Page 88 of Crushes and Confections

“Immediately was the answer that raced through my head, but she just finished her heat,” I said, shaking my head. “So whenever she’s ready.”

My mouth began to water at the thought, and I had to swallow the phantom ache. The hardest thing I’d done in my life wasn’t the shitty system I lived in growing up or the bias I’d felt from others. It wasn’t Adrien’s parents turning us away either, though it did hurt deeply to see him distraught.

No, the single hardest thing I’d done was not bite my omega when she was asking for it. When she was clenching on my cock, dripping slick everywhere with that pretty little neck turned up and begging for me to do it.

“Fuck,” Riley cursed. “I can feel your want through the bond right now. We need to go get them now, or else we’re going to skip lunch altogether.”

It was exactly the right thing to say to me to snap me out of my thoughts. I wouldn’t let any of my mates go hungry. Ever.

Within twenty minutes we had picked up Adrien and Claire and were being seated in a booth in the diner. Claire spent most of the time snuggled into my side. She’d scent marked me a few times too, which helped settle me more than I liked to admit.

“I don’t know what mom put in that disgusting tea, but even I can admit that I feel better today than I ever have this quickly,” she said with a sigh once we’d finished eating.

“Seriously, don’t let Blaire hear you say that, or she won’t stop,” Riley said with a laugh as he tried to take the check. “I thought we agreed to attribute it to the fact that you have a pack now.”

“You’re right,” Claire said, turning to kiss my arm. “My pack tastes way better than that tea. I’d have them any day.”

She turned those sweet eyes up at me, and my heart started beating quicker as a shot of her peaches and cream scent hit me. Was she suggesting what I thought she was?

“Why the hell does this check already say paid?” Riley said, outraged. “I made sure that both of you were on the inside of the booth, and you couldn’t get out.”

“Raspberry cream,” Adrien said simply.

“What does raspberry cream have to do with anything?” Claire asked curiously.

“Raspberry cream is Beatty’s favorite kind of truffle,” he said with a smile. “I simply agreed to keep her in stock and she agreed to keep my card on file for all future pack purchases.”

Claire and I turned towards each other, trying to smother our laughter as our beta sat there aghast, his mouth open wide.

“It’s so brilliant I can’t even be mad at it,” Riley said finally.

“Of course you can’t, mon feu,” Adrien said, giving him a quick kiss. “Just like I know you won’t be mad that Claire and I have the rest of the day off. Apparently, my sous is more than useful and so is Claire’s team. There wasn’t much slack to pick up from being gone.”

It was such a simple thing, seeing Adrien give Riley a quick kiss, but it made my heart so damn full. It was something we’d never had dared with each other in the past, but we’d both come so far.

The smile on my face wouldn’t go away as we headed out of the cafe and back towards the car, and I doubted it would any time soon.

Strong hands turned me towards him as I unlocked the car, his lips meeting mine a moment later. There was so much in that kiss and I could feel everything pouring down our bond.

“Je t’aime,” Adrien said.

“Always, Ady,” I said, the two of us breaking apart our little moment just to see our omega and beta grinning at us.

Claire even had her hands clasped in front of her excitedly.

It was only the heels on the pavement that broke us out of the moment, Adrien’s parents staring us down as they looked over us. Adrien and I moved on instinct, pulling Claire and Riley closer and tucking them behind us. Of course neither of them were really having that.

“I thought I made it very clear that your offer was not welcome,” Claire said, her head coming up behind my shoulder as she stood on the curb.

“Yes, when you disappeared for a week that might have clued us in,” Adrien’s father deadpanned.

“You bonded them,” Adrien’s mother said, throwing her hands in the air. “No one will accept you now if you already have a bonded omega, beta, and alpha. That’s way too much baggage for us to try to negotiate.”

“They’re not baggage, they’re my pack,” Adrien said. “I wish you could respect that.”

Before Adrien’s mother could have a hissy fit, his dad stepped forward, cutting her off. “I’m assuming that there’s no chance of you moving back to France then?”

He seemed more grounded than I remembered, as if he’d recognize a fight he’d already lost and had accepted the outcome. He wasn’t happy with it by any means, more resigned.

---