Page 15 of Scheme
“So… this is nice,” I said, giving him a pointed look as I unloaded the cold items and put them away. “I love spending time with you. Nothing odd about it at all.”
Kit gave me a wry look, though it quickly turned nervous. “I’m back in London for an awards thing in a few weeks’ time. I’m nominated for something. A photography thing.”
“You’re nominated for a photography award?” I asked, translating his nervous mumbles. Kit nodded, twisting his cup between his hands. I left the rest of the groceries for later, coming to sit opposite him.
“I don’t come home often, so when I do, there are always a lot of invitations to things. People who want to catch up with me.” There was another long pause, and I sipped my coffee, giving Kit a moment to gather his thoughts. He was sort of fascinating to watch. Alphas were usually all blustering confidence—talk first, engage brain later. Kit was the total opposite. “My career isn’t compatible with having an omega mate. I’m fine with that. Other people in my life aren’t fine with that.”
I nodded. “I don’t know where you’re going with this, but sure. That’s something I can relate to.”
“Violet said as much.” Kit glanced up at me before returning his attention to his apparently fascinating coffee cup. “Those roses outside your house last night…”
I paused, mid-sip. “What about them?”
“They were from an alpha. And you didn’t seem too happy about them.”
“Not particularly.Whereare you going with this?” Generally, I was pretty good at reading social situations, but this one had me totally stumped.
“I think we could help each other out,” Kit said eventually.
“Oh.” I watched him for a long moment, feeling myself frown. “How?”
Kit blushed, and it was offensively endearing.
“Maybe you could be my plus one to a few events while I’m in town. Some social stuff. The awards night. If my friends and family think I’m pursuing an omega, they won’t harangue me about settling down and choosing a mate, and I could actually enjoy going out again. Like last night.”
“Last night was enjoyable for you?” I asked doubtfully. Then again, maybe some people enjoyed impromptu breakdowns from strangers.
“After you pulled me away from that group, yeah. Your sad company was preferable to all of… that.”
“Stop it, you. I can’t take all this flattery.”
He winced slightly, perhaps realising his words had been a tad indelicate. “I didn’t mean it like… I just mean that I’m always surrounded. And Nico and Violet didn’t set me up—they never do—but I know there’ll be single omegas with expectations in their heads about me if I visit any other friends or family here, no matter how many times I tell them I’mnotinterested.”
Kit looked as surprised by the sudden vehemence of his words as I felt.
I sighed, leaning back in my chair. “I can’t relate to the attendant problems of being super popular. I do understand what it’s like to have people in your life not accept your answer as final.”
Kit suddenly had a look in his eye that reminded me of a hound who’d just latched onto a scent. “Exactly. That’s why we should help each other. You said that alpha who left flowers was a friend of your parents’. I could warn him off, alpha to alpha.”
A metaphorical pissing contest for possession of me, the hapless omega.
That was basically what he meant, and it annoyed me that a small very omega-y part of me thought that was kind of awesome.
And while scaring off Jimmy would be convenient, I had a far better use for a temporary alpha.
Whatever Kit saw on my face, he must have thought he had me right where he wanted me.
“I’ll show up here each day and rub myself over your front door like an oversized cat,” he pressed, his mouth flicking up oh-so-slightly at the corners while I snorted at the visual. “And you be my omega shield at social functions for the next few weeks, ending with the awards night. We both win.”
“How many social functions are we talking? I can’t just drop everything to be your date, you know.”
That was a lie—the end of spring was always a quiet time in my social calendar because of my impending heat. I wasn’t about to announce that to a near-stranger, though. Kit was Nico’s friend and undoubtedly a good guy, but pre-heat was still an omega’s prime kidnapping window and we were alone. Better to be safe than ransomed off to the highest alpha bidder.
“Just drinks at the pub with some friends, and the awards night. And a weekend away in Brighton,” he added under his breath, mumbling into the lid of his coffee cup.
I raised an eyebrow at him. “A whole weekend away acting like a couple? I’m not sure either of us are good enough actors to pull that off.”
Kit grimaced. “It’s still a few weeks away. We could hang out in the meantime. Get… used to each other.”
