Page 72 of Laurels and Liquor

“Daddy, please don’t tease me. I need you,” Lydia finally whines, pulling my hair hard.

“But I want to tease you. And you want to give Daddy what he wants, don’t you, baby girl?” I taunt, sliding a hand down to brush feather light over her throbbing clit.

“I do, but it hurts. It aches and I can’t take it, please. Daddy, please—please help me,” Lydia sobs, begging desperately.

Moving back to kiss her deeply, I nudge her legs apart as I line my aching cock up with her entrance. I don’t know why or how, but hearing that honorific on her lips as she begs me to fuck her does something to me, bringing out the primal caregiver that I didn’t even know I had inside of me. I want her to need me, and I need to please her. And as I slide into her tight heat with no resistance, the look of joy and relief that spreads across her face brings me to my metaphorical knees. Seeing her look at me like I’m the center of her universe fills my heart with so much warmth that I can feel it trying to leak from behind my eyes.

“I love you so much, Lydia,” I whisper passionately, driving deep into her.

As she gazes up at me, a touch of clarity returns to her expression, the smile on her face not the heat-induced kind from a few moments ago, but more like the woman who holds my heart in her delicate little hands.

“I love you, too, Mateo.”

Lydia trails off with a groan as I shift my hips, driving against her inner pleasure point as I rise up, bringing her with me so she’s in my lap. We’re nearly eye to eye in this position, and she has more leverage to fuck herself deeper onto my cock. Her arms are tight around my shoulders, her nipples hard as they brush my chest each time our hips come together. Words fail us both as we race toward release, and I swallow, nervous again. As if she can already sense my emotions, she cups my cheek with her left palm, the arm we agreed I’d bite to bond with her.

“I’m close, and I can feel it trying to reach out toward you,” she whispers breathlessly.

My brow twitches in confusion, but she shudders and arches her back, her pussy clamping down on me out of nowhere. I suck in sharply, slowing to fuck her through it like I normally do. But she whines, nails digging into my skin.

“Faster, please. I need to feel you,” she begs.

The primal part of me surges forward at the slight quavering to her plea, desperate to soothe whatever is hurting my omega. I grasp her hips and help her to ride me, eventually turning to put her on her side, lifting one of her legs to my shoulder so I can drive harder and deeper than before. Her hand slips down to my chest, settling over my heart, and our eyes meet. The emerald green irises are nearly swallowed by the blacks of her pupils, the void pulling me down until I’m lost. The world could be burning to the ground around us, and I still wouldn’t be able to look away from this miraculous creature.

“Will you mark me, Alpha? Make me yours?” Lydia asks, voice small and thin, like she’s on the verge of tears again.

“You’re mine, Omega. And I’m yours. Until this stops beating,” I declare, pressing a hand over hers on my chest.

She cries out my name, throwing her head back as she crests her peak once more, her muscles sucking me in until my knot slips into place, swelling as I fill her with my seed. My body tingles and something surges in my stomach, more than my orgasm, something deeper and more intrinsic. I lean down and close my teeth over her wrist, biting with enough force to break her skin for the first time since we met. My mind races and slows at the same time as her blood coats my tongue and throat and I take several long pulls of the sweet nectar. She tastes like the first rain after a drought, and my soul fills with light. There’s a pull in my chest, and I gasp and release Lydia’s wrist as feelings of trust and rightness, and true, unconditional love, fill me. I look down, tears on my cheeks, and I let Lydia’s leg fall to the side, groaning at the increase in pressure when I hold her to my chest, our legs tangled together and faces inches apart.

“You’re here,” she whispers reverently, almost disbelieving.

I nod, lower lip trembling. I can feel our connection growing brighter and stronger, each little touch adding to the tether and bringing us closer. Chest to chest, nose to nose, sharing breaths, we kiss away each other’s tears, just feeling and experiencing this moment. I feel lighter than I have in years, like I’d be bobbing along the ceiling if she wasn’t holding me to the ground. My impulse to fill the silence with talk fades, because I realize I can tell her how much I love her without words now.

Giving a short, experimental tug on the invisible string between us, I send her pleasure and joy. She giggles brightly, squirming and then going still as the movement triggers another orgasm. I pull her arm up and kiss at the wound I’ve created, licking the tender flesh. Almost instantly, she relaxes, head flopping back against me. And faintly, a matching tingle spreads through my own wrist. It’s not possible for an alpha to retain a bond mark like omegas and betas can, but that doesn’t mean we don’t experience the effects of the marks we leave on our mates. Everything is super sensitive right now, which is why I can feel it so strongly, but I hope that never fades. That every time she touches my mark, I’ll know.

“That feels like the world’s best massage, and eating the most delicious dessert all at once,” she drawls sleepily.

“Then I’ll do it every day, until you’re sick of it,” I promise, only half teasing.

“Don’t threaten me with a good time.” She yawns, falling even deeper into relaxation until she’s fully asleep. But even after my knot deflates and my cock is soft, I don’t move an inch.

The need to be close to her is overwhelming, and I let my head rest on hers as I close my eyes, slipping into a light sleep as well.

Chapter thirty-six

Rhett

Thatevening,we’reallpiled in the nest, limbs tangled as we try to catch our breaths from the most recent round. I don’t remember much from the disaster of Seth’s heat, but I know it wasn’t like this. I’ve never felt more comfortable in my life than I do in this moment, skin on skin with my pack. The air is thick and warm, everything hazy with endorphins. Lucas backs in with a tray of finger foods and bottles of sports drinks, setting them on the edge of the bed before crawling into Lex’s waiting arms. Mateo leans over and plucks up a string of grapes, feeding them to a half-conscious Lydia.

The pure love shining between Mateo’s and Lydia’s faces warms my heart in a way I don’t think I could have ever prepared myself for. Maybe it’s because the shadows and darkness I’ve grown accustomed to seeing on my best friend’s face for the last few years are finally, truly gone. Maybe it’s because I’m watching Lydia receive the care she deserves from someone who understands how special she is. Or maybe it’s something else entirely. Regardless of the reason, seeing them together, speaking without words, makes me smile with soul-deep contentment.

I watch them for a while, but my attention shifts as Lex moves in and rests her head on my bicep, with Lucas curled into her other side. She chuckles a little to herself, and I look at her, pushing a little curiosity down the bond through Lucas to her.

“I haven’t thought about work or Seth once in the last few days. I can’t remember the last time that happened,” she whispers, just for me and Lucas.

Wrapping my arm around her, I press a lingering kiss to her temple. “I’m glad. It’s time for us to move on from the past,” I mutter against her skin.

She sighs, and I feel a strange, bitter flash in my chest before it’s gone. Lucas looks up in alarm, feeling it, too.

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