Page 5 of Castaway Heat

R onin stalked back and forth in front of the restaurant, checking his watch with every pivot.

The trio still had a few minutes left, but it had been difficult enough waiting hours to see Shiloh again.

He was impatient by nature but yearning only made that weakness worse.

The nearby elevator bank pinged and the doors whipped open.

Numerous folks filed out, but none of them the one person he wanted to see most.

Just before the doors closed, three omegas exited.

Ronin’s heart quickened. Shiloh met his gaze and smiled softly.

His gaze drifted down Shiloh’s body. The omega’s body was leaner and much more graceful than his bulky, muscled one. They were both dressed in similar fashion—casual lightweight linen, but he had to say Shiloh looked much better in it than he did.

It would look even better piled on the floor beside my bed.

Ronin pushed the thought away. He wasn’t pushing Shiloh into bed, no matter how much he ached.

The three omegas slowly closed the gap, stopping a foot away from them. All Ronin could do was look at Shiloh.

All grown up and stunningly handsome.

“You look nice,” Ronin murmured to Shiloh, offering a soft smile of approval.

Shiloh’s face grew a bit pink. “As do you.”

“Do we look nice?” Sage asked him.

Ronin dragged his gaze from Shiloh and acknowledged his cousin. “Yes, of course. You all look very nice.” He’d barely looked. He barely cared.

Not when Shiloh outshone every other man on the ship.

Ronin clenched his hands at his sides, fighting the need to touch his omega. “Ready to eat?”

“Sure,” Shiloh said, a bit breathless. He glanced at Sage and then at Eirin. “Ready?”

“You know, I don’t know if I feel like sushi tonight,” Eirin said. He looked at Sage. “What about you?”

“Nah, I’m not feeling sushi, either,” Sage said. He eyed Ronin. “But Shiloh can join you. He loves sushi. One of his favorite foods.”

“Are you kidding me?” Shiloh whispered to Sage before he eyed Eirin.

Both omegas patted Shiloh’s shoulders before wandering off. Sage looked back as they walked away. “Have fun, you two.”

Ronin couldn’t deny he’d wanted Shiloh alone for dinner, but it was clear the omega was having second thoughts. “I swear I don’t bite. Not hard, anyway.”

Shiloh met his stare, his hazel eyes bright. He was silent and looked ready to bolt.

“Do you want to have dinner with me?”

Shiloh’s tongue appeared, wetting his lips. “I guess.”

Ronin’s gut clenched. “You guess?” It wasn’t the reaction he’d been hoping for. “I won’t force you to spend the night in my company if you’d rather be somewhere else.”

Shiloh searched his face. “The last time I saw you, you glared at me like I was the worst person on the planet. I guess I’m a bit confused why you’d want to have dinner with me now.”

“I’ve never thought you were the worst person on the planet,” Ronin murmured.

“Far from it.” He closed the small gap between them.

They’d already been apart far longer than he’d intended.

He wasn’t going to play games or dance around the subject.

Ronin went straight for the heart of it. “Do you feel our connection?”

Shiloh looked around, appearing a bit embarrassed and uncomfortable.

Ronin grasped his chin and forced him to look up. “Do you feel it?” He searched Shiloh’s face. “An undeniable attraction.”

“Yes,” Shiloh whispered.

“As do I,” Ronin replied, his voice sounding strange to his own ears. “And I felt it back then, too. When you were far too young for me.”

Shiloh’s eyes widened as he gasped.

“I had to fight the need. I distanced myself intentionally. If I looked angry or hurt you in some way—I’m sorry. It was unintentional. I was clinging to the edges of my control.”

Shiloh’s lips moved, as if he wanted to say something, but nothing came out.

“Talk to me,” Ronin murmured.

“Why didn’t you tell me this sooner? It’s been years since we last saw one another.”

“I heard you’d gotten a scholarship, and I wanted you to get your education before I intruded on your life,” he replied. “Then you continued on for your Masters, so I waited. I wasn’t aware you’d decided on more. Sage hadn’t told me that.”

“You talk to Sage about me?”

“I check in on occasion, yes,” Ronin answered.

“You should’ve told me,” Shiloh said, frowning. “What if I’d met someone else?”

Ronin brushed back a stray hair from Shiloh’s forehead. “I wouldn’t have let that happen.”

“You wouldn’t have let it?”

“You’re mine,” Ronin said, his voice raw.

He closed his eyes and inhaled, but that only made it worse.

Shiloh’s scent was overwhelming after waiting so long.

When he reopened his eyes, he captured Shiloh with his gaze.

“I had to trust fate. We belong together. So I sat back and watched… and waited.”

“Is that why you’re here? On this ship? You’re ready to pounce and claim your property?”

“You’re not my property.” Ronin could see indignation in Shiloh’s eyes. “I was honest when I said my father wants to purchase the company. I had no idea Sage was here or that you’d be with him.”

Shiloh searched Ronin’s gaze, as if trying to decide if he believed that.

“Fate brought us together again,” Ronin said. “And this time there’s nothing stopping us.”

His omega’s eyes grew heavy lidded. Need shone in Shiloh’s eyes.

Ronin considered kissing the man then and there and seeing where that led them, but he didn’t want to push too hard, too soon.

While Ronin had known what they were when they’d first met, Shiloh had been young enough to possibly not realize his crush had been more than that.

It had been recognition of his mate.

“Will you have dinner with me?”

Shiloh nodded silently.

Ronin turned and ushered Shiloh ahead of him. As they walked, he placed his palm on Shiloh’s lower back and felt the omega jolt at the touch. Luckily, he didn’t pull away. He leaned back against Ronin’s hand, instead. Ronin smiled to himself, the tiny flash of surrender a positive sign.

As they were led to their table, Ronin noticed how empty it was inside.

It seemed most guests ate at the ship’s buffet or in the dining room, not the restaurants.

From a service aspect, it seemed a waste, but he didn’t mind given the privacy it allowed them.

It was quiet. There were only two other tables occupied, and they were far from them.

Once the hostess left them to peruse the menu, Ronin struggled to keep his attention on the words on the page. His gaze flicked to Shiloh over and over above the top edge.

“Can you stop?”

Ronin frowned. “Stop what?”

“Staring at me?” Shiloh murmured, never looking up from his menu.

“What if I tell you that I can’t?”

Shiloh’s gaze whipped to his for a second before moving back down. “I feel as if I’m something on the menu you plan to devour.”

“Maybe you are.”

Shiloh took a shaky breath before lowered his menu and lifting his gaze to Ronin. There was a warning there, but there was also that glimmer of need.

“I know I might sound forward, but I’ve been waiting nearly a decade for you to be ready for this,” Ronin whispered. “I’m trying to maintain my restraint, but there’s not much left of it at this point.”

Shiloh’s gaze softened.

“Good evening,” their server said, arriving at their table. “Can I interest you in hearing our chef’s special tasting menu of the night?”

Ronin struggled to drag his gaze from Shiloh. He eyed the server and nodded, forcing a smile. Maybe they’d needed a pause before he said the wrong thing. “Absolutely.”

Shiloh barely heard what the server said. All he could focus on was the intense, dominant alpha seated across from him. Not just any alpha, but his alpha.

Ronin Drake was his alpha.

He had to be dreaming.

Shiloh pinched his leg under the table and winced with pain.

The wince didn’t escape Ronin’s notice. He narrowed his eyes and tilted his head, a question in his eyes.

“I think that sounds wonderful,” Ronin said to their server. “How about you, Shiloh?”

Shiloh had no idea. He wasn’t all that interested in eating anymore. Whatever was brought to the table would be fine. He wasn’t even sure he’d taste it. “That’s fine.”

The server smiled and nodded. “I’ll go inform our chef and then bring out the sake. I’ll be only a moment.”

As soon as he was gone, their menus in hand, Shiloh shook his head. “What did we just order?”

“I can’t remember,” Ronin murmured.

Shiloh chuckled. “I barely heard a word.”

“Hopefully we ordered well,” Ronin said, the corners of his mouth curling up. “It’s a special tasting menu. How bad could it be?”

“I don’t know how much appetite I have at the moment,” Shiloh said. “I’m a bit overwhelmed with this information.”

Ronin sat back, watching him. “Is there something else you’d rather do?” He cringed. “Or do you need some time to yourself?”

Shiloh shook his head. Since the second Ronin’s admission had fallen from his lips, all Shiloh could see was them in bed together. He’d never wanted with that kind of intensity in his life. “I want you.”

Ronin closed his eyes, looking as if the last vestiges of his control were held by frayed strings. He clutched the edges of their table, drawing in short breaths. When he reopened his eyes, Shiloh nearly moaned there at the table without a single touch from Ronin.

“Are you sure?”

“I’ve never been surer of anything in my life,” Shiloh whispered.

He rose, holding out a hand. “Let’s go.”

Shiloh lifted his shaking one to Ronin’s and was almost yanked out of his chair. Ronin led him past, barely pausing when he saw their server. “I’m sorry. My omega’s become ill. We need to leave.”

Shiloh fought a smile at hearing Ronin call him his omega.

“Of course,” Shiloh heard their server reply, but they were out near the elevators before the words were barely out of her mouth.