Page 5 of Generation Omega: Revealed

Before I say anything, Ethan stands behind me, his warm hands on my shoulders. He leans and kisses my neck. “May I?” he murmurs huskily.

“What?” I blurt, my pulse tap-dancing at the promise in his touch and in that yummy tone of his. “Yes, anything…yes.”

“Bathroom first?” he suggests.

“Yes.”

I barrel toward it, shut the door, do everything I need to do as swiftly as possible, and then return to Ethan. The scent when I emerge proves the existence of chocolate chip cookies—freshchocolate chip cookies. One of the wardrobes clearly contains magic because from it came the cookies, strawberries in cream, and two glasses filled with berries in sparkling liquid.

“How?” I stammer.

Ethan extends his hand, his fingers gently holding a tempting piece of a cookie. I open my mouth and allow him to set it on my tongue where it freaking melts, the taste rich, sweet, decadent, and perfect. After feeding me another bite and without any urgency at all, he proceeds to undress me one item of clothing at a time.

His profound focus on me allows me not to dwell on any insecurities, freeing me to simply experience the wonder of being seen and loved. Ethan’s touch is so honest and powerful. He disappears for only a moment into the bathroom and when he returns, he’s not wearing a shirt. Oh, happy day.

I can’t keep my hands off him, running them over his abs and up to his pecs, and then down to the hem of his jeans and just beneath the fabric. While he gazes at me like I can do no wrong, I carefully unzip his pants. I’m not the only one who’s incredibly aroused.

Once completely naked, he takes my hand and leads me to the tub, steadying me as I step inside and sit in the blissful heat. He’s beside me a second later, the tray of snacks and beverages resting on one side, easily within reach.

As divine as that cookie was, what I want most is Ethan. I climb onto his lap, facing him, his erection tempting as it rests against me.

He clears his throat. “The tub is foreplay, if we’re going according to my plans.”

I smile, liking his plans so far, and brush my wet fingers on his beautiful face, memorizing exactly how it looks right now, when pride, love, and hope own him. He’s always gorgeous, but this is next level. I push my fingers through his short hair, digging my nails into his scalp. His cock bobs against me as he groans and exhales, his eyes drifting closed. Again, I run my fingertips over his broad forehead, his sculpted cheekbones, and then down his masculine jaw to his thick neck.

I ignore the scars from his fights, which only make him more ruggedly handsome but that set me on edge all the same. But they aren’t for worrying about right now, not during this escape from reality.

That’s my birthday present. The real world is gone—he’s obliterated it completely and turned my life into a fantasy with Omega-Palooza, Auntie Jem’s whimsical home, and now a secret haven for us to be together and fully live inside a dream.

We kiss slowly, tenderly, savoringly, patiently, and then with absolute urgency. My hands move over his chest, while he discovers all of me, his obvious attention proving that he’s learning my body through touch. He’d know me even blindfolded, just as I would always know him. This connection between us is everything and the strength in it expands as we share time, bathing each other.

We also eat a few more cookies and some strawberries, and then drink the sweet bubbly fruit concoction.

When I’m so relaxed that I’m more than willing to sink below the surface and die happy, he asks, “Are you ready for the last stop on your birthday tour?”

“Definitely.”

CHAPTER4

ETHAN

I climb out of the tub and then turn to help Tillie join me on the thick rug. I instantly wrap an enormous fluffy towel around her. It’s so huge she vanishes, happily snuggling into its softness. Exceedingly cozy fabrics, light colors, gentle illumination—so far, so good. We even managed to restrain ourselves while naked in the tub, which I’m counting as a fluke that will never be repeated. How close we are to finally being together spurs my already painful erection to new heights of torment.

But I still take a moment to hold her, breathing in her strawberry-scented hair and then kissing her cheek. Clearly feeling the evidence of my agony, Tillie giggles while rubbing against me.

I step away. “Be good.”

An unapologetic grin is her only response as her eyes feast on me in a way that doesn’t ease the lust furnace inside me. I release a shuddering breath and turn away, grabbing a small towel to dab myself dry.

When I meet her gaze again, her obvious, glittering happiness eases the part of me that hasn’t forgotten or recovered from what happened downstairs, how close we were to falling into quicksand. Some endings turn out to be intermissions, but what I felt was forever, either way it went. Forever together or forever apart—a few words were the difference between this infinite joy and a lonely life trapped in a cage with all my insecurities.

I still wish I could be perfect, a battle I’ve been waging most of my life. Every morning is another chance to get it right and every night is proof I never will. Between them, I enter an actual ring or cage and fight for my life, the only way I’ve ever managed to quiet the voices that tell me I’m not enough. But the brightness and hope in Tillie’s eyes, the fact that we have forever stretching before us, prove I can do this. I can be imperfect and still worthy of being the man who loves her. I can be good for her, and even when I mess up, I know she’ll understand that it’s never from a lack of love. She’s always been kinder to me than I’ve ever been to myself.

I have no idea what she sees in me, but in her, I see the face I know better than my own. Her delicate features mask her mischievous nature, which allowed her to get away with more than anyone else ever could. Her heart-shaped face matches her heart-shaped lips, and her light eyes contrast beautifully with her rich brown hair. She’s angelic, though a cheeky angel for sure.

Her blush deepens as she accepts my need to hold onto this moment for just a little while longer. The way she looks at me—hasalwayslooked at me—is the greatest gift I’ve ever known, as though in her eyes I found the rebuttal to every doubt I’ve ever had about myself. From the day we met, I’ve never been truly alone.

“Are you ready?” I ask gruffly, struggling with emotions I don’t need to conceal from her.

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