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“What?”

“Scoot over. It will be easier than me trying to figure out where you are.” I would get that ruffled-feathers tone out of her voice immediately.

Her bitter lemon scent moved closer with the scrape of a chair. “All right, I’m here.”

I reached out and touched her forearm. I had a decent idea where her face was, judging from the sound of her voice.

I moved my hand up her arm, feather-light, not trying to seduce but to find her in space. I scented with pleasure that the bitterness left her scent quickly, and I touched her cheek. I leaned forward, tilted her chin toward me. I went slowly so I didn’t accidentally smash into her. And also to give her a chance to tell me to back the hell off.

Soft skin and heat met my cheek, and I grazed my skin over hers. She sucked in a breath, tensing next to me, and her lemon scent bloomed.

I rubbed my cheek over hers again, making sure I really scent marked her, and then pulled away.

“Better?” My voice was husky, and it was all I could do not to find some dark room where I could scent mark her more. I’d make sure my scent was all over her, making it unmistakable that she was mine and I was hers.

“Yes,” she said, sounding pleased and confused. She picked up my hand. “Much.”

I stroked my thumb over the back of her hand. “Good.”

She scooted back, but only enough to give her room to eat, and we went back to talking about music. She talked about her family, her job, and how she enjoyed matchmaking. I tried not to pester her with questions, but it felt like every answer was another piece to anchor her closer to me, another part of the mystery.

By the end of lunch, I was determined to figure out how to make Rian more comfortable around her. Letting them circle each other like feral kittens was working, but now it was time to throw them both in a room together to show them they were compatible.

Chapter 19

Rian

It had been a long session, and my fingers ached in a good way.

“That’s a wrap,” Kinsey said, giving me a high five.

I pulled my hair out of the hair tie and shook it out, pleased with this take.

Kinsey was an up-and-coming musician who had a smoky bluesy sound similar to mine. “Thanks for the help.” He was an alpha, tall and burly with tattoos everywhere. He looked like a biker, not a soulful musician, but he was a teddy bear.

I stepped out of the recording booth into the studio for some water, and Ben was there, Ember standing to his left.

She lit up when she saw me. “Rian! You were amazing!” she squealed, her face flushed, her red hair flowing around her in waves. She smelled like sensual lemon cake, but also a tropical fruity note that hadn’t been there before, along with the woodsy scent of Ben.

I took her wrist and inhaled, the scents ricocheting off my brain until I wanted to steal her away to my nest. “You smell amazing.”

“Thanks,” she said, her lemon scent getting sweeter.

Kinsey came out of the recording booth and raised his eyebrows. “Oops, sorry, didn’t know you had a new omega.”

“She’s not.” I dropped Ember’s wrist, remembering all the reasons this wouldn’t work out. Like my own wallowing in being unable to make music. Like three omegas being too much.

I didn’t miss the look of hurt on her face, but I couldn’t do anything about it. Was she really that sure her omega partner and now this new alpha would like me? Would like Ben?

“Still, a lady friend.” Kinsey nodded at Ember. “Hi, I’m Kinsey.”

“You’re Kinsey?” Ember’s eyes got wide, and she squealed again.

Ben turned to Ember, looking amused. “You’ve heard of him? Of course you have. You’ve ferreted out all the indie bands on the Internet.”

Ember grinned at the gentle alpha. “I love ‘Blues on a River.’ And ‘Stand with Me’ gives me chills.”

“Yeah?” Kinsey looked pleasantly surprised. “Well, thank you kindly.”