Page 67 of Why Cruise

I popped the button on his jeans and slid both hands in, one palming his shaft, the other circling his swelling knot.

He brought his arms up above his head, like he was trying to cover it, hide. Not fighting anymore, but not giving into it. I knew it was a confusing mix. Just like at the concert, pleasure mixing with panic. One trying to overtake the other. The difference was he was angry now.

“I’m taking this.” I stroked him faster and circled my hand around his knot. “It’s been 15 years, Just. I can’t go more thantwo or three months without parking in front of your building, hoping for a glimpse of you. You have always been my life. And I’m taking this from you.”

I was going to need more than childhood memories. I spun him around and dropped to my knees, taking the head of his cock into my mouth.

“Don’t,” he whispered as he threaded his fingers into my short hair and pushed deeper into my mouth.

He didn’t want this, and he wanted it with everything screaming in him. I stilled, filling my very soul with the feel of him, the taste of him on my tongue mixing with memories of Theo. He sagged against the wall. I looked up, hoping he’d give me his eyes, too. But no. He’d let me take from him, but he would not give. His head hung. The fingers of the panic still caressed his edges, but he was the one who moved.

He thrust his hips, pushing deeper and deeper into my mouth, setting a slow, agonizing pace. I felt rather than saw his logical brain kick in. I took control back then and used my mouth and hands to yank what I wanted from him. I pushed his legs apart as far as his jeans would allow, teasing his knot, memorizing its shape so I could properly torture myself with what he felt like in me and around me.

He stiffened and made a half-hearted attempt to pull away. I moved faster. Took him deeper. Used my tongue, my hands, my teeth until his cum ripped out of him. I held him to the wall with my mouth and will alone. Then I stood and pressed against him. It wasn’t enough. I needed more of him. I would never have enough of him.

I sought out his mouth. He turned his face away. A kiss was too much for him. That he would deny me, too. I backed up, putting space back between us. My whole body hurt from the loss of contact, but I could give him that. Space and escape.

I reached up and popped the door latch and twisted the handle, opening it a crack. I settled against the opposite wall. Justice raked fingers through his hair and buttoned himself up. He didn’t look at me. The panic had been beaten back just enough, but he was not back to himself. He’d probably go have a drink. He always had some sort of grief and guilt after a panic attack. He did after the concert. He wouldn’t speak to me for three days. It was like he saw all of this as some sort of weakness in him that I had to fix for him, and he didn’t deserve that.

Once he decided to move, he didn’t stop. There was no hesitation. No longing looks over his shoulder. No “how could you do this to me?” None of that. I didn’t even get a “fuck you.” He opened the door wide and left.

I licked my lips and banged my head against the wall.

Mackenzie

My heart was pounding faster than my feet as I pulled Theo through the cruise ship.

“I love you.”

I had almost said I love you.

What the fuck was that? No, no, no. It wasn’t true.Justice was hurting. I pretended to sleep so I could snuggle against him on the bus, hoping that all the woo woo talk about omega auras having healing properties was true. I didn’t love him. I was just caught up in the moment.

I was here to have a fling and help Theo find his pack. Then we’d all go home and things would be normal.

I stopped so suddenly, Theo ran into me. I looked around, not knowing exactly where I was. “I don’t know where I’m going.” I confessed.

Theo laughed and kissed my forehead. “We’re almost there.” He now tugged me forward at a more respectable pace.

I kissed Justice Twill.It was on my lips to tell Theo, but I just couldn’t. What if it messed things up for Theo? The plan hadbeen to distract Justice while Theo met the Kelwoods. But what if Justice was the answer?

“There. The Azure Room.” Theo pointed to a door that was closing. He dropped my hand and nudged me forward with a hand on the small of my back.

“Oh, no, please. Is this the aura reading workshop?” I said to the woman closing the door. She had a shock of white hair. She was the auracle. Auracles were born with colorless hair and the ability to see auras.

“This workshop is full.” Her voice was deep with a hint of an accent that, for some reason, I thought sounded fake.

“It’s just two more,” I begged.

She looked me up and down with a raised eyebrow. “This workshop is not for you. This is a workshop for single omegas only. You have already found your pack. The pack workshop is tomorrow. Do not be late.” And she closed the door right in my face.

“Well, that was rude.” Theo said from behind me.

“And wrong. Maybe you were right and all this auracle stuff is nonsense.”

“Okay,” Theo put his hands on his hips. “Do you want to go sit by the pool and chill?”

I sighed. “I guess. You did bring like a dozen books to read and you haven’t even cracked one.” Theo snorted and turned bright red. “What?”

---