Page 36 of Hired for Research
He eyed the little omega beside him as she watched the crews working on the theater. The more Eden expanded, the more amenities they added, which seemed to encourage even more to move out to their budding city. While he was glad more people of all dynamics were coming to trust and believe in the purpose behind Eden, he had to admit a part of him wished they could keep it the way it was. The people were united by a commitment to make Eden work, and he was scared they would lose that if they grew too big.
Evelyn raised her hands to her face again. He’d thought she was blowing into them for warmth at first, but he’d realized she was breathing in while she held them over her lips and nose.
She was breathing in his scent.
The near permanent erection he’d had for almost a week throbbed. Even the cold penetrating his pants couldn’t bring it down. It didn’t matter how many times he brought himself to release each night, the instant he caught her scent or heard her voice he was hard again. Even if it was only a memory coming out to torment him.
A subtle shiver passed through her frame and her eyes cut to his, catching him staring, but he didn’t care. He didn’t know if the shiver was from the cold or from taking in his scent, but he wasn’t going to risk her health just so she could watch the men follow orders and help each other hold up sheets of wood to cover the frame of the building.
“I think it’s time to go.”
He made his voice stern, not willing to argue the point, but Evelyn showed no sign of resisting. As she turned around to head back the way they came, he pulled his hand from the pocket it had been buried in to stay warm and wrapped it around her shoulder, pulling her into his side so he could offer what warmth he could. Her cheeks and nose were rosy, and he could feel smaller tremors still shaking her.
“You should have said something sooner.”
He couldn’t help admonishing her. She was a doctor, she knew better. As small as she was, she’d grow chilled long before he would.
“I’m not that cold, and it was interesting to watch the building taking shape.”
They’d been there for the best part besides the initial raising of the frame. It was hard to tell what it would really look like with just a bunch of two by fours stuck together, but watching them add on what would be the outer walls helped solidify it into a real building with a purpose.
“If you’re not cold, why are you shivering?”
He glanced down at her when she didn’t respond, worried she was upset at him pushing his bounds again. Her brows were drawn together and she was frowning, but it didn’t seem focused on him.
“I actually feel pretty warm, but my stomach is a little upset. I may be coming down with something. You probably shouldn’t be so close, just in case.”
He huffed, a lopsided grin curving his cheek. He wasn’t going to let her go for anything less than a direct order to do so, and she hadn’t even made a token effort to pull away.
“I’m sure I’ll be fine. If you are getting sick, we don’t want you getting any colder.”
They kept a steady pace until they reached the breakfast place he’d planned to stop at. It was one he frequented since it was close to his apartment. They couldn’t linger long in case the weather turned, but he wanted Evelyn to warm up a bit before they moved on.
He tucked her into a booth, sliding in beside her. He could have taken the seat across from her, but he’d use any excuse to stay close. Her scent seemed extra sweet, and it was all he could do not to drag her into his lap and bury his head in her neck to drink it straight from the source.
He’d rather bury his head between her legs, but as obvious at their attraction was, that didn’t seem to be an option, so he’d settle for what he could have.
Evelyn peeled off his gloves and her coat, tucking them beside her on the bench. It was probably ridiculous, but he was happy she tucked them between herself and the wall instead of between the two of them.
She’d been doing more little things like that over the past few days. She likely didn’t realize the signals she was giving, but their interactions definitely showed she had some of the same feelings he did. He was trying to respect her decision not to act on them and wait for her to initiate anything more if she was interested, but it was growing harder.
A waiter came and took their order. Evelyn’s posture had tensed at his approach, her eyes narrowed as her nostrils flared, and she seemed to struggle to unclench her jaw when he asked what she wanted. It took Jett a moment to realize it was because the male was also an omega.
Hiding his smile behind the cup of coffee the waiter had poured when he came to the table, Jett kept his gaze on the table or Evelyn, reassuring her without words that he wasn’t interested in the male. When she remained tense he released a soft purr, almost too quiet for her to hear despite being right beside him, but it was enough for her muscles to relax and the angry edge to leave her face.
He wondered if she realized she was being just as territorial as alphas were claimed to be. In all honesty, after living in Eden and being exposed to all the dynamics, he’d found omegas to be just as much victims to instinct and liable to cause disturbances. The only difference was their size and capacity for damage, though there was at least one instance of a pair of omegas being just as violent as alphas. Both had ended up in the hospital, all because they were close to their cycles and had their eye on the same alpha who’d been playing into both of their attention.
Evelyn stared out the window once the waiter left, an occasional tremor passing through her despite the warmth of the diner, while he tried to not be too obvious about watching her. They were quiet, the easy silence between them one of the things he enjoyed about her company, but he was growing concerned over the way she seemed a little off.
Their food was delivered and he dug into the omelet he’d ordered until he realized Evelyn was barely picking at her food.
“You feeling okay?”
“Hmm?”
She raised her head to look at him, but her eyes seemed unfocused. Her cheeks still carried the rosy flush he’d noticed outside, and he almost reached out to touch her face and see if it was warm.
“You’re not eating. Is something wrong with it?”
