Page 14 of Two For the Show (Trapped On The Tightrope Duet #2)

Dario is charming. He’s got the kind of boyish good looks that make him seem like the type of guy your mom would want you to bring home, but your dad could still relate to him over sports or something.

But he’s also sexy. Like, ridiculously sexy. His performance outfit is basically a pair of shiny underpants, so I’ve been blessed by the sight of his abs and lean muscles several times. One might think that comic book style tattoos would look childish, but nope. They only add to the appeal.

Dario looks like someone who chases joy in whatever way he can, and I want to come along for the ride.

One thing that this very domestic dinner, which is so comfortable that it feels like we’ve done a thousand times, has cemented for me is that I want more of this Alpha.

I want to hear his stories, even the bad ones, like the one about the fire.

Maybe one day he’ll tell me more about his parents, too.

I want to know every part of him .

I probably should fight this draw more. I ran away from him and the others three months ago.

But it wasn’t him, or any of the guys, that I was truly running from.

I was running from Rich.

From Greg.

From Tripp.

From the inevitability of having found a pack of scent matches at the circus of all places, and how much that scared me.

But Dario never scared me. I’ve always been attracted to him. And I saw him during the rut. The desperate way he clung to his cock, how his eyes darted between me and Jude.

And I want to see him like that again.

I am glad I still have some suppressants in my system, even though I didn’t take one today. Otherwise, my scent would be noticeably spiking, because I can feel the slick that gathers between my thighs at the memory. I can’t get the sight of him stroking his cock out of my mind.

Dario coughs, startling me out of my naughty daydreams. Does he know what I was thinking about?

If he does, he doesn’t let on, looking at me with a smile so massive that it takes up most of his face. When he turns his head to grab his beer, I notice he’s got hollow black plugs in his ears.

“Did that hurt?” I ask, pointing at them.

“Uh, I guess? I mean, I did it gradually enough that it wasn’t too bad. More uncomfortable than anything.” He pops the plug out and pulls at the empty lobe. “I’ve been this size for ages, though.”

“Any particular reason for it?” I push my plate away, stuffed so full of tacos and sopapillas that I feel like I need to unbutton my pants .

Dario shrugs as he slides the plug back in. “I thought they looked cool, and I felt it was less self-destructive than cigarettes, which admittedly also looked really cool.”

I can’t hold back my laughter. “Finally, someone else says it! I know there were all those ads about how smoking isn’t cool, but there is a reason why the hot bad boys in the old movies smoked. It does look cool!”

His exaggerated gasp has me giggling. “Only I can say that! You can’t say that! You’re a doctor!” He balls up a napkin and tosses it at me. “I should get your medical license taken away.”

I take a sip of my water before propping my chin on my hand.

“The illness and disease they cause? Literally the opposite of cool. The smell? Awful. And they’re so addictive.

But that doesn’t change the fact that someone with plush lips pulling one away slowly is like peak coolness. Especially in a black and white movie.”

“Nope, don’t try to backtrack now.” He stands up, holding one arm wide while using his beer bottle like a microphone. “You heard that right, everyone, Dr. Alex Shields is on record saying she thinks smoking is cool!”

I jump to my feet, snatching the bottle from him. “The gentleman is misrepresenting the situation!” I say to the imaginary crowd. “Cigarettes? Gross. Never touch them. They’re the worst. But the way someone drags one from their lips as they look at you from across the room?” I fan myself. “Hot.”

Dario takes the beer from me and crosses the room, propping himself up on the wall. He pulls the bottle to his mouth and takes a slow pull of it, tongue darting out to lick his lips as he pulls it away.

“See?” I say softly, my heart pounding in my chest. “Hot.”

The Alpha’s smile transforms into something almost predatory as he stalks toward me. I back up as he approaches, my thighs eventually hitting the table. He leans around me and places the beer bottle down behind me, and then cages me in with his arms.

He’s so close, that I can see the dark stubble that barely ghosts on his cheeks, and that his nose has a little bump in the middle of it.

“It’s not the smoking you find attractive. It’s the act of someone drawing attention to their lips.” His voice is husky, and I shiver at the tone. “And it doesn’t hurt if you’re attracted to the person.”

It’s an effort to keep my voice steady, to keep my hands to myself. “You think I’m attracted to you?”

“Mmm, I do.” He leans forward, brushing his cheek against mine. “And it’s definitely not one-sided. You are fucking gorgeous. It’s killing me to keep my hands off of you.” I blush and try to duck my eyes, but he snags me by the chin. “Don’t do that, Alex. Don’t hide from me.”

“Okay,” I say on an exhale.

A moment of pure vulnerability flashes across Dario’s face before he takes a half step back. “This is too fast, right?”

I blink several times, having to reorient myself now that he’s a little farther away. I can tell the suppressants are starting to work their way out of my system because I can pick up more nuances of his scent, like how the candied apple has soured a little.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I’m not the intense one. That’s Dexter. I’m supposed to be the light, funny one. The one that gradually eases you into this dynamic. I don’t want to mess this up, Alex. I don’t want to scare you away or make you think I’m not in this for real and that I only want you physically. ”

“I would never think that.” I reach for him, cupping his cheek with my palm.

“But we don’t know each other that well,” he says forlornly. “And all I can think about is kissing you, feeling your body pressed against mine. What does that say about me?”

I can’t smother the chuckle that bubbles up in me. “It says you’re an Alpha who is around his scent matched Omega. We are biologically programmed to be drawn to each other.”

“Then why does it feel like you’re not having the same reaction to me?”

For a moment, I can see the scared kid, who just needed some love and attention after a traumatic event. His desire to be wanted, the longing to have a place that felt like home.

The one who has always put someone else’s needs in front of his own.

“Because I’m still working these suppressants out of my system.

I can smell your pheromones, but they are still muted.

It means my Omega instincts are, too.” Without a thought, I throw my arms around his neck, pulling our bodies together.

He stumbles for a moment but steadies himself by clutching my waist tightly.

“Don’t think I don’t want you, too, Dario. I wouldn’t have kissed you upside down with morning breath if I didn’t.”

It’s unclear who moves forward first, only that our lips are crashing together in a fevered kiss seconds later. It’s desperate, like the only air available to us is in the other’s lungs. He’s grabbing my face with both hands, pulling me closer as I clutch at his shirt.

When we manage to wrench ourselves away from one another, and I get a good look at the Alpha, his pupils are blown wide, and his chest is heaving.

I can’t hold myself back anymore. I push him toward the bedroom.

Maybe we should slow down. Maybe we should finish out whatever date Dario has planned for us first.

But I can’t wait. I’m burning for him.

I need him.

We fall onto the bed together, and I land on my back, Dario looming over me. His blond hair falls into his eyes; the predatory gleam in them has me clenching my thighs.

Every cell in my body is on fire, begging me to rip my clothes off and bare myself to him. I want to consume him, to wind our bodies together and become so close to him that we could never be separated.

I want to -

Fuck.

I want to bite him. To bond him.

My instincts are riding me hard, and I’m going to lose control like I did with Matteo if I go through with this.

Reluctantly, I pull away from him. He immediately reads my body language and sits back on his heels.

“Alex?” he says softly. I can practically see him bracing for my inevitable rejection. “Is something wrong?”

“I don’t want to bond you.” His face falls, shoulders slumping like he is trying to make himself smaller.

Immediately, I curse myself for putting my foot in my mouth.

“I mean, right now. Without us talking about it. And my Omega nature is suddenly so close to the surface, in spite of everything, that I worry I’ll bite you in the heat of the moment. ”

A smile creeps onto his face and he bares his neck, tapping it with his index finger. “I mean, I’m more than willing to take your bite right now. ”

“Maybe, but I need more time. I want my next bond to be intentional, not driven by my instincts taking control. This will cement us as a pack, and I need to know how we’re all going to function as one.

And I’m afraid to bond with everyone before the situation with Rich is handled.

What if he manages to take me away and we’re all left with those missing pieces of each other?

” I scoot back a little so I can sit up and clutch his hands.

“Please tell me you understand? This isn’t you, Dario. This is me.”

He dips his head in a nod. “I understand.”

“You sure?”

When his eyes meet mine, I nearly gasp at the heat in them. “I’m sure. And I’m not worried about you bonding me. You shouldn’t be, either.”

“Why’s that?” I’m breathless, the pheromones coming off him so strong that even my dull senses don’t stop me from drowning in the sweet and tart scent of candy apples.

“Because you can’t bite me if you’re sitting on my face.”