Page 19 of The Honor of Being Hers
What followed was a slow and careful exploration that gradually built the heat between them.Gentle hands mapping her body through her clothes at first, then slipping beneath fabric to find skin.Lips pressing kisses to her neck, her shoulders, her collarbones.Whispered praise in her ears that made her arch and gasp and beg for more.
They took their time, learning what made her breath hitch, what made her moan, what made her hands clench in their hair.Tyler’s was silk-soft between her fingers, Ryan’s slightly coarser, William’s short and thick.Each texture became mapped in her memory along with their responses.
When William’s fingers found the sensitive spot at the base of her throat, she cried out in surprise.When Tyler’s mouth worked magic on the pulse point below her ear, she nearly came undone.When Ryan’s hands discovered just how sensitive her hipbones were, she sobbed his name into the darkness.
They brought her to the edge again and again, backing off just when she thought she might shatter, until she was trembling with need and practically crying with frustration.
“Please,” she whispered, not even sure what she was asking for.
“We’ve got you,” Tyler murmured against her skin.“Let go for us, sweetheart.”
When they finally pushed her over the edge, she came apart with a cry that seemed to echo from her very soul, her body arching into their touches as waves of pleasure crashed over her.They held her through every aftershock with infinite tenderness, their own breathing ragged with restraint.
“Beautiful,” Tyler murmured against her hair as she came down from the high."You’re so beautiful when you let go."
“Our perfect Omega,” William added, his voice thick with satisfaction and barely restrained desire.
Ryan said nothing, just pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead and held her closer, his scent wrapping around her like a promise.
A few days later, as Lauren was beginning to feel truly settled into their routine, William approached her with a suggestion that surprised her.
“The symposium is having its closing gala tomorrow night,” he said carefully."It’s meant to celebrate the week’s presentations and recognize outstanding contributors.Your keynote was very well-received.”
Lauren looked up from her book, interested despite herself.“And?"
“We think it will be safe for you to attend if we are there as your escorts,” Tyler added, settling beside her on the conservatory bench.
“You think so?”she asked, not sure if the flutter in her stomach was excitement or anxiety.
“Yes, we wouldn’t risk your safety if we thought your cycle had become unstable,” Ryan said firmly.“And we’ll be with you the entire time.You’ll have personal protection, access to the gala is controlled, and we have protocols for immediate extraction if needed."
“You don’t even have to speak to anyone if you don’t want to,” Tyler added.“Just attend, show your face, and leave whenever you’re ready.”
“I’ll take your coat, escort you personally, and snarl at anyone who gets within six feet of you, if that’s what you want,” Ryan said with complete seriousness.He wasn’t joking in the slightest.
The thought of facing another academic crowd still made her nervous.Still, there was something appealing about the idea of ending the week on her own terms.She’d given her keynote successfully; why not make one more appearance to claim her space in the academic world?
“Alright,” she said, surprising herself with the decision."Let’s do it.”
Justin had outdone himself with her outfit, a stunning dress in deep midnight blue with long sleeves and a high neckline, featuring subtle scent-trapping seams worked seamlessly into the design.The fabric shimmered with an almost liquid quality as she moved.Rachel had styled her hair into soft, romantic waves that framed her face perfectly.Samantha had carefully applied scent-dulling cream to all her pulse points as Sarah had handed her a calming herbal drink and kissed her cheek for luck.
“You’ve got all of us watching out for you,” Sarah said firmly.“And more importantly, you’ve got yourself.You’re stronger than you know.”
For the first time in her adult life, she actually believed it.
The gala was packed with the academic elite, all glittering lights and elegant conversation flowing like wine.Hot spotlights cast everything in sharp relief while the air conditioning created pockets of cooler air that made the crowd shift and flow unpredictably.She could sense Alphas prowling the edges of the gathering like predators assessing territory, but their attention felt manageable now that she had her own protection.
Lauren stuck close to her friends for the first hour, with her pack keeping a respectful distance while still clearly circling her like professional bodyguards.She was actually starting to relax, to enjoy the intellectual conversations and academic networking she’d once loved, when it happened.
A stranger approached her near the modern art exhibit: he was tall, conventionally handsome, and presenting as Beta, but there was something fundamentally off about his scent signature that made her instincts prickle with unease.He smiled with practiced charm and claimed to be an admirer of her research, engaging her in what seemed like legitimate academic discussion.
“Dr.Langford, I’ve been following your work on algorithmic therapeutic applications for months,” he said, his tone professional but with an underlying intensity that made her skin crawl.“The potential for personalized treatment protocols is fascinating.”
Something about the way he said “personalized” sent ice through her veins.There was an implication there, a suggestion that he knew more about her personal medical situation than any stranger should.
And then he leaned just slightly too close, invading her personal space in a way that made her skin crawl.
“You smell complicated,” he murmured, his tone suggesting far too much familiarity.“Interesting combination of natural Omega pheromones and pharmaceutical intervention.Your suppressant regimen must be quite sophisticated.”
