by Grace, Aria
Farron looks like he's going to argue with me, but he bites his lip and continues writing.
"How are you with kids? There's always someone looking for a nanny. Though it usually means getting up early so you can be there to help the kids get ready for school. If you're willing to make that adjustment to your lifestyle, then it might be a decent fit." Farron offers me a reassuring smile even though it doesn’t reach his eyes.
I try to picture myself helping someone's kids get ready for school. Maybe cooking breakfast, getting them dressed, walking them down the street to meet the school bus. I can almost picture it, but not quite. I've never been particularly good at the whole housekeeping thing. Not only that, but I've been told I've got a face that makes kids cry. The kids that come through Omega House tend to avoid me like the plague. I have no idea why.
Whatever the reason, it's really shaken my confidence in my ability to work with children.
I shake my head slowly in response to Farron's offer. "I just don't think it's a good fit for me."
Before Farron can say anything else, there's a gentle knock at the door. I turn slightly in my seat and I can see the receptionist, I think his name is Mouse, looking through the glass wall with an apologetic look in his eyes.
Farron motions for him to come in.
"I'm really sorry to interrupt, but your first appointment has arrived. Would you like me to show them in?"
“Shit,” Farron swears under his breath. "I completely forgot about them."
I look back at him in time to see a thin smile spread across his lips.
"Jason, have you ever thought about becoming a secretary?" He seems genuinely excited by the question as he rises from the desk.
"I've never…I mean I can type pretty fast and accurately. That's kind of a standard skill these days I guess. I'm not really that organized, but I guess I could learn. I mean…it all depends on what I need to do." I know I'm not making the best case for myself, but I'm a little flustered by the sudden change in the situation.
"Well, this will be your trial run." Farron adjusts his shirt sleeves and checks his reflection in the mirror on the wall behind his desk. "Mouse, grab one of the extra laptops from the media room and bring it here."
"Right away," Mouse says without hesitation, quickly disappearing down the hall.
"You can sit over there." Farron gestures to a sofa along one wall of the office. "Mouse will bring you a laptop. For this first meeting, all I want you to do is take notes while I talk with them. Write down everything that sounds relevant. After they leave, we'll discuss this in more detail."
"I…I guess I can do that." I swallow hard and question whether this is a good idea. I didn't think I was going to get put to work right away.
"I'm sorry to throw you in the deep end like this." Farron circles around his desk and approaches me with an apologetic expression. "If you don't want to do this, you're free to leave."
"No!" I blurt before I can stop myself. "I want to do this. I want to stay."
A captivating smile spreads across Farron's lips, and he lays a hand on my shoulder. Shivers run down my spine as he looks me right in the eye. "I was hoping you would say that."
26
Farron
I've been acting impulsively, which isn't like me at all.
I really should have sent Jason away. At the very least, I shouldn't be keeping him in the same room with me.
Yet, just telling him that I've got an alpha very nearly made my heart stop. The longer I'm around him, the more certain I am about what I'm feeling. But it doesn’t make any sense.
Garrett is my fated mate. Not Jason.
I take a deep breath as I glance up at the clock on the wall. We've been working all day, and the office has pretty much emptied out now. Even Mouse has gone home. It's just the two of us, Jason and me.
That thought causes my breath to catch in my throat. My balls tighten slightly, and I know my cock wants me to give in to the desire that I've been suppressing all afternoon.
But my will is stronger than that.
I loosen my collar and rise from my chair. As I begin to gather my things, Jason perks up from where he's typing notes on the borrowed laptop.
"Are you going home?" There's a hint of sadness in his voice that makes my heart clench in agony.
I don't want to leave him like this.
"There's not much else to be done today," I say, trying to be as cheerful as possible. "If you'd like to come back tomorrow, we can see about getting you on the books as my secretary."
Keeping him as my secretary is stupid. It’s an unnecessary risk. Not that I would ever cheat on Garrett, but it will frustrate the hell out of me to have him so close to me all the time. Yet, there's something in the depths of my soul that seems to be yearning for him. I recognize this feeling, and I'm doing everything in my power to reject it.
"I really appreciate you taking a chance on me today," says Jason. He stands up from the sofa and flashes a soft smile. He peers out into the hallway through the glass wall and frowns. "I guess Dante ditched me. Is there a bus stop nearby?"
I begin to nod but stop myself. "I can give you a ride home if you want."
Just being in the same room with him is torture enough. Being in a car is going to be agony. But apparently, I'm a masochist.
"I don't know…" His voice trails off, and I can tell from the look in his eyes that he's thinking the same thing I am.
God, I wish Garrett were here. At least then I could talk to him about what I’m feeling. Maybe he'd be able to shed some light on what's happening. With all the traveling he's done and all the people he's met around the world, he's experienced things that I can only imagine. I'm sure he'd have a reasonable explanation.
But he's not here.
He won't be home for three more days. We video chat every night when he's out of town, so I can ask him then, but this doesn't feel like the kind of conversation I want to have when he's so far away. It's more of a face to face kind of topic.
"I can walk back…" says Jason after a moment of silence. "It's not a big deal. It'll give me a chance to clear my head. Plus, there's an apartment for rent on Main Street that I'd like to check out."
"I thought you were staying at Omega House." I frown as we leave my office and head toward the lobby.
"I was…I am… I just…" He shakes his head and sighs heavily. "Omega House is getting a little crowded. There's not a lot of room for people who don't actually need their services." He wrings his hands and then looks up at me. "The truth is, I don't really need to be living there anymore. The people that run the place aren't going to kick me out or anything, but I feel like I'm taking up space. I need to move on with my life. That's part of why I've been so desperate to find a new job."
"Right…" My voice trails off and a stray thought flashes through my head. I start talking before I can fully process what I'm about to say. "Well, I've got an empty guest bedroom. You can crash there for a few days. You’ll get your first paycheck at the end of the week, so you can start apartment hunting after that."
Jason stops walking and just stares at me with his jaw hanging open.
It's a terrible idea.
I knew that before I started speaking, but I couldn't stop myself. As wrong as it is, I want to keep him near me even if I can't have him physically. What am I thinking?
"I… What about your alpha?" I can tell he wants to take me up on my offer, but he’s as unsure as I am. But underneath that uncertainty, there's an eagerness in his face that makes me weak in the knees.
"He's out of town right now," I explain. "But even if he was here, I know he'd approve. I've lent our guest room to new omegas more than once over the years. I want to make sure my employees are on solid ground and have a safe place to crash at night. Garrett's cool with that." It's not a lie. My alpha has been incredibly understanding and has never had a problem with me offering up our guest room. Of course, I'm not entirely sure how he’d feel if he knew the thoughts that keep runnin
g through my head about this particular omega.
But I made a vow to Garrett when we bonded, and I'm not going to betray that trust, no matter how much my body might want me to.
"As long as you're sure." Jason avoids my gaze. "I don't want to get you in trouble. I can figure something else out if I have to. It's no big deal."
"Don't worry about it," I reassure him, and smile broadly in his direction. "My car’s right out front. We can talk more on the drive home."
Despite that declaration, we spend most of the drive home in silence. You could cut the tension in the air with a knife. We’re sitting less than two feet away from one another, and it feels as if there’s a magnet under my skin drawing me toward him.
I keep both hands on the wheel the entire drive home and glue my eyes to the road. The tension will probably fade once we get out of such close confines. At least, that's what I keep telling myself the entire way home.
Garrett and I own a really nice house up in the hills on the outskirts of town. It boasts clean, modern lines that soothe something in the back of my mind when I see them. My home is my sanctuary, and I'm glad when we finally arrive.
As we pull into the driveway, the sky opens up in a torrential downpour. Rain pelts the hood of the car, and I'm filled with dread at the idea of going out into it.
"I take it you don't have an umbrella in here, do you?" Jason gives a cursory glance toward the back seat.
"Nope," I reply with a chuckle. "I lost it last week. I keep forgetting to pick up another one." Our eyes meet, and I grin. "We're gonna have to make a run for the front door."
"Oh boy, sounds fun." Jason matches my grin with a twinkle in his eyes.
We clutch our door handles in anticipation and lock gazes. "Ready?" I raise an eyebrow at Jason.
He nods once. "Ready."
"Go!"
27
Garrett
I glance around the room one last time to make sure everything is exactly the way it should be.
The lights are turned down so everything is bathed in a romantic orange glow from the fire crackling warmly on the hearth. The smell of cinnamon and apple cider, Farron's favorite scents, fill the room thanks to the romantic candles on the mantelpiece.
I’ve already arranged the sofa so it’s facing the front door, and I’ve grabbed all the most comfortable blankets we have. By combining everything into a pile, I’ve managed to create what I hope is a highly comfortable location for us to begin this evening's reunion.
I grin to myself as I look at the clock on the wall. Farron should be home any second now.
As if summoned by my thoughts through the universe, I hear a car pull up in the driveway.
Show time.
I try to downplay my grin as I open up my bathrobe and allow it to fall casually to the floor at my feet. The warm air from the fire swirls around my naked skin and chases away the momentary chill from exposing myself.
With a deep breath, I take up my position on the sofa. When Farron walks through the door, he's going to be treated to a sight he'll never forget.
My heart hammers in my chest as I hear my omega's key in the lock. I took special care to make sure there was nothing suspicious about the house from the outside, so he has no idea what he's walking into.
I feel particularly clever for having planned and carried out this evening so flawlessly. It's rare that I'm able to surprise Farron with anything, and the anticipation of seeing his face has me grinning from ear to ear.
The front door opens and cold air sweeps into the room, chilling me to the bone.
My omega is standing on the front porch. His hand is on the door frame, but he's standing inches away from another omega. Their eyes are locked, and I immediately sense an electric attraction between the two of them.
What the hell is going on?
"Garrett!?" Farron gasps when he catches sight of me.
I'm immediately stunned back to reality when the strange omega locks eyes with me. My entire body feels numb and my heart rate spikes. Who is this? Why is he with Farron? And why the hell do I feel the need to claim him at all costs?
I force my gaze to Farron, and my heart calms slightly. My fated mate, my beloved Farron. Seeing him soothes something in the pit of my soul. I want to wrap him in my arms and tell him how much I love him while I bury my cock inside him.
But I can’t right now. Not yet.
My eyes drift back to the stranger, and I feel a rush of adrenaline surge through me. My body wants him, now. No excuses. Everything in me wants to pounce on him, pull him close, and claim him completely.
"Why are you naked?" Farron’s cheeks flush bright red as he shouts at me. He stalks into the house, and I realize that he's completely soaked. "Why are you home so soon? I wasn't expecting you for a few more days."
"I wanted to surprise you." I quickly scramble to my feet and recover my bathrobe from the floor. I'm hesitant to put it back on though. There's some part of me that’s enjoying having both sets of eyes watching me like this. I can see the hunger in their eyes, and some primal part of me doesn't want it to end. "And who is this? You two seemed pretty close a moment ago."
I hate being accusatory, especially toward Farron, but the way they were looking at one another was more than just casual friendship.
"This is Jason," says Farron, turning toward the fire and gesturing for the other omega to join him. "He's working at Omega for Hire, and he needs somewhere to crash for a few days. That's all."
"That's not all," I counter almost immediately with a slight edge in my voice.
Farron shoots me a warning look that I don't quite understand.
I frown but say nothing as I pull my robe on.
"Why don't you wait here?" Farron says to his friend as he moves to shut the front door. "I've got some dry clothes you can borrow. Then we can talk, okay?"
Jason nods but says nothing. The way he keeps looking at me makes it clear that he's not sure what to think about me. But he can't hide the need in his eyes. His body wants me almost as much as it wants Farron.
The emotions running through me are overwhelming, and I numbly follow my omega down the hall to our bedroom.
"Why didn't you tell me you were coming home?" Farron demands as soon as we're alone. "A little warning would've gone a long way."
"I wanted to surprise you," I tell him, immediately feeling defensive. I cross our bedroom and begin rifling through my dresser for something comfortable. "I've been planning this for weeks. A romantic evening together before I give you the news that I'm opening up an office here in town."
"Wait…" Farron pauses midway through opening up the closet. "Are you serious? You're going to stay here?"
"I'll have to travel now and then, but it'll be a couple times a year instead of a couple times a month." I shrug and begin dressing. "But imagine my surprise when you come home with a strange omega who looks like he wants to bone you right there on the front porch."
"Look, I don't know what's going on, but I wasn't going to do anything, I swear." Farron approaches me and places a hand on my arm. "He came into the office today looking for work, and the moment I saw him…it felt like the first time I saw you. Do you remember?"
"At the fairgrounds. It was my first summer job. You were trying to show off to some girl you were dating." I grin at the memory. Farron's always been able to love anyone no matter who they were. When I first met him, he was head over heels for a girl from his high school. Of course, that all changed when he met me.
But we didn't start dating right away. We actually went our separate ways for a very long time before meeting up again as adults. I’d already made my fortune by that point. Yet, even after all that time, I had never forgotten the way he made my heart feel that day when we first met.
"I felt it too…" I admit before kissing my omega's forehead. "There's no denying it."
"But it's not possible, right? You and I are fated mates." He clutches his chest, and I can see the confusion written all over his face. It'
s clear that he's been struggling with this ever since meeting Jason.
"I've met a few mated triads in my travels. They're rare, but they're real." I ponder the concept for a moment, wondering if that’s what’s happening with us and Jason. "Have you talked to Jason about it at all?"
"No." He shakes his head, still adamant about his loyal intentions. "And he's skittish around alphas, I know that much. I wanted to talk to you to figure this out before I said anything. I didn't want you to think I was cheating on you."
"Don't worry." I pull Farron into my arms, inhaling his scent from the top of his head. "I would never think that. I trust you completely."
He smiles and looks up at me in relief. "I'm going to take these clothes to him. Finish getting dressed and then come join us. I think we all need to sit down and try to get to the bottom of this."
I nod in agreement and return to my dresser as Farron heads out of the room.
A moment later, Farron comes running back down the hall.
"Garrett!" His voice is panicked, and he's breathless as he leans against the doorframe for support. "I can't find him. He's gone."
28
Jason
The icy rain pelts my face as I jog down the road toward town. My skin is so hot that I almost don't notice the cold. I don’t know what’s going on, but my blood feels like it's on fire as it rushes through my veins.
I should have known better than to accept Farron's offer. Obviously, he wasn’t expecting his alpha to be home, but when we got there, it was clear something was wrong. The entire situation was overwhelming to say the least, and I couldn't get out of there fast enough.
That shameless alpha, Garrett, triggered something in me that I hadn't been expecting. The shortness of breath, the racing of my heart, and the throbbing ache in my traitorous dick were even more intense than when I first met Farron.