Page 9 of Mate Match: Curtis & Jae
“Do they have a lot of influence in your life?” I wanted to understand the dynamic since it was different from mine.
“They try. Mom pushed me towards a couple of matches they made for me. My ex—”
“Hwan? The one who cheated?”
“Yeah, him. I feel bad you know that already.” Jae grimaced. “Isn’t it breaking dating etiquette to talk about an ex on the first date?”
“Well, you told me about him before our date, explaining why you were wary and why you were on the app, so if I wasn’t put off then… I wouldn’t worry. You can tell me anything. I like learning stuff about you,” I told him honestly, meaning every word.
Two flags of red graced his cheeks as he blushed once more. He was so damn attractive. I was punching above my weight with him, but if he was happy to be with me, I wasn’t going to question it, just enjoy it while it lasted.
Our food arrived, interrupting the conversation. We thanked the server before trying our meals.
“This is good!” Jae ate a piece of chicken covered in the dressing, his hand covering his mouth as he spoke. “Sorry, hungry.”
He ate like he was starving until he was finished. Seeing I’d barely started, he gave a nervous laugh. It was actually pretty cute how quickly he’d eaten. Instead of making a comment, because I would have been so embarrassed if someone did it to me, I cut some of my burger off and put it on his plate. Then I followed it with half of my fries.
“But—”
“No.” I fixed him with a firm look. “I can share. If I’m still hungry after, we can order dessert.” He tentatively ate a fry, making me smile. The alpha in me loved feeding this omega, seeing to his needs.
Jae smiled. “I’m really glad I accepted the date. You…” he paused, looking for words. “Curtis, you’re really great.”
“But?” I’d been waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“There’s no ‘but’ waiting here. I like you.” His eyes met mine. Determination filled his expression. “Really, I do. And I think we should have another date after this one.”
My heart felt like it was beating double time. I was so damn happy I could burst from it. “I’d like that.” It was a struggle to keep it simple, not to pour out all my feelings.
Happy with my words, he nodded, then tucked into the burger and fries with some seriously sexy moans of pleasure. I wanted to adjust myself just from the sounds coming out of his pretty mouth. Seeing him so pleased with something small, like sharing food, made my day.
My friends always said I was a caretaker at heart. This was what I wanted in a relationship with an omega. Seeing a need in them and fixing it without being asked. Jae seemed to be the type to allow me to do that as long as I wasn’t overbearing. I was pretty sure he’d tell me if I crossed a line. He struck me as having and keeping firm boundaries. As long as he talked to me, I could cope with that.
“Um,” Jae suddenly looked concerned. His face paled again, and there was a new layer of sweat on his brow. “I think I know what’s wrong with me. Oh, fuck.”
I tensed, instantly on alert. Without thinking, I was half out of my seat. “What? Is there anything I can do?”
“Oh, damn!” He looked panicked. “This was… I had weeks. The plan… Oh, shit.” He looked to the floor, working something out.
“Jae? Are you alright?” I slipped out of my seat to crouch next to his feet and meet his eyes. That close, the neutralizers couldn’t cover it. The reason why he’d been so off.
My omega date was in heat.
“Um, Curtis…?”
“You’re in heat,” I said in an undertone. We needed to avoid too many people figuring it out. It could be dangerous for him in such a vulnerable state.
“I am. It wasn’t supposed to be for a while.” He gripped my hands tightly. “Maybe it’s your pheromones… When we touched, I scented you and, wow, you smell great,” he whispered. He leaned forward to take in more of my pheromones.
“You’re getting distracted.” I looked around. So far, no one was paying much attention to us. Maybe they thought we were having a sweet moment. I had to figure this out to keep him safe. “Do you have a plan? For handling your heat, I mean.” We continued to speak in low voices, though I was sure half the place was now staring at us because I was still kneeling at an omega’s feet, having quiet conversation.
“Uh, um… you were the plan,” he said, sheepishly. “I was hoping that by the time my heat came, you’d feel comfortable enough to take me through it. With contraception, obviously.” He winced.
“Obviously,” I muttered dryly. I was honored he thought I could be that for him. It made me feel like he was also thinking long term.
“This is so out of the blue.” He hesitated. “Really, I shouldn’t ask you, but… I can’t do it alone again.” Another pause. “Would you…Do you still want to? Take me through my heat?” Jae met my eyes. “I think… I know I’d like you to, if you’d be willing.”
Fuck! He was going to melt me into a puddle with how earnest and sweet he was. His pheromones were doing a number on me, too. The sheer amount of trust he was placing in me was a heady thing.
