Page 15 of Endless

“Isolde.” I let my voice drop into a place of command. She might not understand that she needed it, but I did. “Take a breath.”

She did, body expanding in my hold. The softness of her against me was so damn tempting, I couldn’t resist leaning down to press a kiss to her neck. “You seem overwhelmed.”

“That’s an understatement.”

“Why?”

She huffed out a breath. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll be fine.”

Turning her in my arms, I pushed her back against the railing and met her eyes. Green, but soft. On the grayer side. Like moss on stone. Utterly fucking captivating.

Her scent whirled around us, and I held back my smile. The little Omega was far more affected by us than she let on. The entire car ride I inhaled breath after breath of it, and I’d been about five seconds from pulling her into the back seat and testing her commitment to abstinence when we pulled into the driveway.

“Do you know why we do what we do?” I asked.

She raised one eyebrow. “Money?”

“It helps,” I acknowledged with a grin. “But no, not entirely.”

“Then why?”

“Because each of us knows what it’s like to go through something alone, and desperately need someone to be there with you. Especially if someone is going to judge you. The fear climbs up your spine and your throat and it feels like your lungs are so full of rocks you can’t take a full breath.

“And all you want is someone to stand in that space with you. We like taking care of people.”

Isolde looked at me skeptically. “You’re telling me that all of you do this because you want to help people and not because you’re all really fucking hot and can have sex for money?” Her voice lowered on the last words, like there was anyone around who could hear her.

I smiled. “There’s actually a lot less sex involved than you might think. But I’m glad to know you think we’re hot.”

Her cheeks turned a delicious shade of pink. I wanted to see that pink on every inch of her body. Preferably while bound and squirming in my ropes.

“I want to make something clear,” I said gently, gripping her hips. “You came to us, and we said yes. That doesn’t mean we just show up and pretend to be with you while ignoring who you are and what you need. Sorry if that’s what you thought was going to happen.”

A whole new kind of fear bloomed on her face. “I’m not interested?—”

I lifted my hand to her cheek, silencing her. “I know. We know.”

“So…”

Our bodies were already lined up. I just closed the distance, pressing mine into hers just enough to feel her gasp. I smothered my own reaction. She could claim she wasn’t interested all she wanted—we would happily wait.

“So, you called us. And people rarely call us because it’s easy and things are going well. We’re here to help you. Let us in. Let us take care of you while we’re here.”

I watched her eyes gloss over with tears and how she tried to blink them away. “I don’t know how to do that. I didn’t… expect that. I just can’t be alone. Not when?—”

She caught herself before she admitted the truth, but I waited, letting the silence draw out. She needed to be the one to fill it.

Isolde hadn’t told uswhyshe wanted us here. Joel said she had cried when she called, begging us to help her for this three week stretch. But as to why? She’d given no clues.

“I promise you. Whatever it is, we can handle it. And we’re not going to judge you for it.”

She swallowed, and I followed the movement with my gaze. The longer I stood here pressed against her, the harder it was to keep myself in control. But I had no doubt she was mine. No other Omega had ever captivated me like this. Her scent, her eyes, the way shebreathed.

Mine.

Her teeth worried her bottom lip, and she looked away before she finally spoke. “My ex is the best man. He dumped me out of the blue a year ago. Now he’s engaged, and I didn’t want to be the sad, lonely Omega who everyone looked at with pity. Like I wasn’t good enough, even if it’s true.”

Anger flared through me. No fucking wonder she was overwhelmed. This was her home, and it didn’t fucking feelsafefor her. I wasn’t surprised she tried to keep the idea of sex and happiness at arm’s length—she’d been hurt. Her heart butchered. And now she was going to see that heartbreak paraded in front of her for the next three weeks.

---