by Arden Blair
Apparently, tracking paid better than he imagined.
A lot better.
Maybe this guy even had enough to pay for the shock absorbers he’d need to replace after he made it back to the highway.
But first, he needed to get through the interview.
Toby raised his hand and knocked. Even from his spot on the porch he could hear the sound echo through the cavernous house. A moment later, he heard footsteps coming from the other side. Big, heavy footsteps.
Toby shifted on his feet uncomfortably on his feet. Maybe coming out here, to the middle of freaking nowhere, all alone, to meet a stranger who hunted things down for a living wasn’t the best idea. Maybe he should have just conducted the interview over the phone instead.
Maybe it wasn’t too late to hightail it back to Pup’s Creek and do just that.
The thought fled Toby’s head a second later when the door swung open and he saw the man standing on the other side. He was big and tall. That much was certain. But he was no grizzled backwoods type.
He was so tall that Toby had to crane his head back to look him in the face. But, oh what a face it was. The embodiment of alpha strength and beauty. In a word, he was goddamned gorgeous.
His hair was dark, nearly black, and just long enough to brush the top of his ears. A hint of stubble dusted his well-defined jaw. His eyes were a deep green…or maybe blue. Toby wanted to lean in to get a better look, but he stopped himself. That wasn’t what he was here for.
“M-Mr. Homewood?” Toby said, his voice breaking like he was a teenager again. “Mr. Ryan Homewood?”
“Yeah.” The alpha leaned against the door frame. His shoulders were big enough to take up almost the whole space. “What can I do for you?”
Light wisps of the alpha’s scent carried out on to the porch. A mix of cinnamon and cedar wood filled Toby’s senses.
“My name is Toby. Um…I’m from the…uh…Pup’s Creek Times.”
The alpha’s eyes slowly looked him up and down. “You sure? You don’t sound certain.”
Toby cleared his throat. “It’s my first day.”
“How’s it going?”
“Honestly, not bad for someone who isn’t really a journalist.”
Ryan Homewood’s brows shot up. Apparently, that captured his interest. “What do you do at the paper if you’re not a reporter?”
“Nothing,” Toby confessed. “But I today I was given the choice between looking after my great-uncle Roscoe or helping out at the paper. So, here I am.”
A smile lifted the alpha’s lips. “You’re Roscoe Martin’s nephew?”
“I am.”
“You don’t look like him.”
“Thank God for small miracles.”
“Ain’t that the truth.” The tracker laughed, a rich deep sound that sent a thrill of awareness through every inch of Toby’s body. “Come in.”
Ryan stepped back from the door, making just enough space for Toby to sneak past. Well, almost enough space. His arm brushed against the alpha’s hard chest on his way in, and he was able to draw in another deep breath of that amazing scent.
“You have a beautiful home,” Toby said, looking around. It was every bit as nice inside as out. Spacious and clean while at the same time rustic and cozy. “It wasn’t what I was expecting.”
“No?” Ryan said his brows arching up. “What were you expecting? A one-room shack?”
Toby gave a tight smile. Damn, why the hell had he said that? The alpha’s heady scent had to be getting to him. Even so, he needed to pull himself together and stop acting like a hormone-addled imbecile.
“No, of course not,” he said. “It’s just that I’ve never met a tracker before. I’m not quite sure what you do.”
Ryan started walking toward the brown leather couch in the center of main room. Toby followed and even though there was plenty of room on the sofa, he took a seat on a chair across from him. He didn’t trust himself to get to close to the alpha’s powerful scent and keep his thoughts together.
“These days I mostly help people who just want to take wildlife pictures find what they’re looking for,” he said. “Though there’s still the occasional hunter and fisherman who needs my services.”
“And there’s a lot of call for that kind of work?” Toby asked, glancing up at the vaulted redwood ceiling above his head.
“Enough,” he said. “Though technically, I suppose I don’t have to work. The money that built this place was earned generations ago.”
Toby leaned forward. “You’re a trust fund baby?”
Ryan shrugged. “I guess you could call me that.”
Interesting.
“So why aren’t you off living the high life in a New York penthouse?” he asked.
An enigmatic gleam lit up Ryan’s eyes. “Because I like it better out here. It’s more private.”
There was something suggestive about the way Ryan said that last word—private. It sent a shock of excitement up Toby’s spine.
He shifted in his seat and glanced down at his hands. Damn, he should have brought a notebook to fiddle with, instead of just his phone to record the interview. Then again, he hadn’t expected have butterflies fluttering all over his damned stomach.
“But that’s not what you came all this way to interview me about,” Ryan went on. “So, how can I help you?”
Oh, Toby could think of a couple of ways. Quite a few, actually.
No. He had to stop this. He could feel the burn of a blush stinging his cheeks.
“Well, we’re doing another piece on the Phantom Pooper, and Justin was hoping you could give us your perspective on how to track him down.”
Ryan laughed again. Damn, the sound was gorgeous. “You want to know how I would track a dog?”
“I guess so.”
“I wouldn’t,” Ryan said plainly. “If I wanted to find a stray, I’d probably just open a can of dog food, leave it out where he would find it, and wait for him to show up.”
Toby nodded. It was a reasonable answer to a ridiculous question. But it wasn’t likely to make Uncle Roscoe happy.
“Is that what you suggest that the people of Pup’s Creek do?”
“It makes a lot more sense than some of the other advice I’ve read in your great-uncle’s paper.”
“That may be true, but it makes a terrible headline.”
Ryan smiled. His expression wasn’t mean or mocking. If anything, the look in his eyes was calm and soothing. A welcome break from the stress that Toby had been under the last few days.
“I understand,” the alpha said. “You’re trying to do Roscoe proud.”
“More like I’m trying to get him off my back,” Toby admitted.
“No one around here would blame you for that,” Ryan said. “We all know what Roscoe can be like.”
“Don’t tell me you’re afraid of him.”
Another laugh. Another wave of attraction crashed over Toby. Damn, there was just something about this alpha. He had no idea what it was, just that it was magical.
“Oh, little omega, I’m not afraid of anything. Especially not around Pup’s Creek.”
Usually, Toby would have objected to the pet name, but not today. Not from this alpha. If anything, it just made his blush burn all the brighter.
“But I’ll tell you what,” Ryan said, standing up suddenly from the couch. “You drove all this way and you seem like a nice omega, so I’m going to do you a favor.”
“What’s that?” Toby asked, looking up at him.
“Roscoe needs a headline?” Ryan said. “Then follow me. I’ll give him his damned headline.”
3
The little omega was flustered. The thought pleased Ryan more than it should have. But truth be told, he’d been pleased from the moment he’d opened the door and found the man standing there.
The omega’s reaction wasn’t surprising. Ryan had been chopping wood just minutes before Toby had knocked on the door. Even now, sweat was clinging to his temples. His scent had to b
e strong.
And apparently, the little omega liked it. Toby’s own sugary sweet scent had taken on a hint of spice. The depth of it was growing stronger with every second he spent by Ryan’s side.
It was a surprisingly sexy scent for such an innocent omega. And there was no doubt in Ryan’s mind that Toby was innocent. Completely and utterly. It went beyond his slight awkwardness and inability to mask his natural reactions. There was an unsophisticated openness to him. Ryan had spotted it the moment the first blush had spread across Toby’s cheeks.
The sight had called out to something primal in Ryan. His scent even more so. Ryan wasn’t completely sure why, but he was willing to bet real money that Toby had never been touched.
The thought confused the hell out of him. How was it possible that an omega as handsome as Toby, with his soft features and lush lips, was a virgin?
It couldn’t have been from lack of interest. The combination of his dark brown hair and bright blue eyes, which sparkled like the morning sun off a mountain stream, was downright irresistible.
If Ryan was lucky, Toby’s scent would linger in his house all afternoon. He didn’t get many omega visitors at his house. He found they usually liked to stick to town, preferring spa days to long weekends in the wilderness.
But Toby had made the drive, and, Ryan figured that earned him something. Well, that and openly admitting to being related to Roscoe Martin. The omega deserved a consolation prize for that alone.
Ryan led the little omega down to the hall to the basement. He unlocked the three bolts, slid open the door, and started down the steps. When he reached the bottom step, he pulled the chain that turned on the light.
Ryan felt a strange thrill of satisfaction as Toby gasped.
“Holy crap,” the omega said, his voice a breathy whisper after his long silence.
Ryan fought the urge to laugh, but he didn’t fight the smile that spread across his face. The omega was shocked at his playroom, but he wasn’t horrified. If anything, he was intrigued. Ryan could tell by the shift in his scent, the way it deepened, becoming almost intoxicating with its sweetness. For the first time, Ryan caught the hint of slick, sweet and heady.
Maybe intrigued wasn’t the right word after all. Toby Martin was turned on.
“What is this stuff?” the omega asked. The innocence in his voice made Ryan’s cock harden. Damn, he’d like to show him.
“What does it look like?”
Toby’s baby blues darted around the room. “Ropes. Restraints. Is that a whip?”
Ryan didn’t answer. He wanted the omega to come to his own conclusions. He didn’t want to lead him. Toby could decide for himself how he felt about the kinky equipment.
It took Toby nearly twenty seconds to grasp what he was looking at. Once he did, he retreated a single step back up the staircase. He shook his head sharply as his gaze fell back to the floor, but the scent of slick only intensified.
“I’m sorry. I think I’ve given you the wrong idea,” Toby said. “I didn’t come out here for…” his voice trailed off, the sound of his awkwardness bordering on painful.
“Oh, I know,” Ryan said casually, deciding it was past time to put the poor omega out of his misery. “We just have to get through here to get to my storage room.”
“Oh,” Toby said, daring to glance up. There was no denying the innocence in those eyes was a powerful aphrodisiac.
Sure, he was hoping for a hell of a lot more, but he could see now that wasn’t going to happen. Toby might be damn sexy. His innocence might be tempting, but Ryan wasn’t in the habit of seducing hesitant omegas. The games he liked to play demanded full and enthusiastic consent.
Ryan let go and started across the room to the far door that led to his storage closet. He was already inside rummaging around when he finally heard Toby’s timid footsteps following him. He deliberately slowed his movements when noticed the omega’s shadow blocking the doorway behind him.
“So, um,” Toby started, his voice halting. “Is this…this room, I mean…is it a…”
The poor guy. Ryan could practically feel his embarrassment hanging in the air. He decided to help the innocent omega out.
“A sex dungeon?” Ryan finished for him. “Yes, it is.”
He couldn’t blame the omega for asking. He knew his basement could be a little…intimidating.
Ryan checked the floor. Toby’s shadow hadn’t moved. Apparently the admission hadn’t scared him away. In fact, going by the increasing scent of arousal infusing his storage room, fear was the exact opposite of how Toby felt.
“And you’re okay admitting that?” Toby asked. This time his tone was more curious than ashamed.
He turned to face the omega and was surprised to see Toby looking into his eyes instead of down at his feet.
“Why wouldn’t I be?” Ryan said. “Everybody’s into something. This is my thing.”
Ryan leaned his shoulder against the wall and turned toward Toby. He’d seen the inventory in his storage room countless times before. What he really wanted to look at was the omega’s face.
And it did not disappoint. Toby’s eyes were wide, his mouth open and his jaw slack. There was just enough trepidation in his expression to let Ryan know he had some sense of self-preservation.
“This, on the other hand, is just my storage closet,” Ryan said.
“Yeah, I have one of these,” Toby said, glancing away from Ryan's walls of hunting, fishing, and tracking equipment long enough to look him in the eyes. “Except I keep towels in mine.”
“To each his own,” Ryan joked, tuning around and getting back to his task. “Now let me grab what I came here for. Something for you to shoot that dog with.”
“Excuse me?” A totally different kind of shock infused the omega’s voice now. One that was full of anger instead of tamped-down desire. “I’m not hurting that poor animal, no matter what my great-uncle may want.”
Ryan chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’m not talking about shooting him with a gun.”
“Then what are you talking about?”
“These,” Ryan said. He pulled down a large container marked traps from one of the shelves.
“Um, I’m not really keen on maiming the poor thing either,” Toby said, his voice sounding a little strained.
“They’re not that kind of traps,” Ryan assured him. He lifted the lid and pulled out a small metal box. “They’re trap cameras.”
Toby’s head cocked to the side as he pressed his lips together tight. It was obvious that he’d never seen or even heard of one before. His expression almost unbearably cute. Where in the world had this guy come from? It certainly wasn’t anywhere around Pup’s Creek.
“They’re cameras that have a movement sensor inside,” Ryan explained. “They only take a photo when something passes in front of the lens. I use them all the time in the woods around here to keep track of wildlife migration. I figured I could loan you a few and you could put them at the Phantom hot spots around town. With any luck, you might be able to catch a photo for your uncle’s front page.”
Toby’s eyes lit up. Ryan felt something stir deep inside his chest…not to mention a little lower as well.
“You don’t mind?” Toby asked.
“I wouldn’t have offered if I did.”
Ryan put the cameras in a bag, and Toby risked a step inside the storage room to take it from him.
“Thank you,” he said.
“My pleasure,” Ryan said, finding that he really meant it.
“Can I get your number?” Toby’s cheeks glowed red the instant the words came out of his mouth. He was stumbled over his feet trying to take a quick step back and then another. “I mean, I guess I should take down your number in case I have any questions about the cameras, or need to get in touch with you about them, or anything else that comes up.”
Ryan did his best not to grin at the omega’s stumbling speech, but it was a losing battle. The man was just too freaking adorable when he was embarrassed. Not to mention fl
atteringly affected by Ryan's scent. It had been a while since an omega had reacted to him this way.
Apparently, he needed to do manual labor before meeting omegas more often.
Ryan stepped closer. He kept his gaze steady on the omega’s eyes as he plucked his phone from his grasp and programmed in his number. He knew he was laying it on a little thick, but he couldn’t resist the urge to tease Toby.
“Let me know when you catch something,” Ryan said, handing back Toby’s phone. “Especially if it wasn’t what you were looking for.”
“You think we’ll catch something other than the dog?”
Ryan shrugged. “I’ve caught all kind of crazy shit on those things, and that was in the middle of the forest where no one’s supposed to be around.”
“Now you’ve got me curious,” he said. “You’ll have to show them to me sometime.”
“I’m not sure that’s the best idea,” Ryan said, slowly shaking his head. “Any omega who can’t even ask for my number without turning bright red definitely couldn’t handle some of the things I’ve caught the good people of Pup’s Creek doing in the woods.”
Toby instantly glanced down to the floor, but not before Ryan caught another blush lighting up his cheeks.
“I wasn’t asking for your number,” Toby muttered.
“And yet you still have it in your phone.”
Good thing Ryan was only teasing and not actually flirting. The omega might be as cute as humanly possible, but he was also obviously sheltered. Toby was the kind of omega who needed to be wooed. To be treated gently. To be mated softly.
There was no way he could handle even a fraction of the bed play that Ryan craved.
Toby shuffled back a few more feet, waiting until he was all the way out of the storage room before looking up.
“Well, thank you,” he said. “I’ll give you a call if we get anything.” He slid back another step. “I’ll also call if we don’t get anything. You know, so I can give you back your cameras.”