Heat Haven (Heat Haven Omegaverse, #1)(11)

“Thank you for dinner.” I smile over at him, and he pulls out of the Heat Haven parking lot.

I look out the window and fidget with the hem of my dress throughout the ride. Thankful for the seat warmers at this very moment, my behind is extra cold with no panties on. Not that I would have wanted to put those soaking wet things back on. I wonder if he intends to keep them.

He drives down Somerville Avenue and I’m starting to get nervous about where Griffin lives. While this is the direction to get back to my place, I highly doubt Griff rents a condo near Logan Airport.

I like Boston a lot, I truly do, but during January it’s pretty depressing. Sad little mountains of dirty snow riddle the sidewalks and everyone is in a perpetually despondent mood. There is truly only a small sliver of time where the snow looks pretty in Boston and that's between when it falls and rush hour traffic. Once Griffin takes a right instead of a left when we pass by Mass Gen, I know exactly where he lives. Does he live in freaking Beacon Hill?

My curiosity is piqued. I don’t know anyone who can afford Beacon Hill unless they’re a part of a pack with multiple incomes.

I clear my throat, “So, what do you do for a living?”

“I’m an intellectual property attorney. I’m also extremely good at investing my money. My house, though, if that's what you're wondering about, was purchased by my grandfather in 1978. So, don’t give me too much credit for living here.”

I wince, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to judge or pry.”

“Don’t worry about it. I want you to feel comfortable asking me anything. How about you? What do you do for work?”

“Right now, I’m a nanny for an Alpha couple. They don’t live too far from here.”

“Do you enjoy being a nanny?” he asks, eyes still on the road, looking for a place to park so he can grab our food. With the mounds of snow piling up on the road, street parking is a nightmare.

“I love it, I love kids. He is so stinking cute, his name is Ozzy. They adopted him four months ago. They both have high-profile jobs, so they aren’t around much.” I shrug my shoulders. “I’m glad that I get to be a constant for him. It’s me and one other nanny, so I only work three or four days a week. The pay is very gracious. It isn’t what I plan on doing forever though.”

A slight smile pans across his face. It’s hard to see, but the streetlights show just enough. He is so handsome.

A black Volvo pulls out of a spot and Griffin turns on his blinker. The tapping noise of the turn signal clicks away as we wait for the driver to leave, which is taking a considerable amount of time. Once the car is out of our way, Griffin masterfully squeezes into the tight parking space like some kind of parallel parking master. This is a huge reason I have not risked driving in Boston in the few months I’ve been here. I would probably try to get into the spot twenty times, then cry or beg a stranger on the street to park my car for me.

“Stay warm in the car, okay, and I’ll go grab the food real quick.” He pats my thigh and places a quick kiss on my temple.

I take this time to catch my breath, and it hits me that I’m planning on going to a man's house, who I just met. I need to alert someone to my whereabouts. Pulling out my phone and finding the contact name of my roommate Kelsey, I open a new text chat.


Me: Met a guy at Heat Haven. Going back to his place. I turned my location on. Talk tomorrow!


Kelsey: Emily! You’re in fucking Beacon Hill??? How did you meet a guy at Heat Haven? I thought you were just going to pick the nest suite you wanted.


Me: It’s a long story. I promise to catch you up tomorrow, okay?


Kelsey: This is like telling someone you know a huge secret and then not telling them said secret.


Me: He’s coming back with dinner right now. I promise I’ll tell you everything tomorrow! BYEEEEE.

I’m surprised Kelsey didn’t immediately call me after I broke the news to her. I haven’t dated since I moved to the area and she has not been quiet about telling me that I need an Alpha or a pack immediately. While I didn’t think I was being that cranky, with my heat around the corner, I know I haven’t been the easiest person to live with. What Griffin and I did in the elevator was the most action I’ve seen in months, and that release was needed desperately. Though your heat is the big finale, the days and weeks leading up to your heat can have Omegas feeling just as needy.

Griffin opens the back door and places the takeout on the floor. He grabbed a bottle of wine while he was out as well. Hopefully, it isn’t the nasty dry kind. He shuts the back door and plops into the front seat.

“It’s wicked fucking cold tonight, Jesus.” He blows warm air into his hands before he grabs the steering wheel. “You warm enough, sweetheart?”

I lean my head against the headrest and smile at him. “Yeah, I’m good.”

He returns my smile and heads down Charles Street. In under three minutes, we turn on Revere Street, where Griffin parks in a permitted spot. Exiting the vehicle, Griffin grabs the food and wine in the backseat before meeting me on the cobblestone sidewalk.

With expert hands, he holds the takeout and wine in one hand so he can hold mine in the other. We walk a few doors down until we're in front of a beautiful brick Federal-style row home. The exterior is a reddish brown brick with black shutters. The two lower windows have flower boxes sitting outside of them, which are currently filled with murky snow. The front door is forest green with a large gold knob in the center. Griffin enters a code, making the lock open. He releases my hand and opens the door, ushering me to walk in first.