The hug lasts longer than any hug should with a ‘stranger’. Eventually, she sighs and pulls away as the elevator doors open.
“Thanks. I needed that. This is all just a lot of new things at once,” she says.
“Why don’t you go to your room and rest before dinner,” I suggest and she nods in agreement.
When she gets in the elevator, I lean in. “Can I be honest, though?” I ask, and she glances up at me. “You adding me to the list was a huge fucking turn on.”
Her lips part, and her back straightens, some newfound confidence rushing through her. I can’t imagine a woman like Claire ever doubting herself, but my words seem to soothe her, which strokes my ego.
“See you tonight, Wells,” she says as the elevator doors close.
I have a huge grin on my face as I head back to my room. The second the mechanism on the door whirls and I walk through, Forrest is standing before me with his hands on his hips.
“You were gone for forever. What happened? You didn’t message me back.”
“Claire asked me to help her with her nest. Oh, and as of today we’re on her heat list,” I say, plopping down on the bed, all nonchalant.
“She what? She wants us to be in her heat?”
“Well. More than she wants some stranger she scented in a pamphlet to help her during her heat,” I say with a grimace.
Forrest looks dumbfounded, his brows furrowed as he takes in my words.
“So, we have to make sure we stay at the top of her list,” he says, and I grin.
“Now you’re getting it,” I reply as a deep sense of hope overcomes me. Forrest wasn’t sure if this was for us, if this would even work. Now he’s ready to plot with me to make sure this Omega chooses us over everyone else.
Maybe this will all work out after all.
Chapter 8
Forrest
I don’t thinkI’ve been this nervous for a first date in my life.
“This is a date, right?” I ask Wells as he runs his hands through his hair one more time in the mirror.
“Yes, it’s a date,” he says confidently.
I slept in her room last night; she put us on her damn heat list, yet it feels like the stakes are unbelievably high.
“You look good, she’s into you, don’t stress so much,” he says, tugging on my dinner jacket that won’t button all the way.
All I do is grunt in agreement, because I’m not sure what else to say. How exactly would I know that she’s into me?
I didn’t know that Wells was interested in me for the longest time. He kept coming to my mountain, tagging us relentlessly on social media, giving us so much free promotion that my head of marketing was besides herself.
He booked an appointment with my assistant after we reached out to see what we could do for him for the free advertising.
The meeting went well. He was charming, happy to help promote the resort and mountain he loved. He didn’t ask for any sort of payment, and said that he already paid for a season pass. All he asked was that we go to dinner. Of course I couldn’t sayno, and I didn’t want to either. The whole time, I assumed it was a continuation of our business meeting until he kissed me at the end of the night.
I didn’t see it coming, but I didn’t push him away either. I craved intimacy, and was desperate for it.
After that night, it still wasn’t particularly clear what he wanted from me. The second night we went out to dinner, he told me he wanted me to fuck him and that we should date.
I didn’t know what I did or why he was so into me, but I was endlessly grateful.
We haven’t been apart much since that night, and I can’t imagine my life without him. Wells is the only person I’ve ever felt truly loved or seen by. Most of the time, I wonder why he chose me. No matter the why, I’m never letting him go.