Eating out with Lew was fun. Shopping with Lew was even more fun. I hadn’t realized before how seriously he took it, but maybe that was an omega thing? No matter, I came out of that store with more food than I’d ever bought before and paid less than I ever had. He promised me that nothing in the cart would put weight on me, which was a relief, because I was already behind on my weight-loss schedule.

Back home, we put everything away and then I showed Lew the rest of the apartment and taught him how to make the slightly cantankerous taps in the big tiled shower stall work. I noticed his eyes skating over to the bed a couple of times, but I’d already made up my mind that I wasn’t going to confuse things any worse than they already were by expecting us to sleep together—or do anything else in a bed together. Not for a few days at least, if at all. I wanted Lew to feel settled and at home here first, and I didn’t want to pressure him at all. If this was going to work between us, I had to read his signals better. And right now, he was anxious about that bed. I could see it in the way he held his shoulders.

“Why don’t we veg on the couch and watch some TV?” I suggested as we dried ourselves off after our adventures with the shower. “Or we could play a game or watch a movie. Or if you’d rather, we can go out to a movie.” I thought about that for a second. “If we could find an early one. I have to be on set for make-up at six.”

“Ew,” he said, almost automatically, but I still laughed at him.

“The glamorous life of an actor,” I reminded him. “It can’t all be champagne and parties.”

He made a face. “I don’t think I’d like that all the time either.”

“I don’t think anyone really does, to be honest.” I led him out of the bathroom, avoiding the bed again, and back to stare at my movie collection. “I have these, or there’s probably something on one of the channels.” I grabbed the remote and turned the TV on. “What are you in the mood for?”

He shrugged and moved closer to me, slipping an arm around my waist. “Nothing scary, but other than that, I just kind of watch whatever’s on at home. You know me.”

I nodded, remembering. Lew really didn’t care what was on the TV, but he did care about who he watched it with. “We can just go through the channels and see what looks good.”

We settled on a police procedural, where Lew correctly predicted the villain within the first five minutes, then watched this new paranormal adventure series that had been picked up for the summer season last year.

“Do you know anyone in this?” Lew asked. He’d moved closer as the evening wore on, getting a little more comfortable with my home and with me, I hoped. Right now, his head was resting on my shoulder and the side of his thigh made a line of warmth down mine where they touched. I’d put my arm over his shoulders at the beginning of this show and he’d reached up to wrap his fingers around mine where they lay against his chest.

“None of the main stars,” I told him. “But someone I acted with last summer has a part in this. His character should be showing up in an episode or two.”

“Neat,” Lew said, and snuggled a little closer. “You know, I’ve never seen any of your movies or TV shows.”

“Never?”

Lew shook his head. “Couldn’t stand to watch them. Even to see the posters. I’d get so mad.”

I kissed the top of his head. “I’m sorry.”

“You’re making up for it now, right?” He tipped his head back so he could look up at me.

“Trying,” I said, and leaned down to kiss him. I’d thought it would just be a quick kiss, a little romantic maybe but mostly just affection and the love I felt for him bubbling up in me. But Lew’s response was so sweet and open and generous that the kiss quickly deepened and the paranormal perils of the guys on the TV were completely forgotten, at least by me. I lost myself in the taste of Lew’s mouth, in how his need called to me and made me want to crush him beneath my body and make him entirely mine once again.

Lew’s hand crept under the hem of my shirt, flattening against my skin as he started to lean back on the couch, pulling me down on top of him. I followed him, part of me aware that I couldn’t let this go too far, most of me reeling with the excitement of having him here, in my home. I kissed his mouth and his cheeks, tasted the line of his jaw and thump of the pulse in his throat. He moaned and stretched beneath me and I felt the hardness of his arousal as he rocked his cock against the top of my thigh.

Shit. I closed my eyes and thought about this for a second. “Lew.”

He attacked my neck, tongue echoing his lips as he nuzzled up under my ear. “What?” he whispered, breathless.

“We need to slow down,” I told him and made myself sit up and move away from him. “I didn’t bring you here just so we could have sex.”

He stared at me with dark, puzzled eyes. “I never said you did.” He pulled himself upright and followed me across the couch. “That doesn’t mean you can’t have it. I’m not stupid.”

What the hell did that mean? Figure it out later. “I don’t want to take advantage of you.”

His mouth fell open and he gaped at me for an instant, then shook his head and laughed. “I came to you this afternoon with my bags packed and begged you to take me with you,” he said. “How is that taking advantage?”

“You didn’t beg. I begged. Anyway,” I waved that off, “That’s not important. I didn’t ask you to come here so we could have sex without having to hide it from the family.”

“Like I would.”

Yeah, he probably wouldn’t. He and his mom were thick as thieves, as Grandma would have said. “You told me, back home, that you weren’t ready for that yet.” I looked down and dried my palms against my thighs. “It made me think a bit. I’m not ready right now for that either.” I raised my eyes to meet his. “You know I want you to stay here. But I don’t want to muddy the waters, you know? I don’t want this to be like high school again, where you’re making decisions because it’s what’s best for me. They need to be decisions that are best for us.” Damn, I wasn’t making a lot of sense, was I?

Thank God for Lew, though, because he could be a lot smarter than me sometimes. At least, I didn’t seem to need to be able to speak coherent English or put together three sensible thoughts for him to understand what I was getting at.

His eyes widened and his expression grew thoughtful. I waited to see what he’d say.

Lew scratched his fingernails over the cloth of the couch, making a rhythmic burring noise as he turned my words over in his head. “You know, Mom wasn’t sure you’d be able to make that leap,” he said finally. “I thought you could, or at least I thought you had it in you. But I’m not going to lie and say that I was positive.”

“If we’re going to make it work in this town, with my career, we can’t go into this without thinking,” I told him honestly. “Yeah, I rushed things back home. But film schedules are going to rule our lives if you decide you want to stay with me. We can’t let them make us do things differently.”

“I do want to stay with you. You know it’s more complicated than that.”

I nodded regretfully. “I know. And I know that I still have a lot to make up for.”

He shrugged indifferently. “I think we’re mostly past that, aren’t we?” He stopped picking at the couch and reached out to stroke my chest. “And I miss this.”

I shook my head. “Is it funny that suddenly I’m the anxious one?”

That made him laugh. “No worse than me.” His smile disappeared and he leaned in to kiss me gently on the lips. “All right, I’ll give you some space,” he whispered. His hand on my chest grew heavier. “Doesn’t mean we have to give this up.”

I licked my lips and wondered if this was how omegas felt when faced with an alpha they desperately wanted. “Yes, it does.”

“Mike, you only have one bedroom!” he cried in exasperation, but he was laughing too.

“I know. That’s why,” I stood up and went to get his suitcase, “you’re sleeping in the bedroom. I’m sleeping on the couch. But I have to leave around five-thirty to get to work on time, so if I wake you up, I’m sorry.” I carried his suitcase over to the bedroom and turned to find him following me with a bemused look on his face. "I want this to work," I explained. "You made it plain back home that I was trying to move too fast and leaving you behind. So this is me, slowing down."

He narrowed his eyes as if he didn't quite believe me. I couldn't blame him—I didn't know if I'd believe me either, except I knew what was going on in my head. I waited, standing just inside the door of the bedroom with him just outside, like some overly artsy director had gotten hold of our life story, and secretly crossed my fingers that he understood what I was trying to do.

"What am I going to do with you?" he mused finally, shaking his head. He stepped through the door and kissed me, one hand on my waist, the other just barely touching my cheek. Light as a summer breeze, almost as if he wasn't there, which was an uncomfortable thought. I hoped it wasn't the artsy director's version of foreshadowing.

Lew reached for the suitcase. "All right, I'll humor you for a bit. Until I don't want to anymore." His free hand trailed over my chest and he squeezed my arm. "Do you need the bathroom for anything?"

I nodded. "Need to brush my teeth."

"I'll unpack then."

"I should clean out a drawer for you."

"Time for that tomorrow. You have a long day ahead of you." He laid the suitcase on the bed and came over to hug me. "I'm not mad at you. Lots of other things I'm still mad about, but not this, and we'll work through the other things." He stepped back. "Go get ready for bed. I don't want you getting in trouble at work over me."

"Right." I hesitated, then leaned in for a kiss. He grinned and kissed me back and then slapped me on the ass. "Go."

"Brat," I grumbled, but I went.

When I came back out, he was already in a pair of pajama pants and a loose t-shirt. Not his usual sleeping outfit, as I had good reason to know, but I was glad for it because I would have wanted to change my mind if he'd been in here all naked and close and as willing as he'd obviously been earlier. I fished a spare blanket out from under the bed and snagged one of the pillows. He laughed at me as I made my way back out to the living room, and as soon as I'd turned off the living room lights and gotten settled, he turned out the bedroom lights. Because that was Lew, always thinking ahead, and I wasn't fool enough to believe he hadn't recognized that I'd be stumbling over my own furniture if I had to roam around here in the dark.

It took me a long time to go to sleep though and I thought, from the rustling in the bedroom, that Lew had the same problem. Which was weirdly comforting, in a creepy, pervy sort of way.

Of course, when I thought about Lew, I was always kind of pervy. But I supposed that was only to be expected of a young, healthy alpha faced with a gorgeous, sexy omega.

I sighed and punched my pillow. Sleep, I need to sleep. Stop thinking about Lew.

It took me forever, but I did eventually fall asleep. And then I dreamed about him.