Kiss Me if You Can

"Major Incident at the V&A Jewelry Event."

The employee reading the newspaper by the register clicked his tongue in irritation. The article below the headline was as predictable as it could be. The news had already been all over TV, the internet, and people passing by were still busy talking about it. He didn’t like it one bit.

A customer placed their items on the counter. Gum, a bottle of water, and a men’s magazine. As the employee scanned the barcode, he casually struck up a conversation.

“That was a mess, huh? All because of Chase Miller.”

“Well, yeah, so I heard.”

The man’s response was short, indifferent. The employee took that as his cue to vent.

“I mean, so many people got hurt. Honestly, shouldn't people like him be banned from attending events like this? They must’ve known something like this would happen. And yet, Chase Miller didn’t even bother to say he was sorry! This whole thing happened because of him, and he just—what, enjoys watching people go crazy over him?”

“I wouldn’t know. I don’t follow celebrities.”

The man lied smoothly. Well, not entirely. He truly didn't know much about celebrities. More than anything, he just wanted to finish paying and go home.

The customer behind him shot the employee a glare, and realizing he was holding up the line, the employee hurriedly finished the transaction.

Now that he looked up, the man was taller than expected. Even with his shirt concealing his frame, his solid muscles were evident. When the employee tilted his head up to meet his eyes, he hesitated.

Wide-eyed, he blinked at the man, who calmly packed his own items into a bag, muttered a quick farewell, and walked out. The employee stared blankly after him.

The next customer clicked their tongue in irritation.

“Why is this taking so long?”

“Did you see that guy just now?”

The customer gave him a confused look, but the employee was still gazing in the direction the man had gone, muttering to himself.

“He’s definitely an Alpha, right?”

“Hmm, I didn’t catch any pheromone scent, though.”

“Look at him—of course he’s an Alpha. He’s way too good-looking. And his build, too.”

“Really? His back was impressive, I’ll give you that.”

Only now did the next customer seem mildly interested. But by then, the man was long gone. The employee sighed, scanning the next item, already hoping that mysterious stranger would come back.

Like hell I’m ever going back to that store.

Josh gritted his teeth, weaving recklessly between lanes. Horns blared, curses flew, but he ignored them, pressing the accelerator even harder.

He was already thirty minutes late. Why the hell had it taken so long? What should’ve been a ten-minute stop had been dragged out with useless chatter. And of all things, the topic the cashier had brought up was the last thing Josh wanted to hear.

For days now, he had heard so much about Chase Miller that it was giving him a headache.

No matter how hard he tried to avoid it, it was impossible. Whenever people gathered, they talked about him. His face was plastered on soda cans in vending machines, his name popped up in every news broadcast, and his cologne ads towered over the city on massive billboards.

There was simply no escaping Chase Miller.

Josh barely swallowed back a curse. A few days ago, Pete had overheard him swearing and immediately repeated it, completely unbothered. It had been a horrifying wake-up call. Since then, Josh had made an effort to control his language, but today? Today, it was almost impossible to resist.

The thought of Pete grounded him just enough. The moment he pulled into his parking spot, he nearly cheered in relief.

“Pete!”

Taking the stairs three at a time, he reached his apartment’s floor in seconds and burst through the door, calling his son's name.

The child, sitting in the living room playing with the babysitter, turned his head.

“Daddy!”

“Pete!”

Josh scooped him up instantly, covering his little face in kisses. His chest swelled with a deep sense of contentment so strong it made it hard to breathe. The exhaustion from the entire day evaporated in an instant.

After spending a solid five hours apart, they were finally reunited. Josh, still holding Pete, turned to the babysitter.

“Thanks again for today.”

“Oh, no problem at all! Pete’s an angel, he’s super easy to watch.”

The babysitter, a college student, worked part-time helping Josh take care of Pete.

Josh smiled down at him. “I really appreciate it. Your exams are coming up, right? Let me know ahead of time if you need to take any days off.”

“Of course, Josh. I’ll do my best not to miss any days. See you later, Pete!”

After handing over the babysitter’s pay, Josh was finally alone with Pete.

Like always, Pete climbed up onto his shoulders, settling happily. Josh moved into the kitchen to start dinner.

“Waaa, aaah, baaaah.”

Pete babbled, wiggling excitedly. It was probably a song from one of his favorite cartoons—not that Josh could tell.

Pressing a kiss to Pete’s chubby little calf, Josh moved around the small kitchen with practiced ease. He made steak, a potato salad, and finished it off with green beans.

“Ew, no beans.”

The moment Pete saw the green on his plate, he protested.

Josh cut up Pete’s steak into small pieces. “Beans are potatoes’ best friends. They have to go into your tummy together. Friends should stick together, right? You don’t like being separated from Jason, do you?”

Jason was Pete’s beloved stuffed dog. It was a solid argument, but Pete wouldn’t back down.

“No beans.”

His stubborn pout reminded Josh of someone else. For a moment, he froze.

They looked alike. But the grown-up version of that expression wasn’t cute or charming—it was sharp and cold.

Josh shook his head. No, the person in front of him wasn’t him.

Unlike him, Pete was adorable. Unlike him, Pete was irresistibly sweet.

Josh sighed, giving in. He kissed Pete’s little crown before taking the beans and blending them into a paste until there wasn’t a single trace left. Then, triumphantly holding up the empty plate, he declared:

“The enemy has been vanquished!”

“Waaaahhh!”

Pete cheered, swinging his little legs excitedly.

Josh chuckled, planting a noisy kiss on his cheek before helping him eat.

—Two hours later, the doorbell rang.

Josh opened it to find Mark standing there, unannounced.

“Hey. Sorry I’m late.”

Before Josh could respond, Mark stepped inside like he owned the place. Surprised by the unexpected visit, Josh followed him.

Pete, who had been dipping cookies into his milk, blinked at the sight of the visitor.

Josh quickly reassured him, pressing a kiss to his head. “Pete, look, Uncle Mark’s here! Say hi.”

Pete mumbled a soft, “Hi,” and Mark ruffled his hair absentmindedly before cutting to the chase.

“We need to talk.”

Josh ushered Pete back to his food before following Mark into the living room.

“Phew.”

Even sitting on the couch, Mark looked hesitant to speak. Josh waited, forcing himself to be patient.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Mark sighed and spoke.

“That job you asked about…”

He hesitated. “There’s one opening. The pay’s good. Really good. In fact, it’ll cover everything you need upfront. They’ll pay the full amount as an advance. The remaining balance will come in later in installments, but honestly, the contract is solid. The only problem is…”

He trailed off again.

Josh waited.

Then, at last, Mark muttered the name.

“Chase C. Miller.”

The moment he heard it, Josh forgot how to breathe.

Chase C. Miller.

That name.

That man.

The one with piercing violet eyes that had once looked down at him. The golden hair that shone under the sun. The face that had topped every Hollywood list—the sexiest man alive, the hottest actor in the world.

The Extreme Alpha who had left his mark on Josh.@@novelbin@@

The man who had fathered Pete.