Chapter 72: Accidental Contact, Allegedly
Leo
I jumped in fright and pulled away from Kayden immediately, my body reacting on pure instinct as my heart slammed violently against my ribs. For a split second, I genuinely thought someone else had walked in. Someone worse. Someone who shouldn’t have seen any of this.
Then I realized it was just Miller.
"What the hell is going on?" Miller asked again, his voice loud and sharp as he stormed further into the room like he owned the place.
I reacted before I could even think about it. I immediately took the bottle from Kayden’s hand and set it down on the table, positioning it carefully out of Miller’s line of sight.
"What the hell are you doing here?" I questioned, my tone clipped and professional, though my heart was still racing at the sight of him.
He looked around the room in quick, frantic sweeps. His eyes landed on Kayden first, lingering there just a moment too long, then snapped to Rhys sprawled on the bed, before finally swinging back to me. His green eyes brightened with a manic, almost feverish energy as he started talking all at once.
"I was at the Dome for practice," he said, words tumbling out rapidly. "Everyone is there, but nobody is on the ice. Nobody. The teammates can barely even get in, including me. The fans—Rhys and Kayden’s obsessed fans—are screaming at the front gate, and the press is practically climbing the fences." He threw his hands up in the air. "The Coach is losing his mind! He’s been calling Rhys, calling Kayden. I called them too, over and over, but nobody answered. So I decided to come here, and then I saw my car parked out front!"
He finally paused, chest heaving, and dragged a hand through his hair. "Also," he added sharply, his gaze snapping back to the bed, "why the hell is Rhys on the bed?" He pointed with a shaking finger. "Did his Omega come here?"
He sniffed the air instinctively, his Alpha reflexes kicking in, but I already knew it was pointless. He wasn’t going to smell anything. I had purged Kayden’s scent completely.
Before I could respond, a tiny, high pitched mew cut cleanly through the shouting.
From behind my desk, Starlight trotted out.
She must have slept through the entire chaos until Miller’s entrance. The Maine Coon kitten looked completely unbothered by the tension in the room, her tail held high like a fluffy plume as she padded forward.
She wove effortlessly between Miller’s legs, brushing against him without concern, before heading straight for Kayden and rubbing against his ankles.
"Starlight?" Kayden crouched down immediately and scooped her up. "How are you, baby?" He pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head, and Starlight mewed softly in response, clearly pleased.
Miller let out a deep sigh and clapped his hands together sharply, reclaiming the room. "Okay, listen to me. I am not done," he said. "I need to—"
"Oh, shut up!"
Rhys’s voice exploded across the room.
A low, dangerous growl followed as his eyes snapped open. He sat up with a sudden, jerky motion, hair matted, eyes wide and burning as he locked onto Miller like a threat.
"Why the hell are you screaming in my ear, Miller?" Rhys demanded.
He swung his legs toward the edge of the bed and tried to stand, but the sheet slid down instinctively to his waist as he turned to face the intrusion.
I cleared my throat and looked away immediately, even though I had seen it all last night. Still, it was impossible not to acknowledge the obvious.
It was no wonder Kayden couldn’t leave him. Rhys was well endowed, and I could admit that much without shame.
"Oh my God!" Miller screamed, eyes nearly bulging out of his head. "You are naked!" He clamped his eyes shut and then peeked through his fingers.
Rhys scoffed and grabbed the sheet, wrapping it securely around his waist. "Relax. We’ve been seeing each other’s junk since college after practice."
"Well," Miller ran a hand through his hair again, visibly overwhelmed, "what is going on here? Rhys, your face is plastered all over the internet. The Ceo, the Coach, and the managers are losing their minds. They want to see you. They want to see Kayden."
Rhys didn’t respond.
He leaned back against the headboard instead, his gaze shifting to Kayden.
I recognized that look immediately.
He was about to go all out.
Which meant it was my cue—and Miller’s—to leave.
I didn’t give Miller a chance to keep talking. I grabbed him by the back of his jacket. "We’re going. Now," I commanded, physically dragging him toward the door.
"Hey! Let go of me, Leo!" Miller protested, sneakers squeaking uselessly against the floor. "What are you doing? What is going on? And what the hell is this strength? How can a Beta drag an Alpha like he weighs nothing?"
I shoved open the door to my private bedroom and hauled him inside, finally letting go once we crossed the threshold. "They need to talk, Miller," I snapped, slamming the door shut and locking it with a sharp click.
"Talk about what?" he demanded. "The secret Omega? That’s exactly why I should be in there and—"
"Miller, stop!" I shouted as he reached for the door.
I lunged forward and grabbed his shoulder, yanking him back.
He was strong. Too strong. But not strong enough.
I caught his jacket again and pulled him away from the door. We grappled briefly, movements messy and uncoordinated. I tried to drag him back, but his foot caught on the edge of the bedframe. His balance shifted suddenly, his weight tipping forward, and he went down.
He took me with him.
We hit the mattress with a heavy thud.
I landed squarely on top of him, my hands pinned against his chest, my lips crashing into his without warning.
The kiss happened the instant we hit the bed.
For one suspended, breathless second, there was nothing. No shouting. No chaos. Just the sound of Miller’s heart pounding hard beneath me, its rhythm echoing dangerously close to my own.
I pulled away immediately and tried to push myself up, but Miller’s hand moved on instinct, catching my waist and holding me there.
His expression shifted slowly from surprise to something unmistakably playful, a smirk tugging at his mouth.
"Well, Doc," he murmured, eyes glinting as he looked up at me. "I didn’t know the talk was going to be this hands on."
I stiffened instantly. "Oh, don’t start, Miller. Now is not the time."
"When will be the time?" he chuckled, his grip firm. "I mean, we just kissed."
"No, we didn’t," I shook my head sharply. "Physiologically speaking, Miller, that contact was the result of gravitational force combined with poor spatial awareness. Your body is misinterpreting an accidental impact as attraction."
He still didn’t let go.
"If you don’t release my waist in the next five seconds," I warned, fisting my hands in his jersey, "I will apply a pressure point maneuver to your brachial plexus that will leave your arm numb for forty-eight hours."
Miller laughed softly. "You are so Cold, Doc. And I find it hot." His gaze flicked downward. "Are you going to tell me your heart rate is just data too? Because it’s beating against my chest like a drum."
I groaned despite myself. He was right.
My heart was pounding violently.
No. Not now.
"Let me go," I sneered. "Your heart rate is currently one hundred and twenty-five beats per minute, indicative of impending tachycardia," I snapped, wrenching myself free and standing up.
My hands trembled as I straightened my lab coat.
He tried to sit up, but I pointed a warning finger at him. "Stay on the bed. If you move toward that door or flirt with me again, I will sedate you."
"I’ll let you put me in a coma, Doc!" Miller shouted back, grinning.
I rolled my eyes, instantly regretting dragging him into my room.
Unfortunately, my heart didn’t seem to agree.
It wouldn’t slow down.
And the kiss...
I couldn’t stop thinking about it.