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I’d almost forgotten about that. “Yeah, that would be great.” I patted my phone to make sure it was in my back pocket and grabbed my keys, then walked to the door. “I’m ready when you are.”
Orsino cocked his head like he was concerned but followed me out the door. As soon as he was beside me, his hand landed on my lower back, and my shoulders instantly relaxed. I didn’t realize how much tension I’d been holding in my body, but just his simple touch was enough to release at least some of it. “Did something happen today?”
We were walking down the stairs, and it took a second for me to register that he was waiting for an answer. “What? Oh, no. I’m fine. Just… Distracted or something.” I placed my hand on my forehead as if I would be able to notice a difference in my own temperature. “Maybe I’m coming down with something, I don’t know.”
Orsino placed his hand over mine and then pressed his lips to my temple. “You do feel warm. Maybe we should get your stuff later or tomorrow when you’re feeling better?”
“No. Let’s go now.” I looked at him, pleading with my eyes. “I need clothes and my toothbrush and… My stuff. Please.”
He held my gaze, still confused by my mood swing. “Yeah, okay. Let’s go.”
He guided me out through the back door and into an SUV. This time, Orsino drove, and it was just the two of us. “Put your address in the nav system.” He hit a button on the dash screen after starting the engine. “That way, you can rest. You look a little flushed.”
I felt a little flushed. Well, more like, on fire. Was this a delayed reaction to yesterday’s stress? Was it all just hitting me at once?
After putting in my address, I reclined the seat and let my eyes drift shut, absolutely not intending to fall asleep. But, of course, that’s what I did. I woke up to Orsino brushing the hair off my forehead. “Wake up, sleeping beauty. We’re here.”
I opened my eyes and got lost in his before remembering where we were. “Oh, right.” I turned away and saw the front of my apartment building. “Yeah, do you want to wait here…”
He scoffed like that was absurd and opened the driver’s door. A few seconds later, he opened mine and gently pulled me out of the car. “After you.”
My apartment was on the rougher side of the city, far from the glamorous casinos, fancy hotels, and ritzy neighborhoods like the one Orsino lived in. The building was old, red brick with some windows boarded shut. Those apartments weren’t up to code, so no one was allowed to live in them.
The unit I rented was barely livable.
Once inside my apartment, I went straight to my bedroom and filled my suitcase and a duffel bag with clothes. I felt silly for being so adamant about coming here because really, I didn’t have anything of actual value. We could’ve probably replaced everything I needed for less than $200 at a big box store, but since we were here, I loaded up on all the random stuff I could fit in the bags.
I also grabbed my laptop and the book I’d been in the middle of reading and took a final look around the apartment. There wasn’t anything else I needed urgently. If I never saw any of it again, I would be fine. But if I were allowed to have it emptied out and cleaned so the landlord didn’t feel the need to keep my security deposit, I would certainly do that.
When I was just standing in the center of my living room and looking around, Orsino came and stood behind me, pressing his chest to my back. “Is that everything?”
“For now.” I swallowed back my emotion and patted his hand. “Thank you for bringing me here.”
“Yeah, of course.” He reached down for my hand and gently tugged me toward the door. My heart flooded with hope when his thumb brushed along the side of my knuckles, the tiny gesture so intimate and so real compared to how I feared he felt about me. “Is there any place else you wanna go?”
I shook my head and walked a little closer to his side. “Nope. I just want to go home.”
I used the word home intentionally to remind Orsino and myself that his house was my home now.
The apartment I struggled to pay for—and didn’t have many great memories in—had never really been my home. It was a place I slept in and a place that provided shelter, but I was already starting to feel a closeness to Orsino which made me want to make him my home. Make him the place I turned to when I needed warmth and comfort, and someday, maybe even the place I found actual love.
Back in Orsino’s suite, I unpacked my clothes into his closet and then took a shower while he went downstairs to do something work-related.
I didn’t totally know what his work was, but I knew his family owned the casino my dad had been cheating in. They also had various businesses that were not exactly legal. In time, I’d find out exactly what he did for a living. I didn’t need to know all that right up front.
What I knew about the alpha was enough for now. He was a good man with a big dick who claimed to be attracted to me and was just waiting for me to be ready for him.
As I washed the sweat from my body and scrubbed my private parts extra good, I realized I was definitely ready for him. Now.
I dried off completely in the bathroom and then walked out without any clothes on at all. Orsino was still gone, so I climbed into bed to take a nap before dinner. It was early evening, but I had no desire to eat. I still felt hot, anxious and tired, and I just needed to close my eyes for a few minutes.
When I woke up, I was covered in a layer of sweat and panting in the bed. I thought I was having a heart attack, but I knew it was more likely a panic attack. Instead of calling Orsino and interrupting his work, I opened up the group text with the other omegas and typed out a message. I think I’m sick. I hope it’s nothing contagious, but I’m sweating and restless and something’s definitely wrong with me.
All three omegas started writing replies at the same time, and as the thought bubbles popped up, I waited for the first message to come through.
It was Connor. You’re in heat.
Then Jeremiah was next. Tell my brother to get his ass inside yours.
