Chapter 2
Ollie
My car is like a bug next to Timber’s venom-green demon machine, and I wish I could get something sleeker to match it.
Or a paint job and put fire or dragons along the side to make it look cool.
Then my car would be some competition. Though I'm always going to be less noticeable in a black Honda Civic.
Except I can't really escape him. Because those words have been rattling around in my head since he slurred them five nights ago on the balcony.
You don't know what you're doing to me… You don't even know how I feel…
A shudder goes through me as a whisper of his voice echoes in my head.
It’s day five of my grand master plan when the door opens, and the very sleepy form of the man I’ve been crushing on for a month looms in the doorway.
He’s mouth-watering, even when he’s just wearing a baggy gray sweatsuit, clutching a puffer jacket to his chest like a teddy bear.
He blinks slowly, rubbing his eyes, looking one part cute, one part sexy, and all parts alpha as he thuds down the concrete steps and straight to my car.
There’s no way I’m getting out of this. I should have opened the main door to the garage so I could slam the car into reverse and speed out of here, but Timber’s already flung the passenger door open.
He looks murderous as he throws his giant body into the passenger seat.
I’m not gonna lie, it totally does it for me.
The car shakes, and I shudder as the scent of coffee floods the space so quickly that I nearly whine.
“I’m kind of busy,” I say carefully. “Can’t you do this later?”
“You mean next week, when I finally catch you, since you do a runner every time I’m home?”
I grimace as he glares at me. What am I supposed to do?
I’m good at playing stuff casually, but guilt has been eating me from the inside since he told me about his ex-wife. I’ve been going crazy over it, and I’ve already decided we can’t trick him anymore.
I’ve been telling myself it’s okay to keep lying to him because we need to pay Luke’s hospital bills, but there are better ways to do that that won’t hurt anyone this deeply.
I can’t stand the thought of seeing Timber’s face fall as he realizes what’s happening, and then losing him forever.
I’m lucky enough that he let me stay after he confessed he found out I’m an omega.
I suck in a breath, which is such a bad idea. Now I have to shut down all that lovely, horny heat that makes a beeline for my pussy as I straighten up, looking him dead in the eye.
“Well, I’m busy. I’ve got stuff to do,” I say as I wave the list at him.
I fold it up, shoving it into the pocket of my black leather jacket as I hit the button for the garage.
I don’t know where he plans on going with his puffer jacket, but I’ve just added a beanie to my usual getup, and I’m going to be fine in the winter chill.
“And you think I don’t? I’m not just sitting here for fun. You’re making me feel awkward in my own house, which is the last thing I want.”
I really hate how my heart jumps all over the place. The old Ollie wouldn’t get nervous like this. I would have just grinned and laughed it off and pretended that I’m not bothered by how every time he takes a breath, his chest swells, and I want to nestle in his pillowy pecs.
“What do you want then, Timber?” I ask quietly, annoyed at how serious I sound. As if it’s important for me to know what he wants from our poorly established boss-employee relationship that should have never left the kitchen.
I don’t want to turn around and go, “Haha, so, you know how you found out I was an omega, but you also thought you made out with my sister at the restaurant, which was the hottest thing I’ve ever done in my whole life?
Yeah, and you know how you said that your ex-wife manipulated you every which way to Sunday, and how that scarred you to the point where you can’t trust anyone anymore? Well, surprise!”
Oh yeah, that would go down great.
I won’t grumble and make him think I’m annoyed at him instead of myself for driving the knife even deeper.
“I want to go to the market with you,” he says, folding his arms and staring straight out of the windscreen, obviously fighting sleep.
“Why do you think I’m going to the market? I could be off doing anything.”
“You left it in your schedule.”
I narrow my eyes. “And how, Timber Holtz, did you find the schedule that I keep in my satchel in the kitchen that no one else should know about?”
His glare turns sheepish as he clears his throat.
“It fell open when you left it in the hallway, and I happened to take a look.”
“Uh-huh,” I say dryly, because my satchel has three straps that I always keep snapped shut, mainly because I have things in there that I don’t want Timber to see, like my illegal heat suppressants.
“Well, there are things you don’t know about me either. And I don’t trust you as far as I can throw you.”
I arch a brow. “I’m pretty sure you could throw me a decent mile if you put your mind to it. Does that mean I’m trustworthy?”
He glowers back. I guess I shouldn’t be so casual since we’re actually bringing it up.
“I won’t believe you’re going to the market until I see it. The market could be a code for anything. I don’t know what you’re up to yet.”
I let out a sigh, biting down a sharp stab of pain instead. Thank God it’s in my chest and not my pussy, because now is the worst time in the world to go into preheat. If his ex-wife used her perfume to manipulate him, how would he feel if going into heat got me out of this conversation?
“Do you think I’m some kind of sleeper cell agent? I’m not here to mess with your life, Timber. I came here to do my job, and I need to get to the market right when it opens. Which I want to do by myself.”
So I don’t have to deal with an awkward hour’s drive, along with dancing around him all morning. I just want to see Barry the butcher first thing when the best cuts are out. Not exactly high on the sexy list, though I have to get rid of the idea of doing anything sexy with Timber now.
I’m just deluding myself by thinking he’ll want me if he ever finds out the truth about Ollie and Luke.
He’s already met Ollie, so I can’t tell him she’s in the hospital. I could lie and say we’re triplets, and Luke can make up a fake name and put on a show.
“You’re either going with me, or you’re not going at all,” he says.
I roll my eyes. “Fine, but you’d better be ready. The market is no joke. I’ve seen you play on the ice, but you haven’t played like this before.”
He gives me a confused look, and I wink. I can use this as a chance to show him I’m a trustworthy omega. Or at least prove I’m not here to ruin his life.
He’s already made it crystal clear he’ll never be with another omega.
Lucky for him, he’s scent matched with someone who’s doing her very bestest not to be one.
Even if he thinks he knows the truth, I’ll put on my beta hat, do my job, and Timber won’t have to worry about an omega sneaking into his life again.