sudden, but she let out a whine of need before she froze and pulled back.

  He murmured, “Just for today, make the sounds you want to. As a lowly alpha, I need cues to know if I am doing something right. Based on that whine, you like the kissing?”

  She nodded.

  “Would you like more?”

  She nodded.

  “Meet me halfway.”

  She leaned in and kissed him, opening her mouth to his when he asked her with soft strokes of his tongue. The hot slide of him made her moan, and she cupped his jaw and held his head as he kissed her. She was touching him, but the only place he touched her was his lips on hers.

  She wanted to get closer, but his hands were on his thighs, and she didn’t know what she was allowed to do. She hadn’t been in this situation before. She let go of his head and leaned back, mimicking his slow motions and letting her blood cool. She wanted to wrap herself around him and hang on, but he was playing a game, and she didn’t know the rules.

  He leaned back and smiled. “What changed?”

  “I realized you weren’t touching me, so I shouldn’t touch you. Right?”

  His eyes widened. “No, not really how it works.”

  She whined. “I don’t know how it works. You might have done this with tons of betas, but the alphas I have met don’t react like you do so...” She whined again.

  He stroked her cheek, and she leaned into his touch. The contact had several effects, and one of them was that her scent thickened and made her blush. She pressed her knees together and put her feet flat on the floor and wrapped her arms around herself.

  “I have not ever played like this with a beta. My encounters have been with betas, who have experience with alphas. They know how to take a knot and to be satisfied with a reward or a little attention.”

  She nodded. “Right.” She swallowed. “So, why am I here again?”

  “Because you promised me one night in return for keeping my relatives from tearing you apart.”

  Her eyes widened. “Oh. Right. I forgot. I’m sorry.”

  “It was a lot more fun teasing you when you were my assistant.”

  She blinked.

  “It was also fun fighting with you and watching you keep your lips together when you wanted to cuss me out. You would get so mad and stomp on the way back to your desk, but my files were always organized, and the client meetings were always excellently arranged.”

  She stared. “Finally, that makes a bit of sense. I know I am not your type. So, this is an experiment?”

  He caressed her cheek. “Of a sort. Nothing sinister. I am trying to give you an experience with an alpha that you would want to repeat.”

  She frowned. “So, an experiment on me and for me? Not a fan of that thought.”

  He growled, and she blinked. A frisson of fear had curled down her spine, just as it had when they worked together and he was displeased. She wasn’t worried for her safety. She just wanted to get the hell out of the way.

  Instinct told her what to do, but she wasn’t sure how he would react. Fuck it.

  She pressed her lips to his neck and licked softly, whimpering. His breath caught, and his growl stopped cold. She lifted her head and went to lean back, but he caught her. “Why did you do that, Nora?”