Page 56 of Bonded By Christmas
All of that is easily manageable with a few called-in favors. If that doesn’t do the trick, I’ll call in the mercenary company for a little backup. There’s a reason I keep them on retainer, despite the exorbitant cost.
The headache of one of the founding families’ daughter’s attempting to get out of her marriage contract at the eleventh hour is quite another. I’ve yet to resolve that nightmare, but theugly truth is that Vanessa may just have to suck it up and honor the agreement her father put in place twenty years ago.
I can mediate all day, and it still doesn’t change a thing if neither party is willing to give. That issue can’t be resolved today, meaning it’ll have to hold until we get a response from her intended husbands.
I have more important fish to fry.
The top of the list is canceling my final appointment of the day, and that’s only a priority because I won’t be able to manage that and keep Lacey comfortable if she has a heat spike.
Grim and Callum head to my office to say goodbye to Lacey, and I attempt to contact my afternoon appointment to reschedule. If they show up, they’ll be sorely disappointed that I’m not available.
Next, I call in a couple of guys to assist Callum and Grim, who finally meander out after saying their goodbyes. They briefly touch base to find out where to meet the team and give me a basic outline of their plans before they head out.
With a variety of vehicles leaving the compound, if someone was watching Callum and Lacey as they came in, they’ll have no idea which car to follow as they all exit. Which will give Lacey and me the opportunity to leave undetected.
I even call Raymond to let him know to be available at a moment’s notice. Callum asked me to have Raymond move Lacey’s packages from the back seat of my car when he arrives, and I relay that message.
I’ve been away from Lacey for longer than I would like, and I make my way to my office. My nerves are frazzled, but we have a plan in place. If someone is waiting for my vehicle to leave, they’ll be shocked when it doesn’t.
Lacey lies stretched out on the leather couch in my office when I make it in. She’s still in her jacket and dress, but I’m fairly sure she left the house in leggings this morning. Perhaps she was running too hot at the time, or Callum didn’t want to interrupt his easy access in case she needed more sex.
Stepping into the attached bathroom, I pull open the small armoire. It houses extra suits and emergency clothing, but I also keep a blanket folded at the bottom with a pillow just in case I’m ever too tired to drive home.
I’ve never actually used it, and yet, I’m grateful to have it on hand. Making my way back into my office, I kneel on the edge of the couch cushion and prepare to cover the little omega.
Her eyes pop open, and she grabs my arm. “You could lie with me.”
A lazy smile crosses my face. “You want me snuggled up with you, little sister?” I chuckle, tossing the pillow above her head onto the arm of the couch. “I’d be happy to.”
It’s a whole process of kicking out of my dress shoes, removing my coat, belt, and holster. I’m still not finished as I loosen my tie, unbutton and roll up my sleeves, and pop the top two buttons on my dress shirt, but I’m much more comfortable once it’s all done. If we weren’t in my office, I’d get down to my boxer briefs. The location isn’t ideal, so I’m doing the best I can under the circumstances.
“Scoot toward the edge or flip toward the inside of the couch and slide in,” I murmur, pulling the blanket back. She chooses to move closer to the edge, which will give us both a view of the room. I’d much prefer to be between her and the door. Though,I hate the thought of having my back to it, so this will have to work.
It’s a plush couch, but it’s still a tight fit as I settle behind her. I pull the pillow down, and Lacey rests her head on it while I keep mine up with a palm. Bringing the blanket over us both, I note she stripped out of her coat while I was preoccupied with my attire.
“Are you too hot for the blanket?” I ask, brushing hair away from her cheek. “You may be a bit warm just from touch, but I know omegas prefer to snuggle and burrow.”
“How long until we can go home and nest?” she asks groggily. “I just want to be somewhere safe and comfortable.”
“I understand, and I promise I will get you out of here as soon as I can,” I murmur, my nostrils flaring with the change in her scent. My teeth grind together, and I fight the urge to say something shitty. It would be my pride talking. Though it seems doubly unfair since I’ve wanted her the longest. The omega builds their pack, or that’s the way it’s supposed to go. “Mmm, congratulations on your newest bond.”
“Thanks.” Lacey grabs my hand, guiding it under the blanket and resting it over her stomach. “Rub my tummy. It hurts.”
I smile, shaking my head.
Grim or Callum would do best in this situation, but I’m who’s here. Caring for her is no burden. I suppose I’m just not used to needing to access a softer side of myself.
“One tummy rub coming up,” I murmur, leaning over her to kiss her temple. At the same time, I slide my hand under her dress and focus on her stomach. “So, tell me as much as you can about your friend and her son. I need to look into having someone check in on them.”
Lacey mumbles herself to sleep. I watch her face, continuing to rub her stomach, but within a few minutes, her half-coherent self grabs my hand and redirects it to her pussy.
I chuckle.
Damn, I can’t wait for the day we know each other well enough that I can playfully pick on her about this kind of thing.Darling, you’re so bossy, you even made me your sex toy in your sleep.Perhaps that would make her self-conscious, but once she’s settled into her place with us, I believe she’ll be open to more playful banter.
I don’t let myself focus on the fact she’s soaked in Callum’s cum.
The idea of sharing is one thing. Alphas are prepped for this our entire lives. Though, clearly, the masses leave out certain details…such as how comfortable one must become with their best friends’ bodily fluids.
