Chapter 13 Atlas
THIRTEEN
Atlas
After two nights of feverish rutting, Jazmine’s Heat pheromones dropped to a simmer.
I continued to push lazily between her legs, my knot tying us together as her belly stretched and swelled beautifully. Jazmine’s cheeks were flushed, her eyes half-closed as she tilted her hips upwards to meet each of my thrusts, weak as a kitten.
In a strange way, this was more intimate than anything else we’d done. This slow, languid, unhurried fucking tempered the spark that had ignited in my chest the moment I’d set eyes on her.
The rush in my ears gave way to a strong, steady pulse.
Heat pheromones had a way of eradicating rational thought. As they ebbed, I could feel my judgement settling like specks of ash after a fire. The stillness between us was filled with the certainty that we needed each other.
I savored every soft sigh, every flutter of her lashes, my breath catching each time she squeezed me tight.
The scorching sun gave way to soft moonlight as I fucked her with a shivering, lazy rhythm.
Jazmine’s Heat faded on Monday, dropping to a low simmer as she dozed on my bicep. One of her thighs lay curled over my waist, and I savored the weight of her as she snored lightly.
The sheets beneath us were uncomfortably crusty, and I reminded myself to strip the bed before I left.
The thought of leaving Jazmine made my heart lurch in protest.
How had I become stupid enough to get used to her softness? I’d told myself repeatedly that this was an assignment—a favor I was doing for Jasper. Anything said within the fever dream of these few knotty nights was not real.
Yet here I was, lying at Jazmine’s side and tracing every curve and slant of her face to commit her to memory.
When she opened her eyes, our rendezvous would be over.
I would go back to my little cubicle at Alpha Net as though nothing happened, and she would return to recycling scrap metal.
We’d be two individuals living separate lives.
Breed me, Alpha. You’re the only one who gets to.
I tried to shake the memory of her words, but they returned to grip me tight, refusing to let go.
I can’t nest without your scent inside me.
I remembered the way her lips had quivered as she’d said those words. She’d been Heat-drunk then, and probably didn’t realize she’d even said it, but I held those words close to my chest.
The memory of Jazmine would be my only companion for a while.
I didn’t think her words would stick the way they did—heat-drenched and half-whimpered.
At the time, I’d been too far gone to understand that I’d be replaying every one of her filthy words like a starving woman licking her fingers for crumbs.
Despite what she thought of ‘Alphas like me’, I’d never hooked up with anyone for the sake of their Heat or my rut.
I wasn’t wired for casual flings or one-night stands because something inside me liked to latch on to sweet things.
My brain tended to fixate on something interesting until I relished it completely.
I knew I’d spend the next few weeks trying to forget that I knew the shape of Jazmine’s hips under my palms or the way her curls wrapped around my fingers.
And her scent… How was I supposed to walk away from the memory of her creamy heat-drenched pheromones when my foolish Alpha had trapped it in the deepest part of my primal brain?
Dread curled through my veins as I worried about what would happen when she woke up. Without the ache of her Heat, would she simply roll away and thank me for my service?
The thought made my skin prickle.
She’d paid for a service, and I’d provided that service—this should be the end. So why the hell did it feel like something had been carved out of me and left behind with her?
My brain kept circling to the final question: was I just a transaction to Jazmine?
As if hearing my thoughts, the sleepy omega stirred in my arms, her fingers curling over my side and pulling me even closer.
“Are you awake already?” she asked, her eyes barely open.
“No,” I lied. “It’s early. Go back to sleep.”
Please don’t wake up and tell me to leave.
God, I was pathetic.
I wanted to cling to the hope that this could be more than just a transaction. If she snoozed for a little while longer, I could spend the time fantasizing about what a life with her could look like.
I was tempting fate. Irene from HR had warned me against developing feelings for a client, but how was I supposed to suppress my natural instincts when the omega wrapped in my arms was perfect in every way?
“Your heart’s beating really fast,” Jazmine whispered against my chest.
That’s because I’m worried about being forced to leave you.
“It’s nothing,” I told her as I ran a soothing hand down her back. It was cool to the touch.
She pushed herself up onto her elbows to meet my gaze.
“It’s time for you to go, isn’t it?” she asked quietly.
I scrambled for a response.
“Not unless you want me to.”
I’d been given the day off, and I couldn’t imagine returning to my flatshare only to obsess over every moment I’d spent with Jazmine.
She stared at me for a long moment as though trying to read my thoughts.
“Do you want to stay?” she asked, the words uncharacteristically quiet.
God, more than anything.
When I struggled to find a response that didn’t sound needy or pathetic, she laughed softly to herself.
“What am I saying?” she muttered. “You probably have other clients to see.”
“No!” I pulled her back when she threatened to leave my side. “I wasn’t lying when I said I never do this. I’m a coder by profession, not an escort.”
Jazmine blinked.
“I thought…” she trailed off. “I thought that was just a story you were trained to tell your clients.”
I shook my head. “I don’t have any clients. I…”
Damn it, I could get in so much trouble for this…
“I’m part of the app development team at AlphaNet,” I confessed, watching her eyes go wide. “We were short on escorts for launch day, and I sort of stepped in.”
She bit her lip, her brows drawing close as she tried to piece my story together.
“Were you forced to—” she began, but I shook my head quickly.
“I never thought I’d meet a prize like you.” I laid my forehead against hers even as my pulse kicked.
“I’m not a prize,” she insisted. “There are thousands of other lonely omegas out there in the city.”
“None like you, Jazmine,” I promised.
She gulped audibly. “This was supposed to be just three nights.”
I stilled, watching her, not trusting myself to speak without stuttering. Slowly, I said: “Do you want it to be?”
She shook her head, a hopeful smile curling her lips tentatively.
“No.”
I latched onto that word.
“This is stupid of me,” I began, pushing her over until she was pliant beneath me, red-cheeked and sleep-warmed. “But I want more. I’ll take whatever you give me.”
There was a flicker on her face—hope, maybe, or relief. Her fingers slid into my curls, her nails scraping deliciously against my scalp.
“Hmm… Maybe I’m old school, but I like the idea of dinner and a movie.”
“Done.” I brushed my lips against hers to seal the deal. The insistent fist in my stomach loosened up a little.
“Oh wait,” I said as she attempted to deepen the kiss.
“What?” Her fingers stilled in my hair.
“A movie won’t work.” I licked her bottom lip playfully. “I’m not allowed to bring in any snacks… like you.”
It took her a second to get the joke, but when she did, she rolled her eyes.
“Are you always this cheesy?” she asked.
“Unfortunately, yes. You’d best get used to it.”
She curled her thighs around my waist and squeezed me tight.
“I suppose I’ll have to.”
Her long-suffering sigh melted under my kiss.