7. Lila #2
The urge to rub against him is stronger than my impulse control, so as I slip into the dark room, my back brushes against his front, marking him with my scent, as well as taking his scent with me.
The room is so dark that I stop just a few steps inside and have to blink a few times to adjust. When the large alpha presses against my back, placing his hands on my shoulders, I freeze.
“You have to go a little further than this, Little Omega, if you want me to make this enjoyable for you,” River whispers in my ear, and this time, my eyes flutter shut as I tremble before him.
What the hell was in that contract? Participant will be brought to the brink of desperation by flirty alphas from her past who enjoy watching her squirm.
“R-right, sorry,” I whisper, as I step forward and out of River’s grasp. Fairy lights flicker on in the corners of the room, lighting it up just enough to reveal… I have no idea. “What am I looking at?”
“This room is called Trust. Can you trust me, Lila?” River steps past me, and further into the light, making him look like a sexy Captain Hook.
The black rimmed glasses framing his blue eyes give off a mysterious vibe to whatever is going on inside this alpha’s head.
His shoulder-length black hair is straight, catching the fairy light in a way that makes me feel as if I just stepped into a fairytale.
“What do I do?”
“Come here.” As I cross the wooden floor, he holds up a silky blindfold. “There’s a puzzle to solve, but I’m your eyes.”
I don’t ask if this is how all of their escape rooms are done. I don’t ask if this is normal. Instead, I remain still as River blindfolds me.
“I’ll talk you through it. You just need to listen to my voice, Lila.” When he places his hands on my hips, I suck in a ragged breath. With my eyes closed, my other senses are heightened, especially smell. And this alpha smells fucking dangerous in all the most alluring ways. Whiskey and desire…
My body presses back into River on its own, but the only indication that he notices is the way his hands tighten against me.
“Reach forward. There are six pieces. You just need to match them with the correct space. But be careful–”
“Ah!” I yelp, as my finger is zapped, sending a small shock through me. It isn’t painful, more frightening, and my heart rate skyrockets. I’m panting now, and fully pressed against River as I try to calm down.
“Careful, because the board will shock you if you touch something you shouldn’t.
” There's a hint of amusement in his tone, and I grumble. All annoyance tumbles away when he pushes my hair off my shoulder, his fingertips grazing my bare skin. “Take it slow. There’s no rush. We have time. I’ll be right here the whole way, omega. ”
“My god, did you take a course on how to make every word sound sexually charged, or am I just getting special treatment?” I gasp before I can think better of it. I bite my lip, thankful for the blindfold allowing me to hide.
“Oh, this is all for you, Lila. But no, I didn’t need a course. You bring this out of me naturally.”
“So you admit what you’re doing?”
“Depends, what am I being accused of, Omega? Turning you on with my words? Or just making it clear that I can take care of you any way you need me to?” River asks, his lips grazing the skin of my ear before he nibbles the lobe.
“Always wondered what your scent was like. I’d sit behind you in class, just hoping for a hint of it. ”
“Sweet heavens, what did I sign up for?” I gasp, shaking my head. “I haven’t seen you in years.”
“Did you need longer to know that you’re attracted to me? Or should I take my shirt off?” he teases.
“Are you saying all you needed was minutes?” I’m breathless as I ask, ignoring his offer to remove his clothing.
“All I needed was your scent lingering in the halls of my apartment. Fuck, one breath of you and I wanted to fuck the blankets you slept in. My instincts are telling me you’re mine, something I don’t want to ignore.
Do you?” His hand caresses me from my hip to my stomach as he pulls me harder against his body.
I’m covered in his scent. A thought that excites me further.
“N-no,” I admit. But my doubts are too loud to ignore. Would he be as willing to smother me in his scent if we weren’t in this escape room? If other omegas were here? Harrison said he was on a date the night of my birthday. “What about the other omega?” I have to ask. I have to know.
“Who?” River grunts, pressing mindless kisses to my skin as I shiver. This is more attention than I’ve gotten in weeks.
“From last weekend,” I murmur as anxiety claws its way up my throat.
“What?” River stops kissing me, lifting his head.
“Harrison told you about that?” He doesn’t sound angry, but I brace for the moment he lashes out anyway.
“That was a mistake. One made in desperation, that won’t be repeated.
Especially now that we’ve found you.” The possessive way he holds me calms my nerves, and I nod my understanding.
“Promise?” I whisper, wanting to believe him so badly it aches in my chest.
“Cross my heart and hope to die. Just let go, Lila. What's the worst that can happen?” he asks gently, echoing my words from earlier this week.
The worst that can happen? You realize how desperately touch-starved I am, making me easy to manipulate.
You figure out that I’m easy as hell, and can’t play hard to get to save my life.
You decide I’m not worth the time you’re spending on me, and change your mind before this even turns into something more?
Lust fades. Even if he and his pack are a potential scent match, what's to stop them from doing what Larry did? What if I give in, and then get my heart destroyed so irrevocably that I never recover?
“Fuck it.”
I should enjoy the fun while it’s here. Accept what he’s offering, even if it ends when he realizes I’m not what he wants.
When everything Larry said turns out to be true.
I try to shove those thoughts away. I know I’m a good omega.
That I can care for alphas the way they deserve, but there’s still a little voice in the back of my head that asks, ‘What if Larry was right all along?’
“Fuck me? Already? But I’m a gentleman, Lila,” he teases, biting my neck in a very ungentlemanly way, making me giggle. His playfulness distracts me from the negative thoughts enough to relax into his arms.
“There’s a famous character with a similar line. He was indeed the opposite of a gentleman.”
“Fantastic, now you’ll think my only intention is to ravish you under the stars.” He emphasizes his teasing by nibbling my ear lobe, sending goose bumps across my skin. I don’t miss his reference to the scene in the show, either.
“Let's do this puzzle, before I lose any more of my sense,” I huff, trying to shake off the way my instincts are pushing me to scent mark him.
“As you wish,” River’s voice is husky and deep, clouding my senses even more, as I attempt to focus.
“Tell me where to put my hands,” I say, as I hold them over the puzzle board.
“I have a few ideas about where you should put your hands, Lila,” River groans, but I shake my head.
“Focus, Alpha,” I scold, wanting to take this blindfold off already. I’m so overwhelmed by his scent that I can hardly think straight.
“Move your right hand an inch to the left. Good, now forward three inches. Okay, now slowly lower it toward the board. Pause. Wow, look at you, following my orders like a good girl,” he purrs, making me blush.
“You’re going to make this entire task sexual, aren’t you?”
“Not at all. I was just admiring your ability to take orders, Little Omega. Now focus.” He turns my words against me, and I can’t help but laugh. This playful banter between us sets me at ease with him. It’s fun to flirt.
My heart might be in danger, but at least I’ll enjoy the torture along the way.