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Then, someone leaned in on my other side. Felix. I could smell oranges, vanilla, and cream. “Little vixen, in fact, if this goes well, we’ll reward you for a job well done.”
I had to bite my lips so I didn’t moan and embarrass myself right there in the waiting room. Fuck, he was so fucking sexy when he was in his confident, sassy mood.
“We can definitely think of some creative ways to show our girl how proud we are of her, right?” Theo asked, raising one eyebrow as I glanced at his sketchbook and back up at the man. We might still be fairly new at this, but I knew enough about him to know it was his coping mechanism.
“You can give me a quicky in the supply closet now,” I offered, biting back a laugh as his pencil faltered. We hadn’t found the time yet to fuck but I was more than ready to have him.
“It’s going to be fine,” Easton rumbled. I closed my eyes and took a breath, letting the gravel of his voice seep right through me, building my confidence again. “My omega is not a quitter. She’s not afraid of anything.”
My eyes popped open, staring at him in shock. He’d asked for my forgiveness, and I told him that he had to show it and he wastruly trying, but this was the first time he’d acknowledged me like that.
“Does that mean you’ll reward me if I do a good job, too?” I asked.
“You think you can handle me?” he questioned. Even he looked startled by his answer, but he didn’t take it back, and that was enough for me. I was up and across the room in seconds, stopping just before him and tilting my head back to stare up at him.
“I’m not sweet like the rest of them, princess,” he said. It was good to hear that nickname without the fire behind it.
“No one ever said you were, alpha. And no one ever said I was delicate.” It was his turn for his breath to catch, and I could smell his pheromones filling the space.
If we didn’t quit this soon, they’d have to air out this whole lobby. The sound of a door opening down the hall had us both taking a step back. Though my cheeks were warm and my breathing erratic, whoever it was would know exactly where our conversation had gone.
The woman who walked out was older, her gray hair pulled up in a bun, but she wasn’t nearly as formal as I expected. She was wearing jeans and a faded sweater. There was a kind smile on her face, though, her lips tipped up in amusement as she took a breath, stopping fairly far away.
“Ms. Winters?”
I nodded once and took the portfolio from Jordan. We’d all worked for days on this, and I just hoped it made a difference.
The guys hung back, letting me do this alone. I needed to do this for myself.
“Thank you for reaching out to the Historical Society. We don’t often have something this exciting show up on our list.”
“Well, I am hoping to impress you all with this one,” I said, giving her a warm smile. It was funny how my confidence mademe feel at ease in my own skin. The anxiety was starting to flood away as I went into this with purpose.
I’d put my whole heart and soul into this portfolio, and I knew that if they didn’t grant me the chance to purchase the inn, that was no fault of my own.
Maybe my dream would have to shift. That would hurt, but I’d survive. That thought alone freed me of my anxiety.
The woman led me to an old conference room. Everything was dark from the wood paneling on the walls to the polished wooden table in the center of the room. Three men sat around it, and she took her seat next to them and gestured for me to take the empty one across the table.
“We’re so glad to have you,” one of the older men spoke, giving me a nod. “The Lockwood Historical Society is excited to hear your proposal, young lady. My name is Brandon. This is Louis, Charles, and I believe you’ve met Callie.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I said, giving each of them a warm smile before opening the portfolio in front of me. “Shall I dive in?”
They shared a small smile and nodded.
“Please do,” Callie said, folding her hands in front of her and resting her chin on them, giving me her full attention.
This time, I didn’t shy away as I passed them each an outline of my talking points with all the information they needed on it—from my personal information to my plans for the future and everything in between. They looked surprised but pleased as they glanced over it, and I put the rest of the stack away. I’d printed too many, not sure how many people would be there. I should have known it would be a small meeting. Lockwood was tiny.
They didn’t interrupt as I started at the top, showing them sketches Theo had made for me so they could see my vision on page. I went through my outline of services that I wantedto implement into our program, most geared for omegas and packs, the staff that needed to be involved, ways that we preserve history, and then finally, I concluded with my proposed budget.
Louis was the first to talk again. He wasn’t smiling exactly, but I could see the curiosity sparking in his eyes.
“Could you tell us why you want to take this place over? I haven’t seen this old building in years, but even I know that it’s going to take a lot for it to become what you’re proposing. I’d like to know your motivation behind it.”
“I’ve always wanted to create a safe space of sorts. One where a pack could go to get away from the city. I’ve always felt like inns held a bit of magic. They don’t lack the sterile quality hotels have, and allow owners room to make the place unique. I never found the right way to move forward with those dreams until a few friends of mine stumbled upon this place in the woods outside of Lockwood, and the moment I saw it, I fell in love. There’s so much history there, so much character, and I realized that I wanted to bring it back to life. It may not be the same as it once was, but I would love to make it something special again. To give Lockwood something to offer the world they couldn’t find anywhere else.”
Charlie leaned forward then, his eyes narrowing on me. “Could they not get these services at other places?”
