9. Lyra
We left the building and entered a waiting black town car without further incident. I’d been a little surprised when Eli joined me in the back seat, but I quickly noiced there was a driver dressed in a simple black suit. It made me realize that when Eli said he’d never make me feel uncomfortable in the car again, he meant it. No one would think twice about me being in the back seat if I were using a car service.
“I didn’t know if you were a coffee person, so I ordered a chai, hot chocolate, latte, and just plain drip coffee,” Eli said, drawing my attention to the drinks he was still holding on to.
My jaw nearly fell into my lap at the sweet, thoughtful gesture. “I would drink any of that, so if there’s one you don’t like, I’ll take it.”
Eli studied me for a moment before speaking. “Lyra, if you were going to order a drink from a coffee shop, what would your choice be?”
“Is it morning?” I asked. “I’m not trying to be difficult, but it truly factors into my decision.”
“Morning, before you get to work,” Eli specified.
“Then I would order a coffee, probably a latte of some kind, unless they have a micro roaster they work with. I have to limit my caffeine intake, so I prefer to indulge in something worth savoring,” I answered.
Eli removed a cup from the tray and handed it to me with a contemplative look. “I’ve never heard of a micro roaster before, but what you’re describing makes me think of how people talk about craft beer.”
Cradling the cup in both hands, I enjoyed the warmth radiating from it. “Oh, that’s a rather good comparison. Micro roasters make small batches of artisan coffee, experimenting with all kinds of things to create something unique.”
I took a tentative sip, not wanting to burn my tongue, and discovered he’d given me the latte. It was rich and creamy with a wonderful bold espresso.
“I have sugar if you like,” Eli shared, watching me test out my drink.
“No, this is perfect,” I assured him. “Thank you for doing this. I forgot to set the timer on my coffee machine, so this is a welcome surprise, especially when I’m your assistant and should be doing things like this for you.”
Eli removed another cup and set the tray with the remaining drinks on the floor before settling his full attention on me again. “I know you’ve been training while I was gone and were brought up to speed on things. One matter I would like to make crystal clear is you are my Omega first and foremost. This means that no matter what, you will be treated differently than anyone else in my life. It’s obvious to me that for you, working is important, and I don’t plan on fighting you on that matter. Selfishly having you as my executive assistant means I get to keep you with me all the time, and that is an Alpha’s dream. My office door is always open for you, and there are no secrets between us. All passwords, keys, and biometric access to locks will be given to you, no questions asked.”
He paused for a moment to let that sink in, and I felt my head nodding in acceptance, though I didn’t fully grasp what that meant. After taking a long pull on his drink, he continued, “Even if you weren’t my Omega, Lyra, you’d never be asked to fetch me coffee. My executive assistant is my right hand, the person who stands next to me when dealing with matters, not behind me. Your time is far too valuable to be wasted on running silly errands. Emily is in charge of three employees who deal with any tasks Declan’s or my team might need taken care of. Any questions so far?”
“Not that I can think of,” I murmured, feeling a little overwhelmed. My mind raced as I came to terms with the collision of my personal and work life.
Would everyone hate me when they found out I was his scent match? What if they assumed that’s why I got the job and feel as if I stole it from someone else?
Eli’s hand cupped my cheek, and I flinched, not realizing he’d reached out. “Take a deep breath, my petal. Everything is going to be fine. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
It wasn’t until he pointed it out that I noticed I was starting to hyperventilate. Closing my eyes, I breathed in slowly and was soon lost in Eli’s scent. I let it carry me away from my fear and panic as if it were a lifeboat. Arms wrapped around me as my nose brushed against his skin, causing me to open my eyes and find I was nuzzling his neck. Mortified, I tried to pull away, worried what the driver must think of me.
“Don’t move, Lyra. Stay right where you are,” Eli ordered, a slight growl in his tone that made me go limp against him. “You have every right to seek comfort from your Alpha whenever you need it. I don’t give a damn what’s going on, where we are, or who we’re with, I will never turn you away.”
My hand clutched his suit jacket as the need to weep in relief rolled over me. How long had I been waiting to hear someone tell me that? Not only say it, but mean it, and have me believe every word of that promise deep in my bones. For the first time, I felt the spark of hope ignite within me, showing proof there was a reason to keep fighting for happiness.
Eli’s hand slipped under my hair, and he started to massage my neck and the base of my skull as a deep rattling purr emanated from his chest. Words couldn’t describe how this unique ability Alphas possessed brought about such a deep level of peace and tranquility. None of the Alphas in my previous pack had ever purred for me, and now I realized they couldn’t. Their purrs weren’t meant for me and wouldn’t have offered the same kind of effect that Eli’s had on me. More and more, the lie I’d been forcing myself to believe was being ripped to shreds. There was no way a simple biological connection with another person could rock my world the way this man was right now.
“Sir, we’ve arrived,” the driver announced. “Would you like me to find somewhere to park out of the way?”
As much as I didn’t want to leave this newfound peace, I was well aware the man I was curled up against had important work to do. Lifting my head, I shifted so I could speak to the driver. “There’s no need for that. We’ll be getting out.”
Eli relaxed his hold on me so I could slide off his lap, allowing him to get out as the driver opened the door. Now out of the car, Eli motioned for the driver to back off as he extended a hand to me. Heat grew in my cheeks as I took Eli’s hand and let him help me out of the car. Everything about this man was so elegant and proper that it made me feel like I was a pauper in the situation.
“Ma’am, your coffee,” the driver said, my cup in hand.
“Oh, thank you. I didn’t get a chance to drink much of it,” I shared, taking the drink and offering a smile in thanks.
In a move so natural, Eli caught my free hand with his and laced our fingers together as we made our way to the elevator. Never had a man made me feel so treasured with such simple acts. It had nothing to do with the fact he was my scent match but everything to do with who Eli was as a person. Granted, the ease I felt around him being my Alpha probably helped, yet being considerate of others isn’t something you can teach a person.
His ID brought us straight to the twenty-fourth floor, and when the doors opened, we came face-to-face with Emily. “Good morning, Mr. Thatcher—” Her words fell off when she saw us together and noticed us holding hands. I knew even if I tried to pull my hand free, Eli wasn’t going to let go. Emily took a moment to collect herself and beamed at me. “Good morning to you as well, Miss Clark. I hope you’re feeling better. I heard you ended up in the hospital this weekend.”
“I’m fine, really. Unfortunately, I made the foolish choice to head home during the storm and fell on my way to the train. Thankfully, Mr. Thatcher was there to make sure I was okay,” I explained, figuring whatever I said would be spread through the company rumor mill.
“You must be careful, my dear. We might not get snow here, but our spring storms are nothing to be trifled with.” Emily tutted in a concerned, motherly way before turning her attention to Eli. “Since you’ve been gone, I wanted to make sure I handed you these messages personally. I know how they tend to go missing when I leave them on your desk.”
Eli’s lips twitched in the ghost of a smile as he took the slips of paper. “Thank you, Emily. Now that Lyra has joined us, I’ll have you give them to her so they don’t slip through the cracks. Just as a heads up, I will have an important memo that will need to go out to all the staff in about an hour.”
“Very good, sir. Will you be needing anything else?” Emily asked, her gaze flicking between Eli and me with a knowing glint.
“Not at the moment,” Eli assured her and strode off to his office.
Forgetting he was still holding my hand, he gently tugged me forward a step before I hurried to keep up with his long legs. For a woman, I wasn’t considered short, but I wasn’t tall either at five foot five. I was that perfect height where I could still wear heels and not feel like a giant. Eli, on the other hand, had to be at least six feet or taller, making me feel smaller.
He refused to let go of my hand until we entered his office and motioned for me to close the door. Taking my coffee, he set it on the side table near the door before boxing me against the door with hands on either side of my head, preventing my escape. The dominance rolled off him as he stared down at me with those icy-blue eyes. I wasn’t scared, not of him. This was having quite the opposite effect on me as my pussy clenched, heart rate sped up, and my breathing quickened.
Holy shit, I don’t think I’d ever been this turned on by one simple action.
“Lyra,” Eli said, making my name sound like some kind of prayer on his lips. “Did you just call me Mr. Thatcher?”
I tried to speak, but it was as if my brain was misfiring at the overstimulation he was causing. In an effort to collect myself, I licked my lips, which caught his attention instantly. Fuck, I want him to kiss me so fucking bad. Scratch that, I think I want him to fuck me. How long had it been since I’d had sex?
“Lyra,” Eli said again, only this time he leaned in and ran the tip of his nose along mine. “I asked you a question, and I’d like you to answer it, please.”
The feel of his lips brushing my ear as he spoke nearly caused my legs to give out. “Yes,” I answered, but it sounded more like a sigh.
Pulling back so he could see my face, his hand cupped my chin. “What did I say about you being my Omega before anything else? Mr. Thatcher was my father, and to you, my sweet petal, I’m Eli or Alpha. I know you might be worried about how things look to others, but I don’t give a rat’s ass because that’s between you and me, no one else.”
“Yes, Alpha,” I answered, feeling the need to please him and make up for my mistake.
Now, both hands cradled my face, holding me right where he wanted as Eli stole my breath away with a kiss. Every time our lips met, the need to have him bend me over something so he could yank down my pants and fill me with his cock grew more urgent. I’d never been shy about my sexual needs—it’s part of being an Omega. There were so many other things I was denying myself that sex wasn’t going to be one of them. In no way was I a girl who casually slept around. I would only sleep with people I was dating or trustworthy men who helped me through my heats when I was single.
I’d been attracted to men on the first meeting, but I would never end up pinned against a door with my legs wrapped around their hips, much less twice. Yet here I was acting as if the air I needed to breathe was contained within Eli, and I had to have it.
Need grew as I ground my pussy over his rock-hard cock hidden beneath his designer dress pants. There were too many clothes, and it was making me frustrated to the point I actually let a growl slip out.
“So fierce, my petal. Tell me, what has you so worked up?” Eli asked, breaking our kiss to nibble on my neck.
“Clothes,” I managed to gasp out as one of his hands found its way under my shirt and teased my nipple. “They’re in the way.”
A sharp cry burst out of me as he clamped his mouth low on my neck and let his teeth drag over the skin. My eyes rolled back in my head, and I thought I might just come right here and now.
“The clothes have to stay on because if we go any further, I’m guaranteed to go into rut,” Eli warned. “Believe me when I say there is nothing I want more than to lay you out on my desk and make you scream my name. Fuck, just thinking about your scent coating this room so anyone who walks in here would know just how well I take care of my Omega almost has me losing control.”
The picture he painted drove me to grind myself even harder, chasing after the orgasm I knew was just out of reach. I whimpered, getting upset I couldn’t get the release I needed if I were going to function at all today. Eli took it upon himself to assist me as any good Alpha would and rolled my nipple between his fingers before giving it a tug at the same time he sucked on my neck. That was all it took for my climax to come crashing over the wall and slam into me. Eli urged my head down so I could latch onto his shoulder, muffling my moans so we didn’t give Emily more to share with the office.
Spent, I became boneless in Eli’s arms, and he carried me over to the couch in his office. He carefully laid me down and pressed a kiss to my lips, eyes, and forehead. “You stay right here until you’ve recovered.”
He started to walk away, but I grabbed his hand. “What about you?” I asked, knowing how damn hard he’d been.
“Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine. It’s too big of a risk to let anything more happen,” he answered, bending to kiss my hand. “I want the first time for us to be somewhere comfortable because we won’t be leaving it for quite some time.”
Groaning, the edge he’d taken off my libido flared back to life but even more demanding. “You can’t say things like that and expect me to be good,” I grumbled, watching him sit at his desk, showing remarkable self-control.
“I have faith in you. I’m sure you can be a good girl for me,” Eli teased, gifting me with the rare sight of a genuine smile. “It will be worth the wait, I promise.”
That’s it, I can’t be here anymore.
Or I’m going to lose all my self-respect.
Sitting up, I combed my fingers through my hair and straightened my outfit as best I could before standing. Doing my best to ignore Eli, I walked over to the door, grabbed my coffee, and picked up my purse off the floor. I turned to face him and found him watching me with a bemused look. “I’ll be in my office if you need anything,” I said, using my professional voice.
“There is a list of tasks waiting for you in your email,” Eli shared. “If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask. Remember, we’re a team.”
I nodded and tucked some of my hair behind my ear before walking to the door that led to my refuge. Oh God, if this is how day one was going, I could only imagine things getting more and more intense before no level of self-control could keep us from tearing each other’s clothes off.