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“I don’t want my first meeting with this woman to be with my tits out,” I whisper-hissed.
Billie sighed dramatically and trotted off, returning just in time with one of the robes that must’ve been left hanging in the main floor bathroom. I whipped it on with seconds to spare as Gabe appeared in a pair of sweatpants, his arm around a brunette bundled in a robe like mine, though the garment dwarfed her.
I assessed what I could at a distance and in dim lighting. Nicky's dark hair hung loose to her shoulders and she leaned into Gabe. No surprise there. His relaxing presence was the main reason I’d been drawn to him in the first place. He’d soothed my anxieties and stress from the beginning, and it sounded like that was what she’d needed after more than half the pack had gotten her into bed.
I couldn’t quite put my finger on how I felt about this stranger spending the night with Gabe. I’d never beenparticularlyjealous, but Gabe was…different for me. The others had come into the picture as an existing package, and we’d all meshed together really well, but Gabe had always been able to understand me better than the rest.
Billie and the others were already enamoured. I hadn’t yet fallen sway to whatever charm this woman happened to have over them, and I’d be damned if I didn’t stay on my toes to make sure my pack wasn’t going to get hurt.
The curtains opened about halfway to let in the light, and I saw Tony set the remote aside. He climbed off the bed and wandered over to greet Nicky, bare as the day he was born. I couldn’t hear what he murmured to her, but I could see her smile and the way she relaxed when he hooked a finger under her chin, lifting her mouth to his.
Yep. He was in deep.
Jasper sat up, still half asleep, his hair in every direction. His cheeks turned bright red when he noticed Nicky, and he grabbed one of the smaller blankets around his waist, rolling the top edge until it was secure enough for him to stand up with it. Nicky gave him a shy wave, and then her gaze swivelled to land on me. She tensed immediately.
I didn’t want to be at odds with her, but at the same time I was way too comfortable with the status quo. The others were falling hard by the look of things, and I was never one for doing things quickly. I had withstood the force of Hurricane Billie for a whole year before finally agreeing to move in here with them, and even that was fast for me.
I could be pleasant and still remain on guard for the safety of my pack.
I would wait for her to come to me. I stepped over the cats and into the kitchen to get the coffee going alongside the kettle, and took down plates for whatever Jasper had brought home for us.
Nicky watched me from a distance, everyone catching her in a group hug. She was pretty, with that soft and sweet vibe all tucked up in her robe. But I would have to reserve my judgement until I actually got to know her.
“Why don’t the lot of you put on some clothes, or at least some robes, so we can have a meal without most of us naked?” I suggested.
I wasn’t a prude by any stretch of the imagination, but we weren’t exactly a house of nudists—at least most of the time—and I’m sure Nicky would probably appreciate having our clan at least somewhat dressed while she ate.
I turned the oven on to preheat to warm up the baked goods we’d be having.
Billie grumbled their way upstairs with Tony and Jasper on their heels. Gabe maneuvered Nicky over to the kitchen, but she was distracted partway to me by the cats.
“Oh my god! Spuddy, did you make a friend?”
She kneeled down and held out her hand to Roscoe. “Lovely to see you again, petit sir.”
Our cat sniffed her fingers, shoving his cheek along the tips to indicate his approval. She scooped up Spud, and Gabe scooped up our baby, the two of them coming further into the kitchen.
“Hana, this is Nicky. Nicky, this is Hana.”
I hit the button on the coffee pot before turning fully towards her, my hand extended. “Nice to finally meet you.”
She put her hand in mine, and I took note of the warmth and the calluses down her fingers. Her cheeks were hot pink, and she buried her face behind Spud's head, hiding her obvious discomfort by kissing him. “Nice to meet you, too. Billie told me you’re a personal trainer. How do you like that?”
“It's a lot of fun most of the time. You should come to one of the boot camp classes.”
Nicky laughed. “My arms are strong from carrying books. Absolutely nothing else is remotely fit, and I’m pretty sure a boot camp would destroy me.”
Gabe slipped away from Nicky and hugged me with Roscoe sandwiched between us. He kissed me, slow and deep, fully distracting me from the beta in our kitchen.
“Miss me?” Gabe laid an easy smile on me and tucked my hair behind my ear, his fingers lingering as they slid down my jaw.
“Always. Someone was hogging you.” I poked his chest playfully.
Nicky's cheeks flushed impossibly brighter. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to.”
I waved off the concern, staunchly ignoring the little flip in my stomach at her blushing because of me. “Gabe is his own person, and I don’t blame you for needing some quiet time after a living room orgy. Can I get you some coffee?”
“Yeah, I’d love some. Thank you.”
