Page 48 of Heat & Deceit
Should I be offended by that? Am I so transparent?
I had thought about how perfect her body is. I’d considered what she might look like with my cum filling her belly and coating her thighs. None of us want kids, but I can admit the thought of what it might be like to have my baby inside of her gets me hard. At the very least, having her full of my cum makes me want to storm out there and demand she tell me she’s an omega.
I won’t do that, though. I’m not that much of an asshole. If Lycus knew I was suspicious of her, he might go as far as to do that. All the more reason to keep my suspicions to myself.
“Admit it,” he eggs on Javi. “She’s hot as hell.”
“Yeah, but she’s a beta,” Javi counters.
“Andshe’s our employee,” I remind both of them.
Lycus instantly deflates.
Javi scowls, probably annoyed with himself for forgetting to mention that particularly important piece of information. I grimace. Whether they realize it or not, they like her.
All the more reason to figure out if she really is an omega and if she already has a pack. She has no claiming marks that I could see. I don’t want to get their hopes up until I know a little more about her, so I clear my throat and change the subject.
“I’m not sure how we went down this path, but we hardly know her. She’s an employee. We have interviews in less than an hour.” I shake my head. “I’m going to get coffee.”
Carmine is running through setting up the machine, sanitizing and testing the steam wands. Randal is refilling the grinder with fresh coffee beans. The noise must cover my footsteps, because when I stop a few feet away from her and say hi, she yelps and jumps away from the machine.
Her pupils are blown and her chest heaves. Gaze bouncing around the room, she hunches in ever so slightly, like she’s expecting something to jump out and grab her. She’s scared, but I don’t smell any fear. If she’s taking heat suppressants, she’s probably using scent blockers too. Betas don’t perfume like omegas do, but they do have a scent. Carmine’s is non-existent.
“I didn’t mean to startle you.” I shove my hands in my pockets. “I’m sorry,again.”
She takes a step away, looking down to break eye contact in a show of submission.
Oh, I don’t like that. I may enjoy certain concessions in the bedroom, but this docility isn’t a result of that same desire. The way she’s still trembling and keeps her eyes fixed on the floor tells me a little about why she hates alphas.
Someone in her past did a number on her.
“Carmine?”
She shakes her head.
“Please?”
Ever so slowly—almost like she’s fighting with some baser instinct telling her not to fall into a trap—she lifts her gaze.
“That’s not who I am.” I don’t have to explain for her to know what I mean.
I search her stricken face, imploring her to believe me. Randal is still working behind us, but I don’t bother checking to see if he’s watching. I know he is. I stay where I’m at, not moving until her shoulders unfurl.
“Is it okay if I make coffee?” I gesture toward the machine and take a slow step toward it, making it clear where I’m heading.
Her cheeks are bright red and she glances away. “Of course. It’s your shop.”
“But you were busy setting things up. Are you finished?”
She nods. “Yeah, I’m done.” Spinning on her heel, she rushes to the register and counts the cash.
I watch her for another moment before finally looking at Randal. His lips are pressed into a tight line, and he keeps glancing at Carmine. It seems I’m not the only one worried about that reaction. I try not to let my mind think about everything that could have happened to her, but as I pack the fresh grounds and grab milk from the mini fridge, I can’t help wishing I knew who did it, so I could pay them a little visit.
* * *
The first interviewee shows up five minutes early. As instructed, Randal brings her to the office. Javier gestures to the side of the table she’ll be sitting at, and the three of us sit on the opposite side.
“Thanks for coming in, Tiffany. I’m Javier, and this is Rome and Lycus.”
