And who can blame her? He’s a storybook prince with burnished hair, soulful eyes, and the lean allure of a male omega in his prime. He’s also a legend of the porn industry, and while my interests lean more in the direction of female omegas, I can’t deny how attractive he is, especially sheened in Diana’s slick.
“What’s with the costume?” It’s a stupid question, but I was expecting Diana to be suffering through the first stages of her heat, not indulging in a bit of roleplay.
“It’s a Highway Patrol uniform,” she explains, like I don’t have his shiny badge – and other accessories - staring me in the face. “We were watching Rowan’s porn film, and there was a fireman, a construction boss, and an alpha with motorcycle boots…”
Her face flushes at some memory, and I cock a disbelieving brow at the guy. “You showed her your skin flicks?”
He cocks a brow right back at me. “It seems her education at The Serenity Center focused more on uncontained deposits than personal pleasure.”
I deflate at his words. Who am I to judge him, when the one person I was paid to take care of is completely unprepared for this world? Rubbing a weary hand over the back of my neck, I gesture in the direction of the bathroom. “I’m just gonna grab the medical kit for a quick checkup. Kennedy said there’s one in there.”
“I’ll get it,” Rowan replies, loosening his cuff and bending to kiss the side of Diana’s head. The gesture is so familiar, my stomach clenches in distress, especially when she looks up at him like he hung the moon. “I’ll fill the tub while I’m in there. You can probably use a good mermaid soak.”
His gaze cuts across mine, the challenge clear in his eyes, but Diana makes a happy humming sound. “I told him about your mermaid stories.” She rubs her soft curves against my chest like it’s the most natural thing, her arms hugging me tight. “I was so worried they were going to snap your neck, Dex. I don’t know what I would have done if you didn’t get away.”
Kennedy filled me in on this part, too, and I have to suppress a shudder at the thought. I’ve had a few near-death experiences over the years, but having some gangster fuck threaten you while you’re sedated is a step too close to the grave for my liking.
“You don’t need to worry about any of that now.”
She bites her lip, looking up at me with shimmering eyes. “But the woman at the clinic…”
“I’m sorry you had to see that.” I don’t add that I might have done something similar to the bitch if I’d got to her first. “I called the police. They’ll get the guys who did it to her.”
The truth is, a lot of cops and judges are on the Carrillos’ payroll. I left an anonymous tip from the clinic phone, but if they follow up, I’m betting the investigation into the bitch’s death will never see the light of day.
Good fucking riddance.
“And Kane?” Fear flits through Diana’s gaze, so potent I can smell it in her scent. “Did you ask your doctor friend how he is?”
I pull a face. Of all the conversations I wanted to delay until after her heat, this is at the top of the list. “He checked himself out. Ben had to go upstairs for an emergency and when he came back, he was gone.”
I expect tears, but Diana beams like she’s just won the lottery. “Then he’s healed. Or good enough to walk by himself. I’m sure he’ll track us down any minute now.”
I nod, feeling uneasy. He might have left on his own two feet, but that doesn’t mean he’s looking for us for the reasons she thinks. “He’s a tough bastard.”
Diana hums happily, no doubt re-living the neck-snapping scenes back at the slick factory. “He is. And Kennedy said she’ll find him if he doesn’t turn up here first.” She gives me a tight squeeze, and I hope she can’t feel the tension in my body. “That’s all I want, Dex. All of us together, safe and happy.”
There are so many things wrong with that dream, but I’ll be fucked if I’ll point them out to her now.
“Thanks, man,” I say as Rowan returns to the room and hands me the medical kit. He just nods and retreats to the bathroom, but not before Diana has stretched on to her tiptoes to steal a kiss. I can’t tell if it’s just her heat at work, or if she’s really formed a connection with this guy, but their easy affection twists my gut into a knot.
Stop with the fucking green-eyed monster routine, dumbass.
I curl my lip at my internal pep talk and get busy checking her vitals. Like everything in this place, the medical kit is high-end, and I’m quickly satisfied that her health is exactly where it should be for an omega in heat.
As I pack it away, I look around at the sumptuous room. I know for a fact that a basic room in this hotel goes for a grand, sofuck knows how much they’ve spent on this high-security, gold-plated sex suite.
“What’s that?” Diana asks, pointing to the paper bag at my side. She’s hugging a velvet cushion to her chest, but it still takes a moment for me to drag my eyes away from her.
“I bought some supplies.” I pick up the paper bag, frowning at its crumpled state. “Just some candles and granola bars.”
I thought it was a good idea to stop at a corner store, but now I feel like a cheap ass as I look around at the suite with its overflowing fruit bowl and extravagant flower arrangements. Not to mention the box of designer sex toys sitting out there on the coffee table.
“That’s thoughtful of you,” Rowan says, running a hand through his damp locks as he leans against the bathroom doorway. He’s wearing a dark bathrobe and looks like he’s posing for a lifestyle magazine, but his smile is rueful. “I didn’t think of candles.”
I shuffle my feet, opening the bag to produce a silver tube. “Would you believe I also got cookies-and-cream flavored lube? I even splurged on the Rowan Vale brand.”
He snorts, crossing the room to pluck it from my fingers and check the label. “With two omegas in the mix, I don’t think getting wet is ever going to be a problem.”
