“If you don’t drop this, I’ll let it slip to every gossip magazine Austin knows that you’re looking to get married again.” I smiled as he winced, shrinking back in his seat. “What do you think your little friends would have to say about that?”
Dad was an alpha who played the field. He was discreet and polite. I’d give him that. But he was also a bit of a philanderer who wasn’t ready to settle down. If word got out he was looking for a spouse, his days of dating for fun would be over.
“A few carefully placed words would be all it would take. Maybe I’ll just let it slip that you’re looking to give me a stepparent or, even better, you’re looking to give me a little brother.” I grinned as the crazy old man shuddered.
Sure, he loved kids, but he was at the point where he wanted to play with grandkids, not have more of his own.
“You’re vicious.” Then he brushed it off and leaned forward again, smiling. “But I’ll never get grandkids if you don’t start dating. You need a nice alpha who understands how important the company is to you. I’m sure I know someone. How about Lisa’s boy? I think I remember her saying he was single the last time we had dinner.”
I rolled my eyes again, standing. “He’s single because he’s nineteen and still in high school. He’s on his second time through his senior year.”
From what I remembered the kid was lazy and spoiled, not stupid, but that didn’t mean I wanted to date him.
Dad shrugged and gave me his trademark “I’m so innocent” grin that had gotten him out of trouble too many times. It didn’t work on me. “There are countless other alphas out there. So maybe a matchmaking service wasn’t the right way to go, but having a professional help make the decisions can make the whole process go more smoothly.”
He was insane.
“If you don’t drop this, you’ll end up on the front page of every tabloid from here to Moscow.” I pulled my phone from my pocket and swiped my finger across the screen. “Maybe you’d like a cute Russian omega who’s just dying for babies.”
Dad started shaking his head and stood, coming around the desk. He rested one hand on my shoulder and gently pushed the phone down with the other. For an alpha, he wasn’t that tall, but it had always been his ability to talk himself out of any situation that had gotten him ahead, not his ability to force anyone’s hand.
“You’re taking this the wrong way. I was looking out for you.” He smiled warmly, still trying to get himself out of trouble. It wasn’t even fake. It was just who he was. “I just want what’s best for you. It’s not right for you to be alone.”
He was so full of bullshit it just overflowed. He was so full he was starting to believe it.
“You leave my life alone or I’ll make yours miserable.” The crazy man probably believed he was doing the right thing, but the last thing I wanted was for my personal life to end up all over the tabloids or, even worse, being read out in a court case.
Dad gave my shoulder a squeeze, and it felt like he thought I was a kid he could manipulate. “You’re worrying over nothing. There are a lot of ways omegas find a spouse these days. If conventional dating isn’t working, then don’t be afraid of trying something different.”
I had a feeling he was quoting the Russian website, but all I could picture was Shane.
“I have two words for you. Human trafficking.” But I hugged the moron before pulling back. “You stay out of my personal life and I won’t fuck up yours. But if you keep trying to fix me up, I’ll make sure every omega in the world knows you’re looking to have a second family to keep you young.”
Dad started to talk again, but I cut him off, seeing the bullshit building behind his eyes. “No more dating. No more fun. Just lots of babies. I bet it wouldn’t be hard to find you a nice omega from a good family that had twins or even triplets that ran in the genes. Doesn’t that sound perfect?”
Evidently not, because he started patting my shoulder again and shaking his head. “I only want what’s best for you. Maybe things got a little out of hand, but it sounded like a great opportunity for you.”
“Leave the great opportunities for someone else.” I looked him straight in the eye and made sure he could see how serious I was. “Stay out of my personal life.”
He sighed but nodded. “You’re so much like your mother.”
She’d been the one with the common sense in their relationship, so that didn’t surprise me. “If she would have shot you for it, then it’s probably a clue that I won’t like it either.”
But since we’d had this conversation before, I wasn’t expecting a miracle.
Dad just grinned. “It will all work out. You’ll see.”
If a Russian alpha showed up on my doorstep, he was a dead man.
“Leave my personal life alone. I’ll settle down when I’m ready and not a minute before.” I had more sense than to point out my date with Shane, though there was a little part of me that wanted to brag about the incredible man he was.
But until I knew what Shane wanted, I wasn’t going to make things harder on myself.
He might have said I was his and he might have said he wanted me to meet his family, but things said in the heat of the moment weren’t always rational. When he’d left the house earlier, though, it’d certainly felt like he was serious.
Shane had even smacked my ass as he’d kissed me and said not to make plans for dinner.
“Of course.” Dad gave in too easily, but his response kept me from getting too distracted, so I wasn’t going to question it.
