Chapter Two #4
I slide into the booth, my heart racing.
Up close, he’s even more striking. His features are severe, almost harsh, but arranged in a way that works.
The top few buttons of his shirt are undone, and I see tattoos peeking out.
Something about him reminds me of a thunderstorm: beautiful, dangerous, impossible to ignore.
One thing is immediately clear. He’s no ordinary businessman.
“I’m Elio.”
“Nice to meet you, Elio.” He watches me for a moment without speaking.
His eyes move over my face, unhurried, cataloging.
Something about the way his eyes linger on my mouth has heat creeping up my face.
I’m sure he can see my physical reaction.
My fair skin blushes easily. But it’s impossible not to react to the interest in his eyes.
I get the feeling he likes what he sees.
“You look younger than I expected,” he says.
“I’m twenty-eight. My age was on my paperwork.”
His lips twitch. “I know how old you are. I said you look younger.”
“Oh.” I frown. “Is that a problem?”
“No. It’s merely an observation.”
I clear my throat. “You’re… uh… thirty-five?”
“That’s right.” His amusement grows. “Do I look younger?”
I hesitate. “Not really. You don’t look older though, either. You’re very handsome, but I’m sure you know that. You look more intimidating than I thought you’d be.” I’m babbling. I need to shut up.
He surprises me when he smiles. It’s not really a warm smile but it makes him even more attractive.
His teeth are white and straight, and little laugh lines crinkle around his dark eyes.
My pulse flutters as we hold each other’s gaze.
I should be relieved he’s so attractive.
I mean, if I’m going to have his kid, I should find him attractive.
But I also feel like he’s out of my league, which makes me tongue-tied and awkward.
I don’t think I’ve ever met an alpha who made me feel so… inadequate.
Thankfully, a waitress appears. That gives me an excuse to pull my gaze from Marcello’s.
She’s middle-aged, tired-looking, and she stares at Marcello like she’s trying to figure out if he’s famous.
He orders black coffee and a cinnamon roll without looking at her.
I order the same because while I’d prefer a hot chocolate with my cinnamon roll, I don’t want to look uncultured.
“Kessler tells me you need money for your brother’s surgery,” Marcello says once she’s gone.
Right to it. No small talk. “Yes.”
“He didn’t give me exact details, just that something is wrong with your brother’s heart. What exactly is wrong with him?” His dark eyes study me.
“He has a condition called HOCM.” I grimace. “The muscle of his heart has thickened and it’s blocking blood flow. Without the surgery, he’ll die.”
Marcello’s expression doesn’t change. “How old is your brother?”
“Nineteen.”
“Young,” he says flatly. “And it’s just the two of you.”
“Yes. I’ve been his official guardian since I was nineteen. Our parents died in a car accident.”
Something flickers across his face. It’s gone before I can name it. “I’m sorry,” he says, and it sounds like he means it. So, at least he seems to have a heart.
“Thank you.” I drum up the courage to ask him a question. “Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
His face softens briefly. “Two younger sisters. My mother is still alive as well. They all live with me.”
“Wow, that must be a big house.”
He shrugs. “Yes. It’s a very big house. We each have our own wings. That way we don’t step on each other’s toes too much.”
“I see.” Then because I’m nervous I foolishly add, “The only wings my apartment has are when Fabio and I DoorDash chicken wings.”
Marcello doesn’t laugh, and I don’t blame him. He does, however, narrow his eyes. Maybe he’s re-thinking this whole thing. Who wouldn’t. I’m acting like a dumbass.
The coffee and cinnamon rolls arrive. Marcello wraps his hand around the mug but doesn’t drink or attempt to eat his roll. His hands are large, his fingers long, and the back of his right hand has more tattoos. There’s a scar on his left forearm, visible below the cuff of his sleeve.
“What do you do for work?” he asks.
“I’m a bartender.” I don’t bother saying where I work. Saying I work at a dive like Duffy’s isn’t exactly a brag.
He gives me one of those measuring looks of his. “With your blond hair and green eyes, I’ll bet you make good tips.” It’s meant as a compliment, but his tone is so detached, it also feels like he’s kicking the tires on a used car, and trying to decide if he wants to buy it or not.
“I do all right.” I pick up my coffee and sip it, wincing when it burns my lips.
I set the cup down because my hands are trembling.
I haven’t felt this nervous around an alpha in years.
I don’t care for it, if I’m honest. But I can’t plausibly tell Kessler I reject Marcello on the grounds that he’s too attractive. “What… what do you do for work?”
He avoids my gaze. “Oh, I own several businesses.”
“I see.” That was definitely an evasive answer. Why be evasive? Uneasiness flutters through me, but I don’t have the nerve to push harder. I barely have the nerve to drink my coffee.
“According to Kessler, we decide the terms of our contract,” he says. “Do you have any thoughts about the duration?”
“Not really.” I let out a shaky breath. “All I’ve really thought about is how to pay for my brother’s surgery.”
His cheek tenses. “You do understand what I need from you though, right? Kessler made that clear to you?”
My face warms. “Yes. Sorry. I know you want an heir. I only meant, up till now, all my focus has been on saving my brother’s life.”
He relaxes slightly. “Fair enough. How about I tell you what I need from you, and then you can tell me if that aligns with your needs.”
“Okay.” Since I have no idea what I want other than his money, it’s best if he starts.
He leans back, looking very businesslike. “I require a three-year commitment of marriage from any omega I contract.”
“Three years?” That’s longer than I assumed.
“Is that a deal breaker for you?”
I hesitate, but truthfully, he could have said five years and I’d still move forward. “No, three years is fine.”
He nods. “I need one heir for sure and possibly two. The omega I contract must live with me for that period of time. If we move forward with each other, you’ll understand why that’s a requirement.”
“You can’t tell me why now?” I frown.
“No. To be frank, the less you know about me, the better. If we don’t move forward, it’s safer for you not to know too much.”
I blink at him and I must look startled because he laughs gruffly.
He says, “I’m working with Kessler for a reason. My situation is… complicated.”
I nod as if I understand, but of course, I don’t.
“The omega I contract will be generously compensated for those three years. A big chunk will be given to the omega when the contract is signed, and an additional chunk will be paid to the omega at the end of the three years. I’ll handle all the omega’s expenses during the three-year marriage.
Whatever they need or want, I’ll provide.
At the end of the contract, the omega will walk away a rich man. ”
I hesitate. “You mention the omega will walk away. Is the omega required to give up all parental rights to the child?”
He considers my question. “A clean break would be best.”
I wrinkle my brow. “I don’t think that’s realistic. After three years, the omega and child will be bonded. It would be cruel to never allow them to see each other.”
He rubs his chin, looking thoughtful. “I suppose that’s true.” It’s obvious that hadn’t occurred to him.
“I wouldn’t be able to just walk away.” Even if being honest blows up the deal, it’s best he knows that now. “There’s no way I could carry a child in my body and then just turn my back on them after raising them for three years.”
There’s an irritable gleam in his eyes, but then he shrugs.
“I suppose it’s normal that feelings would grow between the omega and child.
I’d have to have primary custody though.
That’s not negotiable. The child is the only reason I’m doing this.
However, the omega could have the child on agreed upon days. ”
“Okay.” I watch a family enter the restaurant. The female omega is holding a baby and the father is carrying a toddler. A thought occurs to me. “What if no baby is conceived?”
He lifts his brows as if that had never occurred to him. “I find it hard to believe that would happen.”
I laugh. “Why? Because you’re so virile?”
He narrows his eyes. “Of course.”
I shake my head at his arrogance, but in truth, his frankness relaxes me.
He’s showing me who he truly is, which makes it okay for me to do the same.
With that in mind, I say, “Well, despite your confidence in that department, sometimes things go wrong. There should be some language that addresses that… er… unthinkable occurrence.”
He doesn’t look amused by my jab, but he simply shrugs. “Okay. I’ll humor you. If no baby is conceived within one year, the contract would be null and void. I can’t waste more than a year trying for an heir. If you can’t get pregnant, I’d need to move on to another omega to get the job done.”
“I love how you assume I’d be the problem.”
His lip curls. “Well, obviously.”
Gritting my teeth, I focus on the details of the contract. “If the contract were dissolved after a year, my brother’s surgery would already have happened. You’d have already given me a large chunk of money.”
“Clearly.”
I grimace. “You wouldn’t… try and get that money back from us, right?”
He purses his lips. “I probably could sue you for it.” At my horrified expression, he laughs. “Don’t worry. I wouldn’t come after you for the money.” He quickly adds, “You wouldn’t get the final pay out though, because I wouldn’t have my heir.”
“No, that’s fair. I only care about the money for Fabio’s surgery. Other than that, I’m good.”