The second the words left his mouth, the Alpha immediately felt like the world’s biggest asshole. The look of complete betrayal in Julian’s eyes hit him like a punch to the gut. He had to take a minute to compose himself before following the Omega down the little walkway to the beach. He wasn’t sure if Julian would even let him apologize, but he had to try.

The Omega had looked startled when Eric first spoke, but he recovered quickly. “Let me guess,” Julian said, scowling up at him. “You’re going to demolish my sand castle and build a newer one. That’s your style, isn’t it?”

Eric had to laugh at that one. “Well, maybe I won’t demo it entirely. It just needs a few little improvements.” He sat down on the beach across from Julian and looked at the pile of sand thoughtfully. “For example, these exterior, uh… walls. They could use some reinforcement. There’s no way this is up to code.”

The flicker of a smile crossed Julian’s face, but he quickly huffed and looked away. Eric began to shape the sand, scooping it into a bigger pile. “What do you think?” the Alpha said, patting it into place. “Should we do Craftsman or Victorian?”

The Omega glanced down and shook his head. “Ranch style, all the way.”

“You think so?” Eric was beyond relieved that Julian seemed to be loosening up, playing along. Maybe there was hope after all. “I didn’t know you were an architecture buff.”

“It’s just a hobby for me,” Julian said. “I’ve read some books, and I watch a lot of home shows.”

“Ah yes, the modern farmhouse channel,” Eric said.

Julian chuckled at the joke and raised one eyebrow. “I’m surprised you know about it. It doesn’t seem like a very Alpha show.”

“It’s important for me to know what’s popular,” Eric said, shaping the sides of the sandcastle as he spoke. “Shows like that help me figure out what buyers want so I can tailor properties to meet those expectations. Of course, they never show you the team of guys who have to bust their asses doing all the grunt work of renovating so that the pretty host and hostess can breeze in and do the work that looks good on camera.”

The Omega rolled his eyes. “Oh, and you would know?”

“Sure. That’s how I put myself through school. It was a good way to learn the construction trade. Actually, I worked on a crew that renovated a lake house that was similar in style to… the house.” He’d managed to catch himself before saying “your house,” but just barely. “We ended up doing nautical touches, but nothing too over the top. It came out really pretty.”

Julian looked down at the sandcastle, watching as Eric shaped the sand, then glanced up at him. “If you like doing renovation work, then why not focus on that? I know for a fact that folks around here like to keep their vacation rental properties trendy. You could make a lot of money in a place like this if you built things instead of knocking them over.”

Eric shook his head. “I need money quick. Renovations take time, especially if you want to do it right. And I won’t rush through a job like that.”

The Omega looked suspicious. “Why the rush on this house, then? Do you owe someone money?”

“My niece,” Eric said, before he thought to stop himself.

Julian frowned in confusion. “You owe your niece money?”

The Alpha didn’t really want to tell Julian the details. Everything was between Eric and his family, and he wanted it to stay that way. But maybe if the Omega understood the situation he would stop glaring at Eric all the time.

“My sister’s kid, Leah, has her heart set on going to college in the fall,” he said. “Premed. My sister Charlotte has a hard enough time making ends meet, raising a kid on her own since she was sixteen, and she was worried about taking out a loan. Since I have fewer expenses and a higher earning potential, I told her I would help out with Leah’s tuition.” He shrugged, poking at the sandcastle.

“That’s… very admirable,” Julian said slowly.

Eric glanced up to see if the Omega was being sarcastic, but no, he just looked sad.

“Now what’s wrong?” the Alpha asked.

Julian sighed, tracing a little pattern in the sand with a fingertip. “Well, now I know that you’re doing all this for unselfish reasons, I can’t hate you for it. That’s annoying. I was kind of enjoying it, you know?”

Eric laughed. “You can still hate me. Anyone who can scowl like you do definitely has it in them. You look like a grumpy old bulldog. It’s great.”

“I do not scowl like an old bulldog!” Julian said, scowling.

“See!”

“Oh, just for that, I’m going to renovate your sandcastle!” The Omega flattened one corner with a thump and was reaching back for another strike.

“Hey!” Eric made a grab for the Omega’s wrist to prevent further damage, but Julian pulled back, still laughing. The Alpha was startled at how strong he was, and it threw him off balance. Eric pitched forward and Julian pitched back, and they ended up in an untidy heap. The Omega was pinned beneath him on the sand on the wreckage of the castle.

His logical reaction would have been to get up and apologize profusely, but Eric’s senses were suddenly flooded by the Omega’s sweet scent, freezing him in place. He’d never been this close to Julian before, so close their noses nearly brushed. He could see tiny golden flecks mixed with the green in Julian’s eyes, and the soft fan of his long dark eyelashes.

The Omega’s eyes widened slightly as he looked up at him, and Eric heard him catch his breath, but he didn’t pull away. The Alpha didn’t know how long they stared at each other: it could have been seconds or a year. Time froze around them, and the only movement in the world was the quickening thudding of Eric’s own pulse.

Looking back on it later, Eric never knew who moved first. But suddenly, as if by some hidden signal, they had both leaned forward and closed the distance between them, and the kiss was sudden and real and electric. The warm press as the Omega’s lips met his own sent a jolt through the Alpha like stepping on a live wire. It shocked him that Julian, normally so proud and distant, would have such a sweet and yielding mouth. The Omega’s lips were silky soft, and to the Alpha’s surprise, his hands clutched at Eric’s t-shirt like a drowning man, pulling him closer.

He knew this was a terrible idea on so many levels. He also knew that he didn’t want to stop.

Eric nipped lightly at the Omega’s bottom lip, and Julian opened to him like a flower. The soft sound the Omega made when Eric slipped his tongue inside made him melt. He could feel the Omega’s cock hardening, pressing against his hip, and the knowledge that Julian was turned on too was deliciously exciting. Eric’s world had narrowed down to the beautiful man beneath him, his taste and touch and intoxicating scent.

A soft cough from behind them made them both jump and look up. Two men were standing on the walkway. He recognized one as Gabe, the Omega who owned the gym. He was wearing the expression of someone trying to hide a smile but failing miserably. A tall man next to him with reddish brown hair met Eric’s eyes. From his build, he was clearly another Alpha, and from his face, he was clearly suspicious of Eric. And between them stood the chubby toddler Eric recognized from the photo on Julian’s phone.

“Are we interrupting something?”