CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR - AXEL #3
There’s a moment’s pause and then he says gruffly, “Lieutenant Peak has taken some personal time. Besides, I would’ve thought you had other things on your mind, Captain. You sure you’re in a rut?”
The suspicion in his voice gives me pause. If I was really in a rut, I’d be struggling to hold this conversation right now, not conducting an interrogation. “I’m… It comes and goes. Right now, I’m in a dip, but I won’t be able to talk for long. I can feel another flare coming on.”
Booth gives a low chuckle. “Well, there’s nothing like a pretty little omega to make your knot stand at attention.”
“General…” The rebuke is almost a growl, and I have to bite my tongue, so it doesn’t roll into a bark of dominance. I’m used to barracks’ talk, but the disrespect he’s showing Birdie is unacceptable.
I’m about to tell him so, when she stands up abruptly and walks over to nudge her way between my legs.
I freeze, but she doesn’t hesitate to lean into me, one of her hands sliding around to clutch my back.
The other lifts to palm my cheek, and I feel my skin tingle under her touch.
Her scent still carries a hint of strain, but underneath is that caramel and vanilla fragrance that makes my stomach tighten.
There’s a note of something fierce that I can’t place and I’ve always had a weakness for sweet things with a bite.
“There’s no shame in moving on, Captain,” Booth adds, jarring me back to the conversation. “Omegas are a gift, remember? It’s natural to take comfort from their presence.”
His tone is mild, but I still grind my teeth.
I open my mouth to tell him that the omega in front of me is a lot more than just some balm to my pain when Birdie presses a finger to my lips.
I’m so surprised by her touch, my mouth falls open and her finger slides inside.
She hesitates for a heartbeat, then slowly strokes my tongue.
My spine snaps taut, and the strangled sound that comes out of my throat would put a drowning man to shame.
“Captain?” Booth asks. “You still with me, Lawson?”
“Ugh…”
It’s the best I can manage, because Birdie has extracted her finger just enough to run it slowly over my bottom lip.
She traces the curve of my lips, then presses it back inside, deeper than before.
Her sweet caramel scent coats my tongue, and I can’t help sucking on her skin.
I’ve barely even started to taste her when she pulls away, popping her finger in her mouth so she can suck it, too.
Taste my flavor, like that was the plan all along…
A shudder runs through me, and my body heats so fast, it’s like I just stumbled into the path of a wildfire. I must look as stunned as I feel, because Birdie leans closer, standing on tiptoe so she can murmur in my ear, “Just helping you sell your rut, Alpha.”
There’s a hint of teasing in her voice, and my hands snap around her hips. The urge to pull her hard against me is overpowering, and for a moment, there’s not an inch between us except for our clothing. I can’t tell if it’s her heart beating that I can hear, or the blood pounding in my ears.
“You seem distracted,” Booth chuckles, sounding disgustingly smug. “That’s a good sign, Captain. You must really be in tune with that omega.”
If only he fucking knew…
The thought flits through my mind as Birdie stares up at me, her gaze lingering on my lips. Up close, her eyes are incredible, a kaleidoscope of color shot through with gold flecks. And her scent… My stomach tightens, a throb of lust burning through my veins.
What the hell?
“General… I have to go, sir.”
“Well, take the extra week,” he says with another chuckle. “In fact, take two. I’m pleased to hear Birdie settled in so well.”
I bite back the urge to tell him that it’s no thanks to his fucking adjunct, who is currently feeding the worms on a buddy’s farm in the Sierra Nevada.
But as he ends the call, my mind is a long way from betrayal and retribution.
I stare down at the omega, her flavor still on my tongue.
She’s taken a step back, but she’s still watching me closely, one hip pressed to the edge of my desk.
There’s a hint of something in her gaze that gives them a warm glow…
or maybe I’m just seeing what I want to believe.
“Birdie, I gotta be honest. I don’t know what to think. ”
Her lips curl into a small smirk. “Well, rutting alphas aren’t known for their cognitive skills.”
“No kidding,” I huff, rubbing a hand over my nape. “Booth aside… I need more information. About what this is… About what you want… and how you feel.”
It’s a garbled mess of uncertainty. Of hopes and fears that I can’t put into words yet, and that she probably doesn’t want to hear, anyway.
“Well, how do you usually gather intel?”
She’s smirking at me again, but I answer seriously. “I watch the target. Study their habits. Maybe go directly to the source, if I can trust them to give me the truth.”
Something flitters across her face, lightning fast.
“Well, trust takes time.” She pushes away from my desk, pausing at the door to say, “Just as well we have an extra couple of weeks to work on it.”