Page 71 of Laurels and Liquor

Chapter thirty-five

Mateo

Wefellbackintobed after Lex and Lucas bonded, and it’s now several hours later judging by the sunlight coming through the windows when I’m pulled from sleep again, this time by Lucas exiting the bed and throwing on a pair of basketball shorts before leaving the room entirely. Lydia whines, but Rhett is there, touching her and soothing her for the moment. I look over in question to Lex, who is blinking sleep from her eyes.

“He’s getting us some food and hydration. He’ll be back in a minute,” she rasps, voice full of sleepy gravel.

I nod and look back to Lydia and Rhett, and his fingers are buried between her thighs, her hips rocking rhythmically. My cock is already hard from the smell of sex in the air, coating my tongue in sweet honey and spices. Lex rolls until she’s curled against my side, and we watch Lydia climax again and fall into a blissed-out doze. Rhett licks his fingers and settles Lydia against his chest and looks back to Lex and me, smirking.

“So when did this happen?” he asks softly, nodding at our position. “After Seth’s accident,” Lex answers as honestly as she can.

I nod and kiss her cheek, avoiding Rhett’s gaze. He chuckles and sighs, and I glance back up at him, relaxing slightly at the amusement on his face.

“How do the bonds feel?” I ask, redirecting the conversation toward a less fraught subject.

Lex hums and Rhett smiles to himself, and I have to admit that while I’m delighted at their happiness, a tiny petty voice in the back of my mind is a little jealous. But I shove that away, not in the mood to deal with my baggage right now.

“It’s different than with Seth, but I think that’s a good thing, you know? I don’t feel as… tangled, if that makes sense?” Lex says, voice lifting in a question.

I nod understandingly, and I hate that the jealousy in my heart grows a little more at that. Rhett clears his throat pointedly, and I have to look away from him. Damn him. I need to get better at controlling my facial expressions.

“Lydia is going to need one of us soon, and I don’t think we should put off bonding for much longer. From what Lucas has said, having those bonds will help her come down from her heat faster,” Rhett comments.

I nod, doing my best to swallow my protests and disappointment. It should be Rhett or Lex first, the logical part of me reasons. Rhett already has his pseudo-bond with her, and Lex is our prime alpha. There’s no world where it makes sense for me to bond with Lydia before either of them does.

“We can go and give you two some privacy if you want it, or we can stay. It’s up to you,” Lex says, brushing a strand of hair away from my forehead.

I blink dumbly at her, my mind not quite comprehending her at first. But then I snap my gaze to Rhett, and the sparkle in his icy blue eyes makes my heart beat a little faster. They’re giving me this choice, the opportunity to decide how I want to do this. And I know they know what this means, judging by their smiles and soft eyes. I nod, too choked up to speak for a long time.

“I’d… I think I’d like to be alone. I’ll shout if I need anything, but I think—”

Lex kisses me before I can ramble too far, and I chuckle as she pulls away. She climbs out of bed and slips into her black robe, sauntering gracefully out of the room. I watch the swing of her hips as they disappear through the door before I turn to Rhett and scoot closer, working with him to maneuver Lydia from his embrace to mine. I give him a long look, feeling the need to speak, but not sure what to say. He spares me the mental torment, leaning in and clasping a hand to the back of my neck before brushing his lips against mine.

“I know, Matty. But don’t worry about a thing. It won’t be like last time; I promise,” Rhett whispers against my mouth.

Nodding again, I take a deep breath. Of course, he’d pick up on my nerves. He’s far too observant for his own good, truly a menace to society. But he doesn’t elaborate, just clapping my shoulder before walking naked from the room, closing the door gently behind him. I sigh and nuzzle into the crease of Lydia’s throat, breathing in her scent. She’s warm again, and I want to touch her, but I don’t want to wake her either. She needs to rest as much as she can, and who knows how long this is going to last.

Thankfully, she moans a moment or two later, turning over to press her face to my chest without even opening her eyes.

“Good morning, baby girl,” I mutter, kissing her neck over and over.

“It’s morning?” she sighs, words slurring together slightly.

“A glorious one. The sun makes your hair look like melted caramel right now,” I gush, not even sure where the words come from.

She chuckles, hands sliding out over the sheets, searching. I pull her back in with a kiss, trying to distract her. While she’s in heat, she’s not going to take kindly to any of her chosen partners leaving her side, even for short periods of time. I don’t want her to get upset, but I’m too late. She rears back and looks around, eyes half-lidded and bleary.

“Where is everyone?” she asks, her tone edging toward panicked.

“They’re making food, baby. Don’t worry, they’ll be back soon,” I soothe, sitting up to gather her in my arms again.

She nods, but she’s still tense. I run my hands over her stomach and up to her slightly swollen breasts, rubbing them gently and playing with her nipples until she’s soft and pliant again. She lets me guide her back down to the bed, and I settle myself over her, kissing her harder this time. Her fingers thread into my hair, holding tight as our tongues dance, her yielding when I push. I shift my knee up to press against her core, and she’s already soaked.

“Does my baby girl need something in her pretty pussy?” I coo, nibbling on her throat and collarbones.

“Yes, please,” she moans, head tipping back to give me better access.

I chuckle under my breath, basking in her gasping cries as I pinch her nipples hard, only to soothe away the hurt with my mouth. She grinds against my leg, trying to get some relief. But I pull back over and over, teasing her with pressure, only to ease off and leave her whining.

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