Talk About… Rivalry (Rockwood Valley Omegaverse #2)

12. Sidney

Sidney

A s I woke up and turned my head to take in the alpha next to me, I realized that I’d actually freaking done it, it wasn’t just a dream.

I had gone home with a random alpha.

Then a sinking feeling filled the pit of my stomach and it was all because of Maverick and that fucking date.

He had looked right at me, as if he knew how I felt and he had just never acknowledged it.

That hurt more than I cared to admit.

There was never flirting or any hint from him, and yet he gave me the out, the moment to interrupt and put a stop to it.

And I froze, stood there, stuck like a fucking fool.

My eyes traced over the relaxed features of the alpha next to me. Bennett, the representative from Sinclair Vineyards.

Of course, I’d heard of the name. Their bottles filled pretty much every store you could buy wine around here.

Well, except for Whitaker Brews. They weren’t exactly big on wine. Not that they didn’t hold any on stock, but it was usually not the fancy kind.

Maybe that was about to change.

Bennett’s dirty blond hair that was slicked back last night was loose now relaxed around his face. His intricate tattoos were even darker than I realized, a swirling of ink around his throat before plunging under the covers where I couldn’t see anymore.

I almost wished I had more time to study them.

Last night was a blur, but an amazing one. After he’d made me come four times with his tongue alone, I was a goner.

The man fucked like a god.

I stretched out my body. My muscles were a little sore, but deliciously so.

Oddly enough, there was no regret in me at all. It felt like the right thing to do last night and today, I could appreciate the fact I’d given myself something that was just fun, no strings or history attached.

It was a release that I had needed so desperately, but had never given myself. At least not in a long time.

“Good morning,” Bennett mumbled, a soft smile on his lips as he looked at me.

His eyes were narrowed as if he was trying to make out my shape in the dim lighting. I looked around for the glasses that he wore last night, spotting them on the table near the front door.

Not bothering to cover up now, I climbed out of bed and snagged them off the table before bringing them back and helping him slide them on his nose.

He blinked again, his eyes focusing on me this time. He had this way of smiling that was more of a smirk but it was like he was up to something. The epitome of the cocky, bad boy smile you read about in books.

“How you feeling this morning, omega?”

“Amazing,” I said, ducking my head a little as a blush colored my cheeks. I’d never really been the shy type but the way he studied me was intense.

“It was amazing for me as well,” he noted, tucking a strand of my chestnut hair behind my ear. “I’m glad to see you don’t regret it. How about I order us in some breakfast before you go?”

Maybe he was as reluctant as I was to end this moment.

When I nodded, Bennett rolled over to search in the nightstand for the menu. I snagged my underwear from last night and pulled on my shirt, not wanting to put on the tight jeans just yet but unwilling to stay naked in bed all morning.

When he turned back he froze, eyes slowly raking over me like I was just as sexy clothed, as not.

“My shirt would have been a better choice,” he teased.

Little did he know, I thought about it before deciding against it. Borrowing an alpha shirt wasn’t exactly ‘one night stand’ activity.

As if he could read my reluctance, he leaned over, tracing a single finger over the swell of my breast before teasing his thumb over my hard nipple.

“Though, I can’t complain, this is doing it for me, too,” he husked, meeting my eyes before finally looking away. I sucked in a shaky breath.

This man was going to be the death of me.

He opened up the menu to read it over, before looking at me. “You look like a french toast and bacon kind of girl, am I right?”

“I’d be crazy not to enjoy it. That sounds good to me. If you could add me a coffee too, I’d appreciate it.”

“How do you take it?”

“A little sweet cream, but not enough to cut the bitterness.” Normally I’d go for an extra shot of espresso but I was already keyed up enough at the moment.

“There’s an extra toothbrush in the bathroom. It’s all yours if you want it,” he offered before turning to the room phone and putting in our order.

The offer of clean teeth had me heading for the bathroom. I looked in the mirror and winced, wiping the dark smudges from my raccoon eyes, the remnants of last night’s makeup.

I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and ran my fingers through my tangled hair.

When I was back to looking normal, and not disheveled, I leaned against the counter and breathed in deep, trying to calm my racing heart.

Why was I acting so weird today? This is what I wanted, a one night stand, no strings.

Yet, the thought of walking away was pure fucking torture.

The fact I even ended up here in the first place was wild to me. I was not the kind of girl that went home with just any alpha. There was something about Bennett that I couldn’t resist, and his offer of no strings attached soothed my hurt heart last night.

Now, in the aftermath of our night together, I wasn’t sure that one time would ever be enough.

Though I didn’t exactly have that choice as he made it clear what his intentions were and I was going to respect those boundaries.

Not wanting to make it weird, I headed back out to settle back on the bed. Bennett waited to talk until I was comfortable again.

“So, you know what I do, Sidney. Tell me what it is that you do.”

“My family owns a horse ranch in town,” I admitted. “I do everything from being a ranch hand, to calming horses, and used to do riding lessons.”

He narrowed his eyes as if he read right through that statement.

“What is it that you want to do, then? Because I don’t think that’s it.”

My eyes widened in shock. I’d never admitted that to anyone and now he knew, without me telling him, seeing right through me.

That didn’t mean I had an answer for him. What else was there for me, here in Rockwood Valley?

“I could, and probably should, have left Vance Stables years ago. For some reason I can’t bring myself to leave my family behind. They rely on me and are all I really have left,” I admitted, not meaning to spill all that but Bennett had apparently fucked my filter right out of me.

The alpha’s hum of understanding had me studying him again. That was enough to pique my curiosity and I couldn’t help but wonder exactly why he felt that way, too.

“What’s your last name, Bennett?”

He chuckled lightly to himself before giving me a small shrug “Sinclair, Bennett Sinclair.”

“That makes sense,” I said. Maybe we weren’t so different after all.

“Tell me, omega,” he said as he leaned in. “Why can’t I scent you?”

There it was. The dreaded question.

Maybe it was the fact that Bennett would be here to make a business deal and leave again that somehow made me want to reveal the truth, but I found myself ready to answer honestly.

I’d never told anyone outside of Avery, her mom, and Grace. They were all sworn to secrecy. Even Maverick didn’t know about my issues. Everyone just assumed I wore blockers. It wasn’t like they were that uncommon.

“I don’t have one,” I admitted. “It never came in. I don’t have normal heats and I can’t scent anyone else, either.”

Bennett didn’t even look surprised at the news. His eyes were brimming with understanding as he nodded gently. There were no invasive questions or pity, he just accepted it as fact.

“That also explains why you didn’t say anything last night when that alpha was asked on a date.”

“Maverick is my best friend’s brother. I’ve had feelings for him for a long time but it’s not like we’re scent matches.”

I tried my best to keep my self-deprecating smile off my face and just look down at the sheets, picking at non-existent lint until we moved on from this conversation.

It felt really nice to admit it out loud. Cathartic in its own way. This scenario was one of the very few times that I could just simply be myself without judgment.

I could say what I wanted without repercussions because he was going to be gone soon.

“I’m sorry,” was all he offered before there was a knock at the door.

It was perfect timing by the inn staff. Even if I was relieved to get it off my chest, I didn’t want to dwell on this and ruin the morning.

Bennett stood and pulled on his boxers, giving me a view of his toned ass. I licked my lips as I watched his muscles flex as he walked to the door and took the tray. The sheer confidence this man had was sexy as hell.

He carried the tray to the bed and settled it between us.

If this was me and Avery, we’d have the TV on, watching some awful reality TV or cooking show, talking through enough of it that we wouldn’t know what was going on anymore.

Bennett, however, made no move for the remote. He settled back in his spot and snagged a grape from the fruit bowl, chewing away as he doctored up my coffee.

He slid it to my side of the tray before starting on his own.

We both took a drink, humming in approval. It was good coffee. Who knew the inn could hold their own? Honestly, the coffee shop in town could take a few pointers. It was the perfect mix of sweet cream and bitter coffee. I already felt more clear headed after just a few sips.

He lifted the silver dome from the top of the plate, revealing a stack of thick french toast and several slices of crispy bacon. We both reached for the bacon at the same time, taking a slice and munching on it with small smiles on our faces.

This should be awkward or weird, yet here we were sitting in comfortable quiet and enjoying it.

Bennett made things feel easy and normal. His confidence didn’t let me get into my own head.

We worked our way through the breakfast. Bennett feeding me slices of french toast and I fed myself bacon, sipping on our coffees and just enjoying the warm morning light that spilled into the room.

How long had it been since I had a morning like this? Relaxing and not filled with me stumbling out of bed before the sun to do chores.

Here I could just exist.

It was strange, but so fucking nice.

I’d hear an earful the moment I stepped back onto the ranch. Uncle Dale would be pissed that I missed my morning session with the new horse. My dad would be angry that I didn’t help with the chores.

It wasn’t like they paid me an amazing amount. I was paid less than the ranch hands and I did half of their work most days.

Bennett’s earlier question and had me thinking about what I’d do if I didn’t have the ranch.

Outside of art, I had nothing. My sketches were my escape and I had sketchbooks stashed everywhere, from my bag, to my nightstand, and scattered around my cottage.

I’d tried other hobbies, hopping from one to the next but never really satisfied.

I was well and truly stuck on that farm and I hated it. I hated it more than anything, but that sense of duty kept me in place.

Even admitting it to myself felt pointless, but now that the wheels were turning, I couldn’t let it go.

Bennett seemed just as content to be lost in his own thoughts. There was no pressure to talk or say anything more.

I wondered if he felt the same as I did. Stuck. I had a feeling that working for your family, traveling and making business deals, but never settling was hard.

He may be able to have encounters like this, enjoying evenings with someone to keep him company, but in reality, it would get exhausting to never be in one place for long.

Bennett was the first to break the silence. His eyes drifted to the clock and he let out a sigh. “I have a meeting today. I’m going to need to shower and get ready so I can report back to my family and set up the portfolio I need.”

At first it felt like a dismissal and I fought back my disappointment, but he looked at me before I could get up.

“Don’t feel like you have to hurry out of here. In fact, I’m not opposed to one more round before I have to leave.”

That didn’t sound too bad to me.