Page 23 of Nursing the Alpha
“Would your employer say you’re good at it?”
My employer? I still had no idea who I worked for. The housekeeper always let me in. I went to my little room, pumped for at least an hour, ate, replenished, and pumped again. Sometimes I took a nap before heading home.
“I guess. They pay me a lot, and they seem pleased with my supply over the past couple of weeks because I’ve had no complaints.” I smiled, a little sheepish. “I used to be a librarian. Now I get paid to leak all over expensive robes. I always feel guilty that I leave them soaked and they have to take care of my laundry.”
Seth chuckled. The sound was low and short but real. “I have a feeling they don’t mind.”
“I don’t know much about you,” I said softly.
His gaze sharpened. “Have dinner with me tonight. I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”
I blinked, sucked in a deep breath. We’d been low-key flirting for a month now, but the invitation dropped so casually took me by surprise. “Dinner?”
“Unless you’re busy.”
My heart stuttered.
This—whateverthiswas—had been easy. These quiet Friday evenings. These half conversations and half smiles and not having to explain why I shifted uncomfortably every time my chest started to drip. Seth didn’t flinch. He didn’t turn away in disgust. He didn’t make it weird.
What if we broke it?
What if we went on a real date and it ruined the gentle space between us?
But also, what if we didn’t?
What if this was it? My one shot at being wanted by someone who didn’t see my body as defective or embarrassing?
I looked up at him. Really looked.
I didn’t think he’d care about the stretch marks. Or the little pouch of softness I’d never quite lost after the surrogacy. Or the fact that my shirts were always slightly damp.
I nodded shyly. “Okay. Yeah. Dinner sounds fun.”
A slow smile curled at the corners of his mouth. “Good.”
“Just…” I scratched my neck. “I’ll need to swing by work first. Express before I go home and change.”
His brows lifted slightly. “You want me to pick you up after?”
“I can meet you,” I said quickly. “Don’t want to make it a thing.”
He didn’t press. Just nodded. “I’ll send you the location.”
We exchanged numbers for the first time. He tapped the info into his phone, then glanced down at me one last time as the train slowed.
“This is our stop,” I murmured.
He held his hand out to take my bag so I could easily stand. He didn’t give it back to me until we were standing on the platform together. Seth stuffed his hands into his coat pockets, not saying anything. His eyes were on my chest.
I glanced down. A damn spot was forming. I wore pads, but as usual, I’d soaked through them. “Shit, not again. I swear I have more letdowns when I’m around you.” Luckily, I had my hoodie tied around my waist. I untied it and shrugged it on, looking up at Seth. “You know, this might happen tonight on our date.”
He shrugged. “That’s fine. It doesn’t bother me.”
“It doesn’t?”
“Nope. You smell like honeyed milk.”
My mouth fell open, and I stared at him. As if he caught up on what he’d said, he took a step back. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I know some alphas can be assholes about omegas lactating, even to their mates.”
