Stealing His Alpha Heart: A M/M Omegaverse MPreg Page 2

  Aaron's face blanked. He hadn't expected me to speak to the landlady.

  "You talked to her for me? What did she say? I mean, thanks, but I need the rest, dude. Y’know, what you owe. I'm strapped for cash." The usual coldness fixed to his brow pulled back into strange desperation. For the first time in the eight months we lived together, Aaron showed fear. Not knowing what scared him scared me.

  "I'll give you every penny I can, don't worry. Are you in some kind of trouble?" I leapt forward with an assumption, and as usual, it didn't end well.

  "What? Trouble? No, you little bitch. I want what's mine and not when it's convenient for you. You owe me, I don't owe you. Get me my money or I will fuck you up." He lunged at me and growled. I shifted back in my seat. The fear from a moment before shifted to rage inside his eyes.

  "Right, I'm sorry, Aaron. You always have plenty of money, but I get it. Everyone has sudden expenses. I didn't mean to imply anything."

  Another peculiar twist crossed his face, but he got up from the couch and headed to the front door before I could decipher it. With his hand on the brass doorknob, he turned back. "See that you get it."

  Chapter 3

  Tanner

  The new black case on a black cell phone matched perfectly, especially on my black office desk, but as soon as I laid my purchase on the desk, I regretted it. The sun sank in the sky, and shadows in the office grew longer. The black phone rang inches from my reach, but I couldn't find it. Palms down, I patted every square inch of my desk. The US Army needed this type of cloaking technology. I regretted not choosing the bright orange case. On the final ring, before voicemail kicked in, I managed to answer. "Happy at Home, In-home Childcare."

  Hesitation came from the other end with a drawn-out "Uh, yes," telling me a complaint barreled my way at 5G speed. I can deal with complaints; it's the tension until I understand the complaint, which drives me insane. Complaints about a late nanny making a late parent and an utterly incompetent nanny both start with the same ringtone. Thanks to Robert's hiring magic, I receive more of the first, than the second and few of each.

  The calm voice didn't help me relax because some people quiet down when they are furious. His assigned nanny started out doing well, but now is usually late and lazy with his tasks. OK, I can handle this.

  "I apologize on behalf of the agency. What is your nanny's name?"

  "Chad."

  Chad is new. He's so new, I don't even know who he's assigned to yet.

  The resolution is simple; a verbal reprimand since this is the first occurrence reported against Chad.

  "Unacceptable, I’ve already had several discussions with him before I considered contacting you." A reprimand failed to satisfy him. My calm complainer insisted on a replacement with a curt tone.

  The tiny snagged thread now unraveled the rug from under me. All of our full-time nannies had assignments. Per Diem nannies from our overtime pool were the only option until Robert could hire a replacement.

  New nannies revolving in and out of his home, around his child, angered him. I understood and agreed. His calm voice quickly heightened in intensity and he threatened to fire the entire agency. As much as I hate hearing those words, sometimes I can't do anything about the situation, and I feared one of those moments.

  "Could you give me your name, Sir?"

  "Nolan Tryffan." He sighed.

  Nolan Tryffan?

  "Thank you for your patience, Mr. Tryffan, as I attempt to understand where the breakdown happened and how we can resolve this issue."

  No way! Our service couldn't survive if word got out, we had and then lost, Nolan Tryffan as a client. He isn’t a Rockstar, Movie star, or Athlete, but he was Edgewater’s most famous resident. The guy who could buy the town outright with his spending money is threatening to leave after we only landed his account a month ago. Something had to give. I needed a nanny to materialize out of thin air. I needed Mary-freakin-Poppins to float down with her overcoat, umbrella and carpetbag.

  "Could I place you on hold for a moment while I review some appointments on the calendar? I might be able to arrange something."

  "Sure." The word sounded content, ending on a slightly higher note.

  I didn't need a moment to arrange anything; I needed a moment to breathe, collect my thoughts and strategize. One last-ditch option at my disposal could satisfy him, but I flipped through the calendar to ensure there weren't any conflicts.

  "Thank you for waiting, and again, I apologize again for our employee’s behavior. Rest assured, the situation will be dealt with promptly and appropriately. In the meantime, you're set for a new permanent, full-time manny tomorrow at 7 am."

  "I appreciate it. What is his name?"

  I hesitated for a microsecond, "My-uh, his name is Tanner."

  "Good. Can you tell me about his qualifications? I trusted your company before without asking enough questions."

  "Certainly. Tanner has a bachelor's in psychology and a master's in health care administration with over ten years of childcare experience."

  "Well, why didn't you send him the first time?"

  "Another assignment, he recently ended a long-term assignment. If everything is agreeable, Tanner will be at your home tomorrow, Mr. Tryffan." When Nolan Tryffan agreed, the invisible 5-ton boulder raised off my chest, and I took a deep breath.

  Later, I would prepare for my new job. Now, I needed to see to this employee Robert hired and make sure he's no longer an employee. I pulled out the manila folder for Nolan Tryffan's account and tabbed to the last section of the divided folder.

  Damn, I couldn't fault Robert for hiring Chad. He had experience and glowing references. Unless he showed up to the interview smelling of roadkill, I probably would have hired him too.

  On my way home, I texted Robert and before I mentioned the name, Robert replied with "Chad." I wondered if he wasn't expecting a complaint about him.

  I simply replied with, "Fire him. I'm taking on the job." Siri asked if I was ready to send. "Send it."

  Robert didn't answer immediately. When he did, I ignored it because the song on the '80s station took priority. By the time I dropped my keys on my kitchen table, I completely forgot about answering Robert, or even looking at his text. I needed to pop open a bottle of beer, turn on Netflix, and watch something until I relaxed enough to head into the bedroom and hop on my treadmill for a quick run before bed.

  Two miles into my jog, the force of a Mack truck took the wind out of me, and I hopped on the side rails. I realized in my effort to smooth over Nolan Tryffan's issue, I never checked on the child's history.

  In less than ten hours, a child knew nothing about would be under my care for eight hours. I panicked and hopped off, grabbing the small pale-yellow hand towel on my bed to wipe my face. Two miles doesn't wear me out, but the continuous motion turned my quads into gelatin until I had a few steps underneath me.

  Flipping open my laptop, I pulled up the Happy at Home website and logged into the site account, which granted me access to all our clients' information.

  Nolan Tryffan's account opened; I started to read, only after his profile picture caught my attention. Words like hot, handsome, or gorgeous didn't quite work with him. ‘To each their own’ is the saying when it comes to someone's appearance. Yeah, I wish it was ‘my own’, I thought before I focused on his information. Nolan is a new parent without a partner.

  His son, Julian, is too young for a photo on our profile. By the date of birth, Julian is four months old, an age I adore. Babies at this age demanded attention and lots of play.

  After reading through our standard documents, I noted an NDA Robert included at Nolan's insistence. For Happy at Home to care for Julian, we agreed to some of Nolan's terms as well. His conditions included never disclosing his personal information. Our policy forbids client information disclosures, but for him to mention it specifically, there must be a reason.

  The care instructions for Julian were standard for a normal, healthy newborn. In the file, I
noticed the lack of a departure and arrival time or an office location and phone number for Nolan. Robert never missed such details. How would I know when to expect him home, and how would I contact him in the case of an emergency? I kept reading until I found the answer. Nolan worked from home, and my job entailed tending to Julian during Nolan's meetings and appointments. Nolan remained in the house all day as I worked with Julian. The news simultaneously excited and terrified me.

  Closing my laptop, I pressed my folded hands to my lips and exhaled. I needed to bring my 'A' game tomorrow or risk losing such an influential client. I needed to wind down, and I returned to my plan of a beer and Netflix until I was ready for sleep.

  Chapter 4

  Tanner

  The house sat unassumingly, suggesting an average family resided within. Yet, its owner was more significant than the structure. The house was undeserving of the person who owned it. But, since Nolan Tryffan chose the house, there must be something considerable about the house to warrant his choice. Perhaps it was the neighborhood or the building's style. Maybe the home's desirability remained tucked away inside with the function or the form within. Perhaps there was something I couldn't see yet like a cozy reading corner or a captivating view which triggered some reaction in Nolan. Whatever his reason for choosing this house, I wanted to learn all about it.

  I carried a backpack with me to every job. It was my ‘go-to’ bag of things a parent, especially a brand-new parent, might not realize is necessary or super-helpful in one critical moment. How often can parents say they remembered the extra binky clip or the little bottles of soap and water to rinse that binky when it falls? I also kept self-sustaining supplies like snacks and a change of clothes. Because of these irrefutable facts, I always keep a bag with me. Today I packed my business laptop. There's never been a playground that didn't act as a networking hub.

  Now came the moment of truth. Meeting a new client always churned up all the excitement and anxiety my subconscious mind could muster. However, this client was already unhappy from the first manny we sent, and his social prestige, typical positive affirmations and insecure condemnations suddenly morphed into two battling alley cats, hissing and scratching at each other in my head.

  "Tanner?"

  "Yes. I hope I didn't disturb you." I cast my eyes down to the open robe and glanced back up to his raven-black wave of short, soft curls tapering down to the base of his skull, and platinum eyes which reminded me of the actor from the Hotel horror story.

  "No, you're on time. I am a slow riser this morning. Now that you're here, I can force a bit more motivation out of myself. Let me help get you settled and show you around the house. Julian is still sleeping."

  "As you wish. Is he sleeping through the night already?"

  "Hardly, he still wakes me in the middle of the night several times for feedings. Julian woke up about an hour ago for more. I think he was toying with me this time. Barely took the nipple before he started to doze off, but as soon as I moved to put him back in his crib, he woke just enough to start feeding again.

  "Eventually, he surrendered and went back down. I contemplated sleeping again; then I remembered you were on your way. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to sneak a cat nap sometime after lunch." He talked as he led the way.

  The house held all the markings of a traditional colonial style home. Still, the living areas were far more open than what I expected. Where I expected low ceilings, areas were vaulted. Instead of closed rooms, he showed me a wide-open floor plan. Like other homes in the neighborhood, this house was at least twenty years old. The walls, floors, fixtures, and appliances walked off today's showroom floor, however.

  Through each room, with a series of "over here" and "over there", he pointed out various parts of the house. Nolan prided himself in having the best without flaunting it. My presumptions about him now said more about me than about him. Due to my desperate drive to be professional, I managed to keep my comments about his home to myself. Except for the occasional compliments, I remained silent and focused on what taking care of baby Julian required.

  The round-trip tour of the house ended next to the master bedroom, Julian's room. A tiny baby commanded the space larger than my college dorm. I shared the dorm with a classmate I would rather forget, however, Julian's roommate is his life-sized rainbow-colored teddy bear situated beside glass doors which led to the patio. I don't recall ever wanting teddy bears as a boy, though now seeing Julian's bear, I reconsidered.

  "Your home is wonderful," I commented, "Julian is a lucky little boy."

  "No, I'm a lucky father. Julian is everything I ever hoped for, and I will never be apologetic for showing him how special he is to me."

  "I can only imagine."

  "You don't have children?"

  "Not yet. I am still waiting for the right person. I spent a lot of time with Mr. Wrong and Mr. Never while waiting for the right one to be dropped into my life. I resolved myself to stop forcing the matter and simply wait for the right time."

  "I'm at the same point in my life." Nolan smiled wistfully and dipped his head enough to let a strand of dark hair wag before his eyes.

  Nolan took a breath, about to speak; I hung in the air with his unspoken words, waiting to hear his thoughts when a demanding cry broke the silence and ended my conversation with the handsome father.

  "I'm on. My eager audience awaits. What time do you typically leave for the office?” I asked as I walked into the baby's room and reached for the swaddled little darling.

  "I won't, not usually. I work from home and only leave when I have a meeting, or I'm needed somewhere. When I chose to have Julian, I knew he'd rise over everything else in my life. My decision included all of my business arrangements and working conditions. Everything but Julian can be sacrificed."

  “That’s right, I remember reading your file.” Through Julian's sour fusses, striking similarities between father and son animated the baby. Nolan's genetics reflected on this child's innocent face. I bounced him gently while cradling him, and within a few moments, he settled and opened his eyes.

  "Good Morning, Julian." I smiled, hoping for a huge giggling smile back to solidify my baby-whisperer status with Nolan.

  It didn’t happen. Julian grimaced, took a deep breath, and hiccuped out a red-faced cry. My initial meeting with Julian went over like a fart in church. Nolan Tryffan stood beside me expecting an instant and ideal replacement for Chad's lack-luster performance. I smiled again. What else could I do? I took the initial rejection in stride.

  A baby’s routine is never easy to acclimate to, especially when you're not the parent. It takes some time to learn, but with training in the proper cues, transitions can go smoothly.

  "I wouldn't want a strange guy walking in my bedroom first thing in the morning, either." Cradling Julian, I realized the fussing came from the same two things everyone needs in the morning a bathroom break and a full stomach to start the day.

  "First thing first, let's get you clean and dry." I didn't give Nolan the chance to show me around the nursery. The basics always end up in the same places. Fusses from Julian tapered off as I turned from the crib. Motion settled him. Good. First clue.

  Despite how simple or fancy, most changing tables have a standard setup, and Julian's table didn't stray from this design. For the first time since I entered the house, I didn't need to be shown around. I found my element. Even with an impatient papa standing over my shoulder, scoring my every move, I relaxed. I changed, wiped, powdered, lotion, and dressed the infant with years of skills and experiences backing me.

  "Quicker than I am, you got changing down to a science." Nolan lost his stern gaze and smiled for the first time.

  "Not my first changing table. However, I consider it more of a coordinated drill and a bit of muscle memory; more choreography than science. Unlike most parents, I've been changing babies continuously for years." When the dust of my whirlwind performance settled, Julian was clean, dry, and in a stylish romper.

  "He needs
part two now. Feeding. You showed me the kitchen, but I don't recall powdered formula on the shelves. Do you have bottles in the fridge?" As soon as my mouth formed the words, I noticed the empty bottle and the pump on the small table next to the rocking chair. I couldn't help it. My eyes drifted to the man's chest. I shifted them away and cleared my throat.

  Nolan answered the door in his bathrobe, it flapped open all while I didn't give it a second thought. Now, I suddenly realize Nolan Tryffan is a nursing Omega, and I found it too sexy to ignore. I can't imagine why my conscious mind blanked out him being an Omega until now. I should have sensed it, smelled it, as soon as I walked in. My nerves over meeting him today must have blinded my senses to him.

  "Yes. I can take him. I'm sorry, I meant to prepare some bottles before you arrived."

  With a minor tug, the loose knot of the black terry cloth bathrobe fell apart; as the ends of the belt fell to the side, the robe fell open. I swallowed hard as I handed Julian over. Nolan curled the boy in the bend of his right arm while he guided the babe's mouth with his left hand.

  Synapses firing in my brain reminding me of my job, my business, and even the baby before me failed to make the proper connections. I fixated on this Omega's body and the scent my mind previously suppressed. Except for some loose skin around the waist of his shorts and the tight swell of his chest, evidence of pregnancy and birth weren't on his body.

  Running my hands over the naked torso before me, filled my eyes. Then, I returned to my senses and chastised myself for my completely inappropriate daydream when I felt my cock start to stir. Thoughts of another Omega triggered this daydream.

  What the hell would this client say if he realized you got hard from watching him feed his child? What the hell is wrong with you?

  Being a life-long “chest man” was my rational explanation, but excuses don't grant me clemency. Snapping my mind back into the moment, I stepped out of Nolan’s way and dragged the rocking chair over. "Here, sit. Relax."