Page 22 of His Omega Bear

“No need to thank me, Jaxson,” I breathed, the words barely a whisper as our eyes locked.

Jaxson lifted his hand to cover mine. He trembled just enough for me to notice, his gaze searching mine as if seeking permission. Without a word, I closed the distance between us, my heart pounding in my chest so loudly I was sure he could hear it. His breath mingled with mine and I gently brought my forehead to his. Our warm and steady, as we sat there in a suspended moment of anticipation.

And then, as if a dam had broken inside him, Jaxson brought his other hand to my face. Tilting my head to the side, he leaned in, his lips brushing against mine in a tentative yet achingly tender kiss. It was soft and hesitant at first, and I responded in kind, my other hand reaching up to cradle his jaw as our kiss deepened. A silent promise passed between us. In that moment, that connection took over. And we let go of our inhibitions.

As we broke apart, our eyes met. Jaxson’s hand found mine, fingers intertwining.

“Rhys,” Jaxson whispered, his voice filled with a raw vulnerability that tugged at my heart. “I… I didn’t expect this, but I can’t deny what I feel when I’m with you.”

“Me too,” I replied. “But I think we should take it slow, whatever this is.”

He nodded, “You’re right. We should get to know each other better.”

I smiled. “Yeah.” I wanted everything his eyes promised, but I also knew we couldn’t move forward until I told him the truth. Until he knew who I was… who Emilia could be.

Please let him take it well, I silently begged the gods. It had worked out for my brothers, so the odds were in my favor, right?

Or against you.

“I should go,” I said, even though the thought of leaving Jaxson felt like a physical ache in my chest. I pulled away and got to my feet, torn between the desire to stay and the need to reveal the secret that could end this before it even started.

Jaxson’s brows furrowed in confusion at my sudden decision to leave.

“I’ll call you,” I said before practically bolting out of there. “Get some sleep. You’re going to need it.”

A lascivious grin took over his face. “You too. See you tomorrow.”

Boy, would he ever.

Chapter 7

Jaxson

Icouldn’t stop thinking about why Rhys had bolted out of here as if he were being chased by a demon. I was certain that I hadn’t misinterpreted his behavior. I knew for a fact that I hadn’t.

There was an undeniable pull between Rhys and me. Whether it was due to him liking me or simply being drawn to me, I couldn’t say for sure. But one thing was certain: I was definitely drawn to him as well.

Besides, if anyone should run, it was me. The man had been lurking outside my window like a crazy stalker. I snorted and shook my head. Honestly, it should have me running for the hills, but even as I replayed the surreal events of the previous night, a small smile tugged at the corners of my lips. There was something about Rhys’ unexpected antics that I found oddly endearing.

I was good at reading people. There was no malicious intent there. My perception had saved both my life and my team more than once.

Then there was Emilia. I wasn’t sure what he’d done to her, but she’d slept almost through the night. She was fussy earlier but after a lot of begging, giving her a bottle, changing her diaper twice, and now she was reclined and napping in her swing. And I could focus on my work for a while.

Scrolling through my email, I scanned for any concerns from my current client list, and any inquiries for my services. As a freelance cyber security specialist, most of my time was spent conducting regular security assessments and analyzing where my clients' firewalls and security systems could be vulnerable to attack. Working for myself had allowed me to take the time I needed to cope with the loss of both my sister and brother-in-law, and to learn how to be a full-time dad to an infant. It was exhausting all the way around. And doing it completely alone was even worse.

And that brought my thoughts back to the baby whisperer. And how he’d soothed her so easily. And then there was the kiss that made me hard every time I thought about it.

Even though Rhys ran out on me, I was looking forward to seeing him again. I needed answers. As I worked, my mind whirled with questions. I’d seen something in his eyes. But here was something holding him back. The way he touched me and pushed me onto the sofa had been hot. I was convinced if Emilia hadn’t cock-blocked me, things might have gotten very handsy between us. Just thinking about it had me chubbing up.

I looked over at my phone sitting on my desk. He wanted to be here, so there was no reason not to reach out. So I picked it up, clicked on my message icon, and inhaled deeply before finally sending the text I’d typed out earlier. Why was I nervous about this?

I rolled my eyes, realizing I was being ridiculous. And I didn’t do ridiculous.

“Way to go, Jax,” I mumbled to myself. “ Way to put yourself out there.” I went back to staring blindly at the phishing reports I had to go through, but unfortunately, they couldn’t seem to hold my attention.

I glanced over at my sleeping baby in her swing. Why hadn’t I thought to put her in that thing earlier? She obviously loved it. Rhys had known exactly how what to do to make her happy. Maybe I was making her nervous with my unease. The only time I felt settled was when he was here with us. And if I wanted more of that, I needed to make it happen.

Grabbing my phone, I considered reaching out to Rhys once more. I had already considered that maybe this feeling was simply because I was feeling lonely, but I dismissed that thought. I knew myself well enough to know I was perfectly content with my own company. Besides, I still spoke to Shepherd every day. Some of the other guys, too.