Playing You (Omega's Luck #3) - Claire Cullen Page 0,20

handle them.”

“Brendan—”

“A quiet word with Caroline about the seating arrangements should do the trick. Christian’s reputation is well known. I just hadn’t anticipated him turning his attention to you. I should have, of course. Very short-sighted of me.”

“But wouldn’t it be better if we let it play out like that? I’d be a good distraction for him. He’d be watching what I’m doing, not you.”

Brendan’s expression shifted, something dark in his eyes. “I didn’t bring you here as a sacrificial lamb. As your alpha fiancé, I’d argue it would look more suspicious if I did nothing. With any luck, Christian will see it as a combination of my interference and you playing hard to get. It won’t affect our plans.”

“But…”

Brendan moved suddenly, drawing Riley in. He bent his head, his mouth so close to Riley’s neck that he could feel the alpha’s breath brushing across his skin. At that moment, a couple came around by the hedges near them. From their angle, it would look like he and Brendan were…

“Oh,” the woman said, giggling. “We’re interrupting.”

Brendan lifted his head, his hands on Riley’s shoulders. “Sorry, couldn’t keep my hands off him. Dinner felt like it lasted hours.”

Riley ducked to press his forehead against the alpha’s cool shirt.

“If I had a gorgeous omega at my beck and call, I wouldn’t be able to keep my hands to myself either,” the woman’s companion said.

“We won’t keep you talking when there are much more fun things to be doing,” she added, and they moved on.

Once they were out of sight, Riley lifted his head and met Brendan’s eyes, aware that he was blushing furiously.

“That went well.” He was pleased with how level his voice sounded despite the fact that he felt completely off-balance. Maybe it was how close he was to Brendan, literally in the alpha’s arms, or the relief of it being him and not that Christian creep touching him.

“I think so. Now, let’s walk for another while, then we’ll head back in for that nightcap. Think you’re up for that?”

“I can handle it.”

With Brendan by his side, he was sure he could handle anything.

Chapter Eleven

Brendan had a quiet word with Caroline once they were back inside. She understood the predicament without him having to go into detail and promised it would be handled. That kept Riley safe during meals, but he had to trust that the omega would excuse himself from other uncomfortable situations. He knew that he’d been clear about the actions Riley should take to safeguard himself, but he wasn’t sure the omega had taken it on board until he turned to see him being cornered near the bookshelves by Christian himself. Riley’s posture screamed discomfort, but that was only because Brendan knew the omega well enough to spot it. Riley did a good job of appearing unaffected, but he was also being careful not to react visibly to whatever Christian was saying. The alpha took a step forward, hand outstretched, and Riley neatly sidestepped him and made a smooth escape, walking straight to Brendan.

“There you are. You promised me a dance.”

There was music playing in the next room, and a few couples were on the floor, swaying slowly.

“So I did,” Brendan agreed, tugging Riley close.

Over Riley’s shoulder, he could see Christian watching them. The alpha didn’t seem deterred by Riley’s rejection. In fact, the gleam in his eyes was all too predatory. He really did think Riley was playing hard to get.

Brendan steered Riley around and through the doorway into the ballroom, a guiding hand pressed to the omega’s lower back.

“I’m not much of a dancer,” he whispered into Riley’s ear.

“Me neither,” the omega said. “But we can sway and try not to step on each other’s toes.”

“Sounds romantic.”

They found a spot on the floor, turned to face each other, and then spent a minute finding a comfortable way to get close. It might have looked awkward to anyone watching, but thankfully everyone in the room was too wrapped up in their own partners to pay them much attention. As the daylight slowly faded, the lights came up, bathing them in a soft glow. Outside, the moon shone down on them, reminding Brendan of other times and places where he’d been close to someone for the sake of being close. He’d gotten a little too wrapped up in being Brendan the private detective, that he’d forgotten how to be Brendan the red-blooded alpha. But here and now, with Riley in his arms, he had the opposite problem. It