“I don’t think so. I’m unimportant. He’ll just find another omega to fit the bill.”
“And if you are wrong about that?”
“I don’t know. I can’t think about it.”
“Fair enough. Where is this alpha located?”
“Florida.”
“Far enough away that he won’t run into you without some effort, and I trust the agency took care of covering your tracks.”
“I would certainly hope so. I had to sell my car to pay them for their services,” she scowled.
“And what do you think then?”
“Think?”
“About this. Do you think you can stay here with me and pretend to be my wife?”
“Do you have any wine?”
“Yes. Red or white?” he replied, his face pinched into a confused mask.
“Red. Give me a contract and a check. We’ll celebrate our pending nuptials.”
A smile broke out across his face and he stood, sauntering to the kitchen. Kay thought, once again, just how hard it was going to be to live with someone like him and not want to jump his bones. She wasn’t concerned with the possibility of falling in love, with wanting more. None of that held any interest for her. Still, a girl had needs and he was going to be a difficult roommate to resist.CHAPTER FIVEKay was nervous. Only a few days had passed before she was being introduced to Bradley’s pack. She had spent the last two nights back at the hostel and met him for coffee and dinner both days, making sure they were seen together in the right places. People had stopped by and been introduced to her as if she was a budding romantic interest. On the third day, she had moved into his house, considerably richer. He was now her client and she was obligated to fulfill her contract to him.
They arrived at the ranch for dinner. It was a special occasion. New crops had been planted and they were celebrating their hopes for another year of abundance. Kay had never been on a working ranch before. She was surprised by the sheer size of it. After seeing the small farm owned by Bradley, she had just assumed this to be more of the same. Now, looking out over the green pastures, industrial scale structures, horse corrals and assorted livestock, it became clearer why he wanted to assume his place here.
“Impressive,” she remarked as he opened the truck door for her to step out.
“You’ve not seen the half of it. There are nearly a thousand acres.”
“Sounds like a lot to manage.”
“It is that, but I’m up for the task.”
“I’m sure you are. I take it, this place comes with a healthy profit.”
“It does, but it’s not about the money.”
“What is it about?” she asked.
Bradley took her hand and smiled, “A story for another time, perhaps. Ready to meet my clan?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be.”
“Let’s do this then. Got our story straight in your head?”
“I do.”
Bradley nodded and started toward the large house that was situated at the entrance to the ranch. It wasn’t what he would have thought of as a ranch home. It was modern, steel and stucco. It looked more like an office building than it did a home with its large glass windows and multiple antennas.
“This is a house?” she whispered as they approached.
“Mostly,” he replied, opening the front door and entering, without a knock.
“Mostly?” she questioned, but it went unanswered as they were flooded by people excited to see them.
“This her? This the one?” a younger girl squealed, pulling at the hem of Bradley’s jacket.
“Hello, Sierra. Yes. This is Kay.”
“Hello, Kay,” the girl said, beaming up at her.
“Hello, Sierra,” Kay replied, smiling back. The girl giggled and ran away, sing songing to everyone that Bradley had a girlfriend.
“Okay. Okay. Everyone, this is Kay. If you could all give her a little room to breathe, you’ll get a chance to meet her in good time. I thought we were here for dinner? Where’s the food?” Bradley said, grabbing her hand and pulling her through the crowded lobby.
Kay looked around now that they were clear of the people. They were in a large open area with assorted chairs and sofas. It was like the entrance to a mountain resort with its huge glass window panes and steel beams. From the rear facing windows, there was a clear view of the vast acreage that surrounded them and the steep embankments that provided protection from the mountains on either side.
“Gorgeous, isn’t it?” he said in a low voice.
“Breathtaking,” she replied.
“Come on. I’ll take you to meet our alpha before dinner.”
“Oh. I don’t want to impose. You said he is not well.”
“He isn’t, but he’ll want to meet you, and I need for him to have met you.”
Kay nodded, understanding that this was about him and his position here, nothing more. On the surface, Bradley seemed straight forward, but there was much more beneath the surface than could be discerned from his outward presence. He was driven. She wondered just how far he was willing to go to get what he wanted. She shuddered involuntarily.