Chapter 12 - Flynn #2
“Is now a good time to inform you that your new office has UV treatments on the windows?” I asked. “Every window does. It was to protect the art.”
Taal stared at me, then burst into laughter. “I like you. That was perfectly on the line of teasing and informative.”
Dylan and Adam joined in the laughter, then Dylan flung his arms across Taal’s shoulders. “Come on. Let’s get to Harris Cove. We can get you checked into the hotel; then I’ll introduce you to Mitchell’s.”
“Mitchell’s?” Adam asked.
“Bar and grill,” I clarified. “It’s a pretty popular local spot.”
“Apparently, one of the bartenders is a billionaire, but Flynn hasn’t told me which one yet,” Dylan said.
“A billionaire bartender?” Adam asked, turning to me with a raised eyebrow.
I laughed. “It’s true. He likes the job. But I want to see Dylan’s reasoning for why he thinks one might or might not be him.”
Taal rubbed his hands. “Group project! This is gonna be fun. Spot the billionaire!”
I grinned as we headed toward the baggage claim. I had a good feeling about my mate’s friends.
∞∞∞
Dylan wrapped his arms around me from behind. He kissed my bond mark, then I shivered as he rested his hand on my stomach where our baby was growing.
“Last week of May,” he murmured. “Interns land next week. Ready for our last peaceful beach day?”
“What do you mean, last peaceful beach day?”
He chuckled. “A bunch of twenty-somethings in a beachside town? I’m going to have overeager employees enjoying the beach, too. At best, they’ll leave us alone, but there will probably be a couple who’ll try to schmooze the boss.”
I scrunched my nose. “Oh, ew.”
He kissed my bond mark again. “But we get to enjoy today with Adam and Taal. No interns around.”
I turned in his arms and pulled him into a kiss, then moaned as he slid his hands down my back and squeezed my ass.
“Don’t make noises like that, or I’ll want to skip the beach and take you to the bedroom instead.”
I smirked. “Tempting offer.”
He grinned and kissed the tip of my nose. “Play your cards right, and I’ll drag you around to the private space of the rocks.”
I shook my head. “No thanks. Those rocks are sharp. People get hurt back there all the time. That’s why the private spot stays private.”
He huffed. “Fiiiiine, I’ll knot you tonight.”
I hummed. “That sounds like a nice plan.”
We spent a moment holding each other, then he stepped back.
“Ok,” he said. “We should go before I really do drag you to the bedroom. Just the thought of seeing you in swim trunks all day is almost enough to get me hard.”
“Almost?” I teased.
“Naughty,” he laughed, then swatted my ass. “Come on.”
We headed to the apartment door, Dylan grabbed our beach bag, and we made our way to his car. A few minutes later, we pulled up to the same extended-stay hotel that my alpha had stayed at before moving in with me.
Adam and Taal waited by the curb, and they got into the back seat as soon as Dylan unlocked the doors.
We bantered at traffic lights and as Dylan drove around the lot looking for a parking spot. Then we headed toward the water.
“I say the alphas set up the shade while we change,” Adam suggested. “Then we can set out towels while they change.”
“Works for me,” Taal said. “Dylan?”
My alpha shrugged. “I’m ok with it.”
“Come on,” Adam said as he pulled me toward a cluster of changing tents.
He and I had quickly become close. He’d said that most of his friends were alphas, so he was happy to have another omega to hang out with.
We changed quickly and were halfway to where the others were setting up the shade when Adam froze.
“Hey, you ok?” I asked.
His eyes were wide, nostrils flaring. “I… don’t know.”
“What’s up?”
“I smelled… something. Every instinct is demanding that I find it.”
“One of the food trucks?”
He shook his head. “It’s not food.” A long pause. “The best way I can describe it… is it smelled like… mine.”
“Hmm…” I mused. “That’s what Dylan smelled like to me when we met. Just an overwhelming sense that he was mine.”
“You think it’s an alpha?”
“If it’s not food… I don’t know of much that can trigger a strong response.”
He was silent for several seconds.
“Let’s find out who it is,” I suggested. “Can you tell which way they went?”
Adam sniffed, then shook his head. “It’s gone.”
“Do you want to wander around and look for them?”
“Hey, everything ok?” Taal asked as he walked up behind us. “You’ve just been standing here.”
“I think Adam might have smelled a fated mate,” I explained. “But we have no idea who or where they are.”
Taal was silent for a moment. “If you did, I think the wind was wrong. I don’t see anybody else looking around. Why don’t you two walk around and see if you can smell them? Dylan and I can hold down the fort.”
“Adam?” I asked.
He nodded. “Ok.”
We spent several minutes walking around, hoping that Adam could smell his mate again. Unfortunately, it seemed that they were gone.
The mood was muted for the rest of our fun day.
But we knew fate wouldn’t do Adam dirty. His mate was in town. It was just a matter of time.
∞∞∞
~August~
I took a deep breath, then hit the submit button on my first policy written as an independent agent.
I’d been nervous about going the independent route, but there was nothing quite like being encouraged by a literal billionaire.
The incubator hadn’t supplied any startup funds, but the staff had been incredibly helpful about walking me through the legalities and paperwork in starting my own business.
And I’d been allowed to opt in to a service tier where I could use some of their coworking space since I didn’t need a full office and had continued access to the legal and regulatory help.
But it was Alan himself who’d done a lot to boost my business even before I was officially ready. He was right that there was plenty of work if I was willing to look, and he had the connections to funnel people my way while I was still waiting for contracts and approvals.
I leaned back in my chair and stared at the ceiling. It was official, I was in business for myself.
“Knock knock.”
I sat up and looked at where Dylan stood in the doorway of my home office, and a smile crossed my face. “Hey! What are you doing here?”
He grinned. “I wanted to be here for you. Is it safe for me to come in, or are you working with confidential information?”
I closed the window on my computer. “Safe.”
He strode in and leaned in for a kiss. “How’s it feel?”
I chuckled. “A bit nerve-wracking.”
“You’ve got appointments for the rest of the week, right?”
I nodded. “Alan worked the grapevine for me, and I’m booked for the next couple of weeks.”
“That’s good.”
He kissed me again. “I have to head back to the office. But I made us dinner reservations to celebrate. We’re going to that Italian place that everybody’s been talking about.”
My stomach grumbled at the thought of food. I looked down and patted it with a chuckle. “Don’t worry, little one. I’ll order enough for you, too.”
Dylan chuckled. “I’m glad our little one seems to like pasta.”
“Who doesn’t like pasta?” I asked.
“I’m sure they’re out there.”
“Hmmm…” I shrugged. “More for me, I guess.”
He laughed. “That’s the spirit!”
I pulled him down for another kiss. “What time should I be ready?”
“Our reservation is at seven. Oh,” he winked, “and we have more than just your first client to celebrate.”
“Hmm?”
“Our realtor called. The townhouse we put an offer on… the owners finally decided. We got it.”
“We got it?”
He grinned. “We got it. I hope you have some time in the morning to sign some papers.”
I laughed. “I’ll make time.”
“Good.” He slid a hand down to my stomach. “We’ll have plenty of time to decorate the nursery. You’ll have an office, and we’ll still have room to grow.”
I shivered. Something inside me loved it when he rested his hands above where our baby was growing.
“We’ll probably have to have another celebration dinner in a few days and invite everybody.
The house… my business starting… and both Adam and Taal finding their mates.
It’s probably time for a dinner or something. ”
He smiled. “Let’s get through tonight and the initial paperwork, then we can ask when everybody is available in the group chat.”
“Sounds good.”
He stood and sighed. “I really have to get back to the office. It’s busy with the summer interns leaving and some of the fall ones coming in.”
“I’ll see you tonight then. I love you.”
He smiled. “I love you too. See you tonight.”
I let out a happy sigh as he disappeared again. My life had only improved every day since meeting my mate.
Then I opened another tab and started on some paperwork for the potential new clients I’d meet the next day.
∞∞∞
~New Year’s Eve~
Dylan and I sat on the swing we’d put on the balcony outside our bedroom. We’d lucked out and had a fantastic view of the ocean. So we often sat out there.
The view was once again paying off as the fireworks show was set to be over the water.
We wore coats to fend off the chill and shared a blanket as we watched the traffic and lights from various celebrations. Between sips, I rested a mug of hot chocolate on my heavily pregnant belly.
“Our first New Year’s together,” Dylan said. “And this time next year our daughter will be almost a year old.”
I smiled, then yelped. I yelped a second time as hot chocolate splashed over my fingers.
“You ok?” Dylan asked, immediately taking the mug from my hand, setting it aside, and inspecting my hands.
“I think she kicked something.”
He turned my hands in his. “Ok. How do your fingers feel? I don’t think it was hot enough to burn, but…”
I retrieved one hand and licked the hot chocolate from my fingers. The heat of my mouth didn’t hurt. “I think they’re ok. It was hot enough to startle but not burn.”
“Ok.” He paused. “I’ll leave your mug on the table though, just in case she kicks again. Let me know if you want it.”
“Ok.”
I shifted and settled against him.
Dylan kissed my temple. “She’s probably wishing she could join the celebration.”
I chuckled. “Well, she should have come a few days ago, then. Heck, she missed Christmas too.”