Playing You (Omega's Luck #3) - Claire Cullen Page 0,24

back. “Shit. We’re too late. He’s coming.”

Riley turned around, looking hopefully at the other end of the north wing’s corridor. But there was only a balcony.

“It’s a dead end,” Brendan said.

“No, it’s a balcony.” Riley grabbed Brendan’s hand and pulled him along the corridor.

“We are not climbing or jumping off any balconies tonight,” Brendan said firmly.

“We won’t need to.”

Riley pushed open the double doors and hurriedly undid the top half of his shirt as he turned to an incredulous Brendan.

“What are you…?”

“Kiss me. Right now.”

To his credit, Brendan didn’t hesitate. He slid his arms around Riley’s waist as he backed him up against the balcony railing and kissed him soundly.

Riley was so lost in the embrace, he almost forgot what they were doing. He moved to press hot kisses to Brendan’s neck, letting his hands slide up the alpha’s back, and peeked past him into the corridor. Christian stood at his door, keycard in hand, watching them with barely concealed lust. Riley caught his eye, and the alpha licked his lips and smirked.

Hiding a shudder, Riley shut his eyes and returned to Brendan’s mouth, losing himself in a kiss that was all passion. He parted his lips, encouraging the alpha to taste him. It wasn’t just about hiding from Christian anymore; it was about reveling in Brendan’s touch.

The sound of a door slamming shut made them jump apart a minute later, panting for breath. Another peek over Brendan’s shoulder confirmed what Riley suspected—Christian was gone.

“The coast is clear,” he murmured, licking his swollen lips as he glanced up at Brendan from under his eyelashes.

The alpha looked a little shell-shocked, blinking a few times before nodding. “We should, um, get back to the ballroom.”

He held out a hand as Riley finished buttoning his shirt. Riley took it gratefully.

“I guess we should. The show must go on.”

But there were far more layers to this performance than he’d ever guessed. He was having a hard time separating them. He knew why he’d started kissing Brendan, but he wasn’t sure why he went back for more.

Chapter Thirteen

Brendan’s foray into Christian’s room had gotten him the proof he needed for his client. And Riley’s quick thinking had kept him from being discovered. But their impromptu make-out session on the balcony meant that Brendan found sleeping next to Riley later that night excruciating. He was painfully aware of the omega’s presence, of every sigh, every shuffle. Riley’s scent was thick in the room, and Brendan was helpless to do anything except breathe it in. A sweet, frustrating ecstasy. In contrast, Riley slept easily. Brendan blamed the adrenaline comedown, though he found it amusing that Riley wasn’t having the same trouble that he was when it came to their proximity. Or was he?

Riley woke around six. Brendan was already awake and reading on his phone. He didn’t miss the sidelong glance from the omega or the slight flush that appeared on his cheeks.

“Morning,” Riley said softly.

Brendan set down his phone. “Good morning. Did you sleep well?”

The omega stretched and smiled. “Pretty good, actually. I can’t believe we did it. I thought for sure that we were busted last night.”

“So did I. I hadn’t counted on your ability to think on your feet. I’m very, very glad you agreed to come along.”

Riley’s smile grew wider. “I’m happy it’s over.”

“The hardest part is done, sure. But it’s not over,” Brendan was careful to say. There was no use getting ahead of themselves. “We still need to play along for today and extricate ourselves as planned tomorrow. No use raising suspicions now by acting out of character.”

Riley huffed but agreed. “You’re right. We’ll stick to the plan. I guess we should get ready to go down for breakfast.”

After they ate, there were going to be mock interviews with the ‘detectives’ investigating the murder. Brendan was looking forward to getting the chance to relax and play along.

“They’re going to interview us together, right?”

“Right. I think we’re up third.”

“Christian?” Riley asked, the slightest wobble in his voice.

“He and Leylan are first. Don’t worry, you and I will stick close today. Anyway, after last night, I’d say he got the message.” He felt confident about that, but Riley looked less than convinced.

Breakfast was a relaxed affair, most people tired and hungover after the party. There wasn’t much on the schedule for the day except for the interviews, and then the grand reveal of the murderer after dinner. They hung around the dining room after their meal, waiting to be called into the study.