Page 4

“Would it kill you to just use my name?”

I let the scruff of my jaw brush against his temple as I waited him out again, the novelty of an omega who didn’t just fall at my feet too tempting to resist.

“For fuck’s sake. Stop that. Please, just let me sign the contract and go. Happy?”

“I’d be happier if you said it on your knees, but this will do for now.”

“You are unbelievable.”

CHAPTER 3

RYDER

Temporary insanity. That was the only explanation for why I’d signed that damn piece of paper. I still didn’t understand how Alexei had gone from all but laughing me out of his office to whatever the fuck that interaction had been. He’d spun from scornful rejection of a come-on I hadn’t even made to overpowering seduction fast enough to leave me reeling.

I’d gone home afterwards and put on a show for my channel that was so hot my regulars had been messaging asking what had me so keyed up. My slick had been gushing, and I wasn’t even near my heat. At least I didn’t think I was. Fuck. Was I near my heat?

Grabbing my phone out of my pocket to check my tracking app, I tried not to shiver as I stepped back into Alexei’s office building. Was that dread, or…? No. Definitely dread. It couldn’t be anything else. I wouldn’t let it.

I was early, hoping to catch Nate before Alexei showed up so I could figure out exactly what I’d just signed up for. Thumbing my way to the right month on my phone as I stepped into the elevator, I winced as I saw the amber shading in the app. I had an autoimmune condition that made heat suppressants ineffective and my cycle irregular. My smartwatch tracked my temperature, and there was enough data in the app now for it to make fairly good estimates on when my heats would be, but the windows of time were plus or minus three weeks, when most other omegas could know down to the day. Last week had been green—safe. The onset of the amber days meant my heat could start any time from six hours to six weeks time. It better fucking wait for the Christmas break.

Years of managing my condition meant I knew there was no point worrying about it. My heat would come when it came. Stressing about it would only bring it on faster. At least there was no chance I could get pregnant. I used to hate what that meant for me. Men chased me for the strings-free heat sex, but none of them were interested in sticking around for an omega that couldn’t even carry their child. That’s how I ended up in the porn industry. At least there the sex was honest and no one was trying to get pregnant. In sex work, my condition was a feature, not a bug. I might be retiring from that life, but I still had friends there. I’d be able to find someone to help me through my heat. I made a mental note to text someone later.

“Morning, Ryder. Everything okay?” Nate’s soft voice greeted me as I crossed to his desk.

“Yeah, fine,” I said, tucking my phone away. “Show me the ropes so you can get home to that baby and keep her out of trouble.”

After that disaster of an interview, Nate and I had swapped numbers, which is how I knew the baby he would be caring for was already six months old and crawling up a storm.

“I can stay as long as you need to feel comfortable,” Nate said, patting the spare chair he’d pulled up next to him.

“I don’t want him comfortable,” a voice snapped from nearby before I’d had time to do more than perch my ass on the seat.

My eyes jerked to the office door, taking in Alexei’s overwhelming presence, which was even more so as he stepped closer to loom over where I was sitting. His suit had a subtle black pinstripe that should’ve looked like he was trying too hard to appear the mobster. Except, if the rumours were true, that’s exactly what he was—head of a mafia family and worth too many billions of dollars. The worst combination of unethically rich, and violent. Of influential to the point there were no consequences, and so dangerous no one even threatened any. He was everything I hated. And he was hot as fuck.

Alexei’s jacket was hanging open, and at least three buttons of his crisp white shirt were undone where there should have been a tie, revealing tanned, sculpted muscle just begging to be licked and bitten. His hands slipped into his pockets as he watched me take him in, and a smirk grew on his face.

“See something you like?”

I rolled my eyes. “You have a meeting with the Glaives GM in fifteen minutes. Go make yourself useful and prep.”

I’d caught him by surprise with that, his eyebrows raising before he caught himself and resumed his smirk. I might not have even been there five minutes yet, but I’d scanned the calendar Nate had been reviewing over his shoulder as soon as I sat down.

“I thought the whole point of an omega was I didn’t need to prep.”

FUCK THIS. Shoving back from the desk, I went to storm out, only to feel fingers gripping my shoulder tight enough to bruise, holding me in place.

“Where do you think you’re going? You signed a contract.”

“The contract didn’t require me to deal with an asshole alpha living in the dark ages.”

“It required you to deal with me.”

“There isn’t enough money in the world to make up for having to deal with that.”

“Didn’t seem that way when your slick made a puddle on your bed last night.”

My mouth dropped open. It should’ve occurred to me that he would have no boundaries. That of course he would subscribe to my channel after the debacle the day before. I’d been too distracted to anticipate it, though. And wasn’t that a kick in the nuts?