42. Eric is Back

The room was lightly illuminated with the sun rays entering through the curtained windows. Alyssa took a deep breath and rubbed her eyes to drive away her sleepiness. Breathing sharply, her lips pulled together at the thick scent in her room. She turned her head to the side and found Nicholas sleeping next to her. She could see his toned arms tucked under the pillow.




The omega had to physically stop herself from tracing the lines on his shoulders which looked soft and smooth. His messy strands fell on his face. She couldn’t stop staring at his face, which looked peaceful while sleeping. If a month ago someone had told her that she would be walking beside an Alpha, Alyssa would have laughed in their face. The thought itself bought a smile to her face as she kept staring at her Alpha. It felt so strange to call him that.





Her hand moved on the top of her stomach, frowning when her fingers touched the bare skin. Unsure of why she wasn’t wearing a shirt, she moved the duvet away from her body and realised that she’s naked. Slowly, everything that happened in the previous night came rushing back to her. It only took her a second to blush after piecing the events together.




As if the Alpha felt her eyes on him, he sat up and blinked at her. A huge grin tugged at his lips when she shyly smiled back, aware that he’s naked underneath the sheets as well.




“Good morning, baby” He rasped. “Had a good sleep?”



Alyssa nodded her head when she felt him reach out and cradle her cheek. He lifted himself on his elbows, closing the distance between them. Nicholas settled a hand on her hips, where the duvet was barely hanging on, covering the omega’s body. He kissed her quickly and chastely, his lips lazily moving against her before he pulled back. The omega just gazed at him even after the kiss was over, wavering in place, a spaced-out smile on her lips.



“Omega we need to get up” She groaned, her eyes immediately going towards the clock. Their weekend was over—time to face the music.
***
Eric was back. That’s the first she noticed when she stepped in the office. Everyone pretended to be busy, doing what they are assigned to do. Alyssa passed by Paris office in hopes of greeting her. It’s been a while since they got together as the beta kept giving lame excuses. She didn’t even show up to lunches from last week. Something has been going on with her.




The Secretary was in her office, typing something on her laptop when Alyssa knocked on her door. She jumped at the sudden voice, hastily tilting her head. That was weird.




“Hey...” Alyssa narrowed her eyes. “Is everything alright?”



Paris swallowed, her eyes looking at the laptop instead of her. “Yes. Everything is perfect.”



What was going on with her? Why was she avoiding Alyssa?



“Let’s get a cup of coffee.”



“No! I mean I can’t as I’m very busy with this file” Paris pointed out at the files on her desk, still not looking at the omega. They were a lot. Maybe that’s why she was acting so weird and out of it. Yeah, that must be it.




“Umm...okay. I’ll catch you at lunch then?”



“Yeah sure...” Paris absentmindedly nodded her head and got back to typing. With one last look, Alyssa closed the door behind her and walked away. There’s only so much she can read with the body language. She’ll talk to her during lunch.
***
After making Erics coffee, she smoothed a hand down her suit. She had to make two more cups for Adrian and Nicholas as well, but it’s been a whole of the week since she saw Eric. That’s why the omega picked the tray and stepped in the direction of his office.




When she entered her eyes went to Eric sitting on his chair. Alyssa couldn’t help but look at his long fingers spread out across his thigh, rings lining several of them. Fuck, why was that so hot? Involuntarily her eyes tracked up to his body, eying the sliver of skin that peeked out from his partially unbuttoned shirt. She met his eyes, glimmering with amusement. “Good morning?”




Her face resembled a tomato as she ducked her head down. “Good morning Mr Bellini.”




“You smell different” Eric suddenly growled.



The air in the room immediately changed with the tone of his voice. She could feel the charge of electricity pass between them as he narrowed his eyes at her, his head held high. The omega wonders if Eric could feel it, too. As she met his eyes, something inside him snapped, and he cleared his throat a few times and finally taking a few gulps of water from a bottle. “Sorry about that,” The Alpha croaked. Must be coming down with something




Why did he smell her in the first place? She thought to herself.




“It’s alright” Alyssa composed herself under the pressure of his scrutiny. Slowly as she stood quietly in front of him, the omegas lips curved into that slight smile, a polite one to ease the tension in the room.



Slowly, he looked at her folded hands before moving his eyes to her face. She wasn’t intimidated by it – Eric could hurt her if he wanted to, but he would never want to hurt her. It’s not even a question.




“Why do you smell like Nicholas?” He barked at her, his eyes turning red all of a sudden.




Damn it! So he finally caught the smell, huh. Alyssa was sure to scrub that smell off her, but it’s impossible to do that when you have taken Alphas knot. At his tone, she wanted to hide.



“Alyssa” He grimaced his voice low. He sounded like he’s pissed off. “Answer me.”



“Why do you care? You have no right to interfere with my personal affairs,” Alyssa said, twisting her lips. Her legs were shaking.




She was genuinely confused by this line of questioning. What the fuck does it matter that she was smelling like Nicholas? Was Eric jealous of his friend or that she’s with him?




Eric clenched and unclenched his jaw before putting on a fake professional smile. Something she hated on him so much. It’s so bleak and effortless like he would rather be anywhere but there. She had seen that on him one too many times.





“You are right, I shouldn’t care. Now why don’t you spend some time familiarising yourself with the website and social media accounts of BEFORE? Go ahead and just do that for the rest of the afternoon.”




Alyssa bit her lips. She didn’t say anything about having already done that. It’s better not to argue with him.



“Is that all Mr Bellini?”



She heard him make an odd noise. “Yes”



When she recess for the handle of the door, she could feel his stare digging into her.
***

The doors to the elevator closed, and the hair on the back of her neck stood on the end. Seriously, she did not think the tension between them could get any worse. She was wrong. Why was this elevator taking so long? Does it always take this long?



The doors finally opened, and she heard Eric take in a breath as though he'd been holding it. They don’t speak at all. It’s easy as they already know what to do:



As soon as they reached the location of their meeting, they go into their work mode. They just clicked as a team. They could speak in their own shorthand and can sense what the other one was wanting from a shot or with just a look. Professionally, they were perfect. Emotionally, not so much.





After the meeting, the rest of the day passed by uneventfully. Alyssa was busy, and she had no time to get lunch with either of the Alphas. That’s why she texted them to meet her outside. Eric was already acting all Alpha since he sniffed her early in the morning. She didn’t want them to get into an actual fight in the office.




Eric and Alyssa went together to the parking lot. From the corner of her eyes, she noticed him climb into his Audi Q7. He indicated, pulling out of the underground garage and immediately joined by her side, driving slowly. When his eyes went to her, the Alpha hurried to lower the passenger side window.



“Miss Rivers! Hey!” He called, deciding to beep his horn as if she hadn’t heard him. The sound was enough to make her jump, eyes wide as they landed on him.



He sheepishly smiled. “Need a lift?”



Alyssa shook her head, adjusting her brown leather purse over her shoulder, tucking it under the lapel of her fitted blazer. She felt his eyes follow the fitted curve of her waist correctly, stopping at her wide hips. Was he checking her out?



The omega swallowed heavily and cleared her throat. “Uh...I have a ride.”




Eric gritted his teeth. “Right. Anyways don’t forget about the charity gala tomorrow evening.”



Alyssa almost let it slip out of her mind. Charity Gala. Tomorrow. Right. Dumbly the omega nodded her head and saw him drive away.
***
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