Page 35 of The Omega Lesson

“He’s fine. Just sleeping.” Jack squeezes my hands, then moves to my shoulders, gently rubbing the muscles. “Time is strange in a heat, and it’s already been a couple of hours.”

I blink again, my gaze drifting to the curtains. They’re thick and dark, but it does seem like there’s less light coming through them now. “That makes sense. I was just thinking that my heat might be over...”

But I’ve spoken too soon, because a wave of pain ripples through me, so much worse than before. I gasp, my knuckles going white as I curl my hands in the bedding.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

All I can say are those omega books are bullshit. Because this is way worse than a freaking UTI.

“It’s okay, love,” Jack croons and I realise I’m whimpering as I rock over my clenching belly. “You just need to be filled. We can do that with toys, if it’s easier.”

Toys? It takes me a moment to understand what he means, and then my gaze snaps to his jeans. I can smell his arousal, not as sweet as his omega scent, but still tantalising. And I can definitely see his bulge straining against his zip. “I don’t want toys.”

“You should take Ben next then,” he tells me, and gives a wicked smile. “He’s definitely better than any toy.”

I slither onto my belly, peeling up the edge of Jack’s tee until I can rub my chin against the smooth skin of his stomach. He’s not as built as Ben, or as cut as Mattie or Noah, but his skin is as soft as silk, and his musky scent goes straight to my head. “What about you?”

He props himself on his hands as he stares down at me. “Ben would be better. He’s big, and you need to be stretched. It’ll help ground you, I promise.”

I shiver at the knowing edge to his voice. He’s done that with Ben, ridden his knot and taken his pleasure while in his omega form. But he’s an alpha now, and I know from experience that his dick is exquisite. Why isn’t he offering me his knot?

“But I know how good you feel, Jack.” My voice is a cajoling whine as I run my hands over his thighs, breathing in the scent pooling in his groin. “I want to ride you and lock you, like we did before.”

“God, I’m tempted,” he groans, bending and breathing in my hair. “The way you smell, the way you taste.” He shudders and runs his finger over my lips. “And the way you felt squeezing me in your lock…”

“Yes,” I whimper. “That. Please.”

But he’s already pulling away. “I’m new at this, love. I don’t know I won’t get carried away, and I’d never forgive myself if I went too far.”

He means falling into a rut and giving me a bonding bite. And as good as that sounds right now, he just heard me say I’m not ready for that. “Then… you don’t want to do this at all?”

“Of course I do,” he says with a quick, hard kiss. “But your heat is climbing right now. You need something else.”

I shiver at the gravel in his voice, my gaze sliding to his mate. “And what about if Ben gets carried away?”

“He won’t. But if he does…”

“I’ll do it,” Travis says, his voice too loud in the quiet room. I sit up, wrapping my arms around my chest as I force myself to look at him. “Stop him, I mean. And we have mouthguards if we need them.”

I pull a face, both at the thought of plastic protection and at the reminder that to Travis, this is just a job. Yes, it’s clear I don’t have a clue about how to be the perfect omega. But, shit. Isn’t this the definition of an alpha’s good time?

I fall back on my elbows, glowering at Travis for messing with my buzz. Maybe I could’ve pretended he wasn’t even in the room if he kept quiet. And he’s definitely acting like he’s not here, sitting in the corner like a stalker. I shouldn’t give a crap, but the Travis Lyall I remember was like wildfire. On the tennis court, he was all power and passion, with blistering serves and an athletic dominance that took my breath away. But sitting here, watching me fuck one friend and debate taking the knot of another, he looks as impassive as a slab of rock.

I slide off the bed, suddenly deciding to put that to the test. I mean, it’s not like he’s offering to do anything but sit and watch, so whydoeshe need to be here? He really could facilitate my heat from the hallway.

Instead of approaching him, I walk up to Ben. He watches me with the kind of spark in his eyes I was hoping to see in Travis, but I push that thought away.

And it’s nice to watch him suck in a breath as I reach out and trace his dick through his pants. He’s wearing a navy Henley and grey trousers, and looks like a preppy CEO. It’s easy to imagine him on a golf course, or on the deck of a fancy yacht somewhere. But I can definitely see the wolf rising in his eyes as I keep tracing the bulge in his pants. “Is this for me?”

“If you want it,” he replies with a flicker in his jaw. “I’m here for anything you need, Lexi.”

“I’ve taken a knot before,” I tell him, and the room is so quiet I can hear the scratch of my fingernail on his zipper. “But the alpha I was with wasn’t interested in my lock. He said it was redundant. Like having a padlock on a vault.” I watch him shuffle his feet, trying to get comfortable with the growing pressure in his pants. “What do you think?”

“Jack told me it was so good it almost hurt.” His smile sharpens as he glances at his mate. “Although he’s always been a bit more sensitive than me.”

Jack narrows his eyes at him. “Now you really have to lock him down, Lexi love. Make him eat those words.”

I just smile and start edging Ben’s zipper down. “I’ve been thinking about my slick,” I tell him as I run my fingers over the waistband of his boxers. “Maybe it tastes different because of my alpha juice.”

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