Chapter Eight

Hollis

Out of the office door, Hollis took a deep breath of air that wasn't contaminated by Taylin's fruity scent. The arousal in the air was not all Taylin's, and it had been hard to think straight with him looming over him. Hollis had somehow lost the thread of the conversation. Maybe they both had because Hollis was sure as flies like shit Taylin hadn't got what Hollis had been talking about.

Letting go of his breath, Hollis stomped down the corridor, away from the temptation to go back into the office and act unprofessional in the workplace. Something that he'd never considered possible until this last week, working so closely with Taylin.

Hollis had lofty theories about how he'd cope being around Taylin for more than a few days. A week in and his own need was there, stinking up Taylin's office. Screaming " let's get down and dirty" like Hollis had taken up a new career as a cowboy, seeking an alpha to ride!

He scowled at himself for his body's betrayal.

Taylin was—

Acting like his usual sexy self , supplied his animal helpfully.

It was getting worse. His animal was getting out of control. He knew it, but there was little he could do about it when he had to spend so much time in Taylin's company. Now he was demanding Hollis go away with him.

In theory, he knew this was part of the role, but he thought he'd have more time before they'd start taking trips. Time for him to get himself under control.

How would he manage that when he was going through a heat? How had Taylin not understood it really wasn't wise for him to travel at that time?

It wasn't like Taylin was a monster or anything, even if he had gotten a little too in Hollis's space today. He could still feel the warmth from the proximity of his body. So close…

You assigned yourself to him. Getting close was always your goal, his animal side said in a bored tone, showing just how over it he was at Hollis denying aloud what they both knew.

I'm the one with needs, Hollis pointed out testily.

I know, so why aren't we getting naked, hmmm?

Easier to direct his thoughts to what had happened in Taylin's office than go six rounds with his other half, Hollis shut out the voice taunting him to face the truth. Had Taylin heard a word he'd said? He had looked to have zoned out. Was I that boring? It wouldn't be the first time someone had accused him of being boring .

When that thought didn't sit so well with him, he shut it out too and went back to his original concerns. Okay, maybe he hadn't exactly spelled out what the issue was, but still, telling Taylin he'd be ‘indisposed for three days' starting Sunday next week should have been clear enough. Shouldn't it?

His free hand rubbed at the renewed vein throbbing at his temple. If there was ever a time when one might consider a head could explode, Hollis reckoned he was the perfect candidate to watch. His skull actually hurt at how hard his brain pounded with all the thoughts running through his mind. Disbelief warred with common sense and a need to go back and check exactly what Taylin meant by ‘we'll deal with whatever issues' .

The response from his animal and the plumping going on with a certain part of his anatomy suggested they'd like Taylin's help… a lot.

He groaned, his grip tightening on his tablet until he heard a cracking sound and realized he'd reached his destination without noticing how he'd gotten to his office.

Inside, he went to his desk and deposited his tablet after checking he'd not caused any actual damage except to the case. He breathed a sigh of relief and took his seat. He purposefully set about starting on the list he needed to tackle for organizing the trip, doing his best to keep his attention from how snug his slacks were. He was the ultimate professional, he prided himself on it. Yet, for a moment, in Taylin's office—and if he was honest with himself, much longer than that—he wanted to jump over the highly polished, neat desk onto his boss's lap and show him…

So not going to happen!

Work, this is a working establishment!

His groin tightened to the point of pain at where his thoughts were determined to remain. Hollis's hands quivered as he typed into the calendar for the meeting appointments. Then he rang the first of the two companies to arrange the visits, followed by the second one. Next, he moved on to confirm the use of the company jet and finally sorting the accommodation they needed.

Suites!

This was going to be a disaster, and not just for him and Taylin. The other PAs were going to have a hissy fit when they found out they were going to be sharing a suite with their assigned alpha. Hollis resigned himself to the fallout and that he had no one to blame but himself for all of it.

You could have insisted you couldn't go.

The voice of reason got blocked out because Hollis was more than aware Taylin wouldn't force him if he had actually explained his problem better. He had no one but himself to blame…sort of…maybe.

Taking longer than it normally would to have everything in place, Hollis found he couldn't settle when his head continued to pound with erratic thoughts. Deciding he needed a sensible voice of reason—clearly not his own—he shut down his computer and rose.

He headed out of his office only to find himself confronted by Wilder, who wore a look of pain with how screwed up his face was. His usual cute smile was nowhere to be seen and his short, cropped curls were in disarray, like he'd spent hours tugging at his hair.

Jupiter!

Hollis didn't sigh, he didn't see the point in wasting his energy. "What did he do now?" Hollis didn't even bother to say the man's name. Wilder had been in his office no less than six times since he'd been assigned Jupiter, to complain about one thing or another.

Balled fists went in a wide arc, which resulted in Hollis ducking back, before they landed on skinny hips covered in tight fitting, red slacks. "What hasn't he done? He keeps sending me on damn errands and getting me to contact his boyfriends. I am not a pimp!"

Hollis bit the inside of his cheek at the overly dramatic way Wilder spoke. The raccoon was cheeky and often wore a cute expression that made others give in to him. It seemed Jupiter wasn't one of them.

One time Hollis had gone to visit Wilder when he wasn't well, and he got greeted by his animal wearing a bright pink onesie. Somehow Hollis had ended up peeling fruit and feeding it to Wilder while he sat in a baby rocking seat. Hollis still couldn't figure out how it had happened.

For now, he suspected that Wilder's frustration came because he wasn't getting the attention he liked from Jupiter. Although he wasn't going to point that out when he didn't want anyone saying anything about his situation with Taylin .

"Explain your role to him and follow it up with your terms of employment. You only have to work within those. If he's being unreasonable after that, I'll speak with him."

Wilder's expression brightened, the thundercloud that had seemed to hover over his head now gone. "I knew you'd have the answer. There is nothing in my contract that says I have to run around after his… play things!" He beamed at Hollis and blew him an air kiss. "You're so good at this."

Without another comment, Wilder swung around on his sparkly sneakers and waltzed off back the way he'd come.

Glad to have helped someone, Hollis headed to the elevator, then decided against it and went to the fire escape to take the stairs up to Monica's office, to avoid potentially running into anyone else.

He needed some common sense beaten into him so he could get a grip on himself. That, however, didn't stop him from circling back once more to why he hadn't made a stand in Taylin's office when he should have.

Had Taylin lost his goddamn mind, or was that him? Maybe the scent of Taylin had removed a part of his brain function. A scent lobotomy? Probably both for Hollis to consider traveling and staying in a hotel during his omega heat.

An omega's heats normally started when they hit twenty, which was full maturity for an omega. His heats, mostly, were predictable in two-month cycles, and he planned his work schedule accordingly. He had everything he needed at his house to get him through. His bedroom came with extra paneled walls to stop his scent escaping and his bedside drawers held all manner of toys he could use when the desperation took hold.

It was all he needed. He had never, ever considered using one of the popular clinics that supplied a willing alpha to take care of omegas who didn't have a long-term partner. Hollis didn't think too hard about the reasons behind that or how it would somehow feel wrong.

Cheating… you mean cheating.

Shut up, it's not cheating. We aren't a couple. If I wanted to book into a clinic, I could. I just don't want to.

Change the record. This one is getting boring.

He hissed once more, shutting out the annoying voice in his head.

As it was company policy to allow omegas to take the time off during their heat, Hollis reminded himself there was absolutely nothing stopping him from evoking the policy. Nothing at all.

So why hadn't he?

One thing Hollis hated was to feel like he'd gotten pushed into a corner against his will. Was that the only reason he was contemplating this madness? Because it was madness.

Had Taylin any idea what could happen?

What about you? Have you thought about what's going to happen? What if he rejects you?

Taylin was the one insisting on this trip, so rejection seemed way down in the list to worry about. This whole situation was… getting ridiculous?

What if Hollis incited a rut riot ?

His blood ran cold at the very notion. Inciting a rut riot with any alpha who scented an omegas heat was not something Hollis considered would be in his top one thousand things he'd do—ever! He'd heard of it happening with omegas. Hell, only four months ago there'd been a reported case in the news of an alpha breaking into a hotel room in a wild rut after scenting an omega.

A strangled moan escaped as he reached Monica's office, trying to shut out images of his hotel door being forced open and Taylin having to fight off another alpha.

He flounced in after knocking and getting a shout of "come in".

Door shut behind him, he waited for Monica to lift her gaze to him before he announced, "I'm having a crisis and I need you to talk some sense into me before I incite a rut and need Taylin to fight off other alphas to protect me from myself."

She sat up a little straighter, flicking her hair onto her shoulder, and grinned widely. "Okay… but you need to explain why Taylin is fighting other alphas. Not that I don't love the idea of a little macho display. I just need all the facts first. Although I'm good with you giving in to temptation and getting to have some fun, if that's what this is about. It's been years, Hollis. Isn't it time to give in to your wild urges?"

Recalling just how bad Monica was at pushing him to step outside his comfort zone, Hollis sighed and flopped down into the leather seat in front of her desk. He could see exactly why he'd come because she wouldn't talk him out of it. She was the only one who witnessed this kind of behavior. "I'm doomed! I want to give in to this madness so badly!"

Her giggle was pure naughtiness. "Good, now spill," she demanded, resting her elbows on her desk and cupping her chin, giving him all her attention. There was an eagerness to her expression that made him groan aloud.

"Taylin has insisted I go away with him when I'm probably going into my heat."

"He's what?" She screeched, loud enough that those four floors below to have heard her.

He wiggled fingers in his ears. "Are you trying to deafen me?"

Up out of her seat, she came around her desk and wriggled in between him and it, crouching in front of him. "Sorry. Of all the things you might have said, that wasn't quite what I had in mind. You'll be in a hotel during your heat?" Hollis nodded. "Wow! That was the last thing I expected you'd want to do. But let's go back a step. Can you tell me how this happened?"

Hollis quickly ran through the conversation with Taylin, skimming over the part where Taylin had looked bored. He didn't need a reminder of that or why he was sure he hadn't pushed his point across.

"So you explained, and he still wants you to go? Wow! I mean, that's a ballsy move to get you"—her brows waggled at him—"into a naked, hot, and steamy situation. I always knew I liked Taylin the best!"

"Can't you take this seriously!" he gasped at her .

"I am. You want this to happen otherwise you'd have told him no, in no uncertain terms. I know you, Hollis."

This was why he'd come to her. She wouldn't let him hide from the truth and wasn't snippy like his animal half about it. "What should I do?" He hated how uncomfortable he already felt at what her response would be.

"This attraction has been simmering between you two for years. It hasn't gone away and judging by how you've been of late, I'd say it's worsened now you're working so closely with him." She placed a hand on his knee and rubbed it reassuringly. "Isn't it time to allow yourself to open up again? Allow him in. He is nothing like your ex. Yes, I know I didn't meet him," she jumped in before Hollis could make that point, like he'd done before. "But from what you've said, Taylin would never set out to dominate and humiliate you the way he did. It's just not who Taylin is." She stood and came to place a soft kiss on his wrinkled brow. "Give him and you the chance to see if you're as compatible as I think you could be… in every area. "

The wink she gave him was salacious and downright encouraging. "I bet he's a real demon when his alpha is in a rut."

Back to groaning at how his thoughts went where they had no business going, Hollis chastised her, "Stop that, you dirty minded bat!"

Her teeth gleamed as they dropped and she hissed, "You bet I am!"

"You're a bad influence," laughed Hollis, his bad mood easily turned around by her antics .

She reclaimed her seat, looking unrepentant. "That's why we're best friends. I help you cut loose, and you help curb my wild side."

"Thanks, I think."

When he left Monica, he was still grinning as he headed back to his office. Maybe he needed to cut loose, but was letting Taylin near him in a heat the answer? It was risky with how his animal could misbehave when Hollis had no control.

Seeing his mood was going to tank at just how out of control he'd be, he switched his thoughts to what he could control—work.