me up against a wall,” Linden whispered into my hair as I worked open the corset.
“Shut up.”
“I would let you,” he said hoarsely. “In fact, I have a small packet of lube in my breast pocket, and it’s all warmed up and ready to go. All you have to do is take me up to your bedroom, and you can fuck me right there.”
I snatched it from him so he wasn’t tempted to use it with anyone else until he got himself together.
“Come on, Avery, you know you want me. Everybody wants me.”
It was true; every man he’d ever met wanted him. “We both know you need an alpha to get off, Linny,” I reminded him. “If you’re not tied up and held down, you’re not gonna come.”
“Lies. Who told you that?”
“You did,” I disclosed, getting the last of the hooks undone and tossing the corset on the chaise closest to us.
“Oh my God,” he choked out, taking a big gulp of air as I turned him in my arms to face me and loosened his tie, then removed the studs in the shirt so it was no longer choking him to death.
“Is that better?”
“I thought I was going to pass out,” he answered, breathing in the mild early November air. “I don’t know what happened.”
I took his face in my hands. “The stupid corset happened, and yeah, it’s sexy under your clothes, but you didn’t have to wear it so tight that it cuts off the oxygen to your brain.”
He couldn’t meet my gaze.
“You know you’re beautiful; why’re you trying so fuckin’ hard?”
“I’m not getting any younger.”
“Then pick one of your many, many suitors and settle down,” I told him.
His gaze lifted to mine. “I’m a romantic at heart, you know this. I want to be swept off my feet. I want the fairy tale.”
“We both know what I’m gonna say.”
He groaned. “Make your own fairy tale.” The “How?” that followed was morose.
“We could start by talking to my dad about your contract, as I’ve suggested a million times,” I reminded him. “He buys it, you fulfill it by working for him, and you can live with me for free and––”
“Stop,” he groaned. “This far-too-familiar conversation always gives me cold sweats.”
I shrugged, and suddenly there was a man there, crowding me away from Linden.
“Pardon me, sweetheart, are you not well?”
“Aww.” Like the flip of a switch, Linden was in his element again, ready to be worshiped and fawned over by another random alpha. He glanced at me, squinting to let me know that I needed to make myself scarce. “What a knight in shining armor you are to come check on me.”
I stifled a groan, barely, and when I turned to go back inside, I was nearly trampled by two other men trying to come out onto the balcony to tend to him.
Checking on Bridget, seeing that she was drinking with three men now as Lucas looked on, watching, ever vigilant, obviously bored out of his mind, I decided I’d done my duty and could call it a night.
Walking around the edge of the room, making my way back toward the kitchen, I waved to my mother, who waved cheerfully back, and was nearing the door when a man stepped in front of me.
Since my reflexes were quick, even with four drinks in me, I didn’t walk into him, instead keeping my balance, and I looked up into the face of a handsome man I immediately realized was an alpha. I was going to bow, but he lifted his hand to stop me.
“I need a favor,” he announced.
“Sure,” I agreed, taking a step back.
“I need the name of the omega you took out to the balcony.”
He looked drugged, or drunk, but I knew he was neither. He was drowning in Linden’s pheromones, which always smelled like roasted pumpkin to me. Linden hated that description, but I’d assured him, on many occasions, that it was a warm, comforting scent.
“His name’s Linden, and he’d love to meet you.” Linny always liked lots of suitors vying for his attention. If one was good, ten was better in his book.
“Thank you,” he said, and made to clap me on the shoulder, but his hand was caught by Miss Holt’s boss, Graeme Davenport, earl of something-and-something. I couldn’t remember.
“Sir?” The stranger paused, confused, and dropped his hand.
“Leave. Go do whatever it is you’re going to do, but do not touch him.”
“Certainly,” the man agreed, shooting me a look like Graeme was nuts and then