“I'm serious, Tom! Nothing happened! He came home with me, I made us coffee and we hung out.” I crossed my fingers since Tom couldn't see that through the phone.

“Honestly, Milo. Tom sets you up with a good looking, available alpha and Milo just takes the alpha home for coffee? Did Milo at least serve cream with the coffee? That special omega cream?”

“Stop it, Tom! Don't be gross. We just talked and got to know each other better. He's taking me to dinner tonight, if that makes you feel better.”

“Tom approves. Does Milo know what to wear for this date tonight?”

I sighed. That right there was why I hadn't wanted to tell Tom about my date this evening. It had taken me half the morning to put all the clothes away that he'd tried to trash the day before. “Don't worry, Tom. I've got it under control. Besides, it's just dinner because I have to work tomorrow.”

Tom huffed in my ear. “All Milo does is work. Now, let Tom tell Milo about what happened last night with Ian. Milo will approve!”

“Actually, Tom? I doubt that I'll approve. You took off and left me there with a stranger! He turned out to be nice, but what if he hadn't? And it's not like you even know Ian either! You literally just met them yesterday! What were you thinking, Tom?”

“Milo, darling. It is not what Tom was thinking, but rather what Tom was thinking with, to be quite blunt. And let Tom assure Milo that the little head is usually the better head to listen to in these situations.”

I groaned, and tuned out the rest of Tom's conversation. I really didn't want to hear the blow-by-blow, pun not intended, of his evening with Ian. After a few more minutes, I rushed him off the phone and hurried to take a shower. I really did want to look my best tonight. I wasn't ready to admit it to Tom, but Rafe was the best alpha I'd ever met. He was smart, sweet, and gorgeous. Which probably meant that he was too good to be true, but whatever. I was willing to take a risk if it meant spending another evening with him.

* * *

“Okay, one more and that's it. Seriously. Not another bite.” I bit into the garlicky goodness and closed my eyes to enjoy the food-gasm it gave me. So yummy!

Rafe laughed at me as I ate another garlic fry after saying the same thing that I'd been saying for the last ten or or so bites. I really was full, it's just that the food was so fricken yummy.

This time though, I wiped my fingertips on the napkin, laid it over the plate and pushed it away. I had to stop, or I would be sick. “What did you want to do next?”

Rafe wiggled his eyebrows and smirked at me. “Are you sure you want to ask a loaded question like that, cutie?”

I blushed furiously as I adjusted my glasses. “Okay, I admit it. That was a loaded question. I meant, would you like to walk around like we did last time? Or maybe check out the bowling alley, or something along those lines. I would offer to go back to my place and watch a movie, but after that last comment I'm thinking maybe I'll just leave that off the table.”

Rafe's teeth gleamed as he grinned. “Actually, a walk does sound good after all that food we just consumed. But if you want to go back to your place and watch a movie after that, I promise to be a good little alpha.”

Shaking my head, I said: “Why does that sound like famous last words?” After a brief argument, I paid the bill and we left the diner. It was windier tonight. I walked with my arms hugging my waist, as I fought off the chill. Without warning, Rafe's jacket landed around my shoulders.

“Put it on, Milo. I'm not gonna be responsible for you freezing to death out here. I don't think that would be a romantic end to our date, do you?” He winked at me and waited to see me put it on.

I shrugged my arms into the over-sized jacket and zipped it up. Without thinking, I blurted out: “Oh, so this is definitely a date then? I wasn't sure.”

“Well, then allow me to clarify it for you.” Rafe stepped in front of me and put his hands on either side of my face then leaned in and kissed me gently. Pulling away, he winked and asked: “Did that clear things up for you, Milo?”

“Hmm. I dunno, Rafe. I may need to go over that again later if the details get fuzzy.” I shocked myself by easily flirting with the hot alpha, but with him I wasn't nervous for some reason.

We walked through town at an easy pace. When we got near my neighborhood, I reached out for his hand. “Why don't we go back to my place now, and watch a movie or something? It's pretty chilly out here anyway.”

At his easy agreement, we headed toward my place. Before I knew it, we were in my living room and snuggled up on my couch. I let Rafe control the remote while we searched for a movie. I didn't really care what he chose, I was just enjoying being with him. There was just something about him that drew me in and made me want to get closer to him.

After we agreed on a classic comedy, Rafe set the remote on the coffee table and stretched his arm out for me to snuggle up to him. After a brief moment of hesitation, I scooted over and cuddled up against him. His arm went around my back, with his hand coming to rest on my hip. It was way more couple-ish than I would have expected for a second date, but I definitely wasn't complaining.

By the time the movie ended, neither of us were watching it. At some point, I'd ended up on Rafe's lap for a kiss and then we'd been busy playing tonsil hockey for the second half of the movie. When the room went silent, I managed to pull my lips apart from his long enough to look over my shoulder at the TV. The movie had ended and we were back at the information screen that detailed the flick.

I laughed and touched my forehead down against Rafe's shoulder. “Did we just miss the entire movie to make out, or did I imagine that?”

His lips kissed the top of my head as he chuckled into my hair. “Yeah, we pretty much did exactly that. But it was fun, right?”

Suddenly things got a little too serious for me. I felt the sexual tension in the room, and I wasn't ready to make that step yet. I hadn't told him yet that I'm still a virgin, but he's probably figured it out. I wanted it, I really did. I just wasn't ready. Even with an alpha like Rafe.

I sat up and looked around for my glasses. As if reading my mind, Rafe plucked them up from the end table next to him and glided them onto my face slowly. “I think it's time for me to go, Milo. Either that, or I won't be willing to leave. And although I'd love it, I somehow doubt that you're ready for that yet, Milo.”

I shook my head slowly, looking down at my lap. “I'm sorry, Rafe.”

Rafe put two fingers under my chin and tilted my face up to look into my eyes. “Milo. Never be sorry for being true to yourself. You're right. It is too soon, and we don't need to rush. When you're ready, I'll be here. If you're never ready, I'll still be here, enjoying your company. I'm not gonna lie, Milo. I mean, you're sexy as fuck, baby. But that doesn't mean that I would ever push you into something that you're not ready to do.”

I blushed at his words, then slowly nodded. “Thanks, Rafe. I'm not used to alphas that aren't pushy or trying to force their will on me.”

Rafe smiled and kissed my forehead. “I'm not most alphas, Milo. I'd rather that we take our time and really build something. I don't know why, but I have a really good feeling about you.”