Which is the only real problem I see, we might have to make a snuggle schedule to keep Jacks from “calling dibs” every night. Regardless, I would put up with that happily just to be close to her every day.
Bending my neck to kiss her hair, I rub my jaw against it. I love how she feels against me. When next I look down, her face tips back and she is looking up at me.
“Sorry I woke you up, Kitten. I can’t seem to hit snooze on my internal alarm.” I whisper as quietly as I can, reluctant to have her move, or wake up the rest of my pack. She blinks at me a few times, and presses her face back into my chest, tilting her hips back against Jack and stretching between us.
“So’kay, what time is it?” she mumbles sleepily against my skin.
“Probably shortly before seven.” I say stroking her hair. Her head snaps back, eyes narrowed on me.
“Hold up, are you saying I’ve gotten myself involved with a pack of morning people?” she huffs against my chin.
I try to bite back my laughter at how serious she suddenly is, but a muted chuckle escapes anyway.
“Nope, just me. Years of getting up too early for school, internships, and work have kind of conditioned me to be an early riser, whether I like it or not. The rest of the pack can sleep till at least 10 if nobody wakes them.” Running my hands up her shoulders, I gently squeeze the tight muscles in the back of her neck and her eyes lose focus.
That’s a handy trick
Her eyes close and she nuzzles against my chest. “Ok, but…can you just stay here and let me use you for a teddy bear, for a bit longer, please. You feel so good.”
The last few words are said as a mumble, and her lips moving against my skin send a shiver down my spine. I have to tilt my own hips back down to keep from grinding against her stomach, and soon she is drifting back to sleep.
Chapter 25
It’s after 8 when I wake up again, and I only know this because Gabe is grousing to Leo that he didn’t wake him up, and now they’re going to be late to the shop. Xan and Jacks are missing behind me, but the bed is still warm when I reach back, so they can’t have been up for long. Leo still has his arms wrapped around me, rolling his eyes at his pack leader. “Well, you could have set an alarm, brought in your clock, or your phone. I didn’t want to make Candice get up.”
“Sorry,” I mumble against his chest. “My bad, I don’t normally sleep in, sorry.” I rub my face over the warm enticing skin in front of me, hit with a wave of spiced chai and oranges, I’m torn between licking a long stripe between his pecs, and just closing my eyes and going back to sleep.
Then I remember why I’m here instead of at home in my own nest, and it feels like a bucket of cold water was dumped over me. We have to go to the police this morning, and then go get some of my work stuff, so I can work from here, at least for a few days.
Reluctantly I roll away from Leo’s warm chest and scoot off the edge of the nest. I have too much shit to do to stay in bed all day, even if it is surrounded by my delicious smelling alphas.
My alphas?
I’m not sure how safe of a thought that is, but my chest feels warm and fuzzy with it. And I want them to be mine, I just…I’m not sure how. It feels too easy.
It feels like I’m being a slut with 4 guys at once.
But they don’t see it that way. Hell, judging by the way we all cuddled up last night, they seem fine sharing. I mean, Jacks is…intense, but Leo and Gabe were ok too, and they don’t seem to be in the same sort of relationship as Xan and Jacks. I don’t remember much about my parents other than I kind of remember my mom and dads all being affectionate towards each other….I had to move in with Grandpa when I was nine, and it was just the two of us at that point.
There’s too much to think about this morning, and I can’t deal with this on top of the police station and moving my stuff. I can’t go down that rabbit hole this morning. I must have zoned out again, Gabe’s hand is on my shoulder.
“You ok, little omega?” He looks concerned.
Shit, I’m staring, I should reply.
His eyebrows drop lower and his voice is louder. “Candice, are you okay? What’s wrong?” He pulls me closer and I take a deep shuddering breath. “Yeah, sorry…sorry, just, lost in thought. Sorry.”
Shit, too many sorries again.
His big hand smooths my hair back. “No worries baby, you just looked a million miles away. I know you’ve got a lot goin’ on right now. I’m just worried ‘bout you. Sorry.”
His arms wrap around me, and I just want to sink into his chest and not deal with life right now. But nothing is gonna get done if I don’t do it. He lets me go when I step back, but he doesn’t look happy about it.
“Sorry, Gabe, I just…my mind wanders sometimes, and I was thinking about family stuff.” He looks like he wants to ask for more, but I can’t think about that right now.
“I’ll tell you all later, I don’t want to think about it too much right now. Lots to do, ya know?” I shuffle in place before turning and sliding towards the bathroom to get cleaned up and changed for the day.
So much stuff to do.
