Page 117 of Rut Bar

I run my hand through my hair and shove it out of my face. “Let’s grab the blanket and go. I’ll shop online.” I need to get out of this store before someone uses the crowd as an excuse to brush up against Jamie and fondle his pecs or something. The last thing I need right now is to get arrested for getting into a fight. Brendan and Anthony cage me into the throw pillow section and prevent my retreat.

“No,” Brendan says, his voice deep and as full of alpha command as it can be without being a bark. “Anthony is right. You need a proper nest, Veronica. Youdeservea proper nest.”

My insides melt despite my scowling, and I know arguing won’t get me what I want. Not when he takes that tone. Anthony might be Daddy, but Brendan is papa bear. He doesn’t pull rank very often, so the fact that he’s doing it now means he actually cares about this and they’ve all talked about it behind my back.

The thought should make me bristle, except it’s hard to be mad at someone for wanting to take care of you. And if I’m honest about it, I like the pampering more than I care to admit.

I blow out my breath in an aggravated sigh. “Fine. I’ll take that and that and… those.” I point indiscriminately, my finger landing on a stuffed flamingo plushie, a burgundy comforter set with black gothic trim, and a box of white paper lanterns. It’s a bizarre combination.

Anthony claps a heavy hand on my shoulder and bends down, pressing his lips to my ear. “Do I need to find an empty corner of the store and finger you? You’re always in a better mood after you’ve come all over my hand.”

The hair on the back of my nape stands up, and my nipples tighten against my padded bra. My eyes dart around the store because I know that none of his threats are idle. “There aren’t any empty corners.”

“Then I guess there’s gonna be a show today.” He smirks, then turns serious. “Or you can behave. Let us spoil you. Be a good girl or Daddy’s gonna make you remember your manners.”

Glancing around, I look to see if anyone is overhearing us. His voice is low and Nested is playing instrumental versions of pop songs over their speakers, but the store is awfully crowded. A frazzled employee pushes past us with her arms loaded with boxes of string lights.

“I don’t see what’s wrong with buying online,” I argue. “It’s easier and then we wouldn’t have to deal with all ofthis.”

“The hard way it is,” Anthony mutters. He bends down and bands me around the thighs and picks me up, pressing me to his chest.

My yelp draws the attention of the entire store as he carries me deeper where the display beds line the back wall. No. Oh, no. He can’t be serious. There’s no way he’s going to throw me down on a bed and actually fuck me here in front of everyone. We’ll be banned from every Nested store in the country for life. Arrested.

Moisture gathers, making my panties stick to me. My face heats in a blush. I hate how much I like it.

Anthony sits me down on one of the test beds and stands between my legs, his arms crossed over his chest. He quirks one brow. “Well?”

My heart stutters. It’s beating so fast in my chest. “You can’t. We can’t,” I croak. We both know he could. He would. And I’d like it.

Brendan and Jamie step up behind him, one on either side. “Don’t tease her,” Brendan orders.

“But she makes it so fun,” Anthony says, grinning.

“Is this our new bed?” Jamie asks, picking up the tag and reading it.

“Well, baby?” Anthony asks. “Is this the bed we all get to fuck you in?”

A male omega startles and looks up from a display of mattress cores, the kind that shows what the inside of the different types of mattresses for sale are like. He looks at all of us, then at my burning face, and smirks before going back to what he was doing.

“Anthony,” I hiss. “Stop. You’re going to get us kicked out.”

Anthony looks over his shoulder. “We should test it out. Jamie, get in the center. Let’s see if it’s springy enough. Some of these memory foam mattresses are the absolute worst for sex.”

“Don’t you dare,” I order Jamie to stop.

Jamie stops, one knee on the mattress, and looks between me and Anthony as if he’s not sure who to obey. “Are you going to help or stand there?” I ask Brendan, who’s being useless and letting this happen.

Brendan takes his hand off his mouth where he was hiding his smile. “We do need a new bed. Something bigger that fits all of us. And springiness is a valid concern.”

My annoyed look makes him duck his head to hide his smile from me as he busies himself with looking at the mattress’s information tag and price breakdown. Oh, the price. I don’t want to think about how much a huge mattress this nice is going to cost.

Anthony puts one knee on the bed and bounces me. I ignore his antics because he treats any attention as good attention. Begrudgingly, I admit—even if it’s only to myself—that it’s a nice mattress. It’s cushioned and bouncy but with a good amount of support. “How much is this one?”

I reach for the card to see the price, but Brendan flips it over so I can’t. “We can afford it,” he says.

Well, now Ihaveto know. “No, really. We should talk about it. I know we need a bigger bed, but this is a big purchase.”

“No,” Brendan says gently. “We can afford it. Anthony and I set a budget for this trip. Spoiling you will make us happy, so you’d really be doing it for us. Don’t worry about the price of anything today. We can afford it. All that matters is if you like it.”

---