Page 12 of Elusive Alpha
“Okay.” His smile was wobbly but his eyes sparkled. “I always liked working for your company. It was quite a shock when I thought I’d been mistaken all along.”
“A shock to me, too. But I’m going to put this right.”
Chapter Twelve
Idris
The relief I felt after Rook and I cleared the air washed over me. My shoulders relaxed, and I could breathe again.
Fighting with your mate, no matter how new or thin the bond was, well, it was hell.
Rook and I hung out in the backyard until we were back on Franklin’s schedule. Poor Franklin. He’d come out to check on us once the coast was clear.
He made nothing of our fight. I was sure he’d seen all kinds of things from the mates he put together.
“Thank you for listening and being so forgiving,” Rook said, brushing a hair from my forehead.
“I’m sorry for throwing a fit.”
He chuckled and wrapped me up in his embrace. “It’s not a big deal. I would throw a fit if my plans fell through too.”
I leaned my head against his chest, reveling in the steadiness of his heartbeat. “It wasn’t just the job or the company. It was you. I jumped to conclusions.”
“In your shoes, I would come to the same ones. We can build something together. Something better. Correct all the mistakes.”
“No more talking business, okay?”
“Deal. Let’s go to dinner.”
Thank goodness the driver taking us to dinner wasn’t the same one who had driven us home. That poor man had looked more concerned than I was. We arrived at a restaurant straight out of a romance novel about some autumn-obsessed small town where everyday life revolved around the season. Garland made of leaves hung everywhere along with twinkling lights in an amber hue, giving the place a warm glow. The tables were far apart, giving each one a sense of privacy. There were nooverhead lights, only the flickering and pulsing from the lights above and the lanterns on the table along with some sconces near the windows.
“Wow,” I said, leaning into my mate.
“This place is incredible. Franklin knows his date spots.”
“He really does.”
We were greeted by a gentleman who showed us to our table. The setting was for two and it was even more secluded than the rest of the tables. We could see people walking around outside but could also maintain our privacy.
“Tell me everything, omega,” Rook said as we sat down. The seats were across from each other around the round table, but he scooted his chair over so our thighs touched. I desperately wished more of us were touching but I would take what I could get.
“Like what?” If I could stop blushing for more than five seconds, that would be great. He hadn’t even gotten specific.
“You blush so beautifully.” His knuckles grazed across my cheek. “Tell me what you like to read. You mentioned you love to read.”
“Do you?” I asked.
“Yes, but it’s mostly eBooks.”
I shrugged. “Honestly, I’ll read anything. I’m not picky. I lean toward mysteries and romance but if it has a cover, I’ll read it.”
“I can’t wait to sit and read with you.”
We had a wonderful dinner complete with dishes that favored the season. After dinner, I wanted to walk a bit. We stopped in a used bookstore and I thought I convinced my alpha that the smell of books was something not to be missed, and he had me rethinking my silent protest of physical books over eBooks. Having a thousand books in my pocket all at once sounded like a dream.
He bought me a copy ofWuthering Heightseven though I said I hated the way it ended. I held it close to my chest as we perused different shops. Turned out, the Puffin Bakery had the best pumpkin pie, for the record.
Once we’d visited most of the shops, we stopped near an alleyway and he tugged me into the shadows and pressed me against a wall. “Are you done walking and shopping, omega?” He leaned down, running his nose along the side of my neck.
