Page 26 of Slick

I shake my head, looking everywhere at once. “I don't think so. What do they do?”

“Different things for different needs.” I can hear the anticipation in his voice, but he doesn’t reach into the box, his lips skimming the side of my throat until I shiver. “But they only exist to give you comfort or pleasure. Take those fur cuffs, for instance. They go over your wrist, giving you the sense of being restrained, but you can also brush them up and down your body. Do you want to try them?”

I’m already taking them out of the box, my fingers tracing along the cool metal chain to one of the soft black cuffs. I brush it against my damp cheek and Rowan makes a humming sound. “Omegas in heat are highly sensitive, but they’re also territorial.” He pulls the cuff apart, showing me the hooks and loops under the fur that latch together, then wraps it gently around my wrist. When he gives the other cuff a little tug, something jerks deep in my core, and I have to swallow a moan. “Want me to wear this one?” I nod, and he wraps it around his wrist, stroking his cuff up and down my arm. I imagine it’s like rubbing up against a cat, and prickles of pleasure draw a purr to my lips. “You like that, sweetheart?”

“A lot.”

“You look pretty in fur.” He gives his end a sharp tug and my mouth falls open, like he’s hooked me in the chest. “Omegas like to keep their mates close, so they can use them whenever they want.”

I sigh, my eyes fluttering shut as I soak up the sensations. There’s the softness of the fur and the reassuring clink of the metal chain, but there’s also Rowan’s warm thighs under me and the sound of his voice coming from the screen. He’s panting and moaning, and when I turn to look, I shiver at the way the big alpha licks the slick from his trembling thighs.

“You like leather too, don’t you, sweetheart?” Rowan’s voice has dipped low, his words like a caress as they feather over my ear. “Why don’t you take out that collar and have a closer look?”

I squirm, so eager to grab it, I almost slide onto the floor. But Rowan jerks his wrist and the chain pulls tight, keeping me grounded on his lap. “You can wear it yourself, or put it on your partner,” his silky voice says in my ear. “Some omegas like to know their partners won’t leave them during their heat. Others just like the feeling of ownership and control.” I lick my lips, looking hopefully at Rowan. “You want me to put it on?”

“Please.”

He gives me a slow, dreamy smile. “You don’t need to tie me down to keep me here, but I’ll wear it if it makes you happy.”

I smile back, and he shows me how to buckle him into the slim circle of leather. His skin feels like warm caramel under my hands as I test the fit. There’s a silver ring at the front, just below the masculine bulge in his throat, and he hooks another chain onto it, handing me the leather loop on the end. “All yours,” he grins, and I give a gentle tug, goosebumps pebbling my skin at the way it looks around his creamy neck.

I want to lean in and lick the bulge of his throat, maybe taste the leather imprint against his skin, but I force my attention back to the box. “What’s that?” I ask, pointing to a spongy-looking bag covered in white mesh.

“It’s a heat and ice pad.” He grabs the bag and shakes it until it glows with a pale blue light. “It’s temperature controlled. Squeeze for heat, shake for ice. Some omegas wear it in theirunderwear when they’re in the glow, or drape it across their necks when they’re feeling chilled. Want to try?”

I nod, and he skims the cold bag over my chest, letting it brush against my hard nipples. I shiver at the contrasting sensation against my heated flesh and decide to keep it close at hand. I’m not sure how much hotter I’m going to get, but I like the icy tingles working down my spine.

“These are more for your personal pleasure,” he says, pointing to another section of the box that has a row of items in different colors and sizes. I’m not sure what they do, but he chooses a bright pink one with a flared head. On the screen, the man with the hard hat has taken something similar out of his toolbox and is running the tip down Rowan’s back. He’s on his hands and knees, and his head drops forward as the device dips into the crevice between his cheeks. It works in slow, teasing circles, and as a shudder rolls through Rowan’s body, my thighs clench in a strange mix of sympathy and envy.

“This is a top-tier vibrator,” the real-life Rowan says, flicking a button so the device hums in his hand. “Silicone, and self-lubing, for a smoother fit. It has different settings, but we can start with the lowest one.”

I watch, entranced, until he presses the tip of the vibrator to my thigh. It buzzes over my skin in a disturbingly familiar way, and I leap off his lap, moving so fast I almost trip over the leash. As I stagger back, he stares up at me with worried eyes. “Are you okay?”

“The slick suit…” I pant, my thigh still trembling from the touch. I try to wipe it away, but it feels like it’s wormed its way under my skin, and I shudder. “It – it vibrates just like that.”

“Oh, fuck. I should’ve thought...” He quickly turns the device off and shoves it under the sofa, out of sight. “I’m sorry, sweetheart, we won’t play with that anymore.”

“Promise?”

“From the bottom of my heart. This is only fun if you’re enjoying it.” His mouth pulls down, and he tucks a finger between his collar and throat. “And you’re the one in control, remember?”

I don’t like the guilty look in his eyes, but I’m too nervous to sit back on his lap. Instead, I lean over the box, asking him to tell me about the other items. The names are all intriguing - pleasure wand, crystal egg, suction beads – but I go still as he points to an alpha ring. Like the vibrator, it’s made from a soft plastic, but it’s a deeper, duskier color. Just looking at it makes my throat feel tight. “Can we try that?”

A blush climbs Rowan’s cheeks as he takes it out of the box. “This is a… fake alpha knot.”

I lean closer, the tightness in my throat matched by a flutter in my belly. “I loved Kane’s knot.”

A smirk pulls at Rowan’s mouth. “I’m glad you did. But this isn’t for alphas, sweetheart. It swells like their knots, but it’s made of silicone instead of muscle… See?”

He presses the ring into my hand, wrapping my fingers around it and gently pumping until it grows bigger than my palm. “It feels good.” I look into his eyes, getting lost in their hazel fire. “Can omegas wear them?”

“Uh, yeah. As long as they have the equipment, I mean.”

He waves at his lap, and I file away the word:equipment.Rowan’s equipment is straining against the front of his jeans and smells so good, my stomach gives a hungry clench. “Would you wear it for me?”

The golden-green flames in his eyes spark brighter, his scent swirling around me in a sweet mist. “Of course, sweetheart. But if you want, we can wait for your beta to arrive…”

I frown. Does he think I’m just asking him to be with me so I won’t be alone? “I wantyouto wear it, Rowan. I want to take your knot, like you’re taking his.”

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