Page 66 of Laurels and Liquor

I roll my eyes and scoff at him. “Absolutely delightful. So relaxing,” I retort sarcastically.

Mateo barks a laugh as we exit the airport gates and turn onto the main road, and Mateo lays on the accelerator, taking the dark twists and turns with practiced ease. No one else is out at this time of night, and the headlights illuminate the trees flashing by. It almost feels unreal, like I’m floating in a dream.

“Not that I’m condoning your stupidity, but if you’re going to get arrested for assault, at least finish the job next time,” Mateo jokes, rolling through a stop sign.

“Don’t think I didn’t consider it, but he’s not worth catching the attempted murder charge,” I throw back.

“It’s only attempted if you’re a quitter,” Mateo growls.

We share a dark laugh, but our conversation dies as Mateo races toward home. A few minutes later, we’re through the security gate, and gliding around the winding roads of Bristol Point. The houses are dark, the streets quiet, adding to the liminal feeling of this entire day. Even as we pull into the driveway of the pack house I built for my family, I half expect to jerk awake back in my lonely bed in that apartment in New Orleans again. I’m floating as Mateo and I bolt toward the front door, not even bothering to park in the garage. And as the front door opens, and the familiar smells of mulled wine, pine smoke, lilacs, sugar, and spices fill my senses, my eyes burn with tears. I’m home. I’m truly home.

But I don’t get to dwell for long on those feelings as a noise from the lower level reaches my ears, a moaning scream of pleasure that goes right to my cock. My omega.

I don’t even bother taking off my shoes as I dash through the house, leaving Mateo to follow behind me as we rush down the stairs and into the lounge. I stop short in the open doorway to Lydia’s room, frozen in place by the sight before me. Lucas is on his back, completely naked, his pale skin shiny with sweat and who knows what else. Lex is straddling his waist, tits bouncing as she fucks herself down onto his cock, and Lydia is kneeling over Lucas’s head, eyes closed and mouth slightly open. I jump as Lucas’s hand comes down on Lydia’s ass with a sharp crack, making her moan again.

“I won’t ask again, Omega. When I tell you to sit on his face, I don’t mean hover. I meansit,” Lex snarls, pausing long enough to reach out and shove Lydia’s shoulders as she whines but relents, finally lowering her dripping slit down onto Lucas’s waiting mouth.

My growl rumbles up from my chest, making my whole body shake with a sudden, unstoppable hunger. My cock is rock hard, pressing painfully against my zipper, and I take two long strides into the room, stopping at the edge of the massive bed. Lydia’s eyes pop open, and her face instantly brightens as she looks up at me. She tries to move toward me, but Lucas has his arms banded around her hips, keeping her locked in place. I lean forward, but I have to stop. I will do this the right way, so help me God.

“May I enter your nest, little omega?” I purr, hands twitching at my sides.

She moans, legs shaking and hips rolling as her face twists with pleasure, and a wave of honey-vanilla arousal coats my tongue like syrup. She nods frantically, arms reaching for me even if she can’t move away from Lucas’s relentless tongue.

I don’t waste another moment, stripping down to my skin before climbing up to her side and gathering her in my arms. She’s hot to the touch, but I don’t care. My kiss is tender, soft and exploring. I’d nearly forgotten how sweet she is, how she yields for me with the slightest push. Her little fingers dig into my hair, pulling me closer. Lex commands Lucas to let go, and Lydia climbs off his face to fully face me, melting into my embrace. She was made to be held, designed to fit perfectly against me. Every soft curve of her body is exactly where they need to be, and I let my fingers rediscover each and every one.

“Rhett, I—I can’t believe you’re here,” she breathes when I pull away to kiss down her neck.

“Nothing was going to stop me from being here for this, my love,” I mutter against her skin, cupping her delectable breasts in my palms, gripping them just right for her to arch and moan.

“I’ve missed you so much,” Lydia says, voice cracking with tears, and she wraps her arms around my neck.

I adjust her in my arms, gripping her tight around the ribs so she can press her face into my neck as I bury my nose in her hair. Her smell, the feel of her skin under my fingers, is like heaven on Earth, and I swallow the sudden lump in my throat.

“I missed you, too. But I’m home now. I’m here,” I soothe, closing my eyes tight for a moment.

Looking up, I see that Lucas and Lex have adjusted their position, and they’re now lying on their sides, Lucas behind her, holding up one of her legs as he languidly thrusts up into her. I smile at my beta, a soft thing that I reserve just for him, and he nods. I don’t know what I did to deserve such an understanding partner, but I make a promise to myself to thank him very thoroughly for his patience later. But for now, Lydia’s breathing against me is becoming ragged, her little whimpers cutting straight through me.

“I’ve got you, love. Let me take care of you,” I whisper, gently pulling her arms apart and easing her down onto her back.

As she relaxes into the mattress and I take her in, I have to stop as the gravity of this moment hits me. We’re really doing this, finally sealing the bonds we’ve held in our hearts for so long. Everything is in place, and my heart is so full that it nearly chokes me. Lydia looks up at me, reaching out and lacing her fingers through mine. She’s smiling, eyes glassy with happy tears, like she can already feel what’s going on in my head. With her other hand, she reaches out toward Lex and Lucas, palm up in invitation. I glance their way and catch the tail end of Lex kissing our beta deeply, brushing his cheekbones with the tips of her fingers when she pulls away. Then she fully exits the nest, leaving me, Lydia, and Lucas alone. The world shrinks as the man I love more than the air in my lungs comes up and leans into my side, wrapping his strong arms around me.

“Welcome home, Rhett,” he whispers in my ear, kissing my cheek.

I don’t let him go far, cupping the back of his head and covering his mouth with mine. He moans and melts into my side, parting his lips for me to taste him. His s’mores and pine smoke flavor explodes over my tongue, and my heart kicks hard in my chest. Lucas has been at my side for so long, and he’s been my rock, my comfort, my joy. Kissing him is like hearing my favorite song on the radio, and the world is brighter now that I’m back in his arms. We pull apart and I look into his eyes, trying to find the words to tell him how I feel, but he just smiles.

“Yes, Rhett. If you’ll still have me, I will be your bond mate,” he says.

I can’t help the bubble of laughter that bursts from my throat, and I press my forehead to his. “Of course I’ll still have you.”

“Oh, good. For a second there, it looked like you were going to—”

I cut him off with another heated kiss, and I can feel his grin against my lips. Bratty little shit stirrer. This time when we pull apart, we both turn to look at Lydia at the same time, and I suck in a sharp breath as I watch her slowly toying with her clit. She’s smirking, and I roll my eyes. It seems like Lucas’s attitude is infectious. Reaching over, I pull her hand away, moving forward to press my cock into her slick fingers. She understands my silent instruction, stroking me from root to tip and coating me in her juices. I shudder and gasp, overly sensitive from having gone so long with no one’s touch but my own. Lucas settles down on his side next to her on the bed, and Lydia opens her legs even farther as I lean forward to settle between them. Her inner thighs are slick with her essence, and as I line up my tip with her entrance, her heat radiates off her skin like a furnace.

My thrust forward is slow but steady, and I nearly lose control at the feeling of her warm, tight cunt gripping me. She’s so wet that I can slide all the way inside on the first thrust, my knot pressing against her outer lips as I bottom out. She sighs and arches, and I set a slow pace, enjoying the feel of her for the first time in weeks. I know I won’t last long this first time, but I want her to come at least once before I burst. I sit back slightly, angling my hips so I can drive hard into that patch of nerves on her upper wall while rubbing circles on her clit. She meets me thrust for thrust, building tempo with each cycle until the sound of flesh meeting flesh fills the air. Lucas is there, mouth on her breasts, biting and licking to enhance her pleasure.

“I’m close, I can feel it. Please—”

Lydia clenches hard as she peaks, but Lucas scrambles to straddle her waist, facing me. He doesn’t put any of his weight on her, but the position makes me pull back. Something flashes through me, a predatory urge to push him out of the way and snap at him. He’s coming between me and my omega, and I need to get to her. My jaw aches and there’s a feeling building inside of me, starting in my lower belly but spreading fast.

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