Page 93 of The Omega Exchange: Omnibus (The Exchange)

Carver’s low chuckle fills the air. I cut my gaze to the side and ignore the way my stomach flip-flops when he grins.

He’s a delicious man. The problem is his energy says he knows it.

His arms are covered in black tattoos, but they’re all big bubbly shapes.

I’m sure there’s a term for the style, but I don’t know it.

They’ve got bright pops of dark teal, purple, lime, and even a dark pink.

He yanks the bottom of his sweaty T-shirt up, swiping his face, and my jaw falls.

I stumble like a total loser and have to grab the machine. He’s cut with well-defined lines of muscle and so many abs. I think that might be an eight pack.

That’s not natural.

I suddenly feel quite frumpy in comparison.

The call ends, but it only takes five seconds before the screen lights and Ben’s picture pops up again.

“Late night booty call?” he asks, nodding to my vibrating phone. He hits the buttons on the machine and continues pacing himself down.

My ponytail swishes from side to side as I do the same with my machine. “An ex who hasn’t quite gotten the picture that I’m serious this time.” I grimace, glancing away from his big brown eyes. They’re a little too assessing and I feel a whole lot lacking.

I know I’m pretty enough. I’ve heard it my entire life, but my self-confidence is shot. I’ve spent a lot of time questioning my worth because of Ben and his games.

“I’ve never called anyone seventeen times in a damn row. What the hell is that guy’s problem?” Carver asks, tossing me a towel.

“He’s likely drunk and didn’t find anyone new to take home at the bar tonight,” I blurt out and bite my lip to keep from saying anything more.

“Right,” he says, brushing a sweaty curl away from my eyes.

My hair is naturally wavy, but it always turns into a mess of curls when I work out and it never manages to all stay in a tie.

He towers over me as I continue wiping off to distract myself from how close he is.

He’s big for a beta, but I guess it makes sense—having a security team filled with alphas could be problematic, especially if an omega goes into heat.

“So you’re sayin’ that this isn’t outside of his normal behavior?” Carver’s country twang sounds even more pronounced as he finishes his question.

Betas can’t bark like alphas can, so I know his question wasn’t a bark, but the dominance in it still rolls through my system.

My head shakes involuntarily. “I’ll text him tomorrow and ask him again to stop. If I answer now, it’ll be nothing but an argument.”

“Ask? Christ,” he mutters. He spins around, snatching my phone from the holder before I can stop him.

“What in the world are you doing?”

The ridiculously tall, infuriating man slides his finger across my phone, answering the call.

“Chill, baby, I got this,” he murmurs in a sensual tone that sends a shiver down my spine. It’s definitely not the normal cadence of his voice. “What can I help you with?”

I sputter out a choked cough as I can hear Ben snap something into the phone.

“Yeah, she’s right here. She’s all sweaty and worn slap out,” Carver says, biting his lip as he gives me a playful look that says how’s that for a double entendre? “I don’t think she’s going to be doing much talking for a while. She’s still trying to catch her breath.”

Ben snarls something that I can’t make out.

Carver pulls the phone away from his ear a bit.

“Listen, bro. I totally get why you’ve got your panties in a bunch.

Mel is certifiably fucking fine, but she’s also done with your shit.

” He chuckles. “That’s what happens when you play games.

Females might put up with your garbage for a while, but they always figure out their worth eventually. ”

My heart races as I stretch on my tiptoes to try to grab the phone. A huge part of me is reveling in hearing someone besides me tell Ben that I have value, but an even bigger part is panicking because I know he’s going to freak out.

I get close to grabbing Carver’s wrist, but he slaps my ass with his free hand.

“Stop,” he says, chuckling darkly. “Or I’ll give you more than a playful slap.” His eyebrows rise and my stomach flip-flops in response. He’s sweaty and his scent is strong. It makes it difficult to focus.

Ben continues to scream into the phone, but my eyes are locked with Carver’s. He’s been hiding a set of deep dimples under that short scruffy beard. They become even more apparent as he smirks and wiggles his eyebrows.

“Aww, baby, you’re so short. If you wanted to climb me, all you had to do was ask,” he taunts Ben. “You know I’m more than happy to help with whatever you need.”

I should find it highly inappropriate considering we don’t know each other, and I didn’t ask him to act like this. But no one has ever challenged Ben for me, which is likely why I was never a priority to him.

There’s more angry growling on the phone, but as I stare up at Carver’s twinkling brown eyes, I’m whacked with another strong hit of his scent.

His hand lands on my hip to steady me as I wobble.

My nose twitches as I breathe him in. He’s got the same base scent most betas have, but Carver smells woodsy and almost electric, like the way the air smells right before a strong storm.

I’m leaning against his chest since I was desperately trying to get the phone from his grip, and now all I can feel is the warmth of his body pressing against mine. My thighs clench as I get another strong hit of his manly smell. I roll my lips together to muffle the moan that tries to escape.

“Right,” Carver says placatingly, running his hand up and down my side. “I hear you, man. All I’m saying is, she wouldn’t be here all sweaty and up in my personal space if she was still interested in you.”

He raises an eyebrow like he’s daring me to contradict him.

I do not.

Mostly, it’s stressful contemplating the fallout when Ben freaks out over this.

It’s like a light bulb goes off.

I don’t have to deal with his shit anymore.

A wide smile crosses my face.

“Well, you’ve said that three or four times now. My recommendation is find somewhere to sleep it off and don’t call Melody again.” Carver chooses that exact moment to slap my ass.

I gasp and he chuckles darkly as he hangs up. His huge hand is still on my butt and hip. My chest is pressing against his side. I shouldn’t be all up in his personal space. I move to take a step back.

“I much preferred that playful little smile you had a minute ago.”

“I don’t think that helped anything,” I whisper, shaking my head. “But thank you for trying. I know it’s petty, but it does feel good thinking he’ll be the one to hurt for once.”

“Shit,” Carver mutters. “You’re not over him.”

My jaw falls.

“I don’t know why that would be any of your business.” I take a step back and stumble over the end of the treadmill.

He instantly grabs me, pulling me into him. “Don’t hurt my friends. Miller really likes you and Oliver is as sincere as they come.”

My heart races both from the near miss of almost falling and the seriousness of his tone. I swallow thickly, glancing away from his searching look.

I like them too, but it’s not really comparable, is it? Nearly ten years of history trumps knowing someone for a day, even if I am wildly attracted to their scents.

“Aww, fuck. You’re really not over your ex,” Carver says, giving my hip a squeeze before taking a step back. “Come on. I’ll get you back to your room.”

I don’t argue. I let him guide me out of the gym because I understand exactly how ridiculous I seem.

Carver aims for the stairs and we head up toward my suite.

No matter how much I wish I could flip a switch and just turn off those emotions, I don’t know how to shut them off.

I wish I did.

It would be a lot less embarrassing.

A whiny sound slips from my lips and Carver stops dead in his tracks.

“Do you have a cramp? Do you need some water? Is your cat dying? Oh shit, did you smuggle your pussy into the resort? I don’t think we allow pets.” He gives me a once over.

I scoff.

“You’re insane,” I grumble, checking the wall to see if we’re on my floor.

“So your kitty is fine and you don’t have a cramp. What’s up? Tell me why you’re going all pouty omega on me.”

I blink for a few seconds before turning to head off down the hallway.

“It’s actually this way,” he says, gently grabbing my arm and pulling me in the complete opposite direction.

“You didn’t even get to change back into your clothes,” I say, watching his shoulders flex under his workout T-shirt.

He shrugs. “I’ve been working for like sixteen hours. I’m calling it after this.” He swipes his key card to get into the locked omega wing, and I head down the hallway.

“Here’s your sweater,” I reply as we come to a stop at my door. I pull my key card out of the weird pocket on my leggings and move to yank off Carver’s zip-up hoodie.

“It’s cool,” he says, gently giving my wrist a squeeze. “You can keep it for now.”

“Thanks.” I move to unlock the door.

“Don’t forget this.” Carver hands me my phone over my shoulder as I bump open the door with my foot. “You think he’ll bother you again tonight?”

“I’ll be fine.” I step inside giving him a little wave. “Thank you for keeping me company.”

“No problem, Mel.” He leans against the doorframe, and I’m once again smacked with his delicious scent.

“Do me a favor?” He moves even closer, brushing the same hair away from my face.

“Turn your phone on silent and don’t answer if that fuck face calls again.

Some of the shit he was spewing . . .” He shakes his head, sighing loudly.

“You don’t need to hear that. Let him sober up, and even then, ignore his ass. ”

My jaw slides side to side as my eyes squeeze shut.

“Right, I’m guessing he’s always a total fucking twat?”

My eyes pop open.

His jaw clenches, and he raises his eyebrows like he’s waiting for a response.

I hate that someone else witnessed the way Ben talks to me when he’s drunk. Embarrassment floods my system as my face burns.

I step backward into my suite and give him the sincerest smile I can fake. “Have a good night, thanks again.”

His huge hand lands against the door, making me startle. He studies me for a few seconds. I almost think he’s going to continue to push the issue, but he finally gives a nod and backs away.

“Have a good night, Melody.”

The door closes. Even though I know it has an automatic lock, I still flip the bolt catch thingy.

My head falls against the door as I stare at the ceiling. I need more out of life than waiting around for an alpha who is never going to appreciate me or see my worth.

It’s the entire reason I’m here—to find a future outside of our gossip-ridden small town.

I want to build a future with trust at the foundation of my relationship.

I don’t trust Ben.

I know this.

I haven’t in a long time.

I don’t know if it’s even fair for me to be here. I’m still in love with someone else, so how the hell am I supposed to build anything new?

Can I really afford to go back home and spend the next year healing from a relationship that was broken longer than it was healthy? No, I don’t think I can.

I’m here now, and it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. It’s time to put myself first for a change. I won’t be dishonest with any of the packs that might consider courting me, but I also can’t see letting my past hold me back any longer.