Page 58 of Shattered Trinket

I take a deep breath, blinking away my tears, his admission making me feel slightly better. Once again feeling uncharacteristically brave with the endorphins flooding my system, I lean forward until our noses are touching, my hands still held together by his between us. My breath puffs out of me against his lips and his eyes widen as I stare into them.

“You’re right. I am safe with you, Micah. And that’s exactly why Idowant you. With or without a heat. I could never regret you being with me for this because I’ve been harboring feelings for you for months now,” I murmur before pressing my lips against his, closing my eyes in bliss when he kisses me back instead of pulling away.

Twenty-One

Micah

When the door to my office burst open, the overwhelming scent of Cozette’s perfume hitting me like a wave, I was completely taken aback. Her territorial growl when she caught sight of my patient was even more surprising, and with every step she took towards me, my head became increasingly dizzy, making it a struggle to stay composed as her thick, sugary sweet and tangy scent filled my office.

I’ve tried so hard to remain professional every time Cozy and I are together for her sessions. To subdue the nearlyoverwhelming feelings that surge through me whenever she’s around me. To stop the thoughts of her that constantly occupy my mind when I go to bed, no matter how hard I try to think of anything else. Despite the ache in my heart, I’ve pushed my emotions aside for months since meeting her, focusing on maintaining a strictly professional relationship with her because that’s what she needed. What she stillneeds.

She needs someone to listen and help her navigate life after being held hostage. Someone to help her work through the memories in a safe environment to combat the panic and anxiety she now has after everything. And I was fine with being that someone for her and nothing else.

I wasfinewith pretending that my heart doesn’t skip a beat every single time she looks at me.Finewith pretending that her news of scent matches didn’t devastate me, knowing she would eventually be with those alphas if she decided to give them a chance.Finewith pretending that I didn’t hate the knowledge that those alphas would get to take care of her, tend to her every need, but I never would. I wasfinewith just being her therapist, her friend.

Until she curled into my lap when I caught her.

Until she straddled my leg and pressed kisses along my neck.

Until she fuckingmoanedin my ear.

Until she told me that she wants me just before pressing her lips against mine.

The moment I kiss her back, a groan slips out of me, unable to be contained. The touch of her lips against mine is pure bliss, and when she delicately brushes her tongue along my bottom lip, all rational thought nearly flees me. Her scent is thick around us, threatening to send me into a rut right here in the emergency room.

Ignoring the whine of frustration that escapes her, I pull back, feeling a clenching in my gut as every instinct inside medemands that I fix what’s wrong with the omega in my lap. That I take care of her, make her feel good until she feels nothing but pleasure and no pain.

I let go of her hands and reach up to cup her cheeks, needing to look into her eyes and make sure she understands what I’m about to say.

“Cozy, if we cross this line, I can’t be your therapist anymore. Do you understand?”

My heart hammers in my chest as I wait on her to respond, to let me know she hears me and understands what I’m saying. I swallow around the lump in my throat when I realize how badly I need to hear her say again how she wants me because this doesn’t feel real.

There’s something about Cozy that my alpha instincts recognize, even though it doesn’t make sense. Despite not being scent matched, there is no doubt in my mind that she is the only omega for me.

Maybe Mother Nature really does know what she’s doing.

I’ve been around plenty of unbonded omegas in the last several years, attended heats for the Omega Center when called, hoping that maybe one of them would be my perfect match. But never once have I struggled with my composure the way I do when I’m around Cozette. Never once has any of them called to the alpha part of me the way she does.

“I’m okay with that as long as I’ve got you,” she says, her breath catching the longer my eyes hold hers.

As I open my mouth to reply, the sound of a knock on the door breaks the silence, causing us both to pause. I gently guide her onto the bed, ignoring her protests, despite every fiber of my being, urging me not to let go of her. I rise from my seat when the door opens, and Dr. Reeves and Valley make their way back inside. When Dr. Reeves steps up to us, I notice Cozy’s eyes narrowing as she closely watches the woman’s every move.I cough to mask the laughter threatening to burst out of me, because hell if she’s not the cutest fucking thing when she’s jealous.

“Cozette, I’m Dr. Reeves. How are you feeling?”

Cozy’s nose scrunches as she shakes her head like she’s trying to clear it, and I’m silently thanking the gods that her perfume isn’t suffocating us all at the moment in such a small room. It was already a feat to get my cock to go down when Valley burst into my office.

“Everything hurts, and it’s too noisy here. I want to go home,” she mumbles, fidgeting with the sheet on the bed.

“Yes, I’d imagine so. I’m not sure if either Valley or Dr. Tate told you, but you’re in heat. However, due to your history and the way this is coming on, I’d say this is just the beginning for you, I’m afraid. Your body seems to be making up for lost time. The only thing I can’t figure out is what triggered it. Can you tell me if you’ve been around a lot of unfamiliar alphas recently?”

Cozy sucks in a breath and looks at the doctor with wide eyes.

“I’ve, um… I found scent matches and have been spending a little time with each of them to get to know them,” she says softly, nibbling on her lip as she glances over at me.

I give her a reassuring smile so she doesn’t think she’s done anything wrong. Because she hasn’t. It’s perfectly natural for her to explore the connection between her and these new alphas of hers.

Dr. Reeves smiles gently at Cozy and pats her shoulder affectionately.