Page 26 of Single Omega Dad
Something inside now told me I’d been missing out, even before Drayden’s death. For years now, I’d been pushing aside my adult feelings, burying myself in kids and home. Content. But nothing more.
No real excitement—in any adult way—had permeated me for a long, long time. Drayden’s Burns had come the closest to offering that feeling, but in the erotic sense only. And with our mate-bond not being successful, I didn’t feel the thrill I wanted or hoped to feel whenever he walked into a room, or whenever I looked into his eyes.
Mathias glanced up at me. “I understand you are six years into a thirty year mortgage.”
A fire started in my abdomen. No, I wasn’t turned on by mortgages. But yes, I was sort of falling into his voice.
He was getting straight to business, and from him I expected no less.
“That sounds right,” I said, working to keep my voice even.
“I can get you a loan at two percent. Yes, it will start over for thirty years, but your mortgage payments would be down by thirty percent. A significant savings.”
“Oh, wow. How did you find that loan?”
Mathias raised his eyebrows as if offended. “It’s what I do.”
“Mortgage loans?”
“No. I find the best investments for my clients at the best rates.”
“I’m not investing.”
“No, but I am your financial guardian, so I figured--” He stopped and sat back as if caught at something he shouldn’t have been doing. He swallowed and I watched his Adam’s apple rise and fall. “I’m simply informing you of a good opportunity. No strings.”
Stop questioning him, I chastised myself. “Well hell yeah I’m interested. I’ve got two more kids on the way. That money can go toward them.”
Mathias got a look on his face that might have been admonishment, like of course I should say yes to this offer. Of course he was right about this. But his mouth relaxed and his eyes softened.
“Exactly what I was thinking,” he said. He glanced at Luke and Tybor, who were coloring and quietly talking to each other in their shorthand twin language.
I felt a strange pang. Was this Alpha really concerned about the welfare of my children? Or was this him just doing his job?
Mathias continued to regale me with the benefits of the refi with his rich, smooth-gold voice, and everything sounded great, though I didn’t hear many of the words. I kept being cajoled by his tone, and the strangely alluring idea that maybe he, Mathias Vandergale, really wanted what was best for me. He was a man who could do anything, have anybody. Financial guardianship wasn’t even his real job. He’d been filling in for someone else the day I’d arrived for our first meeting.
I realized he’d finished his spiel and was waiting for my response.
“Sounds good,” I said. “So you really have my best interests at heart?”
His frown caused a deep wrinkle between his eyebrows. “Why would you think otherwise?”
I shrugged, pretending I had nothing to lose. Playing cool. “I don’t know. People get hoodwinked all the time on bad loans.”
“Hoodwinked?”
“Yeah.”
“Why would I do that to you? I don’t need your money.”
“How do I know how the Vandergales got so rich in the first place?”
When I said those words, I realized I might have gone too far. Not only had I insulted his efforts to put me in a better financial position, I’d insulted his name. And the bank he, or rather, his father owned.
I opened my mouth to try to take back my words, apologize, but before I could say anything, he started to laugh.
“Oh no,” he said between chuckles, though still his lips did not smile. “You have it all wrong. We only hoodwink our competitors, and our enemies. You are neither.”
“And what am I?”
