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His voice was rich, like thick chocolate melting on my tongue. My nipples tightened as a shiver skated through me, and the twitch of his lips let me know he didn’t miss the reaction. I clenched my fingers around my notepad as I tried to ignore the natural pull to an alpha and the instinct to submit beneath his stare.
“Then how can I help you?”
I was already imagining his response and preparing a comeback. He wouldn’t be the first man to make an innuendo about me being on the menu, or some other over-used line that no woman would possibly fall for. It was usually alphas, but even betas had made passes at me and Sharon during our time here.
His gaze returned to mine, the heat in them sending a pulse of surprise straight to my core. There were times when I almost wished I was a beta and not so ruled by biological impulses, nor able to be betrayed by my scent.
“I’m here to help you.”
It wasn’t the usual line, but it wasn’t far off. Alphas tended to have over-inflated ideas about an omega’s place in life, and how much we needed to be bound to an alpha like them. I couldn’t count the number of times one had told me I was supposed to be barefoot in the kitchen, letting him take care of me while I served as little more than a sleeve for his cock.
My brows rose as I looked him over again. His carefully styled hair, golden skin, the perfect amount of scruff on his face, and the tailored designer suit. The man reeked of the kind of money that could get him a last-minute table at the busiest five-star restaurant in the city, and was totally out of place in Frankie’s run-down old diner I’d worked at since I was sixteen. It was the only thing holding back my usual response to sleazy come-ons.
“You don’t recognize me, do you?” he asked when I hesitated.
I didn’t want to admit that he had me at a disadvantage, but I still couldn’t place his face to a name. Even the people I worked with at the office didn’t dress as nicely as he was, and he definitely wasn’t a regular on the bus I took downtown.
The shape of his green eyes was what kept holding my attention, so my best guess was that he worked for one of the office’s partners. I finally gave a small negative shake of my head, trying to ignore the effect he was having on me as he smiled.
“We’ve never been introduced,” he said as he stood from his seat.
He was at least a foot taller than me, and I had to tip my head back to maintain his gaze. I hadn’t felt it while he was sitting, but the alpha had an imposing presence that made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. It was more than was usual for an alpha. A hint of danger was wrapped in that distracting smile and hungry emerald gaze.
Holding out his hand, he continued.
“You had a meeting with my father yesterday. I’m Leo Galleon.”
Lungs freezing, my eyes widened at his last name. I knew my mouth was hanging open as I stared stupidly at his outstretched hand, but I couldn’t get my brain to spare enough attention to close it. I didn’t know how I hadn’t realized he was the man who had come into the room to stand behind the desk, except I’d been too upset to pay any attention to him at the time.
Snapping my mouth shut with an audible click, I cautiously lifted a hand to place my fingers against his, not sure if I should be touching a man from that family at all, much less in a public place where I could be seen doing it. I didn’t want to be associated with him if anyone else recognized who he was, yet I didn’t want to offend him if he was trying to help me as he’d claimed. I assumed he was in league with his father and knew the debt we owed, so maybe he had convinced his father to go easy on us.
My silent snort at my own wishful thoughts echoed through my head.
Leo lifted my hand, his firm lips pressing to my knuckles far longer than necessary as he sucked in a deep breath, scenting me. Heat spread from where his mouth touched my skin, and I couldn’t help wondering what it would feel like to have his mouth in other places.
Cheeks burning, I forced my eyes away until he finally released my hand, trying to control the trembling that had started with his touch. He was obviously no stranger to women and knew how to get the reaction he wanted, but I didn’t have time for games.
I cleared my throat as he continued to stand instead of taking his seat again.
“You said you could help me?”
He waited a moment longer before answering. Reaching into his coat, he pulled out a business card and held it toward me.
“I have a proposition you might be interested in. Call me when you’re available to discuss it.”
My stomach twisted at what I assumed his offer would be, but my hand rose without conscious thought, taking the small card. Once it was pinched between my fingers, he removed those searing green eyes from me for the first time since he’d entered, and walked away.
I was left staring after him as he passed through the door and disappeared into the darkness outside. It certainly didn’t seem like he wanted to discuss something as simple as forgiving my brother, but he wasn’t as crude as his father had been about what I could do for the money either. We couldn’t afford to get more tangled up with Galleons, and my impulse was to throw the card away, but my fingers refused to follow the command to release it.
The ding from the kitchen window letting me know food was ready jolted me back to reality. I had no reason to trust Leo, but I also had no way to come up with the money on my own. I couldn’t delude myself into thinking I’d magically find a way to pay back almost a year’s wages by normal means. I had a feeling I wasn’t going to like whatever deal he was offering, but I pocketed the card before going to grab the plates.
If I couldn’t come up with something on my own, I might have no choice but to call him and hear him out.
Chapter Four
Leo
Iwas surprised how long Cadence held out, but I knew she would call eventually. She was stubborn, but she was in a desperate situation. After the information I’d received about her, I knew she had no other choice, and she didn’t seem the type to leave her brother to answer for himself.
