Page 68 of The Flavor of Us

Ryder’s hips shift toward me and I chuckle, shaking my head, mumbling something about how he shouldn’t be ready to go already. He just responds that when it comes to his mates, he willalwaysbe ready.

Chapter thirty-four

TATI

The door clicks shut behind me and I’m practically vibrating with excitement. Ashton’s hand is warm and steady in mine, thumb brushing against my knuckles like he can feel the electricity buzzing under my skin.

But something feels… off.

The kitchen is spotless. Like, suspiciously spotless. Counters wiped down, dishes put away, not a single stray crumb in sight. Carleen is perched on the counter, leaning back against Ryder’s broad chest, his arms loosely wrapped around her waist. Casual. Too casual.

She won’t look at me. Not really. Her gaze flickers up, meets mine for half a second, and then drops back to her lap like I’m holding some kind of spotlight on her deepest secrets.

Ryder, on the other hand, looks like the cat that swallowed the damn canary. He’s smug in that quiet, brooding way of his, likehe’s got the best secret in the room and he knows it. My gaze narrows as I start connecting dots.

Wait a minute…

My mouth moves before my brain can catch up.“You two had sex!”

Carleen’s head snaps up, her eyes wide, cheeks flooding with a deep crimson that spreads down her neck. Ryder’s lips twitch like he’s fighting off a grin, but I’m already moving.

“Oh my gods!” I squeal, launching myself across the kitchen. Carleen doesn’t even have time to protest before I’m climbing onto her lap, straddling her thighs, and cupping her face in both hands. “You had sex with Ryder! You did thething!”

“Tati!” Carleen sputters, her hands automatically settling on my waist to keep me from toppling backward. “Can you not—oh mygoddess—get off—”

“No!” I plant kiss after kiss all over her blushing cheeks. “You deserve all the love and all the happiness, and all the amazing Alpha se—”

“TATI!” Carleen’s voice cracks, her face so red I’m genuinely worried she might combust. Behind us, Ryder lets out a low chuckle and I know he’s enjoying every second of this.

I pull back just enough to meet her flustered gaze, my grin stretched wide across my face. “So… did you say yes?”

She hesitates for half a second, like she’s debating whether or not to throw me off her lap, but then her lips curl into a soft smile and she gives me the smallest nod.

My squeal could probably shatter glass. “YES!” I wrap my arms around her neck and squeeze her so tight I might actually be choking her. “Fuck, sorry. I’m just really excited.”

Carleen’s chest shakes with laughter as she hugs me back, her grip strong and warm. “You’re impossible, you know that?”

“I’madorable,” I correct, pulling back just enough to beam at her again. “And you’re stuck with me forever, so deal with it.”

Before Carleen can respond, Ryder’s massive hands settle on my waist and suddenly I’m being lifted right off Carleen’s lap like I weigh nothing. A startled squeak leaves my mouth as Ryder turns me around in his arms, setting me down on the floor before immediately leaning down and capturing my mouth in a kiss that steals every last coherent thought from my brain.

Holyshit.

His lips are firm, insistent, and I can feel the control he’s holding onto by a thread as one hand cradles the back of my head and the other settles on my lower back, pulling me flush against him. I melt. There’s no other word for it. My knees buckle and I clutch at his shirt like it’s the only thing keeping me upright.

When he finally pulls back, his breath is warm against my lips, and those piercing blue eyes of his are locked onto mine like I’m the most important thing in the world. “Welcome to the pack, Tati,” he says softly, his voice a low rumble that vibrates through me.

I let out a breathless laugh, my head spinning, my chest tight with something so big and overwhelming I can barely hold it. “You guys are gonna spoil me rotten, aren’t you?”

Ryder smirks, leaning down to press one last soft kiss to my forehead before stepping back. Carleen is still sitting on the counter, watching us with wide eyes and flushed cheeks, but there’s a softness in her expression that makes my heart squeeze. Ashton steps up beside me, his hand finding the small of my back. “You’re worth spoiling, little doe.”

There’s too many emotions to deal with as I make my way into the living room and flop onto the couch with a satisfied sigh, sinking into the cushions like I’ve melted into a puddle of happiness. Ashton plops down beside me, tossing an arm lazily across the back of the couch while Ryder settles into the armchair. Carleen takes the other end of the couch, her long legstucked beneath her, fingers nervously playing with the hem of her shirt.

My phone buzzes in my back pocket and I groan, reaching for it without moving anything but my arm. When I see the name flashing on the screen—Mom—my stomach flips.

“Okay,” I hiss, straightening up and holding up a finger. “Everyone.Quiet.If my mom eventhinksI’m in some kind of scandalous situation, she will… I don’t know what she’ll do. Just stay quiet.”

Ashton smirks. Carleen snorts. Ryder raises a brow but complies. I answer the call, plastering on my bestsweet daughter who definitely isn’t involved in anything questionablesmile. “Hi, Mom!”

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