Page 14 of With A Little Luck

Chapter Thirteen

Quincy

M y eyes feel huge as I study Hartley’s handsome face. He does love to joke a lot, but he looks deathly serious at the moment.

“You want to court me?” I ask, and even I can hear the disbelief in my tone.

“I do.”

“Why?” My hand flies to my face. “I like you a lot, Hart. It’s just… My world is about to change in a big way.”

“I’ve been living with Harrison, his pack, and twin newborns since I came back to town.

” He catches my hand, pulling it away from my face.

“Yeah, they’re older now, but I saw every bit of what it’s like to become a parent.

The good, the bad, and the ugly.” His thumb teases over my wrist as it rests against my thigh.

“I saw how hard it was for them, and the thought of you trying to do it all alone kills me.”

“You’re a good man,” I say, trying to find the right words to go on.

“Not good enough to court you just so you don’t have to raise a baby alone.

” He grimaces. “That came out wrong. I’m excited to meet her.

I’ve known for a while that Harrison was thinking about coming back to work, and every time he mentioned it, I got a pit in my gut.

When I first came up here, I thought the days couldn’t pass fast enough.

Then you came into the restaurant, and I started dreading the day they wouldn’t need me anymore…

” He lets go of my wrist, moves the food to the table, and scoots closer to my side.

“I don’t want to leave Burlington, which means I probably need to sell my house in Charleston.

My roommates are going to be pissed, but they’ll deal.

They’ve been living there rent free the entire time I’ve been up here.

” He offers a chagrined smile. “Which brings me to my next question. Can I move in with you?”

“What?” I squawk.

Holy shit. I didn’t even realize I could produce that particular sound.

“Yeah, see, I’m pretty sure Harrison and his pack want their house back. The girls are getting older, and they want their privacy.” He smiles tightly and shrugs. “I’m basically like the houseguest that just won’t leave.”

The fake smile makes me think that he’s uncomfortable even talking about it, or I guess maybe he’s embarrassed that he’s overstayed his welcome with Harrison. I’m not sure what is causing his unease, but my system aches to soothe him.

“I’m sure they don’t mind having you there,” I say, patting his thigh. “You’ve been a huge help at the restaurant so Harrison can be home with his family.”

“Harrison probably would have pushed to come back to work months ago, but he knew I needed an excuse to see you every day.” Hart brushes his fingers over my cheek.

“I also really fucking hate the idea of you living with a stranger. Let me stay here while we figure stuff out. I’ll chip in on the bills and whatever else you’re struggling with. ”

My eyes dance over his face as my mind races. He’s either telling the truth or he’s very good at misdirection. I’m just having trouble believing that he’s stuck around Burlington—at least in part—due to me.

“Why wait so long to bring it up?”

He shrugs. “I wanted to ask you out from the very beginning, but it felt wrong. You were grieving your grandma, then the baby popped up. I was just trying to give you time to get comfortable with me.”

“I am,” I assure him. “You make me feel safe.”

My teeth dig into my lower lip.

I’m not sure I meant to admit that, but he’s been open and honest with me, and I feel like I owe him the same in return.

“God, you make me feel like a king.” Hart groans, leaning in and capturing my lips. His fingers slide into my hair, cradling my skull as he peppers me with sensual kisses.

Sexy little flashes of last night replay in my mind, and I whimper against his lips.

He pulls back all too quickly, settling against the couch cushion.

“We never got to have any of the important conversations last night. We should probably do that now to get it out of the way.” His palm comes to rest on my stomach as he studies my face.

“We didn’t even talk about using condoms. Not that I had one with me, if we’d been clear enough to have that talk. ”

My face burns like I dipped it into a bowl of acid. I have some clear memories from last night, but most of it is hazy. When I really try to focus on it, it comes more as flashes and bits and pieces.

“I did some research after I saw that pamphlet for The Omega Exchange,” Hart says, sounding a lot more serious. “I know what you need, and I don’t want you to get it from anyone but me.”

My head tilts.

That sounds a lot like he knew there was a chance my system could overreact with us being in close proximity.

If that’s the case, I’m relieved.

I spent a while in the shower wondering if my need for alpha pheromones rushed us into being intimate. Then I spent a while trying to convince myself not to make something out of nothing. I was practically planning a whole future for us when I didn’t even know where his head was at.

My mom always warned me that omegas are known to be obsessive and clingy. When we find someone we want in our pack, we don’t hesitate.

“You don’t need to worry about you or the baby,” Hart says, running his hand over my stomach.

“I wouldn’t fuck around with something so important.

I’ve been checked multiple times since I’ve been with anyone.

Everything was negative. I don’t have a copy of my records with me, but I could ask my doctor’s office to send me my last results… ”

My hand falls to his, giving it a squeeze. “Thank you for telling me. I was going to ask, but I appreciate you bringing it up so I didn’t have to. They checked me for everything when I got pregnant.”

“Perfect,” he says, his face breaking into a playful smile. “So, now that we’re courting and fluid bonded, how do you feel about a roommate? I’m even willing to sleep in my own room for the time being if you need some space.”

My heart thunders.

It’s been hard being all alone up here. Even in Florida, I lived ten minutes from my parents. Vermont is like an entirely different world, and while I’ve been surviving, it hasn’t felt a whole lot like actually living.

I’ve been so lonely.

I thought a roommate might help, but the prospect of living with some unknown person has always made me nervous. Not to mention, how intimidating it feels to think about bringing the baby home from the hospital without any assistance.

But is that fair to Hart?

He brings so much to the table.

What do I bring, besides a whole lot of baggage?

I shake away those thoughts.

No, I’m not letting my head go there.

Alphas are pulled to care for and look after omegas. Omegas, in turn, thrive under that gentle guidance. He understands how alpha and omega biology works just as well as I do. He’s an adult. I’m not forcing him into anything. If he says he wants to be here and try to make things work between us…

I’m willing to take that at face value and give it a shot.

“We can try,” I finally say.

“Perfect.” Hart purrs the word, diving in for another quick kiss.

It’s a great distraction as my mind drifts to Ridge. I’ll need to have a conversation with Hart about him sometime soon, but I spent months searching for that alpha.

If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was a ghost, but the baby proves that’s not the case.

I just don’t know what else I can do to find him, and I don’t think I can keep putting my life on hold for something that may never happen.

It’s a tragedy, but sometimes that’s how life goes.

I can’t wait forever with no guarantee that I’ll ever be able to locate him.

Hartley makes me happy.

I deserve to have something good in my life, and I’ll keep reminding myself any time I forget.

“Before I forget,” he murmurs against my lips, “I think you should call your doctor. Maybe see if she can get us in.”

“Why?”

“Your perfume was crazy last night. I’ve never experienced anything like it.

” He nuzzles his cheek to mine and sits back against the couch.

“I want to ask her a few questions. See if there’s anything I need to look out for or ways to head off your temperature getting that high.

” He shrugs. “That’s if you’re comfortable with me coming to your appointment with you, but I think it’s a good idea to loop her in and see what she has to say. ”

“I’ll call the office and see if they can get me in.”

Dr. Lindsay is fully booked today and tomorrow. The nurse calls me back, and we chat a little, but since it’s not an emergency, we agree I should wait and come in the day after tomorrow.

Hartley cleans up breakfast and takes a quick shower while I start a load of laundry.

It’s so bizarre how easy it is to have him here.

It’s hard to believe he’s a celebrity. He doesn’t seem spoiled or like he’s used to only having the most expensive things.

I shouldn’t stereotype him, especially since I haven’t met any other actual celebrities.

I’m just tidying up the living room when Hart comes in. I can’t see him initially, but the creaking floorboards give him away, and I glance up, spotting him in the mirror.

“I love the sexy little dresses you wear around the house.” He growls, prowling closer. “Whoever designed them is the real MVP.”

I’m frozen in place, watching him in the mirror as he approaches. Once I’m within reach, he pulls my hair to the side, baring my neck. His fingers scratch against the soft material of my dress, and he buries his face in my throat from behind.

“Such a delectable little omega.” He licks and sucks my throat, making my damn knees weak. “You have no idea how much self-control it took not to dig my teeth in last night. It was close a couple of times.”

I lean against his strong chest, relishing how sturdy he feels behind me. He nips at my ear, and I jolt, slamming my ass back into his pelvis.

Hart pulls free of my throat and chuckles, catching my gaze in the mirror. “How good are you with makeup?”

“Fine, I guess, why?”

He keeps right on laughing. “It appears I left a couple marks. Personally, I like the idea of everyone knowing you’re taken, but I figured you might want to cover them up before your next shift.”

“Hartley!” I snort, spinning in his hold. My hands come to rest on his T-shirt over his muscular stomach. “Did you do that on purpose?”

“Maybe subconsciously.” He grins, dipping his mouth to mine. His beard pokes into my skin, but I don’t mind. I’ll wear beard burn with pride to feel him kiss me the way he does.

I lean into him, stretching onto my tiptoes to deepen the kiss as his hand digs into my ass. And I’m as heartbroken as I always am when he pulls back.

A wicked smirk takes the place of his playful grin. “See, the goal is sinking my teeth in. That way, there won’t be any doubts about who you belong to.”

Man, he knows how to make me feel special. I just hope he really does understand how different life will be when the baby gets here.

The day passes lazily, and I soak up every bit of affection Hart so freely gives. It’s icy and cold outside, which makes for a perfect excuse to skip grocery shopping and order in for an early dinner instead.

I lean with my back against Hart’s chest as we watch the new season of a TV show about an FBI profiling team.

I keep waiting for him to mention heading home, but it clicks all over again that he wants to stay here.

It will be nice having an extra set of hands to put together the furniture and baby stuff that I’ve got stacked in the room that will be hers.

And more than that, it’s unreal to actually experience human connection again.

“Do you have a lot of stuff to move?” I ask, looking at Hart over my shoulder. “I can help a little, but I’m probably more of a hindrance these days.”

“I only brought clothes and shoes with me. I’ve got a whole house full of shit in Charleston, but that’ll hold for now.” He keeps one hand on my stomach, tenderly caressing, while the other moves to rest on my thigh.

It’s hard not to let myself be distracted by the way his veins pop out on his hands as he moves.

It’s such a weird thing to be attracted to, but veiny arms and hands have always been my personal weakness.

Not to mention, being wrapped up in his snowy, woodsy scent is giving me a feeling of calm euphoria that I could get addicted to if I’m not careful.

“I’m off again tomorrow if you want to handle it then,” I say around a yawn.

He chuckles. “It won’t take me more than an hour to get it all moved. I’ll miss my mattress, though. It’s the one thing I replaced in Harrison’s guest room. The one that was in there when I got here was like sleeping on bricks.”

I laugh.

My bed honestly isn’t much better than that, but I haven’t had the money to replace it. Hopefully he’s adaptable because staying here will be like roughing it.