“Well, I think I can sleep now,” she murmured. When I curled toward her, she burrowed into my chest. I felt Nathan settle in behind her, then felt Gabriel cuddle up next to me. I knew we were all going to wake up sweaty and starving, but I didn’t care.
This is where we all belonged.
Chapter 38 - Bridget
It was much easier to think about telling the guys how I felt than to put it into practice.
At least I could touch them now. I woke up the morningafter, and it took a second to figure out why I felt so at peace. In the warmth that smelled of Andrew’s spice and Nathan’s crisp freshness and Gabriel’s earthy cedar, I luxuriated in a sense of deep wellbeing and satisfaction completely at odds with the stress of the last few weeks. My whole body was heavy, like my limbs were filled with warm sand.
Then I realized I was completely naked, and it all came rushing back.
I expected to be embarrassed, and I was a bit, but I also felt… smug. My inner Omega was very proud of herself. Watching Andrew’s eyes as he came all over my chest, hearing Nathan’s ragged breathing as he kissed methere, Gabriel’s groans and curses in Italian as he watched… It was powerful knowing I caused that reaction.
I had turned towards Nathan in the night. The sunlight from the window fell across his cheeks and brow and I caught my breath at the beauty of him like this, his proximity, the intimacy of his hand on my waist and his breath tickling my forehead. It was like holding a soap bubble in my hands.
I couldn’t help myself. I kissed him.
He woke suddenly, and for a moment I felt bad about waking him up. But then he smiled. It was a shy smile, but it made my heart thud.
“Good morning,” he whispered, then kissed me again.
It was the kiss we should have had a long time ago; gentle and sweet, his lips barely brushing mine. But I knew now what was hidden under that initial layer of reserve, and when I nipped at his lower lip, a growl started in the back of his throat.
“Be nice,” he murmured against my lips. Heat gathered in my core at the casual command. It annoyed me as much as his demands always had, but this time in an exhilarating way. It made me want to misbehave.
His tongue swept in and he took control. He shifted closer so he could sink one hand into my hair and deepen the kiss. He explored every inch of my mouth and the heat was pooling inside me faster now.
I let him have the upper hand for a while, but my impatience won out. I fought back, meeting each brush of his tongue with one of my own until the kiss turned fierce.
Just as my thoughts turned to climbing on top of him, he pulled back. He kept his hand at the nape of my neck and touched his forehead to mine. When I tried to kiss him again, he shook his head.
“Not yet. You’re exhausted, and you need rest,” he murmured.
“Stop being so bossy,” I whispered.
“I think you like it. Don’t you, princess?”
“I donot.” But my body betrayed me with a shiver when he brushed his thumb over my ear.
His pupils were blown wide, his eyes almost black. I was about to try to crawl on top of him anyway when Andrewgroaned dramatically behind me. He slung an arm around my hips and tugged me until my back was flush with his chest.
“Go back to sleep, both of you,” Andrew grumbled into my hair. “It’s too early.”
Nathan rolled his eyes. I peeked over Nathan’s shoulder at the clock, then blinked in disbelief. “No it’s not, it’s noon,” I whispered. Nathan’s eyes widened too. It had to be the latest either of us had slept in a long time. “Noon.”
“I don’t care, it’s still too early,” Andrew said and scooted closer behind me.
Was this weird? It was a little, looking into Nathan’s eyes while Andrew’s hard length pressed against my backside. But Nathan just interlaced our fingers together like it didn’t bother him at all. If he was okay with it, I would try to be, too.
I dozed again, the heaviness in my limbs pulling me back under. And the next time I woke up, a cramp had settled deep in my belly. Whatever my heat was going to look like this time, it was coming.
“You’re lucky I love you so much or I would fucking kill you for being so… stupidly brave,” Andrew growled. Gabriel was sitting in his lap on the couch. Andrew didn’t seem to be able to stop touching either him or me at any opportunity.
Both Nathan and Andrew had been horrified when Gabriel and I explained what happened the previous day. Not by what Gabriel had done — we all agreed it was justified — but at what a monster Domenic had turned out to be. Even though I was familiar with his casual cruelty, I was still shocked by the depths of his depravity.
“And you’re sure all the Omegas got out safely?” I asked Gabriel for the third time.
“I promise, carrissima,” he said patiently. He’d called Jason while Andrew made breakfast, which we hadn’t eatenuntil two p.m., and Jason had confirmed all the women were safe.
