Chapter 10
My phone goes off as I’m adjusting the collar of my button-up, but I pointedly ignore it. The text was sent in a moment of weakness earlier this afternoon when I’d realized Rylan hadn’t come home from the bar.
Should I have just minded my own business? Yes. Would it have been better to have texted him directly? Probably. At the very least, it would have saved me from Huntley now breathing down my neck.
The downside to your friend being in all the symphony’s business is that she’s in all of the damn business.
I let the message sit unopened and go through the steps of finishing getting ready, layering my favorite cologne before running my hands through my hair, taming the wild waves without actually worrying about styling it. As I turn to grab my wallet, the light glints off the necklace laying across the top of the small dresser. Another item I really shouldn’t have anymore—though at least the hoodie is a culmination of my own decisions. The necklace? It’s just the knife twisted into my side I can’t quite manage to pull free. The small Omega symbol spins as I grab the silver chain. I don’t bother reading the inscription before hooking it around my neck and tucking the pendant under my shirt.
I gather up my wallet, tucking in two condoms, and head into the living room. Closing the door to my borrowed room, I finally concede defeat and open the message from Huntley.
He’s at the heat facility downtown. Apparently he’s registered there and works on a part-time gig type basis.
Not totally sure how that works. But Owen is certain.
He’s a registered Alpha with the Haven?
That’s what he must have meant by his registration with the Council that had to be updated every few months. And Owen would know, since he’s the principal double bassist. Anything that could jeopardize Rylan being able to attend a concert would need to be cleared through him.
Another message flashes across the screen, and I blow out a breath, forcing the incessant worry down until it’s no longer a hulking weight against my chest.
Finding parking. Give me a few.
Don’t worry about it. I’ll meet you out front.
All right.
Shutting off the lights, I flip my phone to silent and pop another breath mint just in case. I tuck my keys into my pocket and head toward the front of the building, not bothering with the elevator. The two flights of stairs help calm my nerves, but I still run my hands through my hair twice before stepping into the fading sunlight.
Dominic’s car is larger this time but no less flashy—a sleek black Alfa Romeo pulled up to the curb outside the apartment building. My date rolls down the window, a half-smile curling his lip. My stomach flips, but I manage to not miss a step, shoving my hands into my pockets to keep from fidgeting.
The moment I’ve dropped into the passenger seat, he slips a hand around my wrist and pulls me toward him. His lips are soft but unrelenting, and I’m panting within moments, my dick pressing against the zipper of my slacks.
“Hello to you, too,” I murmur once he releases me. I can’t help but grin, and he laughs. The sound is low in his throat and runs over me like an electric current.
Definitely using that raincheck.
He pulls away from the curb and eases back into traffic, his movements sure. Once we’re headed deeper into LA toward downtown, he adjusts his hands so that one rests on my mid-thigh, just high enough to be a claiming move. Heat races across my skin, and I force a deep breath to keep from doing something ridiculous this early on in the night. I cast around for something to say.
“Not heading toward the beach tonight?”
He shakes his head. “Hate the sand. And the people.”
Interesting.
Before I can say anything else, he continues, his voice a low murmur. “I thought I’d show you one of my favorite places to eat when my family is too overbearing.”
The lifeline is easy to spot, but I take it anyway. “How often is that?”
“More than my mother would like,” he says, a small smile lifting his lips. The near smirk has me shifting in my seat, but I don’t look away. “What about yours?”
“They’re in Seattle,” I say. “I see them about twice a year if I’m lucky. Sometimes I miss them. Mostly I’m glad they’re out of my hair.”
My mom is the sweetest person in the world. But my younger brother? I could do without him most of the time. He nods as he pulls up to the curb. A young man probably still in college hurries to his side of the car, his simple slacks and vest uniform marking him as a valet. It’s nearly identical to the outfit I chose. I glance down at my understated gray suit and second guess my decision. Maybe Dominic’s definition of business casual is different from my own. Dominic’s hand tightens on my thigh, and I breathe a fraction easier.
Alphas. The thought lands somewhere between grateful and exasperated.
He hands off the keys to the man and then walks around the front of the car. Blowing out a breath, I step out of the car and join him on the sidewalk, running a hand through my hair to try and ease the nerves. It’s only the second date, for crying out loud. No reason for me to be this anxious about what might happen at the end of it and especially not next week.
He doesn’t want to match, I remind myself. Just enjoy yourself.
Easier said than done, but I blow out a breath anyway.
“Jasper?” Dominic’s baritone cuts through my thoughts. “Stai bene?”
Italian?
For some reason, it surprises me.
“I’m fine, sorry,” I murmur. He nods, and we walk into the restaurant, my hands shoved into my pockets to keep from fidgeting.
The hostess looks up from her tablet as the door closes behind us. Her eyes widen for a heartbeat before she controls her reaction.
“Mr. Gallo?”
“Hello, Sarah,” Dominic says, a warmth in his voice I haven’t heard much before. “I called ahead this time, I promise.”
She nods and scrolls through the tablet, her hands trembling a little.
“My open table is with Darius. Is that all right?” She keeps her gaze on the tablet as she asks.
Dominic stiffens. In the span of a heartbeat, the scent of sour grapefruit permeates around us. Sarah’s throat ripples with her swallow.
Wait. Citrus was what I smelled when he scented for me on our first date. Why is he so reactive to the idea of this Darius being our waiter? I keep my body relaxed. I press my hand to the small of Dominic’s back and answer for us before something happens that gets us kicked out.
“We’ll make it work.”
Dominic sucks in a harsh breath and grabs my hand, lacing our fingers together.
Sarah nods and grabs two menus before turning on her heel and heading deeper into the dark, muted restaurant.
“Mi dispiace, Sarah,” Dominic says once we’re seated at a small table in the back corner of the restaurant, tucked away from most of the other patrons. She nods and visibly relaxes, the tension in her shoulders lessening.
There’s a level of familiarity that goes beyond him going to this restaurant often. She fills our glasses with water and returns with a small basket of rolls, her movements becoming more steady with each passing moment.
“Grazie,” Dominic says in a low voice that has even my skin sizzling. She flushes but doesn’t look at him.
“Darius should be out in a few minutes,” she says before spinning around and heading back to her post at the front of the restaurant. She’s gone before I can offer my own gratitude.
“She’s my little sister’s best friend,” Dominic offers without my asking. “And just recently designated as an Omega.”
I resist the urge to look over my shoulder to catch a glimpse of her.
“Isn’t she a little… late to designate?” I ask. I’m not the best with guessing ages, but I’d put money on her being the same age as the valet out front. Most people designate as Omega by the time they turn eighteen.
He nods and leans back in his chair. His fingers are sure as he undoes the buttons of his suit jacket and then rolls up the sleeves of his dress shirt.
Shit, that shouldn’t do things to me, but another flash of heat races through me, and I force a swallow.
“It helps that Alessia is also an Omega, but, yes, it’s been… an adjustment for her.” He tilts his head when he finishes rolling his sleeves to his elbows, a thoughtful look crossing his face. “I perhaps should not have soothed her so intensely. But Darius and I… do not see eye to eye. I did not want her to spend the evening worried over what might happen.”