Jordy #3
By the time I floated back into a state of awareness, he was kissing my cheeks, specifically the damp trails where my tears had streaked down.
“I’m sorry, angel,” he muttered, moving his sweet, warm kisses up to my temple. “I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
“I didn’t mean to cry,” I admitted, squeezing him tightly, and nuzzling into his shoulder as soon as he’d lifted his lips off my face. “I’m okay now.”
“I guess I’m not very good at, uh… Whatever we just did,” he commented, looking vaguely embarrassed.
I felt a blush rise up to my cheeks as I cleared my throat a bit.
“Um, well, I thought it was good. Everything up to the crying part,” I tacked on, and his eyebrow perked up as he regarded my expression.
“I’ll, uh, keep that in mind,” he said, glancing up at the ceiling, like he needed to compose himself before returning his gaze to me.
When a small laugh bubbled out of me, the corner of his mouth perked up into a grin before he planted a hard kiss on my lips.
We both needed showers, and it only made sense to save time and water by taking one together, even though we didn’t really have time to keep messing around because we both had to go do our respective responsibilities.
I shot Dani a text, dropping my phone on the counter before pulling back the shower curtain and slipping in, where he was already waiting under the spray.
“So, um…” I started, popping open my shampoo and squeezing some into my palm. “Is this going to wash off all the… you know, pheromones or whatever you left on me?”
He gave me a slightly amused look as he spread body wash over his chest, the suds gliding over the big tattoos on his throat and pectoral.
“Why? You want it washed off?”
“No,” I answered. “I don’t.”
“Don’t worry,” he advised. “Take all the showers you want, you’re going to be smelling like my alpha hormones until tomorrow, at least.”
Lathering up the shampoo into my hair, I pursed my lips as I considered his answer, and remembered how he’d let slip in the hotel room that he liked my scent. I hadn’t called him out on that one yet, at first because I didn’t want to spook him, and then because I hadn’t found a good time.
But everyone knew if an alpha could smell an omega through their scent suppressants, 99% of the time it was an indicator of them being mates.
Of course, that 1% was always what the ones in denial clung to, insisting that they were the rare exception.
I was almost positive that’s what Kieran would have said if I’d brought it up to him.
“So, does having that on me make it hard for you to scent me?” I wondered casually, hoping the relaxed atmosphere and tone of my voice would let him answer without thinking.
“No,” he answered lightly, just as I’d hoped. “I can always smell you, no matter what.”
“Even through my suppressants?”
I watched him process my question, the gears of his brain snapping into function before he turned away from me, his cheeks darkening as he cleared his throat.
“I mean, I guess. Whatever.”
Okay, so he still wasn’t ready to tackle the implications of that particular fact. But I could let it slide, like usual. For now.
“What do I smell like?”
“You don’t know?” He asked, sounding a little incredulous.
“How would I?” I asked. An omega’s natural unique scent could only be detected by an alpha. And I was pretty sure no other alpha had ever scented me.
When that part occurred to him too, he looked a little proud, like he’d accomplished some incredible feat that deserved praise and recognition. It was disgustingly cute.
“I might tell you later,” he decided, smirking at my little whine. “Maybe.”
“You’re holding the answer hostage from me?” I asked, but he looked so kind of adorably protective of the information that I couldn’t help but laugh.
If he wanted to play it that way, that was fine. I had some very fun and creative ideas on how to coax it out of him, when we had more time.
AS WE SAUNTERED into the big venue room of the center, I gripped onto Dani’s wrist, my stomach bubbling with nerves. The parking lot was jammed full of cars. It was definitely going to be a packed house.
There was a sit-down dinner, where all the attendees had paid a premium to get a plate and table.
Sandy, the director of the center, had shown some presentations about upcoming community events and some of the programs and services offered already.
Once everyone was done eating, then it was time for the date auction.
Ironically, the light sting lingering on my ass cheeks helped keep me feeling grounded and stave off the worst of the anxiety I might have felt.
It was awkward and embarrassing, but logically I knew I was probably worrying for nothing.
A lot of the center’s donors were sweet old ladies that would have been perfectly pleasant to have dinner with.
And even if it was a guy, how bad could a guy who showed up to a charity event be anyway?
Once Dave ushered me to the back where all the participants of the auction were waiting around and being given instruction on how things would proceed, I gave myself a final look in the mirror, adjusting my bow tie and tugging at my fitted dress shirt to ensure there were no wrinkles.
To Kieran’s annoyance, I was the epitome of a cute little cherub with my golden halo of hair and my perfectly tailored formal outfit.
He hadn’t been thrilled when Dani’s car had pulled up in the drive to whisk me away, but he hadn’t said anything else about it.
I guessed he felt he’d made his opinion clear enough already.
Anyway, I hoped I’d assuaged the worst of his jealousy with everything we’d done before, and all the promises I’d made to him when we’d been making out after, pretty much until the second Dani had honked her horn to alert me to come out.
Wringing my fingers together, when the auction started and one of the cute girls ahead of me went through the curtain, I strained my ear to listen to what was happening on the stage.
They introduced her, bringing up the college she was currently attending and what her major was, as well as some of her hobbies and interests.
They’d made me fill out a little card with that kind of stuff too, when I’d first gotten there.
Sandy started calling out amounts, verbally acknowledging members of the audience when they raised a little paper fan to show their interest. I grimaced.
I didn’t know what would be worse, getting no bids and standing up there like an undesirable moron, or getting lots of bids and feeling like people were actually fighting over me.
When Dave told me it was my turn and nudged me toward the heavy curtain, I took a deep breath before stepping through it.
There were bright lights pointed at the stage, temporarily blinding me, and I winced.
It also made it hard to see the audience, but I could tell there were a lot of people. They were all smiling and having fun.
It seemed like Sandy could tell I was nervous, because she put a warm hand on my shoulder and gave it an encouraging little squeeze before starting to list my attributes, and how I would be attending Oldport University when the fall semester started.
We were supposed to talk a little bit too, I guess so people would know what our voices sounded like before they bid on us, but I couldn’t help feeling like a slab of meat on a deli counter.
“So you were valedictorian of your graduating class,” Sandy commented kindly. “That’s very impressive.”
“Thanks,” I said, swallowing. I wasn’t shy, but the bright lights and all the eyes on me were starting to feel heavy, like they were pulling at my clothes.
“And you have a birthday coming up,” she noted. I felt bad for making her have to try so hard to get something out of me, so I forced a tiny smile on my face and nodded.
“Yeah. I’m a Libra,” I tacked on.
“And what does being a Libra mean? I’m sure everyone wants to know.”
I scratched behind my ear, rocking back on my heels. “Um, well, Libras are sociable. And they can be, you know, magnetic and charming.”
“That sounds just like you, Jordy,” she said, and there were some chuckles from the audience. A lot of the people in attendance did know me, so maybe they agreed with my description.
“Uh, but we can also be clingy,” I added quickly. I didn’t want to seem too appealing. “And codependent.” That part was definitely starting to feel true.
“And what kind of dinner do you think you’d like to go to?”
The girl before me had said steak or seafood, but I didn’t really have much of a preference. I really just liked sitting in the truck with Kieran while he scarfed down cheeseburgers and magically never got fat.
“Um, I like everything,” I said. I’d never been a picky eater. “Oh! But I’m diabetic, so… Somewhere with some healthy options might be good.”
“I’m sure that won’t be a problem,” she assured me, again her voice radiating kindness.
She called the starting bid low, like she’d done with everyone else, but higher bids quickly started pouring in, to my relief and embarrassment.
Men and women, young and old, seemed interested.
When Sandy named the next dollar amount, a slight jump from the ones before it, someone farther in the back raised a paddle to signify their agreement to it.
When I squinted to see who it was, my stomach dropped.
I’d had absolutely no idea that Andrew had been participating in the auction.
Was the son of the director even allowed to place bids?
I glanced over at Sandy to see if she was shocked or annoyed, but she seemed perfectly content with it.
An older woman outbid him by a few dollars, and I wanted to yell for Sandy to stop now, that there was no need to go any further.
But of course they would keep going. It was all about earning money for the center. The more, the better.
Andrew bid on me again, and then again when he was outbid. It was clear he was determined to win. I couldn’t see his face very clearly, whether he’d be giving me an evil villain smirk or a polite smile to express something like you said things weren’t weird between us, so this is okay, right?
But even if he felt that way, like it wasn’t a big deal and he wouldn’t make me feel uncomfortable, my heart was still smacking up into my ribs with apprehension and stress.
Kieran was actually going to kill me. Or him. Probably him.
With the bright lights searing into my eyes and my nerves coming to an absolute boil in my blood, all I could do was stand quietly and await my fate.