Page 52 of The Twelve Knots of Christmas
Miss Eloise was snug in her bed when we left at eight o’clock. I hurried outside ahead of Lyla and Lucian with no coat on and moaned a sigh of relief as the winter wind hit me. It was blowing hard tonight, and the cold slapped a flimsy bandage on my feverish needs.
Just enough to get me home and into a cold shower. I wasn’t going to abandon Lyla another night. There was no way I was going to leave her home alone.
Lucian drove us to pick up some late dinner and then to Primrose House. He helped carry everything to the door. I fully intended to stay with Lyla, but my feet were refusing to move from the porch, away from him.
“Thank you so much for everything. I’d give you a hug, but I’m scared Mari will tackle me to the floor if I touch you.” Lyla laughed as she stepped into the house.
I wanted to say I certainly would never do such a thing, but when it happened earlier at the hospital, the possessiveness I felt was frighteningly powerful. Everyone knew Alphas got like that, but we rarely heard that about Omegas. Yet it made sense. This was the Alpha who knotted me, breaking out of his sweet guy shell and becoming a ferocious animal.
Squeezing my legs together, I swallowed a whimper as a wave of heat pain grasped me. All I could do was stand by the door with my arms wrapped around myself.
“You’re welcome.” Lucian chuckled and turned his gaze toward me, nostrils flaring as he breathed in. “Mariska knows I have no interest in any Omega other than her. She should also know that anything she wants or needs, she just has to ask. Do you have everything you need for tonight?”
“Yep.” Not by far. I needed him between my legs and fucking me like the world was going to end.
“I can give you a hug though, right?” A little smile played at the corner of his lips. Oh fuck, he was so sexy.
I couldn’t find my voice and could only nod. Just a hug and then I’d go inside. Just a simple exercise of self control.
Lucian wrapped his arms around me, and I was at once soothed and aroused. My control broke and I grabbed his head to pull him down to kiss. He offered no resistance. Our mouths mashed together with a growing fervor, and I was ready to pull him down onto the frozen porch to have my way with him.
“Mari! Where’s Artemis?” Lyla came back to the door and gasped. “Wow.”
I broke apart from Lucian, heaving with each breath. “Uh… Shit. She’s at the farm. I should probably go get her—”
Lucian spoke at the same time as me. His dilated eyes never left me. “I can take care of her. Or, yeah, I can drive you there to get her. You both could come and spend the night. We have plenty of room.”
No, no, no. As much as I wanted him, I needed to be there for Lyla. I failed in my best friend duties earlier, and I refused to do it again. “If you don’t mind taking care of her tonight, I would really be grateful. I need to be here for Lyla.”
“No, you don’t, girl.” Lyla snorted and smirked at me. “I see you there lusting after your cute elf. Go on and take care of your heat. I don’t want to have to listen to you moaning all night, taking a million cold showers, and asking to borrow my vibrator.”
“Lyla!” I covered my face with both hands. The girl could be so embarrassing!
“Go. I’ll be fine.” Lyla made a sweeping gesture with her hand. “I have all this food and a ton of fruitcake to package up in the kitchen. Plus Miss Eloise asked me to check on Hazel and her daughter next door to see if they needed any help, and I’m taking over for her at the Big Sisters event. So I’ll be plenty busy. You go to the farm and… Oooh, do you have the whole pack with you in bed? I always wondered how that worked.”
It hadn’t happened, but explicit images of all three Alphas taking me flashed through my mind making me ache even more. “I don’t want to leave you alone.”
“You need to take care of yourself. You’re doing no one any favors by ignoring your heat.” Lyla hugged me and winked. “Go. That way you can give me all the naughty details later.”
“If you’re sure…”
“Of course I want to hear all the details.” She giggled.
I rolled my eyes and playfully nudged her. “No, about me going, because… I feel really bad about not being there yesterday and then I slept in this morning, and you’ll be alone after everything. You’re my best friend.”
“And you’re mine. I love you, girl. Text me when you get there. If you need to stay two or three nights to work out your heat, do it. I know they’ll take good care of you.”
A huge gust of wind lashed at the porch and Lucian put his body between it and us, shielding us from its fury. “We’ll definitely take good care of her.”
I gave Lyla one more hug. “All right, but we’ll come pick you up tomorrow to go visit Miss Eloise. I love you too. Get some sleep.”
“I know you won’t be sleeping, so I’ll get enough for both of us. Good night!” Lyla waved us off and hurried in to close the door against the cold.
Lucian wrapped an arm around me and protected me from the wind as we rushed to his truck. As soon as we were inside with the doors closed and he had the key in the ignition to warm it up, I climbed onto his lap.
“I can’t seem to keep my hands off of you.” I kissed him as shifted me on his lap. His thick erection poked into my hip and made everything in me clench painfully. Whimpering, I tried to maneuver myself so I was straddling him, but the seat wasn’t allowing for it.
He groaned against my mouth and pushed off my coat. “Or your hands… or your hot little body…” He eased a hand into my pants and cupped my throbbing core. “Or your amazingly wet pussy.”
