Page 56 of The Beta's Bargain

“Purring.” Gray whispers from behind me. “He’s purring for you.”

That is too intimate. That’s for mates or someone special, not for me. I scurry off his lap, tripping and landing heavily on my knees.

“Onyx?” Dylan asks sharply, half rising from the couch.

“I’m okay, Dylan, jeez, I just need to pee.” My quick joke covers the tension, but still, I close my eyes and curse my own foolishness. I shouldn’t have got up. They have a chance here with him. It’s working, and I ruined it.

I scurry off to the bathroom. I’m in there for a while, staring at myself in the mirror. Who even is this person? I don’t even recognise myself anymore. My cheeks have colour, my eyes are sparkling, and my lips are still puffy.

The door opens, and Falcon slips inside.

“Does my purr scare you so much you need to run?”

“No.” I say at once and then look away, catching the red lie on my cheeks in the mirror. “Yes.”

“So, which is it?” Falcon murmurs and moves behind me. He sweeps my hair all over one shoulder and then runs his hands down my ribs to settle on my hips.

I suck in a breath as he moves me back against his chest. “I don’t know why you’re doing this.”

“It should be obvious.” Falcon murmurs and kisses my neck.

“And yet, it’s not.” I hiss back. I reach up and tug at his hair, stilling his movements. “You don’t like me. You don’t know me. You’ve just gone from wanting me to disappear off the face of the planet to this? I think not.”

Falcon grins in the mirror. “You think so poorly of me. But you kiss me like you think the world of me.”

“No, I-”

“You do. Perhaps, Miss Davies, it’s because I know that you feed the poor with the last of your money. Or it could be that you are so fierce in your protection of my omega. Maybe it’s the kindness you work with or how hard you strive to do each task. Perhaps it’s that your silky dark hair and almost thunderstorm eyes have been haunting my dreams, and I’m sick of resisting.”

His fingers spread wide, covering my stomach.

“Perhaps we’re just all under your spell now.”

“Perhaps you have a silver tongue.” I throw back at him.

He laughs, and I can’t stop my body from responding to that sound. Silas’ smile, Grayson’s aura, Dylan’s heart, but Falcon’s laugh. It melts my brain.

“Perhaps we’ll show you.” He murmurs and sucks hard on my neck. A bolt of pleasure lances through me, going straight to the junction of my legs.

“Falcon, stop. Think of Dylan.”

He lets go abruptly, our eyes meet in the mirror, and I see the seriousness on his face.

“I am.” He vows.

Which makes no sense at all.

I pant and put space between us. “Your omega needs to trust you. This isn’t a trust building exercise.”

Falcon shakes his head. “You get a reprieve for today,” He says and stalks out of the bathroom.

I wait a few minutes and then return to the lounge room. I almost go straight to my bedroom, but the idea of being alone with any of them near a bed is too much temptation.

Falcon has disappeared, but Silas and Gray are still lying on the couches, and Dylan grabs me and pulls me close as soon as I return. The thick smell of candied lemons thickens, I turn my face into his neck, inhaling deeply. The tension that’s in his body eases as I play with the hem of his shirt.

“Productive day?” I ask him.

“Meh.”

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