He grunts, but his gaze has returned to his bathroom mirror, like he can’t resist the lure of his new reflection. “I actually look… elegant.”
I hum as I squeeze his bicep. “Power and charisma never go out of fashion, Bram, and you have both in ample supply.”
A light flush stains his cheekbones as we return to his office and he slowly slips out of his jacket. He watches it like a Labrador tracking the treat jar as I zip it back up and I bite my cheek again. I’m not sure if an uber can technically be adorable, but Bram is giving it a pretty good shot.
“Thanks, Kate,” he says when I’ve hung the bag on the back of his door. “This means a lot to me.”
Fuzzy butterflies zip around my stomach. “I’m happy to talk to your regular tailor… What’s that face mean?”
I try not to react as he tells me he emailed his measurements to some guy online a decade ago. “Okay, well you can tell him I’ll handle that from now on. If it’s okay with you, we’ll work with a local tailor on the everyday items, and I’ll focus on your business and formal wear.”
He rubs his jaw again, then sinks into his chair. “Only if it’s not too much work for you.”
“Bram, it would be a literal pleasure to dress you.”
He looks up, his pupils expanding as he realizes I’ve perched on the edge of his desk. “You look like you have something else you want to discuss.”
I nod, trailing my eyes from the thick column of his throat down his too-tight shirt. In terms of fit, his pants aren’t much better, but at least they have an excuse. A verybig, prominent excuse, that I’ve spent the last three days admiring. “If I haven’t used up my full half-hour slot, I want to talk to you about the best way to get an uber knot to fit.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE - BRAM
I blink, not sure I’ve heard her properly.
“You mean… in a fashion sense?”
She snorts, swinging her leg as she studies me with something a lot more heated than the professional focus of a few moments ago. I’m still tingling from trying on the most luxurious piece of clothing I’ve ever worn, and now she’s biting her lip and staring right at the crotch of my budget pants. I already feel hot and uncomfortable in my clothes, while she looks like a breath of fresh air in pale blue trousers, a dark orange blouse, and shiny pumps. I don’t think that’s how she’d describe her outfit, but after spending three days in a heat-soaked nest with her, words fail me.
“Are you uncomfortable talking about your knot?”
My head snaps up at the question, and I realize I’ve been quiet for too long. Her leg has stopped swinging, and she looks like she’s about to head for the door. “No, not uncomfortable.” I grimace and resist the urge to adjust my pants. “I mean, it’s more of a logistics issue. An uber’s knot doesn’t go down, but outside of a heat or a rut, it’s not necessarily fully hard. I’ve gotten pretty good at putting it out of my mind, and most of thetime it’s just another body part. I give it as much attention as my feet.”
“Really?” Her eyes shine as she bends to look under my desk. “Maybe I need to get you fitted for some new shoes as well.”
I chuckle and ease her upright, using the excuse to tug her a little closer. She slides towards me with a smile, and when she’s parked between my knees, I plant a hand on her hip. She’s warm and soft, and I’m back to feeling uncomfortable in my too-tight pants. “I'm just saying it doesn’t need to be an issue. An uber knot doesn’t define me.”
Except, I suppose, it kind of does. A lot of people don’t even believe ubers exist, but if they were to come face-to-face with one, the first thing they’d probably ask about is the permanent knot.
“And what about voice commands?” Kate asks, fiddling with the cuff on her blouse. “Have you ever used those?”
There’s a hint of wariness in her voice now and I can’t blame her. Omegas are always susceptible to alphas, but ubers have the added ability of removing free will. It goes against everything I believe in, but I give a reluctant nod. “Once,” I admit. “It was an attempted carjacking in Monaco. A gang of three alphas were after Corbus’ briefcase, and I put them on the ground. They had guns, and I couldn’t risk either of us being shot while I tried to subdue them the normal way. The police were there in minutes, and it was all over without a lot of fuss. Bad planning on the gang’s part given the country has the largest per-capita police force in the world.” She blinks at me, and I shrug. “I don’t work security, but I have a good knowledge of their protocols and I’m fully accredited. If our pack is ever at risk, I want to have every tool at my disposal.”
Something flickers through her eyes, but her gaze drops back to my groin, and I realize we haven’t quite finished with that topic yet. “Why are you asking about uber knots, sweetheart?”
She jerks her head up at the endearment, but her body seems to melt a little at whatever she sees in my face, and her scent tickles my nose. It’s sweeter since Dash’s heat, more floral than the vanilla suppressants she’s wearing. It’s impossible not to feel its pull as she licks her lips. “I’m asking because I want to train myself to take it.”
It’s the last thing I expect her to say, and my fingers tighten on her hip. I’m tempted to pull her forward, to prop her on the thing she’s so damn eager to talk about, but I clamp down on the urge with a silent curse.I might be an uber, but I’m not a fucking animal.“You’re an omega, Kate. Taking my knot shouldn’t be a problem.”
Way to woo her with words of sweet encouragement, Webber.
“I mean for after.” She swallows hard, drawing my attention to the side of her neck. Her blouse has a high collar, and with her hair down her scent gland is barely visible. But I know it’s always in the front of her mind, and probably at the root of her insecurities, too. “Dr. Green told me I will effectively have the biology of a beta, which means that’s going to be a lot to handle.”
By ‘that’, she means the rapidly swelling cock in my pants, but I’m stuck on the doctor part. “What do you mean the biology of a beta? You’re an omega, Kate. That doesn’t change because of an unbonding.”
“But it’s going to be mylastheat,” she points out, her fingers now threaded into an anxious knot. “I don’t know how my hormones are going to work long-term, but if I dry out… Well, I’ll probably end up more like a beta than an omega, biologically speaking. And I’d hate to miss out on sex with you because my body doesn’t work anymore…”
The confession has caused a pink blush to climb her neck, but I’m dealing with a temperature increase of my own. Part of me is seeing red about the unfairness of her situation, while therest is fixated on how she doesn’t want to miss out on sex with me. “There’s nothing wrong with your body,” I growl, hauling her into my lap. I know this isn’t probably what she was after when she started this conversation, but I need to feel her skin against mine. “You’re fucking perfect, Kate, and that’s not going to change.”
She melts against me, her hands sliding between my back and the chair to cling to me. There’s something so vulnerable about the gesture, I feel a purr rattle out of my throat. “But you’re an uber,” she murmurs into my chest. “Your omegas should be able to take advantage of everything you have to offer.”
