Chapter 6
Amelia
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The door rattled hard, the locked handle clicking uselessly under Jenny’s impatient twist. I felt Richard’s warmth against my back, close enough that every slight shift of his muscles sent little waves through my spine.
My breath caught as he leaned in, his voice deep and steady, the sound rolling through me as much as the words did.
“Jenny? I just woke up,” he called out. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
His chest was solid and warm, the heat soaking through my clothes, setting off all my nerves just under the surface. My whole body reacted, a pulse of heat low in my belly. My knees felt weak, my heart pounding too fast, completely giving away how flustered I was by how close he was.
“I was wondering if I should have the chef make an extra breakfast?” Jenny’s voice came through the door, trying to sound casual–but she couldn’t hide how suspicious she was.
“No, I’ll be right there,” Richard said firmly.
We both let out a breath, tension easing–until my phone rang, sharp and loud. I panicked as the doorknob rattled again. Jenny sounded more suspicious now.
“Is someone in there with you?”
The ringing phone and Jenny’s sharp voice overlapped, crowding my brain until I couldn’t think straight. It was too much all at once- noise, pressure, confusion.
I spun around on instinct–and froze when I saw Richard’s bare chest. It was… a lot. Too much, in every way. I squeezed my eyes shut, heart hammering.
Richard didn’t even flinch. He grabbed the phone from the nightstand. I lunged forward on instinct, trying to get it, but ended up on top of him, pressed against his chest, my fingers flat against his skin. I stopped breathing.
He caught my wrists like it was nothing. One hand, easy. Then he clicked a button on the phone.
“Charles? No, I sent the report in yesterday-”
Oh. It was his phone. I felt instantly silly for lunging at it like a maniac. Of course it had been his.
I heard Jenny finally walk away. Richard’s chest buzzed with every word he spoke, and it made me shiver a little. Then I realized–his hand was still holding my wrists. I was still pressed against him.
He suddenly stopped talking. Our eyes met. He didn’t say anything.
Then the phone rang again. He handed it to me.
Oh. It was my phone, he’d just answered like it was his to throw Jenny off. I hadn’t even realized what he was doing in the moment, but now that I did… wow. That was quick thinking. Smart.
The screen said: Landlord.
My stomach dropped. I sat up fast, missing the warmth of Richard’s body way more than I should’ve.
“Amelia, we discussed your rent last week-”
“I–I’m so sorry.” I blurted out. “I thought I’d have a job by now, really–just a bit longer, please”
I was babbling, and Richard was still right there. I felt like I was crumbling in front of him.
Finally, the call ended. The room was too quiet.
“Thank you,” I said, not looking at him. “For dealing with Jenny. And sorry for freaking out. You handled it fast. Guess that’s why you’re the Alpha King.”
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3:49 PM P P
Chapter 6
He chuckled. “Hey, don’t call me Alpha when I’m not on duty.”
“Okay, Sir,” I said before I could stop myself.
“Sir?” he echoed with a smirk. “Do I look like I need a cane to you?”
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“No! Not at all!” I said quickly. Sure, he was older, but in a hot, capable way—not a retiree way. If I thought of him like that, I’d need therapy.
My eyes roamed up again–his jaw, his shoulders, those ridiculous eyes.
“Call me Richard,” he said, voice soft and smooth.
“Okay, Richard,” I murmured. His name felt strange and kind of electric on my tongue. I let it sit there for a second–just the sound of it in my mouth, warm and and a little dangerous. It made something low in my stomach tighten in a way I really didn’t have time to
unpack.
Then his face changed.
“That guy last night–did you know him?”
shook
my
head and looked
away.
Richard let out a slow breath. “One of Jenny’s friends. I’ll have to talk to her about who she lets in as her guests.”
That surprised me. He never acted this stern with her.
“I don’t think they’re close–I’m not even sure she knows him well,” I said quickly.
He didn’t budge. “She let him in. I don’t care how well she knew him–she’s going to answer for it.”
“I don’t really think it’s her faul-
“So,” he cut in suddenly, “you’re still in school?”
I blinked. “Uh, yeah. Third year.”
“You said you’re job hunting. But you’re a full–time student?”
I blinked again, thrown. When had I said that? Was it last night? Had he heard me on the phone? Oh. Of course. I had just said it–to my landlord. He must’ve heard. The realization hit and made my face warm. He’d just been paying attention.
“The university wants us to get internships,” I mumbled. “I haven’t found one yet.”
He nodded. “What kind of work are you hoping for?”
“Communications, maybe. Or being someone’s assistant. I’ve taken some political science classes but… that stuff’s intense.”
“Mm.” He tilted his head. “You ever think about something more structured? Like admin or planning work?”
“I mean… not really. I guess I’m at the point where I’m just hoping someone will take a chance on me.”
He studied me for a second. “Don’t sell yourself short, Amelia.”
For a moment, neither of us said anything. It wasn’t awkward–just quiet. Like something honest had passed between us and neither of us wanted to break it right away.
Then he turned toward the door, back to business. “Jenny’s back in her room. I called a car for you.”
“Thank you,” I said, grabbing my stuff. My stomach twisted again at the thought of seeing Jenny.
At the door, I paused. My hand hovered over the handle, and I couldn’t stop the question from bubbling up. “Did we, um…” I hesitated, my voice catching in my throat. “Did anything happen?” The words came out slower than I wanted, clumsy and unsure, but I needed
to know
He looked at me seriously. “No, Amelia. Nothing happened.”
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Chapter 6
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Relief flooded me. It didn’t make sense–wasn’t this what I had wanted?-but it was there all the same. I exhaled, tension slipping out of my shoulders before I could even try to hide it.
Just as I reached back for the doorknob, a knock on the other side made me jump. I yanked my hand back.
“Miss Amelia?” came the Beta’s voice. “I’m here to escort you to the car.”
I cracked the door open slowly and peeked out, relieved it was just him. He gave a small nod, all business.
“This way, Miss Amelia.”
We walked quickly. Every sound made me flinch. When we passed near a closed door and I heard Jenny’s voice, I nearly jumped out of my skin.
Beta gave me a small smile. “We’ll use the service stairs. Quieter.”
“Thank you,” I whispered.
As we walked, he looked over his shoulder. “How are your classes going?”
I blinked. “Okay, I guess. Just stressed about finding an internship. Something that will pay my rent”
I had no idea why I was being so honest.
“Well,” he said, “our campaign team is looking for new assistant interns. I heard your studies line up well. Would you be interested in an interview?”
My jaw dropped. “Really? Yes! I mean–yes. Absolutely.”
He nodded. “Great. I’ll make sure you get the details.”
I slid into the car, heart pounding. For the first time in weeks, something actually felt like it might go right.
It was like… King–I mean, Richard–was my lucky charm.
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