25. Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Four

Lana

I t’s not a smart move to have the hottest doctor in the building escort me to the bathroom. My crush on him is as strong as it’s ever been, and I’m halfway turned on that he wants to protect me like his mates do, and halfway weirded out by the thought that he might hear me pee.

I smile awkwardly at him after I push open the ladies’ room door.

“I’ll just be a minute.”

“Take your time.”

He sounds genuinely happy to wait.

Of course he does. He’s always helpful like that.

I close the door and move over to the row of sinks.

Turning on a couple of the faucets, I let them run.

My bladder quickly reminds me it’s full, and I dart into the first cubicle to relieve myself.

The afternoon I just had, sitting in my office trying to focus on work while two of the most attractive men I’ve ever met were in the room the whole time, insistent on being there because they think I need to be protected from a threat inside the academy, well it was tense to say the least.

I’m sure all the emails I sent out were riddled with typos, thanks to the sweet scent of Shadow’s perfume lingering in the air and making me feel all hot and bothered. It didn’t help one little bit that I could feel Pete’s intense gaze on me at least half of the time. Wondering what sexy thoughts might be on his mind was just as distracting as his Omega’s perfume.

If I wasn’t too busy to leave the academy, I’d be downloading EveryBeta on my phone, and searching for a random stranger to help sate my suddenly ravenous sexual appetite.

Because I need to do something about this insanity.

My work is already suffering, and I’m worried about what I might do, or suggest, to these guys if my physical responses don’t calm the hell down.

It’s like I’ve turned back into a horny teenager.

God, that’s embarrassing.

Once I’m out of the stall, I take my time washing my hands.

I need a minute or two to breathe in the unperfumed air.

Shadow’s sweet, spicy scent isn’t fading very quickly.

It’s probably lingering on my clothes.

I did spend most of the day shut in the same room.

There’s nothing I can do about that now.

I blast my hands in the air dryer, leaning over it, in the hopes that it might blast the scent out of my blouse. I’m not sure it’s working until I bring my hands out dry, and I take in a breath that feels fresh and unscented.

I let out a relieved sigh.

The loss of that scent doesn’t instantly take the heat out of my sex-starved body, but I feel just a little bit calmer, and that’s enough for now.

If it comes to it, I can touch myself when I’m alone in the office, hidden behind my desk and with a door between me and the guy I’m wishing was really between my legs.

And I need to stop thinking sexy thoughts.

“No more,” I murmur to myself before I head for the door.

Stick to the plan. Grab a coffee. Get back to work.

Sounds simple enough. So, why do I get the feeling it’s not going to be that easy?

I step back into the hallway, where Dr. Clarke is waiting for me, a respectful few feet away from the door. He looks damn good, even at the end of a long shift.

“Are you really going back to work?” he asks.

“You know how it is. No rest for the one in charge.”

I keep my tone light, and he smiles back at me.

“Well, I can’t say I haven’t burned the candle at both ends before,” he admits. “But everyone needs to rest, and I wouldn’t be doing my job properly if I didn’t tell you to eat something and make sure you don’t overdo it.”

Hot and sweet.

It’s just my luck that he’s taken.

Him and those mates of his.

It takes me a second to realize I’m staring at him silently.

“I promise not to overdo it. I just have a really important speech to make at the end of the week, and no offense meant, but your mates have been a little bit of a distraction today.”

“Oh,” he murmurs. “I’m sorry …”

“It’s fine,” I cut in before he can ramble out an apology. “I’m kind of nervous about the speech, that’s all. I need some quiet to work on it, alone.”

He nods slowly. “Of course.”

I feel weirdly guilty for saying anything.

He seems disappointed, or something.

I bite back the urge to apologize.

His mates have definitely been a distraction, and I do have a lot of work to do.

None of that was a lie, and I didn’t say it with any kind of bad intention.

I shrug it off and turn toward the door to the reception hall.

Coffee, remember?

Right. Coffee.

I turn back, and almost bump right into him.

He’s gazing at me intently as I open my mouth to apologize.

I can’t help but stare back, wondering what he’s thinking.

“At least eat something before you go back to work,” he murmurs, hand brushing the side of my arm. “You’ll find it easier to concentrate if you do.”

And I’ll find it even easier when you’re not touching me and looking at me like you might actually be considering kissing me.

I don’t move, because I don’t want to.

My body’s desperate for touch, and I know if he made a move, I wouldn’t say no.

There’d be no questions, no thoughts about what might happen after.

I would just react, and everything in me likes the thought of that.

“What if I’m not hungry?” I ask, giving him a smile.

“We’ll see about that,” he says, reaching up and brushing my hair back from my face.

My skin tingles where he barely skimmed over it with the tips of his fingers.

“Oh, will we?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.

He smiles. “You wanted coffee, didn’t you?”

“I did,” I admit.

“Then let’s get that sorted out.”

He leads me into the staff room.

My shoulders sag as I follow him.

It kind of sucks that the vaguely flirty energy between us has gone as quickly as it appeared, but I know he’s a taken man with a complete pack of mates, and I’m just a terminally single Beta.

My dating life may have been non-existent lately, but it was jaw-droppingly awful before I quit using apps, attempting to find a halfway-decent human being who wanted to meet someone similar for a shot at a relationship.

My sister kept telling me to lower my standards.

They weren’t exactly high to begin with.

It’s the city, I think.

At least, that’s what I tell myself.

Too many assholes out here, not enough regular people like they have back home.

That would explain how my younger sister is married with a kid at twenty-three, and here I am at twenty-seven, and I can’t even get a date with a guy who isn’t sketchy enough to be a serial killer.

I must be tired to think a hot, sweet doctor might be flirting with me.

This caffeine hit is long overdue.

Ezra is at the cupboard over the sink by the time I make it to the coffee maker.

He pulls out my regular mug and sets it down on the counter.

“Thanks,” I tell him, as I pick it up.

“You’re welcome.”