Chapter 28
CONNOR
I’ve had to put up with an hour of talking shit with the guys. Not that I care about spending time with the team, but the truth is, I’m only here for one reason.
Being out at a bar, when my body aches, and my muscles are begging to rest, yeah… I’m not here for the party. The girl I’m waiting for another chance to spend time with hasn’t arrived yet.
She’d probably kill me if she figures out this is gonna be my plan from now on.
To basically stick to her brother like glue until the day she graduates and then figure out a way to properly win her over.
And that’s the thing about Wren Murphy, she’s someone who knows what she wants, and don’t I fucking relate to that on the deepest of levels.
Most people are looking to take the shortcut, the easy route, to find the cheat code and skip the hard part.
Not my girl.
She’s determined, and it’s sexy as fuck.
Even so, it’s frustrating as all hell to be stuck constantly focusing on this little Omega, when I’m almost certain she doesn’t think of me anywhere near as often as I think about her.
At least I scored a win on the bus ride this afternoon.
Having her flustered and shaking my hand, giving me her name immediately, I’ll take that tiny moment and be a smug asshole about it.
Those blue eyes of hers widening beautifully without room to move or escape me that time.
Taking a long pull on my beer, I can’t help but feel the smallest pang of emptiness knowing who isn’t here tonight. Ace didn’t want to come. He was a sullen grump ever since the bus back to Willow Falls. Whatever.
My mind is dragged away from thoughts of him, and the complexities of how I just can’t ever fucking catch a break where he’s concerned, because she’s just walked in. The pull of her is immediate, leaving me swallowing my beer hastily, trying to keep my cool.
I’m standing shoulder to shoulder with her goddamn brother, after all.
Running one hand through my hair, I have to only permit myself micro-glances. Don’t make it too fucking obvious. Don’t just outright stare at her like a cartoon with a heart pumping outside my chest and tongue lolling on the floor.
Wren is stunning. With her hair loose, lightly curled, and a shade of blue on her dress that brings out the brightness in her eyes. A dress that I have to physically force myself not to keep roaming my gaze over, because it loves on every single curve. Jesus.
All this girl has gotta do is walk into a room, and I’m readjusting myself subtly inside my jeans.
Except, we’re in a crowded bar, and to my complete dejection, she doesn’t look my way.
Doesn’t even get a chance to, either, let alone come over to the group where I’m barnacled at Finch’s side.
Her friend pushes her off toward the bar, and I’m damn well climbing out of my skin at the prospect of finding a way to talk to her.
How the hell do I keep her to myself while in public? Not only that, but to steal moments of her time, all while in plain sight of her brother.
Glancing over at the bar, I see she’s waiting to order. And wouldn’t you know it… luck finally swings my way. I see our team owner, Theo Brennan, loitering at the bar nursing a beer by himself. Even though Coach just left, he’s still here.
A perfect fucking excuse if I ever saw one.
No one can judge me for shmoozing up to the boss.
Well, they can give me as much shit as they like for talking to Brennan, but I don’t care about that when it grants me the perfect opportunity.
The guys are too busy, focused on the other two Omegas she turned up with; no one’s paying me any mind as I slip away from the group.
Shoving one hand in a pocket, I carry my nearly empty beer in the other. Oh, this is gonna be handy. I can take my time talking to the most beautiful girl to ever exist and pretend that all I’m actually interested in is a nice little heart-to-heart with the Wolves’ owner.
My pulse gives one hell of a kick, seeing her from behind.
The basest, most desperate part of me jerks inside my pants, which isn’t what this is about, but I can’t help the fact she’s so beautiful it’s likely to bring me to my knees.
All that silky blond hair swings around her shoulders and down her back, dragging over bare skin, a mouthwatering sight of my girl in a dress made for her every soft curve.
At least in the VIP section, the bar isn’t crowded.
Most people are getting served at booths or high tops.
So I slide into the empty space at her right side, putting the diminutive Omega between myself and Brennan.
Even with her heels on, she’s only just at my chest height, and I have to swallow back the way that size difference between us just feels like we fit together in yet another way.
“Brennan, I’m not surprised to find you propping up the bar—”
My words falter. Stopping beside her, I’ve hardly set my beer down when it assaults me immediately. Peaches and jasmine blossom rush for me—a potent goddamn slap of her scent like I’ve never experienced before in all the times we’ve been alone together.
Her perfume grows even more intense as she turns, beaming at me unreservedly.
Oh hell.
Wren doesn’t openly greet me with smiles like this. Not that I’m complaining, her heart-shaped face lights up, but this isn’t necessarily a conscious decision… this looks a lot like…
“Renfro.” The way Theo says my name is clear. An Alpha telling me to back right the fuck off. While at the same time, his face is tight with something there I can’t quite interpret.
Guilt?
“Whoa, holy shit. I don’t know what the fuck is going on here…” As I take in the sight of her, realization starts dawning. My jaw tightens as I glance up at Brennan, then back down at the girl who looks out of her fucking head right now. “I can scent you, Bambi.”
Her perfume swirls, a new wave intensifying. She beams at my words.
Shittttt.
“Fuck. Uhhh…” Running one hand over the back of my neck, I stare at Brennan for a moment. I’ve never actually encountered this sort of situation myself, and from the look on his face, I don’t think he has either. If what I think is happening is happening.
“Bambi, are you feeling okay?”
“It’s really fucking hot in here,” she answers straight away.
A good sign, but her pupils are blown the fuck out like she’s high as a kite.
It’s hard to tell with the dim lights in here, but her cheeks are definitely flushed.
She’s lucid, that’s a good sign, but everything else points to a mini-heat.
Christ.
“It’s not what it looks like.” Brennan has a tone in his voice that sounds filled with remorse, and I don’t know that this is the time or place to figure out what just set this off.
Did me walking over here just flip everything off the table?
Did I just fuck everything up, constantly pushing my luck by insisting on being around her?
My own internal guilt trip is interrupted. Wren tugs on my forearm, which is another warning bell in my mind, because I know this girl would never touch me openly in public.
“Oh, no no no.” She clutches harder on my arm, blue eyes widening in the direction of the velvet rope.
A guy and a girl walk through, followed by a small cluster of other people.
“Bad. This is bad. As in… kaboom.” Wren makes an explosion motion with her hands.
“Why is it bad?” My brows knit themselves together, still feeling like I’m on the back foot to figure out what the hell is happening here.
Also very much trying to work out what the fuck to do with an Omega who needs help, and yet I’m a terrible fucking person, because I really don’t want to hand her over to her friends.
I want to be the one to help her. All goddamn rules can fuck off.
“Him… Me…” She swallows and wets her lips, genuine fear in her expression, then points at Brennan. “Him.”
Him? My focus jumps up to the man at her other side, and the only thing in his face now is an expression I’d recognize anywhere in an Alpha. He’s got pure possessiveness written all over his body language.
Kaboom, indeed.
What the hell has my little Omega got herself into?
I reach over the counter and grab a fistful of the bartender’s T-shirt, who just so happens to be going past. “Mate, have you got staff access stairs back there?”
“Uhhh… yeah… but…” he stammers. Blood drains from his face as he looks down at my hold on him, then toward the back wall just behind a screen.
“You know who we are?” Brennan’s voice is a low, dangerous command, enough to make the guy visibly shrink.
“I do.” He gulps.
“Good. Then you’ll find it just as easy to forget who we are, too.
If anyone asks, you did not see me needing to get my star international signing away from prying media.
” Brennan’s molars grind as he tosses a wad of cash on the bar.
Enough to probably cover three months of wages for this kid. “You didn’t see a thing, did you?”
Letting go of him, I give his shirt a pat down to straighten the material out.
“No-No way, sir.” The kid stammers and points through a door hidden out of the way, conveniently out of sight.
“That’s what we like to hear. Hope you enjoy watching this guy out on the field—who you didn’t see here tonight—from VIP box seats.”
His throat dips, and it’s a quick nod in reply as he scoops the cash into a back pocket. “Go Wolves.” It comes out weakly.
I keep Wren tucked between the two of us. We move as one, slipping quietly behind the partition.
As Brennan pushes open the concealed door, painted black to match the wall ahead of us, I catch the guy’s eye from their staff area just behind the bar. Hitting him with a look that conveys I will hunt him the fuck down if he doesn’t immediately forget our faces and uphold his end of the bargain.
“Didn’t see a thing,” he repeats.
I dip my chin. “Good lad.”