Chapter Eight
Link
About eleven that night, I settled into my bed after grading papers. Determined to finish, I got them all done but would be extra tired the next day.
Strike that, I would be tired and nervous as all get-out the next day.
Because tomorrow held my date with Gustav.
As I drew up the covers to my chest, I thought over the library visit that day.
Dane allowed me to show him where the Christmas books were, but after that, I was old news compared to all the books he found. He complained once, mostly to himself about the lack of Dutch books, but it was soon forgotten as he was asked by another kid to explain his traditions.
“He loves books,” Gustav told me as we watched from a distance. I had to make the psst sound several times to the kids and point at the sign reminding them of the checkout limit on materials.
“I see that. Where would you like to go for dinner?” I asked, already having ideas on my mind.
“Wherever you’d like to go. Everything is new for me.”
My phone dinged, interrupting my memories. I looked at it and even though I expected a text from Gustav, I did a little surprised dance.
I don’t really take pictures of myself, and I’m exhausted. I burned dinner.
Gustav seemed to always be calm and in control, speaking patiently to Dane.
You didn’t burn yourself, did you? I replied, worried.
No. Just the entire meal.
I let out a relieved sigh. Maybe this will make you feel better. I pulled down the covers until they barely covered my groin and took a selfie. I didn’t do much of that selfie stuff, either, but it seemed normal to communicate that way with this omega. With the send button pushed, there was no going back.
I want to lick those abs. His reply had even my dick paying attention.
You’re welcome to lick anything on me, omega.
I waited a few minutes then more then plugged my phone in just in case, but nothing. Maybe he’d fallen asleep or something. I wished we were together.
Sleep had begun to take over when my phone dinged again. Fell asleep. Sorry. See you tomorrow, and yes to all the licking.
~~
I called my dad the next afternoon to debate a very important topic with him while I got dressed.
“Son, I don’t think that’s prudent.”
Prudent. Only my father would use a word like that with a subject like this.
“Dad, I’m trying to win this guy over. I think...I think he’s mine.”
My dad gasped but tried to cover it with a cough. Pitiful attempt.
“It’s cold. He’s going to freeze.”
I laughed. “Then I will bring him my other leather jacket.”
“That’s a good way to get your scent on him. Okay, so maybe it would be a sexy way to arrive.”
I rolled my eyes. “That’s why I bought the damned thing, plus, it’s good on gas.”
My dad chuckled hard and loud. “I believe the first, but not the second. The economics of it all sounds like your other dad.”
My dads were like two people made from the same mold, yet were so different. One was an English teacher like me, the other an accountant. Somehow, they made it work and look like the easiest thing in the world was to be in love.
“Either way. I think I’m bringing the motorcycle.”
He agreed with a hmm sound. “It might impress the kid, too. Lord knows, you need his approval almost more than the dad. You aren’t just courting the man. You’re courting the family.”
I sighed. “I know. I’ve got to finish dressing. Love you, Dad. Tell Papa I love him, too.”
“Yep. Will do and ditto. Take care of you and Gustav. Bring him by when you’re ready.”
I agreed and hung up. I wore my darkest jeans along with a maroon V-neck sweater with my favorite biker boots.
After taking one last look in the mirror, I shrugged on my leather jacket, headed to the garage, and opened the door. If he didn’t want to ride on it, I would come back and get my car.
My heart beat overtime thinking of his arms wrapped around my waist, his pelvis and thighs pressed against my ass and hips, for safety’s sake, of course.
I zipped over to his house and saw another car in the driveway. The sitter must’ve already been there.
After knocking, a tingly feeling swirled in my stomach.
The door opened, and Dane stood in the entrance, not looking pleased.
“Hello, Mr. Link. Would you like to come in and wait?”
Yep. He’d been coached to be on his best behavior. His momentary warmth before the library was gone.
“Thank you. Is your dad almost ready?”
He nodded and pointed to the kitchen. I walked in and saw Gustav pacing the floor, mumbling to himself in Dutch. Just when I thought he couldn’t get any cuter.
“I’m sorry,” he said, stopping and staring at me. “It’s been a while since I...I’m nervous.”
“Come here.” I opened my arms to take him in and he accepted, leaning his head on my chest. “No reason to be nervous. Just you and me getting to know each other.”
He nodded and squeezed me, his arms around my middle.
“Now, let me show you my baby.”
Chapter Nine
Gustav
His baby?
Puzzled, I followed Link out to the driveway. Dane also followed us because the sitter was late. A teen volunteer at the center, Chuck had already texted to say he’d be along in a few minutes, to my great relief, but until he arrived, we weren’t going anywhere.
“Here!” Link waved toward a marvel of chrome handlebars and leather seat parked in a few inches of snow. “What do you think?”
“Ahh…” Suave! “I mean...you can ride in the snow? Is it safe?” Okay, this is where he climbed on the bike and left the wimp that was this omega.
“I do from time to time. Carefully.” He shrugged. “But if you want, I can zoom home for my car. I don’t live far. Heck, nothing in Roseville is far from anything else.”
“Oh no, as long as you say it’s fine, I’m sure it is. Just, my friends back home usually put the bikes and scooters away in winter.” Keep doing, dodo, and prove you’re not the omega for him.
“Yeah, a lot of the guys I ride with garage theirs, too, but I have to get her out every so often and ride or I feel stifled.”
“Won’t we be cold?” I just couldn’t shut up. Trust the alpha.
Link held up a jacket and helmet. “I brought you your own official leather jacket and helmet.” He grinned. “Well, a loaner anyway.”
I still hesitated, a little nervous about riding a motorcycle for the first time on the slippery, snowy streets.
“Can I go?” Dane piped up. “I want to ride.”
Oh goodness. My son was braver than me. Pushing down my silly fears, I straightened my spine. “Not right now, Dane,” I said. “It’s late and cold and I think I see your sitter coming now.” Sure enough, an older Ford parked at the curb and the teen emerged.
“Aww,” my son complained, his face twisting, ready to cry. He was not thrilled about my date to start with, and it wasn’t going to take much for a scene to occur.
“How about a quick hop up onto the seat, then?” Link suggested. “Maybe a photo op?”
And like that, the sun came out from behind the clouds in my son’s face. He beamed, showing his missing tooth. I reached for him, but he shrugged me aside and held his arms out to Link. “You lift me.” He flicked a glance in my direction. “Please.” Maybe given enough time the blowing hot and cold toward him would land on the warm side. But until then, I’d take the moments I could get.
For now, I fished my phone out of my pocket and snapped pictures of Link lifting Dane onto the motorcycle, sitting behind him. The helmet and jacket draped over my son. The best one of all—the two of them laughing. But, of course, once the sitter came up and ushered Dane toward the house, he was frowning again and threw me a look that held all
the resentment I ever needed to see.
“Let’s go, omega.” Link guided me toward the motorcycle. “Give him time. He’s not used to sharing you. And he’s not sure liking me isn’t disloyal to his other daddy.”
“I guess.” I slid my arms into the leather jacket and inhaled the wintery, clean scent of my alpha. “But he’s certainly not making it easy on any of us. Lots of changes in a short time…”
“Exactly. Let me help you with the helmet.” He buckled it under my chin and dropped a kiss on my nose. “Now, zip that jacket and we’re ready.” Link threw a leg over the saddle and started the bike then leaned forward while I climbed on. “Okay, off we go. I made reservations at the Bistro next to that candy store, Sugar. Have you seen it?”
I bobbed my helmeted head even though he couldn’t see it while looking forward. “Yeah. Sounds good.”
“It is. They are featuring a winter menu that sounded good.” He gunned the motor. “Hang on.”
Despite his warning, he drove slowly out of the driveway and then down the street. I had no doubt he knew how to make that thing fly, but in the wintery evening, I also appreciated his restraint. The breeze was cold in my face, but I ducked down and let his back act as a windbreak. The houses we passed were decorated for the holidays, and something about being outside of a car made it even more fun to take in the displays of lights and in some cases sound. Projected images were popular, everything from nativity scenes to rapping Santas on the sides of houses and garage doors. One home near Main Street featured fully operational miniature amusement park rides, with dolls in the seats on the roller coaster and astride the merry-go-round animals. I’d have to bring Dane to see it.
In just a few minutes, we were parked in front of Sugar. The candy store was closed for the evening, but a sign in the window announced the big reveal of the display the next day, and I made a mental note to come by here so Dane could see. Well, he’d already gotten a peek, but I hadn’t.
The Bistro was not only open but packed, but true to his word, Link had a reservation. The young host ushered us to the back corner where a screen half concealed a table for two. “This okay?” he asked.
“That will do fine.” Link handed him something that looked suspiciously like a folded bill. “Thank your uncle for me.”
“For sure,” he replied. “Your waiter will be right along.” He headed back for the front, tucking his tip into his pocket.
We took our seats, but I noticed something odd. “He didn’t give us any menus.”
“No, they are doing a prix fixe menu tonight. Seven courses, all winter-holiday themed. I hope that’s okay?”
“Oh yes. Everything smells delicious.”
Another young man who looked a lot like the host, just a few years older, appeared with two small stemmed glasses on a tray. “Welcome to the Bistro. Tonight’s fare is guaranteed to warm you from your toes to your nose. This”—he set the glasses in front of us— “is a little aperitif to get you started.”
I lifted mine and took a tentative sip. “Delicious, what is it?”
“Campari and soda. Now, and I was supposed to ask this before you had anything...any allergies or foods you cannot eat for some reason?”
“Not a thing,” I assured him, feeling ready for anything tonight.
“Me, either,” Link agreed. “Bring it on.”
I couldn’t wait to see what a winter-holiday menu consisted of, but I also hoped it wouldn’t take too long because I only had the sitter for five hours.
Chapter Ten
Link
We finished all five courses in no time. I’m sure the succulent meal would’ve been better, had we not rushed it, but both of us seemed to be in a hurry.
I’d paid the bill ahead of time, including tip, when I’d called to make the reservation.
“Are you ready to get out of here?” I asked him, my hand now on his thigh underneath the table.
“I am. Is your place close?”
Oh, sexy omega knew just what was on my mind.
“About ten minutes.” I grabbed his hand and gave zero fucks as we rushed through the restaurant. We got onto the motorcycle, and I revved it up, ready to race home as fast as I could get there. Gustav’s hands roamed my thighs on top of my jeans and then upward to my throbbing cock. His was equally hard as he pressed his hips into my ass from behind.
Come on, stoplights. Turn green for me.
In nine minutes flat, we were at my house. I fumbled with the keys as Gustav leaned against the frame, a slight smile on his face.
Inside, I wasted no time, pressing him against the door. My omega moaned my name as I took his mouth and plunged my tongue inside.
“Link,” he said, breaking the kiss.
“Yes?” I answered, equally as breathless.
“It’s...it’s been a while.”
I reached for the zipper on his leather jacket and slowly brought it down then took it from his shoulders. “I can go slow, love.”
“Okay. Please. And I’ve never been with…”
“What?” I stopped cold to pay attention to what he was about to say.
“I’m not experienced. I mean, yes, I was married, and yes we had a child, but I’ve only ever been with Peter.”
Another man’s name wasn’t the first thing I wanted to hear tonight, but again, I knew the deal. We would have to have this conversation one way or the other, though I preferred after I’d knotted him properly.
I let out a long breath and leaned forward to press my forehead against his.
I wanted to take him right there, but if this man was truly my omega, and I believed he was, I needed to take everything down a notch.
“Let’s go talk. Do you want some coffee?”
His eyebrows bunched, and he nodded. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t you ever be sorry for being honest with me, love. We need to have this talk. Peter was part of your life and Dane’s father. That means in some way, he will be a part of this. I really want to know everything about you, and that includes him. Let me fix us some coffee, and why don’t you catch your breath on the couch?”
He went toward the living room where I pointed. I went to the fridge after putting on the electric kettle and welcomed the cool air of the refrigerator.
Damn it, Gustav turned me on. There wasn’t any one thing about him, but everything.
“What do you take in your coffee?” I yelled into the living room. He answered, just a splash of milk, which was the exact same way I took mine in the evenings. Too much sugar, and I’d never get to sleep.
Carrying both cups into the living room, I saw Gustav standing, looking at my wall of pictures. My dads hated poised-and-positioned photos, so the ones we had were candids of all of us. We would set up the camera and then be as goofy as possible. Plus, I had a ton that were taken by one dad of the other or us together.
“Those are my dads, Beto and Clint. They want to meet you.”
He turned to me so fast I thought he would hurt himself. He’d shrugged off my jacket and laid it across a chair. It made me smile knowing he could make himself comfortable in my home.
“They do? You told them about me already?”
Crap. Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything.
“I tell my dads everything. As we’ve gotten older, they’ve become like my best friends. I’m sorry if you didn’t want me to.”
He shook his head. “No, you should’ve. I mean, I take no offense. I’m just surprised is all.”
I nodded and put the cups down on the living room table and proceeded to tell him about each picture, where it was taken and the silly things I remembered.
“Sounds like a happy childhood,” Gustav said, reaching out to touch one of the pictures.
“It was. I can’t wait to try to raise my kids that way.”
I usually didn’t talk about family or kids on a date, especially a first date, but with Gustav, it seemed natural, something we should talk about.
“So you want kids?” he asked and th
en blushed all adorable.
“Of course I do. Do you not want more?”
He took my hand, and for a few seconds we were content to simply breathe the same air. “I hadn’t considered having more after Dane...until lately.”
My dick jumped, volunteering to be tribute for that endeavor.
“We can talk about that, if you want. But first, why don’t you tell me about Peter.”
Chapter Eleven
Gustav
I never saw it coming. If I’d even considered the fates might be kind enough to send someone else my way, I might have thought of casual dating, maybe sex, although I had never had the slightest desire for anyone but Peter, until now. This man, this alpha who oozed sex appeal, who was a teacher respected by all, was willing to listen to me talk about my late husband. I’d been warned by so many other omegas that if I ever did meet anyone I wanted, not to talk about past lovers or relationships because it would drive them away.
But Link...Link sat there while I told him about meeting Peter at university, about dating when we barely had enough money as students to share a bag of frites—french fries they called them here, although they were not nearly as good in my opinion—from a street vendor. About falling in love and marrying, having Dane. I still had enough good sense not to talk about actually making Dane, but pretty much everything else I dumped in a verbal outpouring I’d not subjected anyone to ever. Tears started pouring down my cheeks somewhere between Dane’s birth and Peter’s death, and I finished the story cuddled against Link’s chest, soaking his shirt with the built-up grief and loneliness I’d held in for a long, long time.
When I was done, he just stroked my back for a while before glancing at a clock hung on the wall opposite the sofa. “Omega, do you think the sitter would stay a while longer if you called and asked? Or would you rather go home now?”
“Oh no!” I struggled to sit up, but he tightened his arm around me and I rested against him again, more comfortable there than I was ready to admit. “I’m sure you’re ready for me to leave after that display. Ugh.”
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