Page 28 of The Omega Verse
I’d roll my eyes if I wasn’t trying to control my breathing. But Tom is as efficient as ever, swiping the swab up both my thighs and then gently inserting it between my folds. I focus on not clenching – which isn’t exactly easy with my body lit up like a lava lamp - but there’s just a quick, tickling sensation and he’s done. He puts the swab into a larger testing bottle and, again, it turns a bright shade of crimson.
“Am I okay?” A perverse part of me is thrilled to see the matching spots of colour in Tom’s cheeks. He’s got a poker face worthy of an armoured tank, but I’m pretty sure he’s as affected by all this touching as I am.
“You’re fine. You’re good.” He strips off the gloves and rubs his chin as he puts his equipment away. “You pass with flying colours.”
“Great. Then we can snuggle now?” It’s as close as I can get to inviting him into bed without ripping his shirt off.
But Tom is frowning down at his medical kit and the fluttering in my stomach takes on a sour edge. “I should keep this professional, Cass. A heat is a health event…”
“You just said my health is fine,” I argue, my fingers finding their way into the hem of his shirt. “Flying colours, remember?”
“But this next stage will be intense. You need someone to monitor you…”
“I can do it,” Kobi says, and I’d kiss him if I could tear my gaze off Tom. But I’m scared that if I look away, he’ll pull back. Revert to his professional self and leave me aching for more. “I’ve been through heats before, so I know what to watch for,” Kobi adds in his deep twang. It’s kind of amusing he’s using that rumbly goodness to help me get into Tom’s pants, but I keep that observation to myself.
It's hard to tell what Tom’s thinking as he sets his kit to the side, his hands on his hips. There’s not a lot of room to manoeuvre and he takes up a fair bit of what’s available, but my breath hitches at the sight of him looming over me. “We’re nearly at my place,” he says slowly. “I get you in my bed, Cass, this won’t just be about your heat. I’m going to make you mine, so you’ll need to think it through.”
Mine. Why does that word send such a thrill through me?
“You mean friends with benefits?” I ask cautiously. “Or your girlfriend?”
“I mean everything. I can find other ways to get you through your heat, because I’ll never leave you without the help you need, but if it’s me, I’m all in. I can’t go back to the way we were before.”
Oh, God. How can he look so worried when everything he says is exactly what I want to hear? “I want you too, Tom. I always have.”
I feel a bit shaky admitting it aloud, and he must hear the tremble in my voice because he brushes a hand over my cheek. But there’s still a dent between his brows and I can’t help but think about one of my foster mums. She used to say that some people give off vibes that make them unlovable, and even though I knew she was just a bitter bitch, I was always left with the nagging feeling that she was right. That I was a decent friend, a good workmate, but never really made for anything more.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Tom murmurs, his thumb sweeping across my lips. “I’m just checking, because this is a big shift for us. I thought we had something when we first met, but then you asked me to be your health care professional. I figured that’s all you needed from me.”
I close my eyes for a moment. My fucking issues, back to bite me on the butt again.
But Tom is leaning over me, his hand on my chin. He squeezes just enough to make me open my eyes. “We’ll work something else out for your future medical checks, Cass. If you want me, I’m yours.”
My heart does a swoopy thing that feels almost like panic. Only, this time it’s the good kind of nerves and I smile up at him. “Yeah. I want you. A lot.”
Not exactly a declaration of my deepest feelings, but it’s practically a hand-stitched pillow coming from me. And Tom rewards me with a stunning smile, his eyes sparkling with male satisfaction. “Good. Then I’m going to take care of you, baby girl.”
The pet name sends a bolt of pure need through me. I’ve always rolled my eyes at the lovey-dovey stuff people spout, but it’s like a little door has been unlocked in my head. Instead of a label, it feels like a caress.
But before we can go any further, the intercom crackles to life again, and the driver announces our approach into Sandy Bay. I twitch, imagining the locals flocking to see the rockstars on their tour bus - and their shock at finding me in the midst. Tom must sense it because he looks at the other guys. “I’ll go tell him to take the bypass and miss the main street. We’ll be at my place in ten if you want to get things ready.”
They start getting dressed while I rescue my borrowed hoodie and pull it on. River appears in the doorway, freshly showered and back in his oversized jumper, and I run an envious hand over my fucked-out hair. “I think I’m going to wash up, too.” I grab my old clothes and start bundling up the blankets and sheets off the bed. When Silva tries to help, I shoot him a stern look. “My mess, I’ll deal with it.”
He gives me a cocky smile. “Pretty sure some of that alpha juice is mine.”
I just roll my eyes, but when I take a step towards the door, my legs buckle and River grabs my arm. He hands my bundle off to Silva and steers me towards the bathroom.
“You got her, River?” Kobi asks from behind us.
“All good,” he replies. “Just make sure you’re ready to tend her again when we get there.”
Ready to tend me? My stomach clenches at the visual, and the guys indulge in some alpha rumbling that I wouldn’t mind hearing. But River shuts the door behind us and grabs a hand towel from the rack. “Shower or sponge bath, sweetheart?”
I’m embarrassed to admit that I don’t think I can stay upright, even in the tiny cubicle. Instead, I sag onto the toilet and look up at him helplessly. I’m a crusty mess, but I can’t even get in the damn shower to do something about it. “I’m not good at this stuff,” I sniff, my happy feelings taking a sharp dive. “I hate feeling like a burden. And I really don’t like owing people.”
“I get it,” River says quietly, running the hand towel under the tap and squeezing it out. Instead of passing it to me, he tilts my chin up with a gentle finger and starts wiping my face. His careful touch is like a soothing balm on my frayed nerves. “I don’t know how it is for other omegas, but I find it hard to open up, and heats always leave me feeling exposed. Sounds silly, since I make my living in front of thousands of people, but I’m in control on the stage. I only show them what I want them to see.”
“Mm.” It’s almost a purr as I relax into his gentle handling. “I’m the same. I don’t like leaving things for chance to fuck up.”