Our Deceptive Heat (When it Raines Omegaverse #3)

3. Ryn

Chapter three

Ryn

12 months later

I looked into your eyes and saw myself, how you saw me, and it stripped me raw- Ryn Raines

I lay on the couch, throw a cheese ball into the air, and catch it in my mouth.

“Damn, you’re good, Raines.”

I smirk at Mako. He strums the guitar, absently playing the melody we’ve created. Envy reaches over me and grabs a handful of the cheese balls, then goes and sits on the other couch. I try not to show how much his nearness affects me. Even after a year, I still get flutters when he comes close. Or when he looks at me. Especially when he’s playing anything, I could watch him make music forever. To be fair, Envy just needs to be in the same room with me, and I’m a hormonal mess.

“Well, that’s done!” Mako says with a wink, puts his guitar away, and flops down on the coach opposite mine.

“Another hit?” I tease. “How are your adoring fans? I saw you’re looking at expanding the pack. Shall I add my congratulations?”

“Shut up, you!” Digs mock growls and sits on my thighs.

I wheeze as he leans over me. “DIGS!! Get off, you’re too heavy! I give up! I’m sorry. Digs, I take it back! ”

“Damn straight!” Digs growls. He reaches out, snags my bag of chips, and flings them away, earning a growl from Mako, and then sets to tickling me.

I squeal and struggle, but I’m helpless against his merciless attack.

“Five hit songs and two more coming out,” Tyr says, walking past, ignoring us like nothing is even happening. I’ve become part of the furniture here. What was a single visit quickly turned into me being here multiple nights a week. We’re all workaholics, but it worked. Fate’s Choice sealed their career with Alpha Labels and are no longer on the chopping block.

Digs sits back and then shifts so he’s beside me. “Yep, we’ve got our magic unicorn here!” He leans in so his lips are pressed to my ear. “My Aura.”

I snort but sit up, still breathless and hopelessly unable to get rid of the smile that is stretched across my face. Digs is pure joy in this world.

“This unicorn has to head home,” I say and can’t help my smile dropping. I never want to leave them.

“Aww, do you have to?” Digs cries and captures one of my thighs as I stand up, pressing his face against it.

Now, normally I’d have a racing heart, breathlessness, arousal at the feel of his fingers stroking the inside of my thighs in slight whispers of movement, but Digs doesn’t mean it. He simply is a touchy person, so I ruthlessly suppress all my emotions and reactions to the big joker. I can’t feel a thing. I really can’t. It’s nothing!

I think my heart is going to explode in my chest.

“Let her go, Digs,” Envy says as he brushes past us and throws himself down on the couch.

I stand there and smile at Envy. “Next time, you owe me one of those chocolate things.”

I’ve gotten to know the others fairly well, but Envy remains distant with me. He’s polite and accepting of me here but just stays out of my way and seldom interacts with me.

But he watches me a lot. Like he’s trying to figure me out. Like I have something he wants. He makes me nervous and unsure of myself.

I push at Digs’ hand, which is far too close to my valley of abstinence for my comfort.

Don’t awaken sleeping dragons, Digs.

His thumb shifts, almost like he strokes my inner thigh, but I see no change on his face. Too bad I’m close to self-combustion. A whimper starts to slip out, but I slam my teeth on my lower lip and smother the sound.

Must. Escape. Now.

I see a lifeline when Tyr saunters back from the kitchen and grab at it .

“See ya, Tyr,” I almost shout. Is sweat dripping down my face? It feels like it. “Email me what version you decide to go with, and I’ll send you the alternate lyrics for verse two. I think if you have Mako sing them, it will sound better.”

Mako growls and shakes his head as Tyr sits on his lap and leans his face into the other alpha’s shoulders. Moments like this are painful to watch. I get a double serve of yearning and guilt. I should not be feeling so damn aroused by my best friends.

“Do you ever think about anything else but work?” Mako asks. “And I don’t sing.”

My mind goes blank because, of course, there is something that competes with my mind’s space with work. Digs thumbs and how close they are to my pussy. Wait, no!

The Fate Pack. The band.

No, I don’t think about them, either. Damn you, brain.

We’re friends. The best of friends. I’m lucky to have them. There, that’s better.

Digs yanks on my thigh, and I fall roughly in his direction, dropping onto his lap with an oof.

He snuggles into me and locks those giant, meaty arms around me. I’ve practically got my breasts smooshed into his face. My heart slams against my chest and the ache between my legs is sudden and intense. All I can do is cling to him while I try to undo the spell he’s put on my body.

“Mine.”

Oh, that’s not fair.

I twist so I’m looking at him and still. He’s not smiling anymore. He’s gazing at me with an intensity that makes holding his gaze impossible. There’s a question, but I don’t understand it.

Not even a little bit.

“Digs?” I ask softly.

His name is echoed sharply by Tyr a moment later, and Digs abruptly let's go with a shuddering exhale. He stands up, hesitates, and, to my utter dismay and confusion, pats my head. Like I’m a dog.

“I’ll see you next time.”

I watch in surprise as he leaves the hotel lounge and goes into one of the other rooms.

I glance at the others, but none of them are looking at me.

“Come on, I’ll see you out,” Envy says quietly.

I grab my stuff, murmur a goodbye, and slip out.

The cold that sits inside me reminds me, too late, that there are no feelings between them and I. They are a pack who have made it clear they don’t want an omega. And they are my father’s up-and-coming clients. They are off limits.

They are not for me.

So why, for a moment there, did I think Digs was going to kiss me?