Page 27 of Hired for Research
Walls, ceiling, tables, even the bar was made of glass and chrome. A frosted glass wall stood in the center of the room as the back for the bar on each side of it. The word TWINKLE was written across the top of the wall in lights, while rows of liquor bottles sat on glass shelves beneath, backlit with colored lights. The base of the bar was also frosted glass with colored lights shining through it, but the top was clear just like every table ringing the room.
Beyond the walls, Evelyn could see more tables out on a patio that was mostly empty due to the weather. There were potted trees strung with fairy lights spaced along the banister that was almost invisible in the dark, and more twinkling lights hung overhead, swinging in the wind.
“Oh, wow.”
It was all she could say as she stepped out of the lift. For as open and empty as the space seemed to be besides the people it held, somehow it still had a cozy feeling.
Jett grinned down at her, using his hand on her back to guide her toward a corner booth against the wall beside them. It was the only solid wall in the bar, yet it had been painted a deep grey and studded with little twinkling lights to extend the impression of there being nothing between them and the night.
Tipping her head back as she slid into the booth, Evelyn stared up at the stars. Whisps of clouds floated by, obscuring a few of them, but she’d still never seen so many before.
“It’s the light pollution in the city.”
“What?”
She pulled her gaze away from the unending view to focus on Jett as he slid onto the seat beside her. What had looked like glass had to be something else to support their weight, and was surprisingly comfortable thanks to the contoured shape. It wasn’t even cold as she’d expected it to be, and while the glass wall she was against held a chill, the room was comfortably warm.
“The reason it looks like there’s more stars here than there are in the city. All the light pollution there drowns out a lot of the stars, only the brightest shine through, but with this being one of the tallest buildings in Eden, plus there being a lot less lights on at night here, you can see even the paler stars on a clear night.”
She hummed, her attention moving beyond the glass once again. She’d heard something like that in the past but had never paid much attention to it. It had never mattered. All she knew was, sitting in that beautiful bar with Jett’s delicious scent flooding her lungs as she looked out at the night sky, the heat of him warming her side even as the chill of the glass teased her opposite side, was something she’d never forget.
12. Jett
Staring at Evelyn as she gazed out the window, he realized how much trouble he was in.
It was insane. He'd only met her the day before, but something about her called to him. Stirred instincts he'd thought tamed.
He was hooked.
Swallowing hard, he forced himself to look away before someone realized he was mooning over the little omega beside him like a lovesick fool. He’d recognized a few of his fellow Controllers as he’d guided Evelyn to the booth, and he didn’t need anyone making comments he wouldn’t be able to brush off in the state she brought out in him.
Why did people think an alpha bonding an omega would calm them down? He’d felt out of control since she stepped off the speeder. No other omega brought out his need to protect and dominate like she did, and he doubted the feelings would ease by putting his mark on her neck.
Just the thought had his cock surging to attention, throbbing painfully in his pants, and his mouth watering. He’d always thought the stories of alphas bonding an omega against her will were reprehensible, yet he had to acknowledge that if the opportunity presented itself, he might not be able to stop himself. Driven by her pheromones, knot locked in her cunt, it would be near impossible to keep from sinking his teeth in her too, even if she hadn’t given permission.
In the depths of heat, she’d be begging for it.
Shaking his head, he tried to push those thoughts from his mind. He liked to think he was a respectable alpha that would never go against a woman’s will, but Evelyn was showing him there were parts of himself that were still more beast than man. Parts that may not care so much about consent.
Tapping on the corner of the table, he brought up the menu, the entire tabletop turning into a display of drink concoctions and greasy food. Evelyn’s gasp distracted him, and he raised a brow as she stared at the table.
“Is everything fancy here?”
He chuckled, using two fingers of each hand to slide across the table in a separating motion to give Evelyn her own menu.
“That’s kind of what happens when one of the best architectural designers plans a new city. Everything is top-of-the-line, brand-spankin-new. You can always tell who’s new to Eden when they can’t figure out all the fancy gadgets.”
Smirking, he winked at her as he flipped to the section of the menu with food.
“So, how do they make sure alphas don’t drink if they’re allowed in places that serve alcohol?”
Snorting, Jett tapped on one of the burgers.
“Honestly, although it’s illegal, they don’t really enforce that rule. The bartenders are omegas, so even if our size didn’t make it obvious, they could scent us if we tried to order a drink, which they’d refuse to serve, but they aren’t too worried about someone ordering one for us. You’d be surprised by how much I’d have to drink to even feel a buzz, and it’s unlikely someone could sneak that many without it being obvious. They only serve shots at the bar, and most of these girly drinks don’t have enough alcohol to be worth the shame of drinking it.”
Evelyn laughed as he curled his lip and flicked his fingers at the list of drinks she was reading through. Most were bright, psychedelic colors, with little umbrellas or fresh fruit stuck over the rim.
“Don’t tell me you’re one of those that’s worried what people will think of him if he does somethingunmanly.”
