Page 10

nine

. . .

Jace

I hate the cold.

“Tell me again why we’re lurking outside the cafe instead of going in?” I ask.

Finn insisted we watch from outside today and hasn’t explained why. My leather jacket barely keeps out the chill wind, and I want nothing more than to be in the cafe. Warm and closer to Mia.

And her delicious scent .

Finn doesn’t take his eyes off the cafe. “Because you’re way too eager. I don’t want you doing anything that might give it all away.”

“I’m the one who found her,” I remind him.

The reasoning annoys me. Sometimes, it feels like the others treat me like a reckless pup. I’m an alpha just like them, but they seem to think I need to be kept on a leash most days. The suggestion that I might act poorly around Mia is especially frustrating.

Still, I choose not to push back here in case I end up proving Finn's point .

“We know that, and we are eternally grateful that you did. But we all know how you are.”

“Listen, I’ve been thinking…” I start.

“That’s dangerous.”

“Shut up and listen,” I argue. “If we want Mia to trust us, we need to test the waters. Ease her into this. That way, when we approach her with the truth, she’ll be less likely to run screaming."

Finn considers this, rubbing his jaw. “What do you suggest?”

“We approach her today. Ask her out to something casual.”

“That’s... not a terrible idea,” he admits.

“I’m capable of those from time to time,” I quip.

I turn my attention back to the cafe. Mia passes by the window, and I get a full view of her generous curves. Her body is perfect. Today, she wears a scoop-neck sweater that reveals the barest hint of cleavage.

Those full breasts would feel so good in my hands. I can imagine her breath hitching as my thumbs trace along her stiff nipples, her pupils large with arousal. She runs her tongue across her full lips, watching every move I make, eager for more.

I’d bend her over the counter, one hand drifting down to cup her warm, needy pussy. Her moans would sound so sweet as I teased her, tracing my fingers along the seam of her jeans.

God, she would look so beautiful, greedy for more.

“Looks like her shift is ending,” Finn says, breaking my daydream.

Sure enough, Mia is heading to the back, untying her apron. As she does so, my pulse quickens, knowing she’ll be passing by in only a few moments.

“She knows me,” Finn says. "Let me introduce you, and we can go from there, okay? ”

Finn always has a plan. And backup plans for his backup plans. It’s fucking annoying, but it always works.

We take a seat on a bench near the café. According to Finn, Mia will walk right by it on her way home.

I wrap my jacket tighter around myself and bounce my foot on the pavement. After all this time watching, I am eager to meet Mia. Watching from outside her bedroom window has been fun, but I want her to see me and know me. My heart is pounding at the thought of talking to Mia for the first time.

What if she hates me?

About three minutes later, Mia walks past, bundled up in a threadbare gray coat. She has a scarf wrapped around her neck and a knit hat on her head. Even bundled up, she looks exquisite.

“Mia!” Finn throws up a hand to catch her attention.

Mia stops and turns to him, curiosity and a bit of unease in her eyes. For a moment, she just stands there, staring. I wonder if she’s debating her options. But eventually, she smiles politely and walks over.

“I was wondering where you were today,” she says. A stab of jealousy goes through me, but I swallow it. I’m the one who discovered her, yet he’s already friends with her.

“Yeah, I was hanging out with my friend. Mia, this is Jace. Jace, Mia.” Finn is so calm and collected as he introduces us. One would almost think we hadn’t been stalking her for days.

A blush of shyness rises on Mia's face, but she offers me a brilliant smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Jace. Wow, it’s cold out here.”

“We were actually about to head to the park if you want to join us,” Finn says. "What do you say?"

Mia’s expression grows wary. I know what she’s thinking. She's worried about Justin and what it means to hang out with us while she’s still with him. Despite everything, she’s loyal. She’s good .

This shows she will be loyal to us .

“Don’t worry. I know you have a boyfriend. This is just hanging out with friends,” Finn assures her.

My gaze remains steady on Mia, and I can see emotions warring behind those hazel eyes. I’m not sure what wins the battle for us, but she finally grins.

“You know what? That sounds really nice, actually. I enjoy walks.”

Excitement trills through me.

I’ve never been this close to her. I have never seen her smile for me. For us. I can already feel my cock harden, and I’m grateful my baggy pants don’t make it obvious.

Finn and I get up from the bench, and we head out toward Jefferson. This side of town isn’t the best, and I hate that Mia has walked these sidewalks alone for so long. It isn’t safe for a lone omega to be out here without protection.

A breeze kicks up, and her warm honey scent envelops me. God, it’s like a drug. I can feel myself relaxing into it, at peace in her presence. For a moment, I consider reaching out to touch her, but stop myself. I don’t want to scare her off.

Instead, I enjoy her presence and her scent as I listen to Finn ask her questions about her day. The cafe was slow today, and she watched a great episode of Tracker that morning while eating her breakfast.

I can tell Finn is just as entranced, but he hides it well. He’s skilled at making others feel at ease. He doesn’t have to work at it. It’s just how he is.

“What about you, Jace? What’s your favorite show?” Mia asks me innocently, her bright eyes warm as she looks at me.

“I don’t watch TV,” I say gruffly, too focused on her voluptuous body and scent to think about my hobbies. “Your nose is pink. We can walk you home.”

Mia

“That would be nice,” I say, breathing hard. I’m a little worried about having these two men follow me home, but for some crazy reason, I trust them.

When I woke up this morning, I wouldn't have guessed this was where the day would lead.

We’ve been walking in the park for twenty minutes, and I keep waiting for the unease to set in. But I’m surprised to find I feel entirely comfortable with them. I feel safe.

More than that, I feel drawn to them, which makes no sense. To begin with, I barely know these guys. Sure, I’ve had a few conversations with Finn, but it always feels like he is careful not to reveal anything personal.

Of course, there’s also the matter of Justin. Things might not be perfect, but I’m not a cheater. I shouldn’t be looking at these guys like that.

But I can’t deny that my body responds to Finn and Jace. My heartbeat quickens, and I can feel blood rushing to my pussy. God, I haven’t felt this way since I was a teenager, and it’s strange to me that it’s happening now.

“So, Mia. I have been meaning to ask you something,” Jace says while they walk me home.

His tone has shifted. It’s still gentle, but there’s a hint of seriousness now.

“Yeah?” I ask.

“Why are you with Justin?”

The question catches me off guard. I scrunch my eyebrows in the cold, trying to think of a good answer.

Jace continues. “I just mean... Finn has mentioned how he treats you. Why are you still with someone who makes you so unhappy?”

“I mean, I don’t know if I could do much better anyway,” I say, laughing nervously .

Because here I am, lusting after these two when there's no way that they could ever see me as more than a friend. Poor little cafe waitress with the mean boyfriend. I’m frumpy and pathetic, and they have a mysterious edge that likely has women hanging on their every word. Hell, I’m one of them.

Jace’s eyes darken, and his mouth twists. “You deserve someone who treats you better, Mia.”

And it sounds like he means it.

The intensity of his gaze and the sincerity of his words knock the wind out of me. I have no idea how to respond. Jace hardly knows me, but he seems to think so highly of me. It’s disorienting.

Finn seems to notice my discomfort because he clears his throat, breaking in. “So, I noticed the music festival pin on your apron the other day. Do you have a favorite band?”

I know what he’s doing. He’s steering the conversation to a safer place. And I’m grateful for it.

“Yeah,” I say. “The pin was actually from a friend who went to the festival. But I really love this local band, Jack of Diamonds.”

Finn nods. “I’ve heard of them, but I’ve never seen the show.”

“Oh, they’re incredible!" I say.

“I’ll have to check them out soon, then. I trust your opinion.”

The words make me happy for some reason. I can’t remember the last time someone valued my input. Justin surely hasn’t in a while.

“Well,” I say, brushing my fingers along the leaves of a bush as we pass it. “I might have a chance too, soon. The weirdest thing happened the other day.”

“What weird thing?” Jace asks.

I hesitate for a moment. I don’t know why I’m telling them this .

“The other day, I found ten thousand dollars deposited in my account just out of the blue. I thought it was a banking mistake, but when I asked them, they said it wasn’t a mistake. It was a legitimate transfer.”

I look up just in time to see Jace and Finn exchange a look. If I didn’t know better, I would think that they knew something. But that’s ridiculous.

“Super weird,” Jace mumbles.

An awkward silence hangs in the air for a moment. My suspicion grows, but I can’t find a reason these two would do something like that. We barely know each other, after all.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I flinch. It’s probably Justin. He probably wants me to pick something up for him. Or maybe he’s already blown through the forty bucks I gave him.

“Thank you for walking me home,” I say with a frown. I don’t want this time with them to end, but real-life calls.

“Hey, I want to give you our numbers. I’d love to do this again,” Finn says, drawing out his phone.

Once again, I pause to consider. My phone buzzes again, and anger starts growing in my chest.

“Sure, it’s nice to have a couple of new friends,” I say, and we exchange numbers.

“Friends...” Jace says to himself, his eyes seeming to glow in the dark. I take a step back, my heart beating fast.

“Bye!” I say hastily, quickly going into my apartment building, wondering what the hell was happening or if maybe I was hallucinating the glow of his eyes.