I’m not attracted to him, but it’s a lounge chair under an umbrella, I’m going to take it. I take off my kimono and beach pants and attempt to get comfortable on the chair.
“I’m Henry,” he says, and I’m grateful he doesn’t hold out a hand for me to shake. The idea of my hand smelling like some strange Alpha would drive me crazy all day.
Even as I think it, I hear the hypocrisy. A strange Alpha’s scent is currently embedded in my sheets and I couldn’t get enough of it.
“Claire. Thanks again for the chair.”
“Of course, I’m guessing as the cruise goes on it will be less crowded, then there’s port days too. Though I suppose you can’t get off the ship on port days, can you?”
I give him a tight-lipped smile. “There are excursions run by security that Omegas can go on, or I could leave the ship with a chaperone pack.”
The term chaperone pack sounds gross on my tongue. I may not like it, but I get the sentiment. Heat Haven is liable for us and the last thing they need is Omegas to go missing at ports of call. I haven’t signed up for any of the Omega excursions, but I might.
“Well, if you ever need a chap?—”
“Hey there, I’m Pace,” a man says, taking the other seat opposite of me.
“Um, hello. I’m Claire,” I say, already disliking him for the way he barged into our conversation.
I internally grimace. I know a part of my issue with finding a pack is that my standards are probably impossible. My parents’ pack is a dream pack, and well, I won’t settle for anything less.
Don’t get me wrong, I want to be pursued, but I also don’t want to be treated like some Omega prize to be won, either.
“So, where are you coming from?” Pace asks, acting like Henry doesn’t exist.
I look between the two of them. “I was raised in Connecticut, but spend most of my time in New York right now. How about you?”
“Boston,” both of the men say at the same time, and they glare at each other. Some sort of pissing contest I don’t want to be a part of is going on between them.
I glance over at the pool, wondering if there’s some way out of this awkward conversation when I seehim.
Forrest’s large form is sitting in the pool next to a beautiful man with dark blonde hair. He looks somewhat familiar, but I can’t place my finger on it.
“It was lovely meeting you both, but there’s actually someone I need to talk to,” I say to the men.
They bicker back and forth, but I ignore them as I approach Forrest and his companion. They seem to be having a whispered conversation when they both look up at me. I grin down at them and wave my hand.
I want to smack myself on the head. I’ve never been this way around a guy. Okay, that’s not true. Maybe I’ve been awkward around Elliot before, but that doesn’t count.
“If it isn’t my hero,” I say.
They’re both still staring at me and I can feel Henry and Pace’s stares against my back. It’s also incredibly odd to be staring down at them, so I decide to sit on the edge of the pool and put my feet in.
“Are you going to introduce me?” I ask Forrest when he says nothing about my hero comment.
God, did I read him all wrong? Was he just being helpful with no actual interest in me?
“I’m Wells,” the handsome Beta says, holding out his hand.
I shake it, knowing that he won’t have a scent I need to wash off later. I squint at him for a second and it clicks.
“Wells Torrin?” I ask.
He blinks at me a few times. “Yeah…have we met before? I think I’d recall meeting you.”
I blush, I freaking blush, and I hope that it just looks like it’s hot outside.
“No, we haven’t met. My brother watches the Olympics religiously, especially the winter games. Watching you win gold at the last games was huge. We were all rooting for you.”