Page 44 of Alpha Ruined

She’s not going to take the bait, though.

“So, what kind of law work do you do?” She sits up straighter, determined to not let him see how much he affects her.

She’s sure her scent is blooming in the air, though. She can’t fight the Omega pheromones, unfortunately, but she can at least pretend they’re not as strong as they are.

He grins, and it makes her breath catch. The sight is disarming, and it makes her forget for a second how strange their encounters have been.

Cole is breathtaking.

“It’s obvious you’re changing the subject, Breana,” he says, interrupting her train of thought.

“Bree.”

“Hmm?”

“My friends call me Bree,” she explains. “Breana is only when I’m in trouble,” she jokes. He raises a sculpted eyebrow. “With my parents, I mean,” she adds quickly. “I prefer Bree.”

She didn’t stop herself in time. She should have just said her mother. Mentioning both parents opens up a conversation she doesn’t want to have, and she knows Cole will want to inquire more about her personal life.

But the waiter arrives with their food, placing her plate in front of her.

It’s a completely vegetarian dish, to her surprise and delight--gnocchi with a creamy lemon sauce.

It shouldn’t be a big deal; it’s just pasta. But as she takes a bite, the flavors burst in her mouth, and she closes her eyes in delight.

When she opens them, she sees Cole watching her.

“This is insane,” she says, a smile crossing her lips, and the Alpha mimics it. “I had a recipejust like thissaved in my phone.”

“What are the chances?” he murmurs.

She takes another bite, her anxiety from earlier all but forgotten.

“How did you know I was a vegetarian?” she asks him. He still hasn’t touched his own dish; he’s too busy watching her enjoy her meal. “More deductive reasoning?”

“Something like that,” he admits.

“Okay, well, you have to at least stop staring at me,” she says.

“I’mobserving,as you said earlier.”

“Alright, well, observe what you want to eat.”

“I am.”

The smirk on his lips is positively sinful.

She bites her lip to keep from laughing and shakes her head. “You’re impossible.”

“And you’re beautiful,” he replies. “And just as impossible.”

She can almost taste his scent on her tongue, his Alpha essence calling to her. He’s mouthwatering, breathtaking, and just as disturbing as he is enticing.

“Thank you,” she breathes.

Maybe tonight won’t be as bad as she thought it would be.

CHAPTER 15