35. Joel
Chapter thirty-five
Joel
A tingle works through my veins, a sweat mist dewing on my brow as I write the date on a label and affix it to a power cable. Feels like I’ve caught a cold, but in my chest instead of my head.
I wipe my brow on my sleeve and pause to look around. This house looks like it’s walked itself out of a Grand Designs magazine just in time for an Interior of the Year award. And the omega who lives here? Her scent clings to me, rubbed into my shirt until it’s inescapable.
Pure Jasmine.
Now I know why Jeremy was talking shit about buying a Jasmine plant. He wanted to keep smelling the gorgeous omega even at home. The pressure of her body lingers on mine like a physical force and a quiver runs through my hands. I set my Portable Appliance Tester down on the floor before it falls.
“Phew,” I huff under my breath, flexing my fingers in and out. “This is rough.”
I rise and adjust my underwear. The stiffy within has tormented me since the first whiff of Willow’s aroma. Every instinct screams to run into her bedroom and make her mine.
I know what this is. Read about it. The surprise phenomena of stumbling over your scent match out of nowhere. I thought the effect was exaggerated, like a fisherman’s tale that gets bigger with every retelling. Just like I thought what I had with Tracey was true love.
I had no idea how fucking wrong I was.
Now I can’t focus, can’t think in a straight line. Everything circles back to the gorgeous blonde omega who held me like she never wanted to let go.
But only for a minute.
My breath shudders in my lungs as I draw it in. I’m in pain. So much fucking pain my balls are turning blue. I need to do something; find a way to let it out. I lurch through the door and stride down the hall, ready to throw myself at Willow and beg to be hers.
Dulcet moans slide under her closed door.
I halt, leaning both hands on the door as my chest thunders, the satisfied cries slipping into my ears and straight to my soul.
Willow is Jeremy’s. It’s so obvious he’s fallen hard. He’s only had a few hookups in the years since Maisy broke things off with us, and even though the girls always called him back, he was clear about not wanting a relationship.
But this? I saw the devotion in his eyes whenever he talked about Willow. Like me, she’s all he can think about.
And I sure as hell am not gonna screw it up for him this time.
I press my forehead to the closed door, which brings her embedded scent directly to my nostrils. I bite back a groan as that sweet, needy Jasmine fragrance trickles through me, lighting my soul.
“Ah!” Willow’s soft voice coos. “So good.”
I can’t believe Jeremy’s fucking her with a broken groin.
Scratch that. I’d try to fuck her even with a broken back, and the strength of my carnal cravings scares the shit out of me.
A pretty woman can inspire any man’s dick, sure, but this?
I want to march in there and sink my bond bite into Willow before another moment passes.
The ache rushes through my body, making my cock grow rock hard.
Blood surges. I gotta release some of the fucking pressure, or I’ll end up out of control and in that bedroom.
Leaning on one hand, I ease my zipper down, breath catching with every small noise. My stomach flexes as I work my cock free until it hangs out the front, straining toward the door as much as the rest of me.
On the other side of this impossible wall, Jerry groans. “Fuck, you feel so good. I’ve been dreaming of this ever since I left.”
“In an ambulance.” She giggles.
“Yeah, in a fucking ambulance. Come closer; let me kiss you.”
I clench my teeth together and wrap my fist around my aching length.
What would it be like to press my mouth to hers, drink her from the inside?
Such a pretty mouth and expressive eyes, too.
Jeremy said she responded to everything, so she’d flush and pulse with the need for air, our chests touching with every gasp.
Jeremy would press in against her back, resolute and tender.
Willow whimpers. “So big. I can feel you everywhere.”
Her phantom pussy parts to let my dick through. I curl my free hand into a fist on the door, jagged breaths shaking me as I stroke hard. Her riding, me thrusting hard. Fuck, I’d work her until she begged for mercy.
Hissing with concentration, I rut into my hand, hips snapping back and forth.
Her hushed cries spill through me, lighting me on fire. “More. Oh, shit. I’m so close.”
Me too. Burning, throbbing, my alpha teeth aching with the need to punch through her skin and claim her as mine. My core tenses, hovering on the verge of explosion. One more word, Willow, and I’ll shatter.
Her moan comes louder, desperate, rising in pitch with a series of gasps.
I snarl and thrust, the tingles combusting in a furious rush. My dick swells beneath my fingers and my balls jettison. Hot fire streams over me, bringing sweet release from the possessive need ripping through my chest. Cum shoots through my fingers, my scent stronger than I’ve ever noticed before.
I stand outside her door, feet spread, panting as my brother brings his omega to orgasm. My cock pulses and cum trickles across my fingers, spilled just for her.
But she can never know.
A piece of my heart splinters as I tear myself away from the door, tucking my wet cock away. I dig my short nails into my palms and stride back to my gear. The sooner I finish tagging, the sooner I get out of here. But I better go find a bathroom first and clean myself up.
I ruined Jeremy’s love life once. I won’t make the same mistake twice.
I work my way through the entire house, checking cables for damage and devices for electrical currents.
Only a few items have safety tags on them, so the sheer scope of work keeps me occupied.
The house, or mansion more like it, has twelve bedrooms, plus an office, a games room, living areas, upstairs theatre room, and a nest that reeks of my brother.
In a good way. His scent never irritated me the way some other alphas I’ve been around did.
Comes from sharing the same womb, I dare say.
But there is another scent lingering in the communal areas, one that smells like salt brine. I can’t say I dislike the trace itself; just what it might mean. Maybe a friend, or family member? Or something more?
I’ll have to ask Jeremy about it, but for now, I need to get my task finished before those two leave the bedroom.
The house teaches me about the woman who lives here. Minimalist, neat, and well set up. I don’t just mean her life. Everything’s high quality, especially her tech gear, of which there’s a bunch. Cameras, lights, green screens. This omega does some serious recording.
A couple of digital SLR cameras sit in neat boxes in a bedroom that’s being used as a storeroom, the space neater and better organized than anything I’ve seen, like something you’d see on a Pinterest board.
As I work, the big golden retriever belly-crawls through the house after me, pretending like he’s some kind of canine ninja. As if I won’t see him if he stays low. For a while I ignore him, since we weren’t properly introduced, but every now and then he lets out a miserable whine.
And he’s a golden retriever, for fuck’s sake. Never heard of one with an aggressive bone in them.
“Come on then,” I call, sinking down on my haunches.
He lifts his head, tail sweeping across the floor in long mop-strokes.
I slap my knees and he bounds over, the happiest doggo in the world. Reminds me of Jock, who’s all bounces and overflowing energy. I miss his happy greetings in the evenings. Can’t imagine Tracey’s taking him out for walks.
The retriever rolls over on his back for belly rubs.
“I’m not sure you’re a good boy,” I say sternly, scratching his tummy. “You knocked my brother over, you know? And you’re so friendly, you’d probably ask a thief for belly scratches.”
He whuffs and wriggles on his spine.
My chest burns and I cough to clear the achy sensation. It doesn’t go away. “I bet you’d like to meet Jock,” I mutter, scratching the stupid doggo. “You two would run circles all day.”
The dog rolls over with a yip and dives his wet nose between my knees, sniffing eagerly. Oh shit. They have nose receptors ten thousand times stronger than humans.
“Enough of that.” I push his head away.
He comes right back, sniffing at my crotch.
Stupid dog. Quickly I rise, shoving his head away once more before packing up my things.
I jot a few notes in my phone to create the invoice, then give up before finishing.
Like hell I’m gonna charge my scent match a dime, even if she looks like she can afford it.
I’d rather know that she remembers me now and then whenever she notices one of the tags. Well, if Jeremy and her start dating, I guess we’ll be seeing more of each other. I shove my fist over my mouth and bite down, a groan slipping out past my fingers.
That’ll be torture for sure.
I give the fur baby one more scratch before marching myself out of the house. Half an hour later, I’m sitting in the van watching a show on my phone when Jeremy comes swinging out on his crutches. I climb out, but one whiff of the Jasmine on his skin makes me wish I hadn’t.
“What’s the story?” I ask, unable to meet his eye.
He winces. “Well, I don’t think I can drive.”
“Wonder why.” I snort. “Are you coming with me, or . . .?”
Jeremy toys with the bottom of his shirt, cheeks flushed. “I kinda need some stuff from home, like my medication. Do you mind ferrying me home and back?”
I shake my head. Just as well, since I’m not sure I could sleep in the same room as him and that scent all over his body right now. Not without having erotic dreams all night, at least. “Let’s roll then.”
He ticks his head toward the house. “You don’t wanna say goodbye?”
I curl my lip. “Nah.”
I seize his crutches and throw them in the back. Better wind down the windows as I get in, or I’ll be licking the traces of her off his skin.
Jeremy watches me, his brow furrowed as I rev the van. “You okay?”
“Perfect. Better than okay. In fact, I think I’m ready to go back to work.” And contact my lawyers.
I want to sever everything from my messy past cleanly.
Why? I can’t answer that, because I know it’s hopeless. Willow and I don’t have a future together. I didn’t peg myself as a guy who pines, but here we are.
His jaw works a few times. “Want to talk about what happened back there?”
“No thanks.”
He nods and falls silent, and I accelerate away from the omega’s house. With every yard that rolls away under the tires, my heart aches a little more.
A few blocks on, as I’m about to exit the quiet suburbia, Jeremy slaps the dash.
“Pull over!” He points to a work truck with a trailer full of mowing equipment parked up on the footpath. “Now!”
“Okay, okay,” I grumble. What’s got him so worked up?
There’s no good place to pull off, so I get two wheels up on the verge.
“I got a bad feeling about this,” my brother mutters, not waiting for me to get his crutches before limping along the side of the van.
“Hey!” I slam my door and give chase. “You trying to break your groin now? What’s got you going crazy?”
I slide up under his armpit so he can lean his weight on me.
“Him.” Jeremy throws open the truck’s door and the alpha scent inside hits me, full bodied, wild with lust, and feverish.
The exact fucking one Willow’s house reeks of.
“Fuck,” Jeremy hisses, hoisting himself up into the cab. He grabs at the man slumped over the center console. The naked alpha flops sideways, pale under his olive skin and coated in slippery sweat. No healthy man should look that hue.
“Alessandro?” My brother shakes him. “Hey! Answer me!”
The alpha groans. He throws out one limp hand and mumbles.
Jeremy looks up at me, panic clouding his brown eyes. “We have to help him.”