Page 66 of Scheme
Kit was blushing even more than I was, which made me feel better.
“I didn’t know that.”
“Shocking,” I teased. “You? Not knowing how omega biology works?”
Instead of getting defensive like I’d expected, he sighed. “I’m embarrassingly ignorant, but I’m working on it.”
“I can’t tease you about that. There’s no shame in accepting what you don’t know and trying to change it—the opposite, in fact. A lot of people are too prideful to come to that conclusion.”
“Don’t give me too much credit, Margot,” Kit rasped. “It was wilful ignorance that got me into this spot.”
“That same stubborn determination will get you out of it,” I replied cheerfully. On reflection, stubborn determination was something the two of us had in common.
“Would you ever consider taking a mate now?” Kit asked suddenly, rushing the question out so quickly that it took me a moment to realise what he’d said.
“I guess… If they were the exact right person,” I replied carefully, though historically, the issue had beenme,not them. “I’m past the point where I feel like I should settle for whoever will have me. My life is wonderful the way it is, I’d only take a mate if they were going to add to that in a meaningful way. If they were going to make me happier than I am alone.”
Kit pulled me to a stop again, stepping in front of me and staring intently into my eyes as though he could see into my soul.
“Would you ever consider me?”
“I… what?” My brain seemed to go offline for a moment, just cutting out entirely as I attempted to process his question.
Kit hesitated for a moment, and I wondered if I had, in fact, heard him wrong. That made more sense. That was the only thing that made sense.
“I don’t want to scare you off, and I think I’m already dangerously close.” Kit shoved his hair roughly off his face, the wind sweeping it right back in front of his glasses again. “I like you, Margot. A lot.” He gave me an assessing look, seemingly deciding whether or not I was going to bolt or not. “The things I feel for you… I didn’t know I could feel, and saying the words aloud to Coleman has only made me more certain of them. And I know you haven’t wanted to take a mate in the past, but I need to know. Would you ever consider me?”
“Consider you… as a mate?”
“Yes.”
“Is this a hypothetical question?”
Kit’s lips twitched. “No.”
My heart was thudding so loud it drowned out the sounds of the crashing waves a few feet away.
“Kit…”
“That doesn’t sound promising,” he said wryly, though he still had that soft, resigned smile on his face.
“Iknewthis would happen if we slept together,” I muttered, taking a deep breath to stave off the impending panic. “It’s my stupid scent. It’s messing with your head.”
“I disagree.”
“Itis,” I insisted. I knew that was all it was, I’d done this dance before. Maybe the steps were a little rusty in my mind, but Idefinitelyremember how it ended. Or at least how it ended forme. Other omegas got to swan off into the sunset with the alpha of their dreams, wearing their mating mark with pride, but that wasn’t in the cards for me.
No. Kit was enamoured with me because I smelled good, and that was all there was to it. My natural scent was particularly appealing on its own, and combined with the added sweetness of pre-heat, he didn’t stand a chance.
“My slick has confounded you,” I muttered to myself. “You’re imagining emotions that aren’t there. Oh my god, Ididtrick you—”
“You absolutely did not,” Kit cut in, all traces of amusement gone. “I should have brought this up before we slept together because I was definitely thinking it. Except you were still pretty mad at me then, and I wasn’t sure you’d be receptive to the idea.”
“Kit…” I was panicking, I knew I was. I wasn’t usually lost for words, but I had no idea what to say except to deny it because he didn’t mean what he was saying. This was a side-effect of my scent and nothing more.
Kit cupped my jaw gently, his touch centring me, making oxygen suddenly easier to come by. “It was too soon for this conversation, I see that now. I won’t push you, but I am going to prove to you that I’m serious about this.”
I brushed my fingers down the back of his hand, inhaling as much of his whiskey and coffee scent as I could, with the salty ocean smell overpowering everything.
