“Have you told him all this?”
“Not in such plain language, but I think it’s going to have to happen sooner, rather than later. I told him that I was staying with my boyfriend this weekend as a hint to get him to back off. He’s just gotten to a point where he’s annoying me… and I know that I shouldn’t be so mad about it, but I just—”
“Why shouldn’t you be mad?” Dimitrios cut him off. “He’s making you uncomfortable. You said you broke up a year ago. You told him that you’re at your boyfriend’s house. It’s past a point where it’s appropriate behavior. You aren’t obligated to be nice to anyone, especially not when they make you uncomfortable.”
Dimitrios ran a hand over his back trying to soothe the agitated omega. Remi knew his scent must be distressed, but what Dimitrios said was making him feel a little better. The alpha was right. Remi didn’t owe Cade anything. He leaned his head on Dimitrios' shoulder and sighed again.
“Thanks Dimitrios. I think I really needed to hear that.”
“No problem, Baby. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
Remi rested there for a few moments until his stomach gave a growl and he grimaced down at his belly, then looked up at Dimitrios. “I’m starving. Are you ready for dinner?”
“Yeah, but are you sure you want to cook? If you’re sore, maybe you should rest.”
“No! I want to cook!” Remi exclaimed, sitting up and looking at the alpha sincerely.
“Alright, then. Let’s go cook.” Dimitrios said, gripping Remi’s waist and helping him to stand.
As it turned out, cooking was another thing Remi did that was sexy. The omega pulled out all the ingredients for chicken marsala, along with a bunch of pans and utensils that had been in the alpha’s kitchen forever and never been used.
Dimitrios leaned against the counter and watched as Remi started to prepare ingredients. Something about the omega doing that really fast chopping thing that chefs always did on TV, had the alpha biting his lip as he observed Remi cut mushrooms, shallots, and parsley. Soon the kitchen was full of the smells of delicious cooking food. When Dimitrios tried to steal a mushroom off the cutting board, Remi slapped his hand with a wooden spoon and glared at him, looking more adorable than threatening.
“Uh-uh. You might be the boss in the bedroom, but the kitchen is my domain.” Remi said, pointing at him with the spoon in his hand.
Dimitrios realized he was seeing the sassy Remi for the first time. Here was the omega who had punched an alpha on the train on his way to their first date, the one who wanted to run his own restaurant. It was fascinating and unbelievably hot.
Of course Dimitrios loved it when Remi was so submissive for him, and he didn’t want that to change. However, realizing that this was how the omega was with everyone else, brought into focus how much Remi really let go when they were together. This version of his pretty boy, giving him sass, talking back, and being demanding brought out the alpha’s mischievous side.
“Oh… you wanna boss me around, Baby? Wanna be in charge for a while?” Dimitrios asked, stepping behind Remi where he was stirring things on the stove and sliding his hands around the omega’s hips to feel the slender body under the loose hoodie.
“Maybe later.” Remi answered distractedly, adding a pinch of salt to what he was cooking.
Dimitrios laughed and pressed a kiss right over the dark hickey he’d left on Remi’s neck before retreating to give the omega room to work.
As Dimitrios watched Remi move around the kitchen in his big sweater and tall socks, his messy halo of blond hair all over the place, the alpha felt so fond of his little sugar baby. Remi really was adorable and clearly talented in the kitchen. On top of that, the things that the omega let Dimitrios do in the bedroom… Well, those things were something to be savored and enjoyed to the fullest.
The alpha’s eyes fell to the dark purple hickey on Remi’s neck. He felt a little guilty for marking Remi like that. He wasn’t Remi’s alpha, he wasn’t even his boyfriend. That didn’t stop Dimitrios from feeling possessive over him though. The thought of anyone touching the omega made Dimitrios' inner alpha shift uncomfortably… Especially when he remembered the alpha that had called.
Cade.What a tool.
Remi’s ex obviously wasn’t over their relationship, though Dimitrios could tell that Remi only wanted to be left alone. It bothered the alpha that someone was making Remi so miserable, especially at school. Remi took his studies seriously, and it wasn’t fair that the omega had to deal with the pressures of studying and compound that with the discomfort of a past relationship.
After the food was done and plated, they ate on the sofa with a random news program on in the background that they mostly ignored. Neither of them were big on TV. Remi didn’t have access at home, and Dimitrios never had time. Mostly they were talking between bites of amazingly delicious food. Dimitrios couldn’t remember ever eating anything as good as Remi’s cooking, which was saying something, since he often ate at high-end restaurants with clients and vendors. The flavors in the meal were perfectly balanced and the wine that Remi had chosen paired exquisitely, the slight citrusy hints in the alcohol brightening the overall flavor of the meal. The omega had an excellent palate.
“This is amazing, Baby. You’re really talented.” Dimitrios said as he swallowed a bite. When he glanced over at the omega, it was to see Remi’s cheeks flushing with pleasure as he smiled.
“Thank you.”
Dimitrios reached over and stroked the back of his fingers over the large purple hickey on Remi’s neck, feeling more pleasure at seeing it there than he ought to have. That didn’t absolve him of the guilt of doing so without permission.
“Sorry about the hickey, sweetheart. I didn’t ask if it was okay to mark you”
Remi’s smaller hand came up and gently stroked over the alpha’s wrist.
“It’s okay. I don’t mind. It will solidify my story about having a boyfriend anyway… and, to be honest, I kind of liked it.”
The omega glanced down shyly, teeth worrying at his bottom lip, like he was ashamed of what he’d just revealed. Dimitrios used his thumb to pull Remi’s lip from between his teeth and stroked it over it gently.