Chapter Six
Felix
April: Two Months Ago
“How long are you going to sit here tonight?” I asked as I stood in front of Bennett and flashed him one of my bright smiles that always made his entire body light up. It was a superpower I’d quickly realized I had with him, and I liked it a little too much.
It had been two weeks since the incident with Ryder, yet Bennett was still here every night, flirting and waiting patiently for me to tell him I was ready for more.
When I’d called my sister, Clara, and told her about how amazing and patient Bennett was, she’d threatened to show up and force me on a date with him.
I couldn’t say that I blamed her. He was clearly one of a kind, and despite my last experience with being in a relationship, I was starting to feel ready to see just what he had to offer beyond these flirty nights.
If my desire for him runs this deep already, what will it feel like after spending a night out with him?
“I’ll be sitting here for as long as you’re here,” he said confidently.
“You’re aware that I can walk myself to my car at night?”
“Aware? Yes. Willing to let you do that? No.” Bennett took a sip of his beer, hiding his smile behind the bottle.
I lifted one eyebrow and shook my head. “You’ve had two weeks to come to your senses, Bennett. I’m trying to do you a favor.”
“I don’t think I’m very sensible when it comes to you,” he said. “Are you telling me you want me to leave?”
“No. Then who would I flirt with all night?” I asked, sliding him a glass of water. “You’re my favorite customer. Tips could be better though.”
“Ah, and here I was trying to make it clear that I’m not bribing you for a date,” Bennett said with a smirk.
“I’m a bartender, Bennett, if you really like my service you’d tip me better. Plus, I’m pretty sure I lose out on tips since I focus so much of my energy on a certain patron who can’t take his eyes off my ass.”
Bennett grinned proudly. “It’s a very nice ass.”
“All the more reason to give me better tips.” I leaned on the bar in front of him, craving his presence and his scent.
He met me halfway across the bar and hovered his lips against my ear. “You do realize I already tip you fifty percent every night since my bill is only twenty dollars.”
I smiled, the warmth of his breath heating my body and stiffening my dick. “Then maybe you should start ordering dinner while you’re here.”
Bennett slid back into his seat. “I’ll take an order of onion rings.”
I chuckled. “You can’t be serious. That’s not a meal. Won’t you still be hungry?”
“It’s more than I usually eat.”
“Wait. You never order dinner. Do you just not eat?” I asked.
He shrugged. “I don’t love greasy food very often and that’s mostly what Ally serves here. I usually just eat something when I get home.”
“At eleven o’clock at night?” I asked.
He nodded. “If you want to make sure I eat dinner at a reasonable time one night, a date would be a great way to do that.”
My face flushed, and I knew I was at the end of my rope.
I couldn’t resist this guy. He was so damn charming, and his loyalty to me was already more than enough to make me want to give him a chance.
But on top of that, I continued to get the sense that if I told him to back off at any time, he really would.
He’d continued pursuing me because I wanted him to and he knew it.
I reached across the counter and gripped his shirt, pulling him closer to me again so I could smell him. “You know, even if I were willing to let you take out the mated omega with a drug addiction who you’re so intent on chasing—”
His hand covered mine. “Don’t talk about yourself like that. You’re a lot more than your past.”
“Fuck. Why do you have to be so impossible to resist?”
He smiled, still holding onto my hand. “I believe you were trying to make a point.”
“My boss is your sister.”
“So?”
“Ally is terrifying. I don’t want to be on her bad side,” I said with a laugh. “The other day she grabbed a man by his collar and dragged him out of here like he was a sack of potatoes.”
Bennett laughed. “She’s strong.”
“Abnormally strong, even for an alpha,” I said, raising one eyebrow in alarm. “Aren’t you scared of her?”
“Slightly terrified, but not about this. She’ll have no problem with us dating. Besides, you’ll probably fall in love with me after one date and we’ll live happily ever after. Even she can’t complain about true love.”
“You know there is no happily ever after unless my ex releases me from our bond or you just happen to be my true mate.”
Bennett smiled with confidence. “Maybe that’s exactly what I am. Either way, you still get to choose what happens next.”
“God, I wish,” I said on an exhale.
My pulse raced as I thought about what he was suggesting.
Wouldn’t he know if he’s my true mate? And don’t most alphas just lay claim to their true mate when they find them?
Why would he even give me a choice? Unless he knows he’s not and he just wants to give me hope about getting out of my bond to Ryder, which seems kind of cruel.
The scent of pine filled the air around me and I took a deep breath, pulse instantly returning to normal. Bennett smiled at me and squeezed my hand. “I don’t like when you feel nervous.”
“I’m off on Friday.” I let go of him, picked up his phone off the counter, and lifted it to his face to unlock the screen. I typed in my phone number and address before handing the phone back to him.
“What time can I pick you up?” he asked.
“Seven,” I said, feeling my pulse kick up again.
Was I really going to do this? Was I ready for this?
To consider dating someone? I’d always assumed it would be impossible until I convinced Ryder to break our bond, and he’d made it very clear the day I left that he had no intention of doing that.
After detoxing at my sister’s house for two weeks, I’d found him to tell him that we were done and that I was going to rehab.
He’d laughed and told me I’d be back. When I assured him that I wouldn’t, he’d smiled slyly at me, ran a finger over the bite mark on my neck and said, “Doesn’t matter, you’ll always belong to me. ”
Another wave of calm washed over me as I suddenly felt like I was surrounded by pine trees again. I locked eyes with Bennett to find him smiling happily at me.
“I know what you’re doing,” I said.
“You’ll tell me if you don’t like it,” he said confidently.
“I will,” I said, feeling Bennett’s gaze on me as I moved to the other end of the bar to check on the customers over there.
The ones who’d no doubt be leaving me a terrible tip because of how much I’d been neglecting them.
I needed to go on a date with Bennett just so I could go back to being a halfway decent bartender.
Twenty minutes later, I set a salad down in front of Bennett. He lifted one eyebrow. “What’s this? I thought I ordered onion rings.”
I shook my head at him. “You ordered those to appease me. What you want is this. I had Milo take the ingredients for the chicken nachos and throw them on lettuce instead. I probably should have asked if you had any dietary restrictions first though. Sorry.”
He grabbed my hand and squeezed. “Don’t be sorry, this is perfect. I love it. Thank you.”
I preened at his praise, the instinct to please my alpha already strong.
He smiled knowingly, like he could see the pride on my face.
He picked up his fork and started eating, looking mighty satisfied as he did.
I stared at him, captivated by every movement of his jaw as it worked to chew.
He swallowed and my gaze shifted to the bob in his throat.
“You know, if you want better tips tonight, you’re going to have to serve the other customers,” he said with a teasing smile.
“Ugh,” I groaned. “You’re too fucking hot, Bennett. It’s ruining my ability to do my job.”
He laughed heartily as I spun on my heel and walked away before temptation could lead me astray again.
By the time I was closing up the bar, I’d started to feel a growing tingling in the bite mark on my neck.
I’d briefly noticed a burn the other night when Ryder had shown up, but it hadn’t lasted long.
Tonight the sensation felt more like an itch, and it had been getting worse over the last hour. Does it mean that Ryder is nearby?
Between the drugs that Ryder had in his body at any given time and the distance between us—both emotional and physical—the bond we shared had been dull for years.
I could barely remember what it felt like when he was close by.
Even when we’d been together, our bond had never been strong and was always diluted by drugs.
I couldn’t figure out why I’d feel anything at all now, even if he was in the general vicinity.
I locked the front door and turned around to see Bennett standing a foot away from me. “What’s going on with your bonding mark?” he asked, tipping his chin toward where I was scratching my neck.
I took a deep breath. “It itches.”
Bennett ran both hands through his long hair as he moved to stand in front of the large glass window, looking up and down the street. “Let me take you home tonight.”
“It’s probably nothing.”
“And if it’s something, I want to make sure you get home safe.”
I shook my head. “I’ll be fine. Let me just close out the register and then you can walk me to my car like normal.”
Bennett’s hands flexed at his sides as he came to stand in front of me. “I’m following you home.”
“Are we sure you’re not the alpha I should be scared of?” I asked, folding my arms across my chest.
Bennett tipped his head to the side. “Now is not the time for you to be a smart ass. I won’t take you home if that’s not what you want. But please don’t make me worry about you all night either.”
“I’ll text you when I get home.”
Bennett’s jaw ticked. “Fine.”
“Will that suit your protective alpha instincts?”
“No.”
“But you’re agreeing anyway?”