I shoved the last pair of socks into my suitcase and zipped it up. With the exception of the clothes I planned to wear for the ride home the next day, I was completely packed. And it was only five p.m. Not bad considering I’d had a load of laundry in the dryer and books everywhere just an hour earlier. I decided to take a final stroll around the little downtown that had been my home for the past few months.

The green belt that connected the office I was interning at to the shopping center with all my favorite restaurants was well traveled in the evening, so I veered left when I got to the trail and joined the masses on their way to and from work. Today was technically my last day on the job, but my boss let me leave at lunch so I could finish packing. I almost regretted leaving early because that left me with an entire evening to kill before I got on my train the next morning to go home.

The smell of my favorite coffee beckoned me like a devilish siren, and I found myself standing in line at Cafe Om. I was surrounded by hipsters who were writing manuscripts or designing apps on the free Wi-Fi and it made me more than a little uncomfortable. The place was busier than I’d ever seen it, but I never came at night. I always stopped in on my way to the office and sometimes for a three o’clock snack. But it was my last day in town, and I deserved a treat.

The omega girl behind the counter called my name to collect my coffee and snickerdoodle, and I couldn’t hide the disappointment on my face when I saw the ceramic mug filled to the brim and the plate next to it with my warm cookie.

I ordered it to go.

I always order to go.

No wonder so many damn people were in the cafe if they were encouraging patrons to sit and stay awhile. I considered demanding a paper cup and bag but thought better of it. It was my last night in town and I had nowhere else to be. So, instead of being a dick, I took a cleansing breath and smiled at the harried girl. “Thanks, sweetheart. It looks great.”

She smiled and heaved out a deep sigh as if she’d been expecting me to treat her like shit just because I’m an alpha. Sadly, that wouldn’t be an unreasonable assumption since many alphas did treat omegas like second-class citizens. I wasn’t raised that way, but I was grateful to be born an alpha. Not because alphas were better than betas or omegas, but because there was always a harem of men and women vying for my attention. I tried not to take advantage of my status, but in situations like this, when I was in a packed room full of omegas and in need of a place to sit, it came in pretty damn handy.

An older guy was sitting in the far corner with a book, but it was easy to tell that he was peeking over the edge of the spine to check me out. I took a quick glance around the room to see if there were any better options, but he was definitely the hottest guy in the room. In the spirit of treating myself to something special before leaving town, I grabbed my cup and plate and strode right over to him.

“Excuse me, but do you mind if I share the table with you?” My cup was already resting on the surface before he could snap his jaw shut and respond.

“Uh, yeah. Of course. Have a seat.” He pulled his own cup closer to his book and scooted his chair against the wall to give me space. His awkwardness was actually pretty adorable.

“Thanks.” I pulled the second chair out and dropped into it. “It’s really packed tonight.”

The stranger cocked his head as he gave me a thorough inspection. “Do you attend school here?”

I chuckled at the suggestion. The only school around was a religious university run by nuns and priests. No way in hell would I have ever survived that place. “No, I’d probably burst into flames if I stepped foot inside the gate.”

“Oh, sorry. Most guys your age attend the college, so I just assumed.” His chin instinctively tucked down to his chest, and I could tell his cheeks were flushed.

“No worries, man. I get it.” I raised my hand to introduce myself to my new table mate. “I’m Coop, by the way.”

“Right, yeah.” He took my hand and gave it a firm shake before quickly pulling away. “I’m Ash. Good to meet you.”

I took a sip of my coffee and let my eyes drift from Ash’s full lips and straight teeth down to his tight body. He looked like he was in amazing shape considering he was more than a few years older than me. Most omegas started to rock a “dad bod” by the time they were thirty and had pumped out a few babies. But this guy was still in his prime. Despite the sprinkles of white in his golden-brown hair and the small creases pointing at his big blue eyes, he was one of the most attractive men I’d seen in a while. “So, Ash. You come here often?”

* * *

Thank god Ash had a good sense of humor or my cheesy pickup line might not have worked. But he laughed, as predicted, and we spent the next hour talking about the weather and coffee and TV shows. By the time we finished discussing the remaining contestants on a reality cooking show, we were both starved.

“Can I buy you dinner?” I asked after my stomach made an embarrassingly loud rumbling sound.

He looked down at my half-eaten cookie and his cup of cold coffee and smiled back at me. “Yeah, that sounds good.”

“Great!” I grabbed our trash and piled up our dishes then took them to the busing station. When I came back, Ash was standing at the table, waiting for me. “Do you like Thai? There’s a pretty good place down the street that shouldn’t be too busy right now.”

He glanced at his watch and the crowd left in the cafe. “There’s a church that ends its evening service in about ten minutes. If we hurry, we can beat the rush.”

“Okay.” I didn’t think about what I was doing when I grabbed Ash’s hand and tugged him out the door. “I love a good race.”

His fingers easily fit within mine and a warmth seemed to emanate from Ash in a way I couldn’t even describe. I’d only known him for a few hours, but being with him felt natural and easy in a way I hadn’t felt with any other man before. He must have felt it too because with each step we took, his fingers gripped a little tighter and his body pressed closer to mine. It was like he was trying to climb inside me, and I fucking loved it.

We only had to walk two blocks to get to the restaurant, but by the time we arrived, the air between us was thick and charged. The warmth I felt had upgraded to an inferno, and I couldn’t smell anything but his arousal when we walked into the small lobby. Several alpha heads shot up from tables near the door and my possessive instincts kicked in. Ash was mine for tonight, and these men would lose a limb if they tried to get near him.

I wrapped an arm around his tight frame and pulled him against my side, making it clear to him and everyone else in the room that this omega was taken. He looked up at me with a scorching gaze, and I watched his blue eyes darken.

“How hungry are you?” I asked, hoping he’d understand where I was going with the conversation.

“Not at all for food.” His lids drooped, and he leaned closer to me, begging me to take his mouth.

As much as I love to see a man beg, I couldn’t wait any longer to get a taste of him. I closed the gap between us, sealing my lips over his and pressing into his mouth. Ash moaned loudly as I fucked his mouth, not unlike the way his fully clothed hips were fucking my leg.

I pulled away and took a step back to give us some breathing room. “We need to get out of here.”

“I live across the street from Cafe Om.” His lips were already pink and swollen from my afternoon scruff, and I wondered what his ass would look like with the same treatment. “We can go there.”

“Let’s go.” This time I didn’t thread my fingers through his. I kept him under my arm and practically dragged him back toward the coffee shop and into his apartment. It was the longest four-minute walk of my life.

We didn’t even make it all the way inside his condo before my shirt was over my head and he was pawing at the button on my jeans. “I need you naked.”

Ask and ye shall receive. With a gentle shove of his hands, I flicked the button and dropped my zipper in one motion. Then I stepped out of my shoes and jeans before he realized what was happening.

“Wow, that was…” I’d rendered him speechless. He just took a step back and inspected my body from head to toe. Based on the spike of his scent wafting to me and the nice bulge tenting his pants, I felt confident he wasn’t disappointed in what he saw.

“If the shows over, I could really use some attention down here.” I flexed my abs and made my dick bounce to get his attention.

He took the hint and immediately dropped to his knees, lapping the head of my wet cock with his tongue before sucking me fully into his mouth. It’d been awhile since I was with anyone but I was sure he had some kind of super suction as he practically sucked my balls up through my dick after just a few minutes.

“God, Ash. That feels too good.” I rocked gently into his throat but didn’t force him to take more than he was comfortable with. “If you want my knot, we need to get you naked now.”

He hopped right off my jock and started tearing at his clothes. “Is the couch okay?”

“It’s two feet away.” I kicked my jeans toward the sofa and waited for Ash to get into a comfortable position. “So, yeah, it’s fucking perfect.”

Ash didn’t waste time with preparation. His body was naturally lubed and loosened from the foreplay, so when he planted his knees in the center of the couch and looked up at me from over his shoulder, I almost shot my load right there. He was so fucking hot. A perfect mixture of proper yet playful. Sinful and sweet. And all mine for the moment. “Hurry!”

“Fuck.” There he was with the begging again. Omegas didn’t usually understand what it did to an alpha when they begged for sex. It was like an overdrive button for our libidos and the ultimate aphrodisiac. On second thought, they probably knew exactly what they were doing.

I reached for my wallet from my jeans and pulled out the only condom I had. The one that was at least a year old and had gone through a wash and dry cycle when I accidentally left my wallet in my pants. “Do you have an alpha condom that is newer than this?” I held up the faded package for him to inspect.

He shook his head and wiggled his ass. “Use a fucking Ziploc bag if you have to. I just need you in me.”

My knot bulged and my slit bubbled with precome as I sheathed myself in latex. “Hold on tight, babe. You’re in for the ride of your life.”

“God, yes, Coop. Fill me with that cock.”

Shit, he was sexy as fuck and into talking dirty. Why hadn’t I met Ash three months ago? My summer internship would have been so much better if I’d had an omega lover during those boring nights alone.

“Here it comes.” I positioned my head at his opening and nudged just an inch, but that wasn’t enough for Ash. No, he wanted it all.

In one breathtaking thrust, Ash pushed back onto my cock and completely enveloped me inside his warm channel. I’d never taken a man in one fell swoop like that, but it felt amazing. So amazing that I had to lock my forearm around his hips and pull my balls back with my free hand just to keep from coming too quickly. “Fuck, Ash. You feel too good.”

“Mmm.” He moaned and wiggled, wanting more but giving me a minute to breathe. “So do you. I fucking love your dick.”

And he loves you! I pulled out slowly and then thrust back in, setting a rhythm that allowed my orgasm a slow build that would maximize my time with Ash.

“Is that okay?” I was trying to keep my rhythm steady so he would come before me, but my knot had other plans. When it’s ready to blow, there’s not much short of picturing my grandma baking cookies that can get it to go back down. So when Ash panted out a strangled cry of pleasure and started stroking his cock furiously, I knew he was close.

“Knot me, Coop.” He leaned back against my chest and ribbons of come sprayed across the throw blanket covering his sofa. “I need it.”

Whether he needed it or not, he got it. Hard. I pressed my pelvis as far into him as possible as I unloaded into condom and then held him in place against me as I lay on my side, spreading out on the cushions with him still attached to my dick. “You were amazing,” I said softly as he positioned himself against my chest.

“That was so good.” He chuckled to himself. “I had no idea.”

“No idea, what?” I asked, kissing his earlobe as his breathing started to shallow out.

He was quiet for a full minute and I thought he was asleep until he said, “What a difference a knot would make.”

I lay there for a while, trying to process what he meant, but when his breaths turned to soft snores, I knew it was time to leave. My knot had long since gone down and I was just delaying the inevitable. I hated goodbyes and didn’t want to attempt one with a guy I’d only met a few hours earlier, so I carefully extracted myself from his sofa and pulled the blanket down over him before getting dressed and walking out the door.

Ash was a great fuck. One of the best I’d been with if I was being honest. And it was a damn shame I’d never see him again.