I could tell Leo didn’t like small planes.

Maybe he didn’t even want to be here with me right now.

I wanted to see how it panned out and see if we made it through the trip without fighting like cats and dogs. I didn’t taunt him and didn’t tease, instead observing him in silence as he sat stiffly on the plane beside me.

When the stiffness and the silence on his end lasted too long already, soon turning to his face becoming pale, I began to grow worried and decided to throw my own silence out the window.

“So other than dark elevators, you’re also scared of planes?”

Leo shook his head slowly as if afraid to move. The pilot had already taken off, and we were flying across a body of water where we had a fantastic view. But his gaze was trained on the wall in front of us.

“I’m not a big fan of heights,” he finally admitted. “And tiny planes.”

I figured that. I was just surprised that even with his so-called fear, he still boarded the plane with me and didn’t even so much as a protest. It spoke volumes of his determination and work ethic.

“Talk to me,” I said. “I’ll help you forget you’re up in the air.”

“Why does this conversation sound familiar?”

I laughed, though I hadn’t realized it until now. I also realized that I had the habit of trying to ease him into things, which didn’t escape his notice. This little omega was observant as hell.

And still decidedly nervous.

“If you don’t like planes, how did you manage situations like this before?” I asked.

Leo shrugged. The move emphasized his slender shoulders, which were visible due to his tight tank top—the first time I’d seen them since our first meeting in the hotel. He was always wearing suits in the office, boring outfits that didn’t show off that tight omega body he was hiding beneath. Now I got a better look at his body due to him leaving in a rush and not having time to get suited and booted.

For a twink, this omega sure filled out his jeans very, very nicely. A nice round butt and tasty-looking bungle in his pants.

“Commercial planes,” he replied. “They’re big and brawny and crowded. Unlike this. Something about being with many people helps me cope better.”

I grinned. Then I took pity on him and decided to change the subject.

“Tell me about your favorite place in the world.”

Leo gave me a puzzled look. I met his gaze steadily, letting him know I was serious about the question. After some hesitation, he finally spoke.

“Prague.”

I expected him to say Paris or the Caribbean. “Prague?”

“I love old buildings and architecture. I love the streets of Prague and the air of mystery. I always thought of it as one of my settings if I ever write a book someday.”

“And what type of book would that be, Erotica?”

A smile played on his lips, distracting me. “No. Silly! A fantasy adventure, with a dash of romance.”

Fascinated at the dreamy look that entered his eyes, I leaned forward as casually as I could. “Tell me more.”

“It will be about an orphan boy who discovers he’s not so normal after all, and that his best friend is a vampire and he must kill him. But then someone else wants to kill him, too, so he decides to protect his friend instead and run away with him in the end. Prague seems like the most fun city to run away to, and I’m planning to fill it with all kinds of monsters that will make readers have nightmares. At the same time, I want there to be magic—the type of magic that people will dream about and long for.”

The picture he painted was so pretty that I found myself imagining it in vivid colors. He kept talking, building up a world that was so rich and detailed, I knew without a doubt that he was going to make it come to life in words someday. He had the knack for it.

As I watched as Leo talked, I also saw his face come to life and glow. I found all I wanted to do was pull him closer to me and just inhale his sweet omega scent. Then, kiss those soft lips of his, like I did in the darkness of the elevator that night in the hotel. The need for it was so stark, so raw, that I had to grip my arm rest tight to control my sexual urges. It was one thing to fantasize about him.

It was another thing to act on it.

I stopped leaning forward and sat back, listening as Leo’s story came to a close. The distant look in his eyes vanished, and he finally looked at me.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I got carried away.”

“No worries,” I assured him. “I like it.” I tilted my head, thinking it over. “Have you thought about writing short stories for the magazine? A monthly segment that ends with a cliffhanger each time?”

“You mean fiction? About what?”

“Something similar to what you just talked about.”

“Oh.” He bit his lip. I inwardly groaned at the unconsciously cute move. “My dad wasn’t really into it.”

“Your dad’s not the boss now,” I replied.

Leo’s eyes widened. Then he turned his head completely toward me, and I saw the spark of hope in his expression. “Are you saying…?”

“We could test it out,” I said as casually as I could. “We’re still in the experimental stage, after all. It might balance out our non-fiction stories. If the readers like the first month’s story, then we can continue. If not, we eliminate it.”

Leo’s hopeful look turned positively joyous, lighting up his green eyes and making them clearer than ever. His smile grew wide, turning into a grin that was infectious. He vibrated with energy now, almost like he wanted to jump for joy, then hugged me.

The need settled in my belly, intense and shocking. I wanted him in my arms. I wanted him on my lap, kissing and touching the hell out of me with the same enthusiasm he had when he talked about his story.

I wanted my cock buried deep inside him, too.

I wanted him moaning my goddamn name.

I ordered myself to calm down and not show any of the desire on my face, as I was sure it would scare him off, and I didn’t want that.

But I also didn’t want him to lose that kind of joy on his face ever again.

* * *

The factory problem was handled fairly well, in large thanks to Leo and his amazing people skills.

We went to the manager right away and asked what the problem was, and he relayed worriedly that the workers’ strike was caused by Walter having docked the pay due to sinking magazine funds, with a promise to bring the pay back up in a month or two. But as the magazine steadily kept sinking, Walter wasn’t able to keep his promise.

It was a common problem, I supposed, and it was a shocker more people hadn’t quit yet. Again, it was a testament to the good management that Walter had, earning respect all across the workforce—they wanted to hang around and see what he could do to rectify this, rather than just jump ship. I knew I would have handled it differently.

“Can you go ahead and handle this? I want to see how you work this out,” I said to Leo, placing my hand on his lower back.

Leo looked at me, surprised. “Are you sure? What are your terms?”

“So, the bossy omega is asking me for terms now?”

Leo rolled his eyes. “I don’t want to make false promises to these guys.”

That made sense. I nodded. “You can raise their pay. But not higher than their original rate. Remember, we’re in a precarious position at the moment until we get the business performance to the level I have planned for.”

He thought it over. Then Leo nodded and asked the manager to gather all the workers on the main floor.

Thirty minutes later, I watched as Leo made his speech: An apology for the broken promises his father had made, an instant thirty percent increase on their wages now, and a plea to keep working diligently until things were properly resolved. He made everyone aware of the current situation and how we were going to do our best to keep the company going, and how the loyal ones would be compensated accordingly. In his words, I heard a bold cry of passion and compassion — a combination that not one of the workers could resist. They were all under his spell in no time, the respect clear in their eyes as they realized he was absolutely sincere and determined to keep them happy and looked after.

Leo was a fascinating creature. Unlike any omega I had ever seen before—so assertive and strong.

And I began to realize that I wanted to devour all knowledge of him that I could.