Page 72 of Forget me Knot
“Got held up. On my way. Be there in ten.” I hang up and move my arse.
Grabbing my bag, I pause only to give Lily a quick shout through the bathroom door. “Gotta run, love!”
Her muffled voice replies, “See you later!”
Smiling at how much I like the sound of that, I race downstairs and throw my bag in the car. Setting off, I head for the station and make it in under ten minutes.
When I arrive, the station is already buzzing with activity. The scent of coffee and adrenaline fills the air. I nod to a few of the lads as I make my way to the Chief’s office.
“Morning, Chief. Sorry for the delay,” I say, stepping inside.
The Chief looks up from his paperwork, his eyes narrowing slightly. “It’s alright, Sam. Just don’t make a habit of it.”
“Won’t happen again,” I promise, trying to sound earnest despite my mind still being half on Lily and her mysterious errand.
“We’ve got a big training exercise set up for today,” he continues. “I need you leading the team.”
“Understood.” I take the briefing documents he hands over and leave his office, my thoughts already shifting gears to focus on the task at hand, but Lily is never too far away.
Chapter 36
Lily
With my heat gone and the alphas back to business, I need to do the same. But the dilemma I’m facing is crushing me in ways I can’t even comprehend. The bouquet for Max is due today and whoever wants me to send it, paid a lot of cash up front with no way to contact them to send it back.
So, what the fuck do I do?
Give it to him?
Not give it to him?
The jealousy that I have over this omega that has feelings for my future mate is pissing me off. How dare she? There again, how dare I. I’ve known him for a few days, and even that, most of it was spent stuck on his knot and not exactly getting to know each other.
“Eurgh,” I groan as I brush my wet hair out and set the blow dryer on it. I have minutes to decide. Literally, because I have to make up the bouquet before I drive to Noletown to deliver it to him. “Fuck!”
I turn off the hair dryer and slip my flip-flops on, heading downstairs to the shop as fast as I can. My own feelings aside, this omega paid me to do a job and I cannot not do that job just because the recipient of this delivery happens to be an alpha I’m involved with. It’s tough shit. I’m a professional and I will do this job. Whatever Max wants to do with the flowers once I’ve handed them off is up to him.
Then I start to wonder what hewilldo with them. Will he keep them? Bin them? Regift them? He better not give them back to me. That would not be acceptable. He has to take ownership of them, so my hands are clean.
I head straight for the red roses. They’re all vibrant, full of life, unlike my current emotional state. I grab a handful of each and start arranging them, my fingers working quickly. My mind is on overdrive. What if this omega is stunning, intelligent, perfect? What if Max falls head over heels for her?
“Get a grip, Lily,” I mutter under my breath as I tie the bouquet with a satin ribbon. “You can’t control who fancies him.” The scent of the flowers is calming, but it doesn’t do much for the knot in my stomach. “And, of course, someone does. There are probably plenty of omegas out there wishing he would mate with them.”
I step back to admire my work. It’s beautiful, not that I’d expect anything less from myself. I wrap it up in clear cellophane and scoop it up, grabbing my bag with my car keys and phone stashed inside.
“Heading out!” I shout to Jack and don’t wait for an answer as I hastily rush through the front door of the shop and lock it behind me. Not to hinder him, okay, probably to hinder him a bit, but also to secure my shop.
Opening the car, I slide in and drop the bouquet gently on the seat, starting up and heading out.
Driving to Noletown is both a blur and an eternity. It’s only when I pull up outsider Forshaw’s Bank that I remember I didn’t use my masking scent. “Fuck!” I roar and slam my hand on the steering wheel, startling an old lady and her dog, who clearly heard me through the closed window. I give her a stiff smile, which she glares at, and turns away in a huff, her head held high. “And fuck you,” I mutter before I open the door and snatch the roses up before I get out of the car and take a deep breath, my nerves hit me like a freight train. Each step towards the door feels like I’m walking towards a guillotine.
The snooty receptionist is there again, and she raises her eyebrow at me, clearly remembering me from last week. She waits for me to speak, which just puts me even more on edge.
“Delivery for Max Hamilton,” I murmur.
She rolls her eyes and picks up the phone, muttering something before she slams it down and ignores me.
I catch Max’s scent before I see him and turn to face him. He is gorgeous as ever in his sharp suit, those blue eyes hooded as he glares at the roses. “Lily. What are you doing here?”
