The Arrangement (Omegas of Hunter's Point Book 1)

Chapter 23

Von drifted on an incoming tide of awareness. The echoes of last night still sang in her blood, pulsing to the beat of her heart. For a shining, sparkling moment, she'd touched an experience she'd only ever allowed herself to imagine. An alpha, her alpha, had shown her love, shown her acceptance. She'd drunk from the fountain of his regard, and every drop had been dangerously intoxicating, bypassing her inhibitions.

She knew with equal conviction that it shouldn't have happened. It had been several hours of bad judgement that, fortunately, hadn't ended in disaster. Her fingers brushed her unbitten shoulders. She'd gotten lucky. This time, anyway. And it couldn't be allowed to happen, again. Damian wasn't the endgame. She hadn't entered this arrangement to snare a real mate and get claimed. She needed to focus, to remember why she was doing this. Her future. College. A professorship. If she wasn't careful, she'd lose it all, and for what? A couple hours of sexual gratification?

Mind-altering sexual gratification. The feel of their connection, of flesh and soul, had been indescribable, even to herself. No beta had ever made her feel like that and no beta likely ever would. Only an alpha's soul could touch an omega's as his had, protecting it, cherishing it.

The experience of it would have to last her. She'd allowed him to get close, counting on him to know her for defective and be the one to push her away. Defying a lifetime of experience, that hadn't happened. She would have to be the one to push him away, re-establish their boundaries. This was a business arrangement, or it was supposed to be. It couldn't be allowed to be anything else.

It should start with a shower to wash away the remnants of the previous evening's irresponsibility and lack of self-control. From the sound of running water in the bathroom and the steam billowing out of the open doorway, Damian had thought the same thing. She tentatively knocked on the door without entering.

"Damian?"

She heard the shower curtain rustle, then suddenly he was before her, dripping wet and gloriously nude. Whatever she'd been about to say evaporated like morning mist. It had been a valiant effort on her part, but so much for that plan.

With no preamble, Damian hoisted her, giggling, over his shoulder and took her into the shower with him, standing her under the spray of water. Whistling, he filled his palm with shampoo and lathered it through the chestnut and roan of her hair, trailing his fingers across her scalp as she'd done to him. Briefly eying the washcloth, he seemed to decide against it and soaped his hands, instead. He started at her shoulders, which, given the evening they'd shared, shouldn't have been so tense. Digging his thumbs into the muscle, he pressed in firm half circles. Von groaned, relaxing under his touch.

Her pleasured groan went straight to his loins, and brought his member to stand at full attention against the curve of her bottom.

His hands slipped over her wet skin, leaving a trail of bubbles in their wake. Her breasts succumbed first, the nipples pebbling immediately, erect against his palm. He toyed with each one, taking his time, until she whimpered, her head coming to rest against his chest. Her breaths were ragged. When his slick fingers slipped between her thighs and found her little pearl, her breaths stopped. He completed two rotations before she exhaled on a long sigh, her hands sliding along his arm. His touch, too light by half, was meant to be the appetizer to the feast he tempted her with.

"Please..." she whimpered.

"Please, what?" he responded. "Tell me what you need."

What did she need? She couldn't be sure, anymore. Her next words should have been "we can't" or "we need to stop," but they weren't. The wanton omega inside her fed her the words.

All she had to do was open her mouth and let them fall out: the truth, beyond her denials and fears. "I need you..." she turned to face him, her eyes mostly pupil, "inside me."