Page 68 of Wild Card

I lick my lips, wondering if I could taste the remnants of the three of us together if I sucked him off.

He does look tired, though. He could stay asleep. I wouldn’t mind. He really does look like he needs some rest.

My gaze migrates to Rush, and although he’s on his side, he’s also clearly beat.

Bear must have climbed up between them to steal me.

“Looks like you wore them out.” He chuckles good-naturedly as I snuggle close to his T-shirt. “All right, let’s check your temperature, get some fluids into you, and maybe a few bites of food if you’re feeling up to it.” He sends comfort and reassurance through the bond, and my heart thumps wildly in response.

“Thanks, Bear.”

“Always, little one.”

Goodness.

Does he want me to melt into a starry-eyed pile of omega goo? Because I’m already halfway there.

Bear makes me sit on a towel in the pack bedroom. My face burns when it finally dawns on me why right in the middle of him taking my temperature.

The device beeps a second later, and he hums, pulling it free of my lips.

“It’s 103.9. That’s not terrible. It must have been a wave.” He cracks a bottle of water and brings it to my lips. “You need some fluids.” He gives me several long swallows as the fingers of his free hand brush over my cheek. “That’s my good girl. How are you feeling?”

My teeth dig into my lower lip as I really think through the question. I don’t think Bear wants half-truths.

“Thorne and I bonded.” I pull my lower lip down to show him the bite. “But I thought Rush was going to too. Only he didn’t, and I don’t know why.”

Bear chuckles, going down on one knee. “He will.” He says it with such conviction that I ache to believe him, but my instincts aren’t so sure.

A strange wobble hits my stomach, and I push my lips together as the irrational urge to burst into tears comes out of nowhere.

Bear moves to palm the back of my head. “You’re okay. Trust me when I say he’s going to sink his teeth into you soon.” He shoves some feeling at me in the bond that I can’t quite decipher, but it does help to shore up my crumbling edges. “Now, important question. While you’re clear, would you rather grab something to eat or take a shower first? If we can fit in both before the next wave hits, then we will, but which sounds more appealing?”

My head tilts.

Neither of those sounds all that great. My feet hang off the side of the bed, but I wrap them around Bear’s back as he kneels in front of me.

“How about we cuddle?”

He leans closer, tilting his head. “How about you pick an option, unless you’d like me to choose for you?”

A shiver runs down my spine.

It’s tempting to test out what he would do if I sassed back something bratty, but the idea of his nude body sliding against mine is too appealing to pass up.

“Shower,” I blurt out just as his bushy eyebrow rises.

His face breaks out in an indulgent grin. “Good choice.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

Bear

If I were a betting man, I’d put money on Lennox only being agreeable in the shower because I let her ride me while I soap and rinse her skin. She comes twice before I have to lift her off me to give her a solid spray down.

Slick contains properties that combat infections like UTIs, but heats last for days, and there’s no telling when I’ll be able to convince her to shower again.

Once we’re done, I dry us both and help her get dressed in one of my giant sweatshirts. It’s comically long, and I roll up the sleeves before jumping into sweats to tackle brushing our teeth.

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