Page 16
Chapter 16
Carver
“You agreed to do what?” I yell at Harlow as she tells me all about helping Coach Parker’s pack to keep his nephew. “Why the hell can’t the nanny pretend she’s with the pack? Why do they need a female at all?”
“The nanny is married. And because Jagger’s father has found an omega, and because of that, he’s put in an application for his child.”
The entire hockey league knows Coach Parker has been the only father to Jagger since his sister died in childbirth.
I glance into the distance. The sun dips low in the sky, casting a warm glow over the hills and ocean beyond.
I sigh. “And how will you help?”
I lean against the balcony railing, the cool metal biting into my palms as I turn on my heels and watch Harlow fidget with her drink. She swirls the ice around, lost in thought.
“I don’t know,” she finally says, breaking the silence. “They’ve not told me exactly what I need to do. Maybe I just go to the house when the pack is being assessed. Make it look like Jagger has a proper family.”
“Proper family?” I raise an eyebrow. “The pack is asking you to step in as a substitute mom.”
She shakes her head. “No. It’s just for the little boy to have a female figure in his life.”
“But it makes no sense.”
“I don’t know enough.” She shrugs, her eyes flicking back to me. “And I know it sounds trivial to you, but it’s important to them to keep Jagger. And I think he deserves that kind of stability.”
“Stability?” I scoff. “You won’t be moving into the house. You won’t be his mom.”
“I know that. But I can still help them keep him. One day, the pack will have an omega, but until then, I can pretend I’m theirs.”
“You never told me anything about being theirs. You only said this was for Jagger.”
She sidles closer, her warmth radiating off her skin. “We’re alphas, Carver. I’m not there for the alphas. I can’t be. I’ll be there for Jagger because he deserves to be with a pack that loves him, even if they don’t have an omega. But I know what they need.”
“They want you there for more than just your heart. And you don’t see it.” I breathe.
She laughs lightly, shaking her head as if dismissing my words entirely. “Oh please, you still think I’m some omega in disguise? ”
I lock eyes with her. The weight of what I believe hangs between us like thick fog. “What if you are? You’ve got that sweet scent...”
Harlow steps closer and kisses me, a soft brush of her lips that sends sparks through my veins. “I wish I was sometimes,” she murmurs against my mouth, pulling back just enough to meet my gaze again. “Because then maybe I could let my guard down around alphas without worrying about getting hurt. Maybe I could trust you.”
I frown at her, frustration building inside me like pressure ready to burst.
I want to yell toward the hills that she is an omega. But how can I when I’m the only one who thinks it?
Or did Oliver tell Coach Parker and Asher? Of course, he told his fucking pack mates. But what does that mean?
“You can trust me.”
She smiles as she wraps her arm around my waist. “Why do you want me, Carver? Is it revenge?” Her voice teases, but she's testing me at the same time.
“I don’t need revenge, Harlow. Maybe you do. I only want what was always mine.”
She swallows. Her eyes are laced with unshed tears. “But when the right omega comes along—” She sighs. Her voice sounds more and more dejected. “I’m not stupid. It’ll only take a quick hint of a scent, and then you won’t want me.”
My heart races at the fear in her tone. She leans against me, resting her head on my shoulder. “I wish I was an omega, and you were mine.”
I turn her to face me. Tipping her chin up to look at me. “Do you? Because I don’t want anyone else. I’ve never wanted anyone but you. I had to be near you. I had to live with you and Colton—” I close my eyes and blow out a deep breath. “Do you know how much it hurt me, knowing that you were my brother’s? The only thing I liked was that you wanted your own room.”
“Are you bothered if Colton finds out?” she asks, pulling back from my embrace.
“About us?”
She nods.
“Is there an us?” I trail my fingers down her arm. She shivers under my touch. “Because he blew it, Harlow. And as soon as you accept us, you are mine.”
She steps back and bites her lips as she stares at me. “But how do I know I can trust you not to do what Colton did?”
“You were never his. If you were, he would never have betrayed you.” My jaw tightens. “I watched him take you for granted every single day. Yet he always spoke highly of you in front of his teammates, and me, but slowly I saw the change in him. The flirting...”
“But—”
“No buts.” I close the distance between us, my hand cupping her face. “You think I care what my brother thinks? Do you think I care if he’s hurt by us being together? He lost any right to an opinion when he kissed that omega.”
Her eyes glance at the hills behind me. “And you’ll do the same to me.”
“I followed you across the country, didn’t I? You think I give a damn about anything else but you?” I grip the balcony railing behind me, steadying myself.
“This is crazy.”
“Maybe.” I reach out and brush my thumb over her bottom lip. “But tell me you don’t feel it too.”
“How do I know this isn’t your revenge?” she says. “How do you know this isn’t mine? ”
“Because when you’re looking at me like that, I know every cell in your body screams for my touch.” I take her hand. “Tell me how you feel about me.”
“I feel...” Her voice trails off as her scent emits, surrounding me, that intoxicating mix that makes my head spin. “I love your scent. It’s like we could be pack mates, but I know I could never see you with an omega. It’d break my heart.”
I want to tell her she is my omega, but she's not ready for that.
My hand slides down her back, pulling her closer. “This is about you and me. About what we both want, even if you’re too stubborn to admit it.”
Harlow bites her lip, her glazed eyes flicking away. “I’m not an omega, Carver. And if I let you in, I know that one day, you’ll do the same as Colton did to me.”
“We’ll find a male omega for you.” I say it because really I want to shout from the rooftops that she’s an omega, my omega, and I wish I knew how to make her believe it.
I tilt her chin, forcing her to meet my gaze. “Move in here. Be with me and we’ll find him together.”
She shakes her head, a rueful smile tugging at her lips. “You make it sound so simple.”
“It can be.” I brush a stray lock of hair from her face. “You and I make a perfect team.”
She laughs. “A perfect pack.”
“I’ll give you anything you want. I’ve always wanted you, Harlow. You know that.” I tap on her chest, above her heart. “You feel me. I know you do.”
I want to ask how I smell, but I know she’ll bolt right, despite that eventually she is going to have to admit to how she feels .
Harlow opens her mouth, but I press my finger against her lips. “You don’t have to say anything. Unless it’s asking me to take you to bed.” Then I lean low and silence her with a kiss.
She chuckles against my lips.
I pull away. “Is that a yes?”
She melts against me, fingers tangling in my hair, as she returns the embrace. “Maybe we could have a friends-with-benefit situation. I missed sex so much since we—”
I grin. “You liked my knot?”
“Loved it. I’ve thought about that moment we had every day since.”
I kiss her lips. “Then, until we become more. Until you let me in.”
Until your omega finally awakens and you know I am yours.
“I am yours to use as you please,” I finish.
She bites her bottom lip as I lift her by the waist. Instinctively, she wraps her legs around my hips and her hands around the back of my neck. “You’re going to knot me.”
My hands roam to the curve of her ass as I walk back inside the house and say, “Every day for the rest of your life.”
She’ll soon know how true that will be.
Setting her down onto the top of my slate dining table, my fingers slide upward to the zip of her dress. As I drag it down, she lifts her hips for me to remove her dress.
Her tongue darts out as she watches me looking at her.
Her perfectly round breasts threaten to spill out of the cream lace bra she’s wearing. And the matching panties look virtually transparent and have my mouth watering to have a taste.
“You’re perfect.” I lean forward and rub my thumb over one nipple while I suck the other into my mouth, tasting the metal of the bar.
She gasps as I reach around and unclip the bra with my free hand .
I already know Harlow is desperate to feel me, but I’m still surprised when she shimmies her panties off and reaches to me and unzips my pants.
Her hand pulls my boxers over my hips, my aching cock springs up and slaps against my stomach. My body vibrates with the need to be inside this woman.
She doesn’t know it but slick coats her inner thighs and I’m inhaling the vanilla of her omega perfume like an addict.
“Lie down and open your legs for me, beautiful. I want to eat you out.”
She smiles as her hands press on the table, and she lowers herself just like the perfect omega.
Her dark brown curls spread around her head, making her look so angelic.
Her mouth falls open as I slip out of my pants and boxers, holding my throbbing cock as gorgeous turquoise eyes stare up at me.
“Let me see what’s mine.” I like to give her as much control as I can. I don’t want her running from me ever again.
She brings her feet to the edge of the table, pressing them on the cold slate. Then widens her legs for me to see what is mine.
“I’m so ready for you.” Her hand slides across her hip, slowly over her thigh until her fingers slip between her legs.
Her eyes are on my hand as I pump my dick with such vigor I’m going to explode.
She pulls her glistening fingers from her pussy and offers them to me.
I growl as I suck them into my mouth as her other hand rubs her clit.
“Carver.” My name almost sounds like a moan emitting from her throat .
“Yes baby. Tell me what you want.”
“I want you to get on this table and give me your dick.”
With a growl, I press my hands on the table and crawl until I’m between her legs.
I press my hands on either side of her hips and lean low, licking through her sweet heat.
My eyes roll into my head as I taste the strong flavor of vanilla, of coconut and everything else that makes her taste like summer.
“Oh god.” Her fingers grip the back of my hair as I spear my tongue inside her pussy.
“Car—Oh my—” As I suck on her swollen clit, more garbled sounds release from her throat.
I press two fingers inside her, fucking her hard and fast.
“Oh my God…”
As her pussy convulses around my fingers, her grip on my hair gets even tighter.
Her hips buck.
“Carver!” she cries out as her slick gushes into my mouth.
I lap up every drop of her. Of the omega she claims isn’t there. All her flavors come together at once. And there’s nothing better in the whole damn world.
Her eyes are on mine as I slide my tongue around my lips, not wanting to lose one drop.
“Please knot me.” My gaze lifts and I catch her biting her lip. “Fuck me, Carver. Own me…” She hesitates. “Knot me.”
Own me.
I’m so fucking hard I’ll have to feel her heat around my cock.
I crawl up the table again until I settle between her legs, holding my throbbing dick.
I don’t have long .
Her slick has turned me on so much that my knot is swollen, and I’m almost full at my base.
“Is your tight hole ready for me, darling? I can’t wait any longer.”
“I’m ready, Alpha.” She grins as her legs slip over my hips, and digs her heels in my ass, urging me closer.
“You’re mine, Harlow. Forever. Despite what you need. You’ll always be mine. I need you to know that I’ll never let you go.”
“Do you think I’ll want others?” I know she’s testing me. Does this mean she is starting to wonder about her designation?
“You will. But don’t worry. We’ll work it out.”
She swallows as I line my cock against her wet slit. Sliding it through, enough to lubricate it. I’m not a small man and I know Harlow is so fucking tight. And I’d never hurt her.
I press the crown an inch inside her, watching as her pussy stretches around me. I pull out. She whines. Her eyes widen, but I pretend I never heard it as I press inside her again.
This time, her pussy clamps around my dick, pulling me into her sweet heat.
A purr rumbles in my chest as her fingers grip my shoulders.
“Carver…” she breathes. “You’re so big.”
“And you’re so tight, baby. Tell me when you can take more of me.” I know she can take all of me. Her omega wants this so much, but she has to believe it. And I don’t want to scare her off.
She nods, and slowly, I inch inside her until I bottom out. Only my knot is on the outside.
“Oh yes.”
“Tell me you’re mine, Harlow.”
“I’m yours, Carver.”
I growl. It’s so loud that her eyes widen as she stares at me.
But when she smiles, my hips thrust. Her pussy feels like it’s gripping every inch. And it feels fucking amazing.
Her hips meet mine. And soon we're fucking hard.
Skin slapping.
Bodies pounding until she cries out. “Please.”
My vision goes hazy. I shake my head, warding it off.
I have to knot her. I also have to resist this urge I have to make her mine forever.
This must be what it feels like to go into a rut. To have that sensation of losing sense of what is right and wrong. Because right now, I want to sink my teeth into her neck as I fuck her until my knot slides inside her and we’re locked here on this table for the rest of the night.
I run my tongue over my teeth, knowing I can’t claim her. Not before she gets the chance to understand what—who she is.
“Oh God, Carver. You feel so good. So right… So mine.” Her climax nears as her pussy quivers around my dick, and it’s all I needed to hear. All I need to feel.
I buck my hips back and press forward over and over, letting my knot slide along her slick.
“I need your knot. Now. Please!”
My hips rear before thrusting forward. This time my knot pushes through her tight ring and locks—her pussy clamps around my dick.
Her fingernails dig into my ass as a scream rips from her lips.
“Fuck!” I grunt as I release every drop of cum inside her while gazing at the column of her neck, my teeth aching.
Her eyes lock onto mine.
It’s like she knows.
But I’ll still wait for Harlow to present her neck and beg me to be hers.