Omega’s Pretend Mate by Lacey Daize

Chapter 7 - Gabe

Istared at myself in the mirror and frowned. I needed to call the whole thing off.

It all felt wrong. I was getting ready for a date that meant nothing, with a man I’d wanted to get closer to for years. I wanted to be with him for real, not because he was helping me with a selfish desire to keep my home.

Would I be worthy of an alpha like him after this? Even if I put a stop to everything now, I would forever have the tarnish of having lied for material gain. Not to him, but to my family, and to everybody else.

How could I ask Christian, or anybody else, to respect me after that?

I hated it all: that I’d so selfishly asked him to be part of my scheme, and that I’d been put in that position in the first place.

I wondered if I should call grandfather after all, and tell him what I’d heard.

Evelyn and Ivy would deny it, and grandfather trusted his family, even if he was old fashioned. He’d think it was nothing but a misunderstanding, and it would put the others on notice that I was onto their scheme. At least now I knew their plan, but I might not be prepared for their next attempt if they thought that this avenue was closed.

I shook my head. I wouldn’t run to a sick man for help. He needed to focus on getting better, not family bullshit. Besides, how could I ever prove that I was capable of fending for myself if I begged him to intervene now?

How was marrying Christian fending for myself?

I sighed and straightened my tie. There were no good options. But this route was the one most likely to keep me in my home.

My phone chimed with a notification, and I saw Christian standing outside my door, waving into my doorbell camera.

I took a deep breath.

I can do this. We both know what we’re doing. There’s still plenty of time to back out.

I snagged my phone, then headed out of the bedroom. I just needed to keep my eye on the goal.

Christian beamed at me when I opened the door, looking absolutely amazing in a blazer over jeans and a button-up shirt with an open collar.

I swallowed, willing my cock to behave. I’d seen him in suits for years, and I’d seen him in his pajamas that day at his house. But this was a level of casual I hadn’t realized he could pull off, and damn if I didn’t want more.

Then he produced a bouquet of roses from behind his back, and I wanted to melt against him.

“Are these for me?” I asked, accepting the vibrant blooms.

He chuckled, a sound that sent shivers down my spine. “I don’t see any other devastatingly handsome omegas around, do you?”

It’s all for show.

“Thank you,” I said, a vibrant blush heating my face.

Christian leaned in and brushed a kiss over my cheek. “Let’s get them in some water, ok? Then we’ll head out.”

I nodded, “Ok.”

He followed me to the kitchen, where I dug a vase out of the back of a cabinet. I added some water, then settled the roses into it before setting it on the kitchen island.

“You don’t have a cat who’ll knock it over, do you?” he asked.

I smiled and shook my head. “No. I keep thinking I’ll get a dog one day, but my hours are still long enough that I worry I don’t have the time for one.”

“It’ll settle down for you probably in the next year or so. You’re about to make senior associate, aren’t you?”

I nodded.

“You’ll still have long hours, but I think you’ll be able to fit a dog in.”

I smiled. If nothing else it gave me something to look forward to when I needed to ease the pain of no longer having Christian in my life.

He stepped close, and I felt his warmth. For a second I thought that he was going to kiss me, but instead he reached up and loosened my tie.

The silk whispered as he dragged it from my collar, then he opened my top two buttons before stepping back.

“Much better,” he declared.

“I… what?” I asked, unable to form a coherent thought.

He smiled. “I figured Mitchell’s was a good place. Lots of people will be around to see us. But the tie was a bit much.”

I licked my lips. “Ok.”

Get it together Gabe. You’re going to have to live together soon. You can’t get flustered this easily.

“You ok?”

I nodded. “Y-yeah.”

Christian took a step back, and I managed to recover.

“Shall we?” he asked.

“I’m ready if you are,” I replied.

He settled his hand at the small of my back, and once again everything in me threatened to grind to a halt at the contact.

“Gabe?”

I glanced up at him. “Hmm?”

He turned to face me. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

I swallowed. “Yes. I’m just…” I took a deep breath. “I wasn’t expecting flowers.”

He smiled and brushed his thumb over my cheek. “You deserve them though, and I hope that if you decide to mate after all this, that your future alpha sees that.”

I wish you could be my alpha.

“Thank you.”

He leaned in and brushed his lips against my cheek. “Never settle for anything but the best from your alpha.”

I smiled. “Ok.”

∞∞∞

Christian was teasing the back of my hand with one finger where the rest were twined together on top of the table.

The contact was slowly driving me crazy with need, but I didn’t dare ask him to stop. I had one year with him, and I was going to memorize every touch and every kiss. Even if I did find a mate after this, it wouldn’t be the same.

It was our third fake-date, and I’d fallen hard and fast. The more I learned about Christian, the more I wished that we were dating for real, and that the marriage would be forever. I wanted his mark on my neck, and his baby in my belly.

During our dates he’d told me about his family, and all the nieces and nephews. How loving his parents were, and how much they would love me. He’d detailed the small gift store they owned in the small mountain town where he grew up, and how we’d just have to visit.

And I knew I would never get any of it. It was all for show. The small-talk, and the promises. The touches, kisses, and soft smiles were all to convince onlookers that we were a serious couple.

He was doing me a favor, and doing a damn good job of it too. He was gentle and caring. Each touch sent shivers up my spine, and I had to constantly remind myself that none of it was real.

If I’d been on the outside looking in, I would have assumed us to be deeply in love.

The sad part was that I was actually in love, and he was an amazing actor.

“Gabe?”

What would he do if I turned my hand over and drew my fingers across his palm?

“Gabe?”

I started, jumping slightly when I realized that he was trying to talk to me. “I’m sorry, what was that?”

He smiled and leaned in. “I was asking if you’d like to come home with me tonight?”

My breath caught in my throat before I had to remind myself that, once again, it was all part of the act. It was the right time to ask for appearances, no matter how much I wanted to jump into bed with him and take his knot.

I nodded. “I’d like that.”

His smile grew. “I’m glad.”

Christian paid for dinner, and a few minutes later we were in his car, headed to his apartment.

“I’ve already prepared the guest room for you,” he said as we waited for a light to turn green. “I hope that’s ok.”

“That’s fine,” I replied, forcing back my disappointment at what I should have known was coming.

“You ok?” he asked, reaching over to take my hand.

“Yeah.”

The charm turned right back on as soon as we stepped from his car. His arm circled my back as he led me to his apartment, and the way his thumb traced over my hip made me dizzy with want. Then I was left reeling as we stepped into his apartment and he headed to the kitchen to get us drinks, as if he hadn’t just been holding me like that.

It was enough to give a guy whiplash.

Christian came back out holding two bottles of water, then frowned. “You ok?”

I nodded, and shuffled over to his couch.

He studied me for a moment, then walked over to a stereo and turned on some soft music before taking the chair opposite.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

I laced my fingers together between my knees. “I guess, I’m just…” I paused, searching for a word that worked. “Disoriented,” I finished.

He blinked. “What do you mean?”

I blew out a breath. “You’re… kind of like a light switch. In public it’s like I’m the most important thing in the world to you, and as soon as we’re in private it’s as if we were discussing a case in the office. I know it’s all for show, but it’s hard to get used to.”

Christian stood, moved to the couch and took a seat next to me. He settled his hand on my knee, the warmth grounding me.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I wasn’t… I didn’t know how much, or what kind of contact you wanted in private. I didn’t want to cross any boundaries.”

I shook my head. “I should have said something sooner.”

He moved his hand from my knee, and slid his arm across my shoulders instead before drawing me against his side.

I sighed softly at the contact.

“Gabe?”

“Hmm?”

“If you need more contact, feel free. I’ll tell you if it’s ever too much.”

I nodded against him.

“How much do you want from me?”

I took a deep breath, savoring his rich scent. How could I tell him that I wanted it all?

“Maybe not as much as in public” I finally replied. “But don’t tone it down much. I think it’ll be easier in the long run so that you’re not trying to figure out what I’m comfortable with when. I’ll let you know if you need to tone it down too.”

“Ok,” he said, leaning in and running his cheek across my hair.

We stayed like that for several minutes, him holding me as I tried to acclimate to his touch.

“Besides the level of affection,” he said. “How are you feeling about all of this?”

I wish it were real.

“What do you mean?” I asked instead.

“We’re going to have to move in together soon if we’re doing a whirlwind romance,” he explained. “That’s a pretty big step and hard to take back. We’ll also have to let Alan know that we’re dating soon. If we need to slow things down, or put a stop to this, now’s the time.”

“I don’t want to stop,” I replied.

I couldn’t stop. Not now. It was just as much about having this year with Christian as it was my house.