Page 14

West

I thought of myself as a modern man. A believer in equality and respect for all.

But here I was, stressing over roles of omegas and alphas like a fool. Still, my bear demanded I be the alpha of this relationship in all ways. Providing for Antoine. Protecting him. Making all his needs priority in our life.

I got home from setting up the truck and took a long shower. Antoine had seen all of me, and this was a casual date, but I still wanted to present myself well to him. I craved his smile, his happiness.

After showering and getting dressed in some dark jeans and a light-gray button-down shirt, I made my way to the kitchen, remembering all the flavors that had piqued his interest as we searched for options.

He seemed very interested in the tropical flavors.

I pulled out the flour and other ingredients to make a simple homemade cake. My fathers had taught me to never go to a person’s home for a visit without something to offer, even if it was small. In minutes, I whipped up a vanilla cake and used some guava jam as the filling between the two layers. There was just enough cream cheese in the fridge for me to create an icing, along with powdered sugar and milk.

At least, I had this to offer.

I knocked on his door, and he gushed over my offering. He put his finger into the frosting and licked it off. “What?” he asked.

“Keep that up and we’ll be having dessert before dinner.”

Antoine cooked some lemon-pepper baked chicken and a tomato, cucumber salad. Perfect for a summer night. And at this point, anything that wasn’t bean soup or eggs and toast was gourmet to me.

“Tell me about your family,” I said as we dug into the food.

“My dads were incredible.” A smile I hadn’t seen before graced his face. “They encouraged me in everything I did, even when there were some who told me there was no money or future in art. That I would end up with art as my hobby, along with a real job. They turned that little shed in the back into a studio for me soon after I showed them my first painting. The teacher said I had natural talent.”

“You do have a great talent, Antoine. Truly. So, this is the house you grew up in? I hadn’t realized that.”

He nodded. “When my dads retired, they had been dreaming of moving to Key West. Spending their later years in the sun and they both love the ocean.”

“So they gave you this house?” I asked.

“No,” he laughed. “By the time they decided to retire, they put this house up for sale and I had my first big gallery showing. It sold out, and I used most of the money to buy this house. It felt wrong to see strangers living in it. Plus, after spending most of my teenaged years dreaming of getting out of this small town, all I wanted to do was to be here.”

“Happens to the best of us. I thought I wanted the life of a model. Traveling. Living in big cities. Always on the go. But at the end of the day, none of the beds were comfortable. The food didn’t hit right. I wanted a home base.”

“That’s why you bought the house here.”

I nodded. “Oliver Creek feels like home. Plus, all the up-and-coming food trucks and restaurants, I saw my out from the bustle of my career.”

“And your parents?” he asked.

“My dad Otto is alive and well. My other dad, Adam…well, we lost him to cancer. It wrecked both of us.” So rare among shifters, it caught us completely off guard

“I’m so sorry.” My omega got up and came over, sat in my lap, and wrapped his arms around my neck. “How long ago?”

“Five years. It was right before I met Clint.”

Huh. I never realized that choosing Clint might’ve been because I was in a bad place. He had showered me with gifts and affection in the beginning, though we spent most of our time in the bedroom.

Strange the way I discovered things about myself at the most precarious times.

“You were vulnerable. He took advantage of that.”

I made a grunting sound. He was right. I reveled in holding Antoine in my arms, letting some of the pain go. He nuzzled my neck, making my bear rumble low and slow.

“How about you strip for me, and I can paint you tonight.”

“But we have cake,” I countered.

“Cake can wait, alpha. I want you naked.”

‘Yeah. Sure,” I agreed but as he got off my lap, I couldn’t help but feel that once again, I might’ve stepped into a relationship with someone who only wanted me for my body.

Gods, I hoped not because I was head over heels in love with Antoine.

Would he leave me once this commission was over?

Was this part of his process? Sleeping with me and dating me? Was that part of this process for making the art feel real?

A thousand ifs ran through my mind as I took off my clothes, but I knew I had to complete this.

My future depended on it.