Page 21 of Temporary Omega

The next thing he knew he was being lifted by his waist and pulled out of the cabinet.

Luca straightened his body, and found himself flush against a hard wall of man, being carried like he weighed nothing, and then planted gently on the other side of the island.

Linc stepped between Luca’s legs, his hand in Luca’s hair, checking where he’d bumped his head. Luca's head didn’t hurt, he’d been more startled than anything. But the gentle hands checking his scalp for a bump, damn near had him moaning before he caught himself and coughed to cover up the sound.

Luca breathed in and all he got was musk and man, the smell making him even more aware of their position and how easy it would be for Luca to wrap his legs around Linc’s trim waist.

Luca could feel his face heat, and butterflies had apparently decided to take up in his belly. The alpha’s hand in his hair froze and Luca leaned back, his breath catching as he met the stunning golden eyes and he felt the reaction deep down, all the way through his body. The sensation that had his hole slickening, which made his face flame redder in embarrassment.

“I’m sorry, I––”

Luca shut his mouth immediately unsure how to finish his sentence. Linc stepped back and Luca would have smiled at seeing the alpha’s high cheekbones stain with color. But he was too mortified to do more than groan inwardly.

“I was going to make breakfast, and I thought I should check where everything was located before starting, and I opened the cabinet and all the pots fell out. I’m not sure who arranged them but they should be fired, I could have broken some of the stuff in there. Honestly, who puts baking dishes with pots and pans. Lucky the pots fell out and not the dishes.”

Luca was babbling but it worked because Lincoln smiled briefly then replied.

“Caterers, I had a small dinner party for friends here to celebrate Nic and Jai’s engagement. Last time the kitchen was used for more than coffee,” Lincoln said.

Luca was feeling very under scrutiny.

“I was going to make breakfast,” he started again.

Linc smiled, a proper one this time, “You already said that.”

“Oh, yeah I did, didn’t I?” Luca murmured.

Luca moved to get off the island and Lincoln moved to give him a hand, which he took, but once his feet touched the floor, he snatched it back.

It wouldn’t do to play with fire, and touching the alpha definitely had his body aflame.

“So,” Lincoln began. “Did you sleep well?”

Luca turned and moved back to where he’d been removing the cookware, he smiled since the alpha could no longer see his face. It was good to know he wasn’t the only one feeling a little off kilter. That question was the alpha’s equivalent of Luca’s word vomit.

“I slept great,” Luca replied without making eye contact.

He arranged the cookware quickly, already having thought of an organization system.

“So breakfast, uhhh, how do you like your eggs?” Luca asked when the silence stretched uncomfortably.

“You don’t have to cook for me, the kitchen is open now, we can order something from there and have it delivered.” Lincoln moved to the phone on the wall that Luca had missed. “That was my plan when I had the building commissioned. It’s kind of a home hotel, but without the starkness of a hotel.”

He deflated suddenly, he liked to cook, wanted to cook, it was something he was good at. Since he was a child, he’d spent time in the kitchen with the chefs. He didn’t have any formal training but he was good at it. He’d even filled in at the kitchen at his place of work, and Luca had hoped that when his pregnancy became a little more obvious, he could get a cooking job.

Lincoln must have noticed his silence because the alpha turned, phone in his hand, clearly waiting on Luca to make a decision.

“I...” Luca wasn’t sure what he was going to say. That he could cook, that he wanted to cook because it was something he could do that would make him feel useful and less like a freeloader. That it was his way of saying thank you.

Luca opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, but nothing came out—felt right.

“I guess I’ll have uhhn,” Luca bit his lip and glanced behind him at the double-doored refrigerator longingly and sighed. “Could I have eggs benedicts and some steel cut oats made with rice milk, brown sugar and blueberries on the side?”

Lincoln nodded and put in his order, as well as Luca’s, and told whoever was on the phone to let themselves in.

After he hung up, he faced Luca again and motioned to the dining area. Luca followed and took a seat to the right of the head of the table. Automatically leaving that place for Lincoln. He placed his hands in his lap.

Lincoln followed suit and took the seat at the head of the table, he turned his body making sure he faced Luca, “I think we should talk.”