Page 67 of Star-crossed Betas

“Yes, that’s exactly what I said. Just be yourself, babe. But maybe don’t mention tumours over dinner.”

“‘Be myself,’ ‘don’t mention tumours,’ why don’t you hand me a self-help book while you’re at it,” I say, letting out a disgruntled huff.

“And after they’ve all left, I’m going to bring you back in here, take my time undressing you, tease you until you forget your own name. And then I’m going to fuck you into the mattress.”

My jaw drops, and I must resemble a goldfish.

Fee and I haven’t fucked since our wedding night fiasco six months ago. We’ve done pretty much everything elsebutthat, and now I’m nervous about this, too. He gently grips my chin between his thumb and index finger and presses his lips to mine in a quick but passionate kiss.

“Great, now I’m hard. Thanks for that,” I say, adjusting myself so I’m not tenting my trousers. Thank fuck for boxer briefs with a tight waistband.

“Bet you aren’t thinking about my family anymore, though?” He winks at me, looking far too pleased with himself.

Our dining table sits to the side of the living room by the front window; it’s not really equipped to seat seven people, so it’s a bit of a squeeze this evening. Most of our guests are sitting enjoying a glass of wine while Archie and I dish everything up in the kitchen. I’ve cooked slow-roasted duck legs in a red wine jus with creamy mashed potatoes and green beans because, apparently, I’m a total brown noser.

“Wow. I lived here for weeks, and you never cooked anything this fancy,” Archie says, eyeing up the food. He’s right, I think the fanciest meal he got from me was bangers and mash, but I squawk indignantly anyway.

“You’re Scottish. Your people eat deep-fried Mars bars,” I point out, and he chuckles under his breath. Ever since he opened up to Fee and officially joined our pack, he’s slowly but surely become more relaxed around us. I was worried he might be nervous around strangers tonight, but he seems to be taking it all in stride so far.

Phoenix Campbell

“That was delicious. Thanks, Connor,” Jade says as she and Jasper start clearing the plates away.

“Glad you enjoyed it,” he replies, blushing at the compliment. The food really was delicious. It’s funny to think that after so many years together, I thought I knew everything about him, yet the secrecy of our relationship left certain stones unturned. It wasn’t until we started living together that I had any idea Cee could cook. It was a very pleasant surprise.

In the past few weeks, he even started making extra portions so I could take leftovers for lunch. In typical Cee fashion, he never mentioned it; I just opened the fridge one morning, and there was some Tupperware with a Post-it note with my name on it. I figured he’d made too much, but every morning, I open the fridge, and there’s my lunch.

I know I never stopped loving him, but these past few months, he’s reminded me of why I fell for him in the first place. He loves quietly, but in a way that makes me feel cherished and cared for. He buys my favourite shampoo when he sees I’m running low, he rubs my shoulders when he knows I’ve had a stressful day, and he mended a hole in my flannel shirt the other day because he knows it’s my favourite.

I think it’s all the little things compounded that have made me realise I’m ready for us to have sex again. We aren’t in the same place we were at six months ago, and I’m finally ready for us to move forward.

“Hey Fee, could you come into the kitchen for a moment?” Cee calls from the doorway to the kitchen.

“Fee?” Jasper mouths to me. Everyone except Cee has only ever called me Phoenix or Nix for short; it hadn’t really crossed my mind anyone would notice.

“One sec,” I tell Jas, and then I head into the kitchen to see what Cee is after. “What’s up?”

“We don’t own enough bowls.” Cee looks wide-eyed and panicked—over bowls…

“Okay… Can’t we use the side plates instead?”

“We only have six side plates.”

“What if we use six bowls, and I’ll use a side plate?”

“That will look ridiculous. I knew how many people were coming. Why didn’t I buy more bowls?” he asks, sounding quite hysterical.

“Because we rarely have more than two guests at a time, so buying more bowls for one dinner is excessive,” I point out.

“You are no help. Shoo,” he says, shoving me back out of the kitchen. I love him, but he is ludicrous sometimes.

After we’ve all stuffed ourselves with the birthday cake Alice made (Cee eating his portion on a side plate—the horror!), we all settle into the living room. It turns out Cee's apprehension was unwarranted. The whole evening has been lovely, and it’s been nice spending some quality time with my family.

We only have one large sofa and an armchair in the living room, so Cee is sitting on the floor between my legs. I’m playing with his hair, running my fingers through the soft strands, and he leans into the touch. Magnus seems to have befriended Alice and is curled up on her lap, purring away to my right. Jas keeps giving me curious glances, and I’m not sure what that’s about.

“Who wants to re-watch Twilight and mock it mercilessly?” Cee asks everyone in the room. He gets an enthusiastic “Yes” from Alice and Jade. Archie just smiles and says, “Sure,” while Alfie groans.

“Can’t we watch the latest Jurassic World film?” Alfie suggests, hopefully. He’s met with a resounding no from the rest of the room.

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