Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 58808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 294(@200wpm)___ 235(@250wpm)___ 196(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 294(@200wpm)___ 235(@250wpm)___ 196(@300wpm)
His own indecent thoughts made Eric blush, and he did his best to cast them out of his mind. Now was neither the time nor the place to get horny—again.
“Freddie moved to another planet,” Hugh said. “I think he might still love Nadine, but he knows the truth, and he says he can’t be with her when a part of her will always belong to me, not him.”
What a sad story. Three people forced to lead miserable lives because of one night that should have never happened. Eric felt sorry for all of them, because none of them were really at fault, and everyone was the victim of shitty circumstances and their biology. He now understood why Hugh scoffed at mating compatibility—it had fucked up his life.
“I’m sorry,” Eric said. “I didn’t mean to judge. I obviously have no idea how bad it was. I just…” He shrugged helplessly. “I feel kind of… I know it’s ridiculous, but I feel hurt that you didn’t tell me the truth before.”
“It’s the imprint,” Hugh said. “It makes you feel betrayed, because emotionally you feel like I’m your alpha.”
You are.
Eric had to bite his tongue to stop himself from saying that. “I guess,” he said with another shrug, looking away. “We should probably go back. We’ve been gone long enough as it is.”
“Yes, we should.”
Eric left without looking at him. He wasn’t sure he could do it without giving away how shitty he felt.
Hugh was mated. Mated to another omega.
Eric was nothing to him, and always would be.
Chapter 10
After the charity gala, Eric promised himself that he’d keep his distance from Hugh.
The problem was, Hugh seemed determined to ruin it. He had taken to calling Eric every day, sometimes twice a day, allegedly for health updates, but somehow, they ended up talking for hours every time. Hugh was just so good to talk to. He was very attentive to his moods and always knew what to say to make Eric feel better. Eric loved his low voice, loved the way it made him feel, as if he was enveloped in the warmest blanket. He couldn’t get enough of it, always feeling a little bit empty when they had to end the call.
“You should hang up, really,” Eric said, his voice sounding unconvincing even to his own ears. He was on his computer, trying to pay attention to the cyber science conference his online friends were watching. Trying being the key word there. Geeky shit had never seemed less interesting to him.
Hugh laughed, his rich laugh making Eric smile too. Leaned back in his comfy-looking lounge chair, the alpha sipped his drink, looking at Eric over the rim of his glass. “Why don’t you? Go watch your conference if it’s so interesting.”
Eric mock-glared at the screen of his phone, the back of his neck turning hot. “I’m an omega with an imprint on you. You can’t seriously expect me to be able to hang up.”
Hugh’s lips curled into a tiny smile. “True,” he said. “You poor thing.”
“Stop mocking me,” Eric said, pouting exaggeratedly. “I’m suffering.”
Hugh laughed again, and Eric found himself grinning. It was kind of amazing how good he felt mocking his own pathetic infatuation as long as Hugh laughed with him—as long as Hugh kept talking to him. Gods, he truly was pathetic, but he kind of didn’t care.
In his peripheral vision, the chat was going crazy, his online friends probably geeking out about something exciting, but Eric couldn’t make himself tear his eyes off of Hugh. He stared helplessly at the relaxed way Hugh’s big body was sprawled in the lounge chair. He loved seeing Hugh in such casual clothes, with his guard down in his own home. He looked comfy. Soft.
Not that he looked any less mouthwatering than usual: his loose gray shirt had the top two buttons undone, showing a tantalizing view of his strong neck and the top of his toned chest. Hugh was unshaven and his gorgeous hair was kind of messy, making Eric’s fingers itch to bury themselves in it.
“Are you?” Hugh said, dropping his smile and looking at him intently. “Suffering?”
Eric shrugged. “No more than usual. Kind of horny, but…” He sighed, looking longingly at Hugh’s lap. He would pay a small fortune to be able to crawl into it right now. It wasn’t even necessarily sex that he wanted—though he wanted sex too. He just really wanted to snuggle up to him and be held in his arms.
It should probably worry him.
It did worry him—after he finally managed to hang up half an hour later. But it never worried him while they were talking.
Eric knew he had it bad. It wasn’t a good sign that Hugh was the first thing he thought about when he woke up. It definitely wasn’t a good sign that his days felt off until he talked to him.