Page 2 of Nursing the Alpha
“I’ll be fine, Melly, and if it’s too difficult, I can take the suppressants the hospital gave me to stop the lactation.” Though I’d prefer to stop producing milk the natural way. I wasn’t too fond of the potential side effects of those pills.
“Good, you take care of yourself, darling. You’ve done so much good here, don’t forget that. And you remember who to call if you need anything, okay?” She gave my hand a firm squeeze, and I nodded once more, fighting back tears.
Leaving Saint Agatha’s felt final in a way that surprised me. A bittersweet ending to a year filled with small heartbreaks and triumphs. As I walked toward the exit and stepped into the afternoon sun, I took a deep breath of the crisp fall air. A signal of change.
So this was it. Time to go back to doing what? Being Flynn Peterson again? That felt as unfamiliar as putting on an old pair of shoes that no longer fit quite right. Sure, they were yours and you used to love them dearly at some point, but that was another lifetime ago.
Still, my chest felt empty, which was rare. My shirt was dry. And for the first time in a long time, I walked with a little bounce in my step.
2
FLYNN
The subway was packed.
Shoulder to shoulder, front to back. That kind of packed. I barely made it inside before the doors hissed shut behind me. The floor vibrated beneath my sneakers as the train lurched into motion. The lights buzzed overhead. Music leaked from earbuds nearby. Someone smelled strongly of egg salad and regret. Ugh, the scent of the subway.
I hooked a hand around the nearest metal pole and held on.
No seats. Not surprising at this time of day. I adjusted the strap on my bag, making sure it didn’t knock into anyone, and focused on keeping my balance.
I sucked in a breath.
Across the crush of passengers, an alpha leaned casually against the opposite pole, looking entirely too relaxed for rush hour. Sandy-brown hair, artfully tousled. Deep-set eyes, crooked smile. He wore a faded denim jacket, the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, revealing muscular forearmsprominently veined. His jeans were dark and lived in. They clung to him in a flattering sort of way.
He caught me staring.
I started to look away, then didn’t. This was a new era. I was putting myself out there.
He smiled.
I smiled back.
It was the easy kind of interest. No pressure. No promises. Just something light sparking in the space between us.
He shifted a little closer as the train jostled.
“Cold day,” he said, voice warm and friendly.
“Yeah.” I hugged the strap of my bag.
“Next time wear a sweater, although it’d hide that figure.” He gave me a look that hovered just shy of smolder. “What’s your name?”
I laughed under my breath. Did I even remember how to flirt? “Flynn.”
He nodded, like he already liked the sound of it. “I’m Aaron.”
Aaron held my gaze. There was nothing urgent in his voice. Just the casual, amused ease of someone who knew how to handle himself in any situation.
“Nice to meet you, Aaron.”
“The pleasure is mine.” His eyes twinkled. “You new around here?”
“Not really. I’ve lived in Sweetin for five years.”
“You take the subway often? It’s tragic we’ve never met before.”
I laughed softly. He was pouring on the charm a little too thick, but this was the first time I’d openly flirted with anyone in a long time. While carrying a baby during surrogacy, I’d never dated, and the one time I tried after handingover the baby to the parents, I’d leaked all over the table during dinner.
