Page 59 of Cost of Courting

Bailey snorts a laugh and lays down, shifting until he’s laying on his side right behind me, not touching but close enough for me to be painfully aware of him.

“Whilst that would be fun, I just wondered if you were okay?”

I blink in the dark. Am I okay? No, not even a little bit. Will I ever admit to it?

No.

“Things are complicated between you and them, I get it.”

“Says you.”

“Yeah, it’s complicated between me and them, too.”

He suddenly moulds his whole body to mine, throwing an arm over my side and up across my chest, then he grips my shoulder. I want to hate it, but there is something so safe and comfortable about laying in his embrace.

“Don’t you have to be looking after this big, massive business you inherited?”

“You’ve been dying to ask me about that, haven’t you?”

I can almost hear him smiling.

I roll my eyes. “Answer or don’t answer. I don’t care.”

“After they made me top dog, I discovered that the years of systemic abuse at the hands of the Raines was not going to be forgotten, so I did what any self-respecting guy would do, I set up a board to oversee the management of Raines Entertainment, and I am now the very hands-off boss who allows the company to run themselves from the inside out.”

“Isn’t that what companies do, anyway?”

“Possibly. I don’t know. I just chose thirteen individuals from all the departments and stepped back. They send me reports and keep me updated. But the hate for our family couldn’t be iced over.” He pauses. “Also, there were rumours I was an omega, and, apparently, that was a little too weird for anyone to cope with. Who knew it would be an issue?”

“So, what do you do now?”

“What do I do? Well, I do different things, but I guess, at the moment, I’m pretty aimless. Hiding the fact that I’m a freak who is an alpha or omega randomly has been top of my priorities. But so is riding my bike, having fun-”

“Fucking my sister?”

“I never had sex with her,” Bailey says with a chuckle and tightens his arm. “I knew you were jealous.”

“I am not jealous.”

“You’re adorable when you’re jealous.”

“I’m not.”

“Hey, Selene.”

I draw it out, not wanting to give in. I like the warmth of him against me. “What?”

“I’m glad you’re feeling better.”

I let out a long, suffering sigh.

He squeezes me a little tighter. I should make him leave. I will, in just a minute.

Chapter fifteen

Selene

We’re circling each other,growling and snarling, but nothing is happening. I go down to the park and find myself relegated to the sidelines, watching the four guys play with the kids while the parents gush about how wonderful they are.

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