Page 4 of Unforgettable Omega

“No, no, don’t apologize, it’s completely my fault. I didn’t mean to startle you,” Drew said, hands out in apology.

“Oh, no,” the man replied, his voice smooth like honey, “I wasn’t, I mean I had my headphones in, so I didn’t hear you.”

“Right,” Drew replied, his gaze fixed on the young man’s face.

2

Shay

The feel of someone touching him nearly had Shay jumping out of his skin. He’d decided to duck into the kitchen to get some studying done, after letting his new roommate at college talk him into attending a party that was for a friend of a friend’s brother—or something along those lines. Shay wasn’t sure. Alfie had been begging/whining so he’d given in just to shut the other omega up. He’d said no until he was blue in the face, but his roommate’s pouting and pleading had finally worn him down, but there’d been no way he wasn’t taking at least one of his books. Andthatwas how he’d found himself in the kitchen of a house which looked like something out of one of those reality shows he saw on tv, the ones with super-rich celebrities.

Shay hadn’t exactly grown up poor, his papa and daddy were solidly upper middle class, but this was a whole other level.

When Shay met the eyes of the person who’d startled him, his breath stalled in his chest, and his mouth went dry. Before Shay was the sexiest man he’d ever seen in his whole life. Tall and broad, he was hard to look away from with his chestnut hair, cut short, his intelligent blue eyes, that looked like they saw everything.

The man finally put his hand down and stretched his right one out to Shay, his lips lifting in a mesmerizing smile that made Shay’s heart beat faster than was probably healthy.

Like he was in a trance, Shay stretched a hand out to meet the other man’s, and when he did, his stomach fluttered, a zing traveling up his spine at the contact, making him shiver.

“Andrew,” hot and handsome said, introducing himself, “But, all my friends call me Drew. You can call me Drew.”

For a moment, everything faded, and Shay felt like it was just him and Drew that existed in the world.

Shay wasn’t naive, he’d read books. Even though a part of him had always snorted at the fancifulness of it all, he’d always felt like those moments of static electricity, or whatever you wanted to call it, were over-exaggerated nonsense.

Until now.

It was like being struck by lightning. It was this deep-seated knowledge that the person you’d just met would change your life.

Drew’s eyes held Shay’s, and what was reflected there had Shay’s eyes widening, and his whole body lighting up in a way it never had before. Shay almost felt like Drew was staring into his soul. But not only that, he was wrapping himself around it, burrowing deep, never to be removed.

That was how intense the spark between them felt.

Shay knew that he was supposed to say his name now, but it felt like he’d forgotten how to speak, as if his vocal cords had seized. All he could do was stare, his blood feeling like a bottle of Sprite that had just been shaken.

Shay knew if the bottle was opened at this second everything would spill out, creating a mess. He’d never felt like this before in his life, though granted, at eighteen that wasn’t a lot of life, but still.

This must be what it felt like when people said love at first sight. His secret romantic heart that was locked away behind his logical self was doing a happy jig.

Shay realized that he was still holding on to Drew’s hand, so he let go, pulling his hand back quickly. His face heated at being caught staring like an idiot.

“Uh, sorry,” Shay said, shoving his still tingling hands into his pockets.

“And you are?” Drew prompted.

Shay’s cheeks heated even more when he realized he hadn’t even introduced himself. Instead, he was staring like some lovestruck fool.

“Shay,” he whispered, “My friends call me Shay.”

“Well then, Shay, how do you know the birthday boy?” Drew asked.

“Oh, uh, I don’t. My roommate is a friend of a friend of a friend, I think,” Shay sighed. He couldn’t remember who knew, who…

“Ahh, of course, a friend of a friend of a friend…” Drew’s teasing smile lit up his face, making him even more handsome than he was already.

Shay knew he should probably make some conversation, but he could honestly say his brain blanked being in Drew’s presence. From the way, he smelled, like earth after the rain, to the twinkle in his eyes that were completely focused on Shay.

“So, pray tell,” Drew said, breaking the charged silence, “why is someone as stunning as you are hiding out here all alone?”