Chapter 9: The Scent of a Secret
The morning light filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Jaxson's penthouse, casting long golden rectangles across the bedroom floor. Cole stood in front of the mirror, his hands resting on the edge of the marble vanity, studying his reflection with a scrutiny that bordered on obsession.
He looked the same. He felt the same. And yet everything was different.
His fingers drifted to his stomach, pressing gently against the fabric of his crisp white shirt. Nothing. No bulge, no visible change, just the same flat plane he'd had yesterday and the day before. But beneath his palm, beneath the muscle and skin, something was growing. Something tiny and fragile and utterly dependent on him.
The thought made his knees weak.
"Stop that."
Jaxson's voice came from the doorway, low and warm. Cole looked up in the mirror and saw the alpha leaning against the frame, already dressed in a charcoal suit, his tie hanging loose around his neck.
"Stop what?" Cole asked.
"Touching yourself like that." Jaxson pushed off the doorframe and crossed the room in three long strides. His hands settled on Cole's hips, turning him away from the mirror. "You're going to make me think about things that will make us both late for work."
Cole's face flushed. "I'm not trying to—"
"I know." Jaxson pressed a kiss to his forehead. "But you're radiating something different this morning. You can't smell it?"
Cole blinked. "Smell what?"
Jaxson's nostrils flared slightly, a subtle, almost unconscious gesture. His eyes darkened.
"You smell different," he said quietly. "What the doctor's office said would happen. Your body is already changing."
"Holy shit." Cole looked down at himself, as if expecting some visible transformation. "Is it bad? Does it smell bad?"
"It smells incredible." Jaxson's voice dropped to a low growl. "It smells like you, but deeper. Richer. It smells like fertile ground and blooming flowers and something I can't quite name but can't stop breathing in."
"That's not weird at all," Cole said dryly.
Jaxson laughed, a low, rumbling sound that vibrated through Cole's chest. "It's not weird. It's biology. And it's driving me insane in the best possible way."
"We have to go to work," Cole reminded him, though he made no move to pull away.
"I know."
"We have a nine-thirty board meeting."
"I know."
"And you're going to have to act professional."
Jaxson's smile turned wicked. "I'm very good at acting professional."
Cole snorted. "Your thoughts are never professional."
"Can you blame me?" Jaxson's thumb traced the curve of Cole's hip. "You walk around all day in those fitted trousers, bending over my desk, biting your lip when you're concentrating. You expect me to think about quarterly reports?"
"I expect you to be a functioning adult."
"I function perfectly fine." Jaxson leaned in, his lips brushing Cole's ear. "I just choose to spend my mental energy elsewhere."
Cole's face burned. "We're going to be late."
"Then let's not be late."
He released Cole's hips, straightening his own tie with practiced efficiency. Cole watched him in the mirror, marveling at the transformation. The warm, teasing alpha from moments ago was gone, replaced by the cold, commanding CEO that made board members tremble. It was like watching a mask slide into place.
"Ready?" Jaxson asked, and his voice was different too. Sharper. More controlled.
Cole nodded. "Ready."
---
The offices of Vertex Technologies occupied the top ten floors of a glass tower that dominated the city skyline. Cole had worked here for two years, and he still felt a small thrill every time the elevator doors opened onto the executive floor.
The scent hit him first. Coffee, leather, and the faint chemical tang of air freshener that never quite masked the underlying humanity of the space. Then came the noise: the low hum of conversation, the clatter of keyboards, the distant ring of phones.
Cole straightened his shoulders and walked toward his desk, his heels clicking against the polished concrete floor. He had a routine. Check the calendar. Review the emails. Prep the briefing packet. Pour Jaxson's coffee exactly the way he liked it—black, no sugar, with a splash of cold water to bring it to the perfect temperature.
But today, the routine felt different. Every step, every movement, seemed weighted with new significance.
He was sitting at his desk, pulling up the morning's emails, when he caught a whiff of something. Faint, floral, slightly sweet.
He paused, frowning. That wasn't a scent he recognized. It wasn't coffee or perfume or the cleaning products they used. It was something else. Something that seemed to be coming from his own body.
He lifted his arm, sniffing at his sleeve. The scent was stronger there, clinging to the fabric of his shirt.
Is that me?
The thought was interrupted by a ping from his computer. A new email from Jaxson, flagged urgent.
My office. Now.
Cole's heart skipped. He glanced over at the corner office, visible through the glass walls, and saw Jaxson standing at the window, his back to the room. His posture was rigid, controlled, but Cole could feel the tension radiating from him even from here.
He stood, grabbing his tablet, and walked toward the office. His footsteps were steady, but his mind was a whirlwind.
The door slid open automatically as he approached. The scent of Jaxson's cologne—bergamot and cedar—hit him like a wall, and beneath it, something darker, muskier, that made his stomach flip.
"Close the door," Jaxson said without turning.
Cole complied, the door sliding shut with a soft hiss. The click of the lock engaging was barely audible, but Cole felt it in his bones.
"You wanted to see me?" he asked, keeping his voice professional.
Jaxson turned. His dark eyes swept over Cole, lingering on his hips, his chest, the curve of his neck. His thoughts were a roaring torrent.
There he is. My omega. My mate. Carrying my pup. God, he's beautiful. Those hips, that waist, the way his shirt strains just slightly over his chest. I want to peel it off him. I want to lay him over that desk and bury my face between his legs until he screams.
"Your schedule," Jaxson said, his voice calm and measured. "I need to review it. There are some changes."
Cole's face went hot. He knew what was happening. Jaxson was going to stand there, wearing that mask of professionalism, and mentally undress him for the next twenty minutes.
"Of course," Cole said, stepping closer and placing the tablet on the desk. "The board meeting is at nine-thirty. Lunch with the investors at one. Conference call with the international teams at four-thirty."
Jaxson nodded, but he wasn't looking at the tablet. He was looking at Cole's mouth.
...If I leaned down right now, I could kiss him. I could push that tablet off the desk and lift him onto the edge and take him right here. He's wearing that little bow tie I like. I want to tug it loose with my teeth.
Cole swallowed hard. "Sir."
Jaxson's eyes snapped up. "Sir?"
"You're staring."
A flicker of amusement crossed Jaxson's face. "My apologies. I was distracted."
"By what?"
"By you." Jaxson stepped closer, his voice dropping. "Are you wearing a new cologne?"
Cole blinked. "No. I haven't changed anything."
"Then the scent is natural." Jaxson inhaled deeply, his eyes fluttering half-closed. "You smell different, Cole. You smell like..."
His voice faded, but his thoughts continued.
...like fresh earth after rain. Like the first bloom of spring. Like life itself taking root inside his body. My pup. Growing in his belly. I can't even see it yet, but I know it's there. I can feel it through the bond. A tiny presence, a spark of something new.
Cole felt tears prick at his eyes. He blinked them back, but not quickly enough.
"Cole?" Jaxson's voice sharpened with concern. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Cole shook his head, forcing a smile. "Just—hormones. You know."
Jaxson's expression softened. He reached out, brushing a strand of hair from Cole's forehead.
"I know this is overwhelming," he said quietly. "We can go home. I'll cancel the meetings."
"No." Cole's voice was stronger than he expected. "I can do this. I want to do this. I'm not going to let a little morning sickness stop me from living my life."
Jaxson's smile was slow and warm. "That's my Cole."
His thoughts, however, were less warm.
...I want to reward him for that stubbornness. I want to push him against the glass and kiss him until he can't breathe. I want to lift up his skirt and fill him until he remembers who he belongs to.
Cole's cheeks burned pink. "Jaxson."
"Yes?"
"You're doing it again."
"Doing what?"
Thinking. Scheming. Planning. Undressing me with your eyes while pretending to talk about schedules.
Jaxson's eyes glinted. "I have no idea what you mean."
But Cole could hear him. Could hear the images flashing through his mind, vivid and explicit. The desk. The window. The conference room table. Every surface in this office, and what Jaxson wanted to do to him on each one.
He shifted his weight, the movement entirely involuntary. Jaxson noticed.
"You're blushing," he observed.
"It's warm in here."
"The temperature is set to sixty-eight degrees."
"I'm pregnant," Cole hissed. "I run hot."
Jaxson's smile widened. He stepped closer, until there was barely a breath of space between them.
That's right. Pregnant. My pup. My—
The door opened.
A sharp knock against the glass frame had them both snapping apart. Kate stood in the doorway, her phone in one hand, a to-go coffee in the other. Her eyes swept over the scene—Cole's red face, Jaxson's almost imperceptible frown, the electric tension crackling between them.
"Am I interrupting something?" she asked innocently. It was all in good humor, delivered with all the subtlety of a pickaxe.
"No," Cole said quickly. "We were just reviewing the schedule."
"The schedule," Kate repeated, her grin growing wider. "Right. That's what they call it these days."
Jaxson's thoughts turned sour.
This woman. This absolute menace. She's been my CFO for three years and she still thinks she can barge into my office whenever she pleases. The only reason I tolerate her is because she keeps Cole sane during the long days.
"Kate," he said, his voice flat. "Do you need something?"
"Just the quarterly projections. I sent them over last night—they're due in the board meeting in forty-five minutes." She held up her coffee. "Also, I brought you a latte. Thought you might need the caffeine before the sharks start circling."
Cole reached out to take the coffee. "That's really thoughtful, Kate, but Jaxson prefers—"
"No, it's fine." Jaxson's voice cut through, softer than usual. "I can try something new."
Cole and Kate both stared at him. Jaxson shrugged, taking the coffee and bringing it to his lips.
"It's good."
Kate's grin turned knowing. "It's a caramel macchiato with extra foam, Jaxson. You've never once ordered anything with sugar in your entire life."
"The palate evolves."
"Uh-huh." Kate's eyes flicked to Cole, then back to Jaxson. "You two have been, uh. Getting along well lately, huh?"
"Kate," Cole warned.
"What? I'm just saying. You both seem very... relaxed." She wagged a finger between them. "Calm. Centered. Like you've found some kind of inner peace."
Cole could feel Jaxson's irritation rising, but the alpha's face remained impassive.
"We're working on team cohesion," Jaxson said dryly. "Now, if you're done with your observations, we have a board meeting to prepare for."
Kate's grin didn't dim. She raised both hands in surrender and backed out of the office, pausing just before she closed the door.
"Congratulations, by the way," she said, looking directly at Cole. "On the merger. Or whatever it is you two are developing."
She winked and let the door slide shut.
Cole exhaled. "She knows."
"She doesn't know anything," Jaxson said, but his voice was laced with uncertainty.
"She looked at my stomach, Jaxson. She looked at my stomach and she smiled."
"She smiles at everything. She once smiled at a shareholder who threatened to sue us into oblivion."
"She's going to figure it out."
Jaxson set the coffee down and crossed to Cole, taking his hands. His thoughts were a mix of irritation and fondness and something else, something warmer.
If she does, we'll deal with it. She's been a good friend to you. She'd be happy for us. But until we're ready to tell the world, we keep this between us. This is ours, Cole. Ours alone.
"I'll handle Kate," Jaxson said out loud. "She can't resist a good negotiation. I'll give her a raise or a corner office or something to distract her."
"She doesn't want a corner office. She wants the truth."
"Then we'll give her a version of the truth. We're renegotiating our working relationship. We're exploring new synergies. We're prioritizing the health and well-being of our team members."
Cole laughed, a real laugh, the first one he'd let out all morning. "You're going to talk about synergies to Kate? She'll see right through you."
"Then we're doomed," Jaxson said, tugging Cole toward the door. "Now come on. We have a board meeting to dominate."
---
The board meeting was a blur of numbers and projections, of voices rising and falling, of hands gesturing at slides. Cole sat in his usual seat behind Jaxson, taking notes, but his mind kept drifting.
He could still catch fragments of Jaxson's thoughts, even in a room full of people. It was like having a radio tuned to a station only he could hear. While the alpha discussed quarterly earnings, his mind wandered to other things.
...I need to remember to call the doctor. Set up his first appointment. Make sure he's taking the prenatal vitamins. I should probably clear out the spare bedroom—turn it into a nursery. Baby blue or cream? Maybe soft yellow. Something neutral.
Cole's pen stilled on the page. He looked up at Jaxson, whose face was composed and attentive as ever, nodding along to a board member's point about market volatility.
A nursery. He's already thinking about a nursery.
The thought made his heart swell and ache in equal measure. Three weeks ago, he was an assistant with a crush on his terrifying boss. Now he was pregnant with that boss's pup, and the man was mentally choosing paint colors.
The meeting ended. The board members filed out, shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries. Cole stayed in his seat, gathering his notes, until the room was empty.
"Jaxson."
The alpha paused at the door, turning back. "Yes?"
"I heard your thoughts during the meeting."
Jaxson's expression flickered, a crack in the mask. "You did?"
"About the nursery." Cole stood, crossing to him. "You're already thinking about the nursery."
Jaxson's jaw tightened. "I can't help it. Once the possibility becomes a reality... I can't stop thinking about it."
"We have weeks before we need to start painting rooms."
"I know." Jaxson's hand found his, pressing a kiss to Cole's knuckles. "But I've already started picking out names."
"You have?"
"Just a few." Jaxson's voice dropped. "I'll tell you later. When we're home. When it's just us."
Cole's breath caught. "Just us."
"And our pup." Jaxson pressed a hand to Cole's stomach, his palm warm through the fabric. "The three of us."
Cole leaned into him, letting the moment settle around them. Then a sound broke it—a laugh, bright and familiar, echoing from the hallway.
Kate.
Jaxson groaned. "I need to hire a new CFO."
"Kate would be devastated."
"Kate would adapt. She's a survivor." Jaxson pulled away, smoothing his tie. "Walk with me. We have a conference call in twenty minutes."
Cole followed, but he couldn't help glancing back at the boardroom door, where Kate's silhouette had appeared in the glass.
She was smiling.
And that smile said she was nowhere near done with either of them.