10. Chapter 10

Chapter ten

Orlando

W hen Genesis opened the door, Orlando had to fight the urge to grab her immediately and kiss her plump, pink lips. She looked positively adorable in the ridiculous cowboy hat Luke had bought her. Luke never bought their temporary omegas anything that didn’t explicitly meet a need. He’d told Orlando that he’d bought the hat for himself a while ago and it turned out to be too small, but Orlando knew better. It fit Genesis like a glove.

The hat’s chocolate brown color brought out the depths of her big, bright eyes. One corner of her mouth quirked in a smile as she watched Orlando take her in. His eyes traveled involuntarily over the soft curves highlighted by her tight sweater and tighter jeans. Orlando had seen the incredible body beneath those clothes last night, and he’d had trouble thinking about anything else since. He’d masturbated vigorously after escorting Genesis back to the cottage last night and again this morning, when he’d awoken with a raging hard-on and the smell of jasmine and honeyed oranges clinging to his skin.

“I know, I know. But Luke’s going to be insufferable regardless, and I look damn cute in this hat,” Genesis said by way of greeting.

Orlando smiled, pulling her into a hug, and inhaling her sweetness. Her cheeky teasing warmed his heart. It was good to see that she felt so comfortable with him, especially after the intensity of their sexscapades last night. He’d been a little worried about leaving her alone after she safe worded, but she’d rejected Gabe’s offer to stay, and Orlando hadn’t wanted to push. He knew Luke had been as surprised by the offer of intimacy as he’d been—they didn’t typically invite the temporary omegas into their beds. They had sex wherever they chose, and took turns sleeping in the nest during heats, but beyond that, everyone pretty much slept in their own beds.

When Evie was still with them, she’d bed hopped until they had a pack-sized bed built. Then they’d shared a main bedroom, though they’d each still had their own spaces as well. Orlando hadn’t commented when Gabe, the architect, and designers put the custom bed in a massive room at the rear of the newly renovated farmhouse. That room had sat empty for years now.

“I suspect you’d look cute in a clown suit,” Orlando murmured, tilting Genesis’s head back so that he could plant a chaste kiss on her lips. She flushed prettily, shivering against him and making his dick stir with interest. “But if you like the hat, I suppose I can endure Luke’s smugness when he sees you wearing it.”

He would endure a lot worse to have Genesis beaming up at him like she was at the moment. She hadn’t pulled away when he’d held her for several beats longer than necessary. He found that he wanted to be near her, couldn’t resist the urge to touch her, to feel her skin against his own.

“Tell you what, you buy me matching cowboy boots and I’ll wear those too.” Genesis’s voice was teasing, but Orlando knew he’d buy her anything she wanted.

He glanced at her feet and saw that she wore a pair of brown and cream high-top athletic shoes. He could tell she was the type of person who collected sneakers. Orlando probably owned a pair, but they were buried deep in one of his closets. It had taken him a fair bit of time to locate the jeans he was wearing. Gabe had only been half-joking about him not wearing denim in over fifteen years. Orlando felt most comfortable in tailored suits, but that wouldn’t have been appropriate attire for traipsing around the farm. Genesis’s immaculate tennis shoes weren’t the best choice either.

“I will buy you no such thing,” Orlando told her with mock outrage. “You can play cowgirl with Luke Wyatt. If it’s up to me to dress you, it’ll be in couture and stilettos.”

Orlando couldn’t help but imagine Genesis’s curves on display in a dress tailored perfectly to hug each delicious inch of her luscious form. High heels would make her legs appear longer, and exaggerate the arch of her back, putting her exquisite ass on display. His dick stirred again.

“I have stilettos,” Genesis replied, biting her lip in that distracting way she had, and fluttering her thick lashes. “I’ll put on a pair for you later. If I wear them with the cowboy hat, will you both be satisfied?”

“If you wear them with the cowboy hat and nothing else, I assure you we’ll all be satisfied,” Orlando promised, letting his voice drop into a low growl. “You will be satisfied repeatedly , as a matter of fact.”

He watched her pupils dilate and caught the unmistakable scent of her arousal—its honey undertones overtaking the notes of jasmine and orange. What would she do if he simply picked her up and carried her back inside? Would she let him spread her out on the dining table and eat her pussy until she screamed his name loud enough for the main house staff to hear?

The look in her wide eyes told Orlando that Genesis wouldn’t resist him. He smiled, pleased by her responsiveness, and took her hand. It was his duty, after all, to maintain decorum. He wouldn’t ravish her before giving her the tour and meal he’d promised. Besides, she’d said she needed to pace herself.

“I’m starting to understand how you manage to get under Luke’s skin,” Genesis said huskily as he pulled her away from the cottage. “You’re annoyingly good at staying cool and collected while the rest of us mere mortals get all worked up.”

Orlando felt his smile widening. “It is a talent I’ve honed over many years, but don’t be mistaken—I get worked up. As a matter of fact, I’ve been worked up quite consistently since I met you.”

Genesis flushed again, and Orlando admired how the rosiness in her cheeks complemented her smattering of freckles. God almighty, this woman was beautiful. And sexy, and smart, and intuitive, and and and…

Orlando took a steadying breath, trying to take in a bit of the fresh outdoor air. His biggest kink might be testing his self-control, but he’d never wanted to give in to desire as much as he did with Genesis Valentine. Not just to his physical cravings, but to all of it. It felt like emotional edging, and Orlando wasn’t sure how long he would last. He enjoyed her snarky sense of humor and single-minded ambition as much as he admired her beauty. He found her intriguing in every way, and he was too damn old not to recognize a good thing when he saw it.

The only question was, what was he going to do about it?

For now, he would make sure her first full day on the property was as pleasant as possible. He led her to the golf cart he’d parked at the perimeter of the patch of garden surrounding the cottage. Genesis looked surprised but climbed into cart with a little laugh that sounded like music to Orlando.

“I guess the farm is a bit too large to tour on foot?” she asked as he joined her in the golf cart.

Orlando nodded and started the engine. “If you want to get a real sense of it, then yes. We won’t drive the entire property—so much of it is dedicated to the corn fields, but I’ll show you the lay of the land. Then I want to take you somewhere special for lunch.”

Genesis laid a hand on his arm, her brown eyes sparkling in the midday sun. “Thank you, Orlando. This has been so lovely already. I didn’t think I’d feel so at home so quickly.”

Orlando’s heart soared at the praise. Genesis was thoughtful and perceptive, and she noticed the intent behind his actions as few people might. She was special and Orlando was going to make sure she knew it.

He drove the farm at a leisurely pace, pointing out the most important landmarks: Gabe’s art studio, the greenhouse, the barn, the chicken coop, and the corn fields. Though he knew Luke was reseeding one of the cow pastures, he didn’t venture too close. He wasn’t sharing Genesis this afternoon, and he refused to give Luke the satisfaction of seeing her in her Stetson just yet.

Maybe later, when she put on the stilettos.

They conversed easily as they meandered along. Genesis asked intelligent questions about their business, and he prodded for more information about her journalism goals. He was impressed by her commitment to social justice, and the way she fought against convention to do what she believed would make a difference.

She dropped the occasional nugget from her personal life that helped Orlando to refine the picture he was forming of her character. Tidbits about growing up at a boarding school for likely omegas told him she’d been taking care of herself for a long time, which made sense given how long she’d survived without a pack. She was fiercely independent, but Orlando suspected she’d developed the trait out of necessity. The way she’d responded to him taking charge of her moving arrangements—cautiously grateful—told him she wasn’t used to being cared for. Given the family history available in her files, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to see the connection between it and her self-reliant personality.

He felt even better about his plans for their lunch date. Orlando needed to make a few things clear to her up front. Namely that Pack Rossi were men she could trust.

Once they’d completed the circuit, Orlando drove back toward the cottage and the sweet little garden where it nestled. He was sure Genesis hadn’t had an opportunity to explore it yet, and there was something in it she needed to see. She looked at him quizzically as he parked at the end of the garden path, then rounded the cart to help her out. From the storage beneath the seat, he pulled a blanket and a basket that Marco had prepared that morning.

Genesis grinned cheekily. “Be still, my city girl heart! Is that an actual picnic basket? Are we having a real-life, old-fashioned picnic in the garden? This is too quaint!”

Orlando took her hand, abruptly pulling her flush against him. She shivered, looking up at him with an amused glint in her lovely eyes. He growled low in his throat, making her shiver again, then lowered his head to brush his lips against her ear.

“That sounded dangerously close to you calling me old again,” Orlando murmured. “Did you not learn your lesson last night?”

Genesis licked her lips, and he followed the movement, considering whether he should claim her tongue with his own. The smell of honey intensified, and he held her tighter, letting her feel the effect she was having on him in the hard press of his dick against her belly. Her voice was huskier when she spoke again.

“Sometimes, I’m a slow learner. I might need another lesson or two.”

This woman was going to be the death of him.

Instead of replying, Orlando covered her mouth with his. He kissed her slowly, relishing the taste of her tongue, the feel of her lips, and the way her scent rose to meet him. He kissed her until he couldn’t taste or feel or smell anything but Genesis.

When he pulled away, Genesis looked a little dazed, panting for breath in a way that made Orlando want to kiss her again. He thought of how nice it would be to spread her out on the blanket and take his time tasting her right here in the garden. His dick throbbed in enthusiastic agreement.

“Let’s get some lunch in you before you tempt me into something untoward,” he said firmly. “And don’t you dare say whatever saucy comeback you’re thinking right now. There are limits to my self-control.”

Genesis giggled, obediently miming zipping her lips. Orlando released her from his embrace, but held on to her hand, intertwining their fingers. He led her down the winding path, past bushes and trees that were just starting to bloom, until they reached the garden’s centerpiece: a Cherokee Princess Dogwood tree sitting within a circle of glittering stones and surrounded by snow white pebbles. There was a bench beneath it, inlaid with a simple plaque.

Orlando let go of Genesis’s hand, watching her surreptitiously as he spread the blanket on the ground and began to unpack the picnic basket. She wandered closer to the tree, pausing to examine the bright white blooms, before trailing a hand over the back of the bench. When she read the plaque, she turned back to him with a guarded expression.

Orlando patted the blanket at his side. Genesis came to him, slipping out of her sneakers before settling next to him on the blanket with her legs tucked beneath her. Orlando handed her a water bottle, then took one for himself.

After a long moment, Genesis spoke quietly. “Your omega?”

Orlando gazed at the tree. The pack had discussed what to do with Evelyn’s composted remains for a long time before making a decision. It had been Gabe’s idea, and had turned out to be perfect, of course. Evie loved white flowers, and she would’ve adored this garden. It was only right that she be at its center.

“It is important to me that you trust us, Genesis,” Orlando said, choosing his words with extra care. “That requires being honest and up front with you. I thought bringing you here would be a good way to help you get to know us better.”

Genesis nodded, her eyes still wary. Orlando wished he knew what she was thinking. Bringing up his dead mate on a second date might have been an unconventional move, but hopefully not a wrong one.

“I know enough about you as a journalist to be sure I don’t need to tell you what happened to Evelyn. I’m sure whatever wasn’t in Dr. Gardiner’s files was easy enough for you to discover for yourself.” Orlando took a long sip of water, before turning his attention from the Dogwood back to Genesis. “The loss nearly broke us. It has taken many years and lots of therapy and hard work for us to get through the pain. And we’re not all at the same place in the grieving process, as I’m sure you’ve noticed. We loved Evelyn deeply, and I don’t think that ever goes away.”

Orlando paused to sip his water, sorting through his thoughts. He needed to get to the point before he sent the wrong message. But he also didn’t want to frighten her with his seriousness. It was too soon to be discussing feelings and commitment. And Genesis had defied societal expectations to avoid such attachments. Orlando needed to tread carefully.

“I want you to know this because I want you to know us,” he went on. “I want you to know that we are loyal and steadfast, that we keep our word. I know that it’s incredibly soon to say so, but I trust my intuition, and it’s telling me you’re special.”

Genesis’s large eyes widened a bit. Orlando could see her pulse fluttering in her lovely throat. He had the fleeting image of his claim mark on her neck and fought down a primal urge at the very thought. It was as though his instincts were clamoring in agreement with his words, as if his body already knew what he was only beginning to understand.

“Loving Evie made us better men, despite how hard it was to lose her. It definitely made us smarter,” Orlando held Genesis’s gaze, hoping she could see his sincerity. “If we find love again, our omega can be absolutely sure that she has our entire hearts. Anything less wouldn’t be worth risking that kind of pain again. So, while Evie will always be a precious part of our past, our new omega would be our priority, our joy, and our future.”

Genesis’s eyes seemed suddenly brighter, glittering with unshed tears. Orlando hoped he hadn’t miscalculated. He opened his mouth to say more but was silenced by Genesis wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her soft lips against his with a new tenderness. He pulled her close, letting the kiss stretch until it was interrupted by a growl from Genesis’s stomach.

Orlando pulled away just enough to rest his forehead against hers. “That’s enough dessert. You need to eat your lunch.”