Page 74 of Mating With My Grumpy Alphas
"Perfect," I said honestly, stretching languidly and enjoying the way all three alphas responded to the movement. "Better than perfect."
Last night had been a revelation. Not just the physical pleasure, though that had been extraordinary. But the emotional safety of it. The way they'd made it clear that my comfort and consent mattered more than their own needs. The way they'd worked together instead of competing, each using their unique strengths to take care of me. Elias taking control after he made sure that I was ready for him to do it.
Sometimes love means letting someone take care of you without keeping score,I thought, remembering Rhett's words. I was finally beginning to understand what that meant in practice.
"What time is it?" Wes asked sleepily from behind me, his arm tightening around my waist as he stirred.
"Early," Elias answered, though I hadn't heard him wake up. "Sun's barely up."
"Don't care," I said, turning in Wes's arms so I could see all three of them. "I don't want to move. Ever."
"We could stay here all day," Rhett said with a grin that was pure temptation. "Order food, ignore the outside world, see what other ways we can make you make those pretty sounds."
Heat bloomed across my cheeks as memories from the night before flooded back. The sounds I'd made when Elias had used his mouth on me while Rhett and Wes held me steady. The way I'd sobbed their names when they'd brought me to climax over and over until I couldn't tell where one sensation ended and another began.
"Tempting," I admitted, because it absolutely was. "But we should probably face reality at some point."
"Reality's overrated," Wes said, pressing a kiss to the sensitive spot where my neck met my shoulder. The casual intimacy of it made my heart skip.
"Reality includes moving my stuff to your cabin," I pointed out, though my voice came out breathier than I'd intended. "And I have to work today."
"No you don't," Elias said with the kind of quiet authority that made my omega instincts purr. "I called Pine & Pages already. Told them you needed a personal day."
I blinked at him. "You did what?"
"Called in for you," he said simply. "Figured after last night, you might need some time to process. And moving is stressful enough without trying to squeeze it around work schedules."
"When did you call them?" I asked, confused about the timeline.
"About an hour ago," he admitted. "I've been awake for a while. Wanted to make sure everything was arranged so you could focus on what you need."
The casual way he'd taken care of logistics without being asked made my chest tight with emotion. This was what it felt like to be considered, to have someone think three steps ahead of your needs and quietly remove obstacles.
"What about your jobs?" I asked, looking between the three of them.
"Already handled," Rhett said. "Jake's covering the garage today. He can manage the routine stuff, and anything complicated can wait until tomorrow."
"I cleared my schedule too," Wes added. "No meetings, no site visits, nothing that can't wait until tomorrow."
"And I own my own business," Elias said with a small smile. "Advantage of being your own boss."
I stared at them, trying to process the fact that they'd all rearranged their lives around helping me move. Not because I'd asked, but because they'd anticipated what I'd need and made it happen.
"You didn't have to do that," I said softly.
"Yeah, we did," Rhett said firmly. "You're ours now. Taking care of you is what we do."
The possessive certainty in his voice should have scared me. With Sterling, possessiveness had meant control and isolation. But this felt different. This felt like protection and consideration and the kind of claiming that made space for me to grow rather than demanding I shrink.
"Besides," Wes said, his hand finding mine under the covers, "I've been looking forward to this. Having you in my space, making it ours."
"Our space," I corrected softly, and the smile that spread across his face was brilliant.
"Our space," he agreed.
After Elias prepared breakfast that tasted like love made edible, we finally managed to extract ourselves from the tangle of limbs and contentment. The process of getting dressed was an exercise in distraction, each of us stealing touches and kisses until Rhett finally declared that if we didn't leave soon, we'd end up right back in bed.
"Would that be so terrible?" I asked, and the heat in his eyes told me exactly what he thought about that possibility.
