Chapter 3
Ollie
“Why don’t you come round the back here, and I can show you exactly how fresh my meat is?”
I’m laughing along with him until a huge hand thuds on my shoulder, yanking me back against a coffee-scented chest. My eyes widen as I look up to find Timber glaring at him.
“We’re not here for fun and games,” Timber growls.
“Hey now, don’t go acting like that,” Barry says. “It’s just some friendly banter. I didn’t know Luke here had a mate.”
Pleasure ripples through me as Timber’s hand tightens enough that he could trap me if he wants to. And I definitely won’t say no.
“He’s not my mate,” Timber says coldly, and I won’t let the hurt get to me. Barry’s knowing smirk sparks up his face.
“Sure, he’s not,” he says as he glances at me. I shrug as if I don’t know what he’s talking about. Except my omega side is soaring over how protective Timber is being.
“Here, I’ll throw in a steak, half off, just for you two. I wouldn’t want a big guy like you going hungry. You’ve got to keep your energy up for this one here, haven’t you?” Barry winks at him, but it doesn’t land.
I grin as I step out of Timber’s grasp, leaning over the stand.
“I’ve got more chance of seeing your meat than his,” I tease as Timber scowls.
“You keep at him, son, and you’ll be in with luck soon enough.” Barry laughs.
I chuckle as I reach for the bag, but Timber swipes it from him before I have a chance to take it. His scowl grows deeper as I pay, and as soon as we are out of Barry’s earshot, Timber stares me down.
“What was that?” he asks as we walk through the crowd. His hard tone sends another round of shivers through me. “Why were you talking to him like that?”
I hope he’s jealous, because I want nothing more than to see what Timber Holtz is like when he’s really wound up.
“Sometimes you have to flirt a bit to get what you want,” I say.
“What about with me? Is that why you try to piss me off all the time?”
I smirk, choosing not to answer as I grab his hand.
“It’s busy, don’t get lost,” I say as I tug him behind me through the heavy crowd.
He can decide for himself what it means. It’s easier to think of this as one last day with Timber. I’ll let myself have today, like a goodbye before I quit the job, so I don’t have to hurt either of us anymore.
The hour’s drive is worth it, no matter how stony the silence with Timber was. There was a Saturday market on the other side of Nashville where we grew up, and our mom and dad took Luke and me every single week when we were kids, no matter the weather.
Our parents ran their own restaurant until a bad fire took them, but not before they taught us everything we know about cooking. It’s one reason we push so hard with our own business. Except we don’t want to open a restaurant; we want a way to help people on a personal level.
Mom focused on the ingredients, while Dad cared about cooking methods, and they made a perfect team. Saturdays were always an adventure with them. A bustling market feels like home to us. When I’m stressed, there’s nothing like it.
Unless the big ball of stress-inducing muscle comes with me.
Clutching at Timber and pulling him through the crowd fills me with such a sense of satisfaction that my grin grows.
The more people jostle us, the more excuses I have to lean back into him, to rub myself on him, and ‘accidentally’ scent mark him.
I usually cream up in the car park, but I wasn't going to strip and rub scent blocker all over myself with Timber right next to me.
Other omegas are sizing him up as well, and people who recognize him are giving him starry-eyed looks.
“Excuse me,” a little voice peeps from our left, and we both come to a sudden stop. “Are you the hockey player my dad likes?”
Timber looks down at the kid before he lets go of my hand. He crouches, and even then, he isn’t at his eye level.
“I don’t know, what’s the name of the hockey player?” Timber asks.
“Hm, I’m not sure. He’s just very big. Dad said something about you being a bull that carries people. My dad loves carrying me around as well.”
Timber looks at me with his mouth open, totally floundering, and I snort.
“Well? What do you say to that?” I ask.
“Oh, I’m so sorry!” A woman bursts out through the crowd to scoop up her son, who lifts his hands out like he expects Timber to pick him up. “He’s just used to playing that with his dad.”
“It’s fine,” he says gruffly. Timber shakes his head as he stands, and her eyes widen. She’s definitely clocked him, and I’m interested to see how he’ll handle it. Especially considering he isn’t exactly the cheeriest sunflower on the patch.
Three more women and their kids magically emerge and surround him, and I edge away.
My jealousy is rearing its ugly head again, and I don’t want to treat them the way I treated Ash.
I need space to breathe anything but rich and luscious coffee that makes my pussy hot and my mouth water.
“Can I have a carry?” the kid asks before the mom pours out more apologies.
“I’ll just be over there,” I say, pointing to a stall. I don’t want to stand around like a side piece while I wait for him to finish chatting with fans.
As I reach the vegetable stand and pick out everything I need to make Timber’s meals for the week, I keep a watch on him out of the corner of my eye.
My omega side is bristling, and I’m close to hissing as one mom puts her hand on his bicep and squeezes.
I should go back over there and dropkick her bouncy ass back into the beige world of pompoms and yoga pants.
Timber puffs up his chest, and the nommy mommies get all giggly as he hoists their kids up on his shoulders, giving each of them a turn.
I try to focus on bartering with the farmer at the stall, but Timber is too distracting.
It’s a surprise that Timber is so good with kids in the first place. I’m not going to deny that it’s pretty cute seeing him playing and laughing with them.
What’s even cuter is the way he keeps scanning the area. I haven’t moved from my spot, but every now and then he shoots his head up to look around, and his tense expression relaxes when he sees me. I really want it to be because he’s worried he’ll lose me, and that he doesn’t want us to be apart.
My dumbass omega side is getting too high off feeling like his mate. I keep clenching my jaw to remind myself that I’m lying to him. For money. Even though it’s a legally earned paycheck, I’m still doing it for the money.
Just because he’s acting nice now doesn’t mean he’ll forgive me for the whole pretending-to-be-a-male-beta thing.
“Fifty,” the farmer says, and I snap my attention back to him. I’ve already pushed my sleeves up to my elbows in my go-to haggling position.
My grin deepens as my eyebrows rise. “I’m not some granny looking for some nice veggies for the weekend. How about twenty-five?”
“Get out of here. You think this is worth twenty-five? This is pure organic; I grew these myself. Look at this dirt.” He shakes a cabbage at me. “You think I hand-picked this fresh all so I could sell them to you for twenty-five? You’re joking. I’ll do forty-five.”
I click my tongue against my teeth. “What if I told you these were for a guy who knows a guy who might get you a deal with the Scented Scorpions kitchen?”
He stills as his thoughts tick over. “You gonna lie to me over a cabbage, boy?”
I throw my thumb over my shoulder, and he looks up, his eyes wide as they land on Timber. “Who do you think he’s with?”
Timber is an absolute star and chooses that moment to search for me. I wave to him cheerily, and, in all his handsomeness, he waves back.
With a toddler on his shoulders and a look on his face that would make any omega dissolve into a puddle of need, I fall for him even harder as he jostles the kid until she laughs.
I have to find a way to get rid of all this homey shit. This isn’t my vibe, even though he looks so good.
“Okay, forty, and I’ll throw in these pears,” the farmer says.
“Who says I’m looking for pears? I don’t need them, old man.”
“Trust me, you need these pears,” he tuts. “You want the best for your alpha, don’t you? You’re not going to find anyone with pears like these.”
He plucks one from his stand and hands it over. I’m pretty sure it’s the same as the apple Snow White bit. As soon as I taste this, I’m going to settle for whatever he wants. I’m weak when it comes to food, especially the free stuff.
I lift the pear to my lips, but before I can take a bite, Timber is suddenly looming over me, sans toddler.
“What are you doing?” Timber asks. His gaze heated as he looks at the pear, though I hope it’s my lips that capture him.
“Oh, hey, just in time,” I say. “This old man is claiming these are the sweetest pears in the world.”
“Sweeter than your cheeks, I’ll bet,” he says, watching me with a shrewd look.
I snort before I take a bite, not expecting much.
The sweetness explodes over my tongue, and juice floods my mouth. I moan deeply as sticky liquid instantly drips on my hand. It covers my palm, sliding down my arm as I swallow the first bite.
“What do you think?” the farmer asks.
“Alright, you got me.” I chuckle as I lift my arm, catching a drop of juice with my tongue before it reaches my elbow. I’m not thinking as I lick the juice all the way to my wrist. I need to get it all, but I have to stop it at the source.
I quickly lick over my palm before returning to the pear, sucking hard to make sure no more juice escapes.
And that’s when I look up at Timber.
He stares at me with such raw heat as I gulp it down that my shitty suppressants stand no chance, and I almost perfume.
My gaze is fixed on his as I extend my tongue, lapping at the succulent flesh. My eyes flutter as more sweetness flows through my mouth, and I moan again.
The way Timber’s shoulders hunch, his tight brow furrows, and how his hands twitch are perfect.
I think I hear him growl, but there are so many people walking around us that it’s lost in the noise.
With a wicked grin, I take another bite. My moans grow dramatically louder as Timber sucks in a breath and his scent thickens.
He’s captivated. An earthquake can’t move us as I keep licking. I’m melting under him, and there’s no way I can’t slick when my alpha’s jaw drops, and his gaze burns through me. It’s obviously because he can’t believe how smoking hot his omega is.
I want to keep munching on my pear, but Timber has other ideas.
“I need to confirm that,” he says hoarsely to the farmer. “Since I’ll be the one eating them.”
The farmer says something, but all sound fades away as Timber leans forward. His warm palm grips my wrist, lifting my hand to his mouth as he takes a bite out of my pear. And I feel the force of it shudder through me.
He copies me, his lips inches from mine, licking up the juice with his thick tongue. He sends me into overdrive as he spreads his tongue wide, pressing hard against the flesh, licking fast as juice swells.
He’s millimeters away from my fingers, and all I have to do is turn my hand, and he’ll lick me.
“You can’t even taste it,” I whisper. I can barely get the words out because he’s so close and his lips are glistening. He’s lighting me on fire, and I’m praying to the God of Heat Suppressants not to fail me now.
“Maybe there’s something else I want to taste,” he growls softly.
My whimper is light, but he catches it, and his pupils flare. His grip tightens, and I nearly drop the pear so I can fling my arms around him and devour him.
I try to care about Timber discovering my lies, I really do. But what am I supposed to do when my alpha is thirsting over me like I’m that juicy pear?
“Can you two get a room? You’re going to scare off the rest of my customers.” The farmer grins. “Now, give me my forty bucks, and I’ll get you a business card. I want a signature from your alpha there, too, so you’d better keep your promise.”
Timber glares at the farmer, but I’m too busy licking another line on my arm to tell him Timber isn’t my alpha. Timber’s not denying it this time, either.
I slurp loudly and pointedly as I take another bite of the pear. I need to kill the mood, or the next stop on our shopping trip is Sexy Town.
Neither of us says anything as I pay the farmer, but I know Timber can feel it as well. My omega side is telling me that this is my chance to go for it, to show him my feelings, to make him realize I’m his mate.
The story of his ex-wife keeps pounding around in my head, but so does the way he low key told me he liked me.
Yeah, I’m flirting with him to get what I want. The way he reacted to my slick and my kisses is still so vivid that it’s unfair of me to kiss him when he thinks I’m Luke.
I need to go back to fun-loving Luke and not the omega who almost went for him a minute ago.
I don’t take his hand again. If we get lost in the crowd, I’ll say it’s fate and go back to the car alone. Or I can just jump in the pond behind the market and let myself float until I either cool down or the water boils.
Thankfully, the market is so busy that no one has noticed my slicking. Timber’s eyes bore into my back so intensely that I can’t get rid of this tension. Something’s gotta give, and fast, or I’m never going to be able to fix it when he finds out the truth.