Page 52 of The Flavor of Us

His words are all I need. I let go, my body convulsing around him, my cock pulsing as I come, my release coating the floor beneath me. Ryder moves backward, my ass empty all over again, the feeling of his cum slowly dribbling from my ass making it worse. “Holy fuck, that’s what I needed.” I crumble to the floor, catching my breath as I look up at Ryder with a sillygrin. He’s standing as assertive and possessive as he always is, everything about him impressive from the width of his shoulders to the tattoos spread across his chest to the cock hanging between his legs.

I’ve always wondered what it would feel like to be knotted, to truly submit to Ryder but I’m not entirely sure my ass can stretch that far.

“I thought you were going to pounce on one of them at one point,” Ryder drawls as he moves into the kitchen. The faucet turns on and off and then he returns with a washcloth to clean up the tiled floor. Thank fuck we didn’t spring for carpet. “But I like it. I like seeing the smile on your face while you doted on Tati, the way your eyes got all expressive every time she giggled or paid you a little more attention.”

A warm smile touches my lips as I lean back against the cushions, my lids fluttering closed at all the memories we made today. Tati is pure sunshine, just like the nickname Carleen gave—my little doe,ourBeta. But she’s not the only one that has my attention. Carleen just has it in a different way. I crave her acceptance, her attention, hereverything.

Ryder chuckles as he pulls me to my feet, pressing a kiss to my lips. “Talkto her, Ash. We said we wouldn’t push but that doesn’t mean you can’t open yourself up to her and let her know what’s waiting for her when she’s ready.”

Talking isn’t my strong suit. I’m the fun Alpha, the one that breaks the boundaries with innuendos and jokes. The one that’s around to lighten the mood. And yet, the only way to show Carleen that I’m here for her just like Ryder is—is to have that conversation. Goddess, this is going to suck, isn’t it?

“The conversation can happen tomorrow, Ash. Right now, I’m going to fuck you a few more times until we’ve both released the pent-up energy from our systems. No need to terrify our new mates.”

I can get behind that.

Well, Ryder will.

Chapter twenty-five

TATI

The couch is warm, soft, and smells like peaches and something faintly sugary—probably from the candle that was lit earlier. The glow from the TV flickers across the living room, casting lazy shadows on the walls. Some action movie is playing, but neither of us is really watching. The volume is low, the occasional burst of dialogue barely registering over the hum of our quiet breathing.

Carleen’s arm is draped across the back of the couch, her fingers tracing slow, absentminded patterns on my shoulder. I’m curled against her side, my legs tucked under me, head resting just below her chin. Her scent wraps around me—calming, steady. I’m not even sure how long we’ve been sitting here, just existing in this space, but at some point, I sigh softly and shift to look up at her.

Her brown eyes flicker down to meet mine, her lips pulling into a soft, curious smile. “What’s on your mind, sunshine?”

I hesitate, chewing the inside of my cheek as I try to untangle the mess of emotions sitting heavy in my chest. “Do you… do you think it’s crazy that I miss them already?”

Carleen’s fingers still on my shoulder for a second before she shifts, turning so she can face me better. “No,” she says softly. “I don’t think it’s crazy at all.”

“It’s just—it feels like there’s this empty spot in my chest, like something’s missing, and it’s them.Like Ryder’s steadiness and Ashton’s…Ashton-ness.”

Carleen chuckles at that, the sound soft and real, her lips twitching into a smile. “Ashton-ness is definitely a thing.”

We fall quiet for a moment, the distant sound of gunfire and car chases from the TV filling the silence. Then Carleen speaks again, her voice steady but thoughtful. “I feel it too, Tati. I thought… I don’t know, I thought I’d feel suffocated, or like this was all too much, too fast. But it doesn’t.”

My chest tightens, and I nod, snuggling closer into her side.

“I don’t know what the future holds,” Carleen continues, her fingers starting their slow tracing again. “But they’re the first Alphas I’ve felt truly safe around in a long time. Maybe ever. Ryder said something to me earlier,” she adds after a moment. “He said he won’t push me. That he wants me to speak up if something feels too fast, too much. That he wants me to feel safe.”

I swallow hard, my eyes stinging slightly. “That’s good. That’s really good, Alpha.”

She nods, her gaze distant for a second before focusing back on me. “It’s a wonderful feeling, Tati. To feelseen.Not just for what I can offer, not just for what I can do in the kitchen or as an Alpha, but forme.”

There’s a crack in her voice, just the smallest one, but it hits me like a punch to the chest.

I reach up and cup her cheek, brushing my thumb over her smooth skin. “You deserve that, Carleen. You deserve all of it.”

Her eyes soften, and she leans into my touch slightly, her lips pressing into a faint smile. “The thing is,” she continues after a moment, “today showed me something I didn’t even realize I’d been missing. I’ve put so much of myself into work, intoprovingmyself, that I forgot what it felt like to just… let go.”

I nod, becausesame.

She tilts her head slightly, her gaze searching mine. “I forgot that chaos can be… good. That sometimes it’s okay to get messy, to laugh, to let someone else shoulder some of the weight.”

“Like ketchup on your fingers,” I tease softly, grinning up at her.

She huffs a quiet laugh, her smile finally breaking free in full. “Exactly like ketchup on my fingers. Which is why I’m done waiting. I’m done waiting for the perfect moment because there will never be one. I’ll always find an excuse, a reason, awhy.So, right now is perfect. Hell, six months ago was perfect.”

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