Chapter 9

BRYCE

I got to my apartment door as fast as I could as soon as I heard the knock. Uriah stood there and looked just as I remembered him from the night before. Everything except for the bruise on his cheek.

“What happened to your face?” I said, unable to hold back my concern.

He gave me a soft smile and then it hit me.

“I guess you really are a cop, huh?”

“Either that or I’ve been picking fights with the locals on the streets.”

“I wouldn’t put it past you. You look like you know how to handle yourself.”

“Funny… That’s the second time I’ve heard that today…”

“Come in. Let me take care of that for you.”

I stepped aside to let Uriah into my apartment. He immediately started looking around. Most men would’ve been ashamed about the state my place was in but it was always home to me.

“Don’t mind the mess,” I said. “I don’t usually have guests over.”

“If you think this is messy, you should see my place… Maybe I’ll invite you over some time.”

He gave me a wink and I immediately felt the heat in my cheeks.

Dammit.

I never got embarrassed around other men and all of a sudden I felt like I was back in high school.

“Have a seat,” I said. “Make yourself at home. I’ll be right back.”

I headed toward my bedroom and grabbed all of the things I needed from my bathroom. Despite the condition he was in, Uriah’s arrival was enough to put a smile on my face. For a moment, the stress of carrying his child didn’t weigh on me.

When I got back to my living room, Uriah was sitting comfortably on my couch, leaning back in his seat with his arms spread.

“This is a nice place,” he said. “Brickstone must be doing a lot better than you implied before.”

“I’ve been living in this apartment for most of my adult life. I got a good deal on it. Landlord says I’m a good tenant.”

I swabbed some of the alcohol on his cheek and wiped away the blood. Uriah sighed a deep breath while I examined his injury closer.

“It doesn’t look serious,” I said. “Just a small laceration. The blood made it worse than it is. The bruising will probably swell worse in a few days though. I hope you don’t plan on getting your picture taken anytime soon.”

“And to think I was planning on getting my Christmas portraits taken early this year.”

We shared a laugh together. Despite how intimidating Uriah was, there was a softer side to him. I expected an Alpha like him tough to be around but I only found myself growing more comfortable.

“You have a nice smile,” I said.

I was so busy with the cut on his cheek that I almost didn’t realize what I’d said. When I did, my eyes widened in surprise.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I didn’t mean to—”

“Why would you be sorry about complimenting me?”

“I don’t know,” I said with a shrug. “Doesn’t seem appropriate to say something like that when you’re injured.”

“Just a small cut and a small bruise. Nothing serious.”

“Right…”

I smiled softly at him.

“You have a nice smile, too,” he said.

“Now you should be the one apologizing.”

“For what?”

“Trying to tease me. Mocking me.”

“Okay, okay,” he said with a laugh. “I’m sorry.”

He put his hands up innocently. It was nice to see him in a good mood.

“But you do have a nice smile,” he said softly.

I did my best to pretend like I hadn’t heard him even though we both knew I did. I reached down for a bandage and put it on his cheek.

“There,” I said. “All patched up. You should probably avoid getting punched in the face if you want it to heal faster.”

“Good advice,” he said with a nod.

“Do you want something to drink? I have some beer in the fridge.”

“I’m still on-duty. I only popped in here to say hello to you.”

“Oh. Right. I forgot. The whole cop thing.”

Stupid.

I looked away from him. I didn’t do a good job of hiding my embarrassment.

“Listen,” I said as I shook my head. “It was dumb of me to send you that message. I was just bored and I was just wondering what you were up to. I forgot that your job is probably a little more intensive than sitting in a cubicle all day.”

“Most of the time, I do just that. It’s not all shootouts and car chases. Trust me, Bryce. I’m exactly where I want to be.”

He reached out and took my hand in his. I looked up at him. That tender smile of his was so damn distracting that I had trouble thinking straight.

“Besides,” he said. “We need to talk.”

“We do?”

“Of course. About the baby.”

“Oh. Right.”

I let out a laugh and glanced down at my stomach.

“It’s hard to believe that happened,” I sighed. “Most Omegas spend their whole lives looking for someone to be with.”

“And most Alphas feel the same way. How are you feeling though, Bryce?”

“…I’d be lying if I said this is how I pictured everything going. You hear stories about things like this happening after a one-night stand but you never think it’ll happen to you.”

“I guess we learned our lesson.”

“We sure did,” I said, chuckling softly. “But I’m not upset. I’m happy. This is what I want. I’m ready to do whatever it takes to make sure that this child is all right.”

I pulled my hand from Uriah’s and put it over my stomach. He followed and put his hand on top of mine.

“I feel the same way,” he said. “I know the situation is a little weird. Going from complete strangers to sharing something like this… It’s awkward. But there’s no reason that this won’t work out. I’ll be here for you. I’ll be here for our child. You can depend on me, Bryce.”

Uriah gave me a look that made me believe everything he was saying. A stranger not even a day ago and now I was entrusting him to be the Alpha to my child.

I nodded softly to him and smiled.

“This will work,” I said. “I know this can work. Which is more than I can say for myself…”

“What does that mean?”

“Brickstone. I… I won’t be working there for awhile.”

“It’s probably for the best. The pregnancy is going to take a lot out of you. Will the bar be okay?”

“It’ll be fine. You saw for yourself. It’s not that busy. And I’ve got a lot of people around me. My brother hired a lot of good people.”

“Your brother… When am I going to meet him?”

“You want to meet my brother?”

His face scrunched with confusion.

“What?” he said as he shook his head. “Of course I want to meet your brother. He’s going to be my child’s uncle.”

“Right,” I said, laughing softly. “I suppose you’re going to meet him eventually. I just… Can I ask you a favor?”

“Sure.”

“Don’t go to Brickstone. Don’t go looking for him. Knowing my brother, there’s no telling how he would react to finding out that you’re the father. You could be the finest man in all of Snow Falls but he’d still judge you.”

“If that’s what you want—”

“That’s what I want. I… I’ll introduce you to him when the time is right. I promise. Just trust me…”

Even though I’d only just met him, it hurt me to keep my brother away from Uriah. Uriah didn’t mind though. That soft smile still on his lips, he just nodded.

“Okay,” he said. “Whatever you want.”

“Thanks…”

I put my head down and held back a sigh of relief.

“I don’t suppose you can tell me the details of your investigation,” I said. “But it’d be nice to know that you’re doing all right.”

“I can’t share the details of a police investigation with anybody. Not even you. But there’s nothing you need to worry about. I’ll get to the bottom of the case, one way or another.”

“I know you will…”

I moved closer to him and leaned against his arm. The two of us sat comfortably on the couch. The way his hard body felt against me brought back memories of what we did the night before. His masculine scent was intoxicating, clouding any other thoughts I had.

My face drifted toward his. He met me the rest of the way. Our lips smacked softly with a kiss. His facial hair was rough against my skin. His tongue felt so good against mine that I inhaled a deep breath and sighed.

I somehow managed to work the strength up and pull away from him.

“I know this is selfish of me,” I whispered. “But I won’t be working. And I know you don’t have a lot of free time. Maybe though… Maybe we could spend some time together.”

“I was just about to mention the same thing.”

“Great. If you’re not busy, when you’re done with work, you can come by and we’ll have dinner. No diner. No restaurant. Just you and me in my apartment. How does that sound?”

“That sounds amazing, Bryce. I’m looking forward to it.”

He gave me another kiss and pulled another sigh out of me. The kind of desire he was stirring inside of me was hard for me to fight off. If he wasn’t the man I was meant to be with, my body was telling me otherwise.

“You should probably get back to work,” I said. “I don’t want to keep you.”

“It’s all right. I’ve still got some time. I’m not in a hurry at the moment.”

“…Then you won’t mind if…”

I reached down toward his crotch. His thick length pulsed against his jeans. I didn’t know how turned-on he was at the moment but his body was telling me he was.

And that look in his eyes. That look that told me not to stop.

“Just a moment,” I whispered.

“Just a moment…”

I couldn’t help but smirk. I undid his belt and zipped him down. He shifted just enough for me to pull his jeans and underwear down to his ankles. His thick shaft popped up, so full of life. His length was so rigid that it made my mouth water.

It was moments like this that I was grateful for. Knowing that I had a man I could be with. Someone I could please. I couldn’t wait a second longer.

I satisfied my anticipation and lowered my mouth down on him. I sealed my lips around his tip, licking the opening. Uriah shifted in his seat and let out a deep sigh. A drop of precum spilled on my tongue and I gulped it down.

My face moved down his shaft. My tongue slid along his length the entire way. His cock trembled between my teeth. Down… and down… and down… I kept moving until he was resting comfortably inside my throat.

I held my breath and did my best to let him enjoy the feeling. From the sound of his groans, I knew he was enjoying the feeling.

I reached underneath his shirt and massaged his hard abdomen. The muscles on his stomach were amazing against my fingertips. Just another reminder of how fit he was.

But the taste of his cock, his smooth hilt pressed against my lips… That was what had me craving him so much.

I bobbed my head up and down. Sloppy slurps grew louder and louder. Spit dripped down every side of his length and onto the base. I made a mess of him. I took a moment every now and then to grab a gulp of air.

I couldn’t help myself. I quickened my pace, spurred by moans becoming more audible. The masculine grunt of an Alpha was like nothing else.

“Bryce…”

He massaged the back of my head. Fingertips rubbed my scalp until suddenly tightening with a fistful of hair. Uriah held me in place and started grinding his hips up and into my throat.

I couldn’t talk. I could barely breathe. The only sounds that came out of me were desperate moans. Pathetic pleas for him to give me what I wanted. And with the way he pumped his cock into my mouth, I knew that he needed it just as bad as I did.

“Bryce… I’m gonna…”

He didn’t finish. His body suddenly seized up. With one last pump, he pulled his cock out just so his tip was resting on my tongue. I sealed my lips around him. A thick spurt of cum splashed in my mouth.

“Mmm…”

I moaned on his cock and savored the taste of his seed. Another pump was just as generous as the last. I swallowed down every drop that came out of him. I’d never had a man who was as satisfying as Uriah.

Uriah came in my mouth, breathing hard and holding my head in place. I didn’t want the moment to end but even an Alpha like had run out of strength.

Uriah let out one last dribble of cum and sank deeper into my couch. He released me from his grip and I pulled my mouth off of him with a satisfied gasp.

My eyes were watery. Spit and cum dripped down my chin. My cheeks were undoubtedly red. But all of that only meant I’d done my job.

I looked back up at him. He pulled me close and kissed me before I could do or say anything else. A last satisfied sigh from the both of us signaled the end of our moment together.

I rested my head on his chest and closed my eyes.

I still had to figure out what to do. For now, I could enjoy just being with him.