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“Yes,” I say, my voice barely a whisper. “Is that okay?”
“More than okay,” he says. “Come on, let’s try out this nest.”
Miles crawls up the bed, resting his head on an embroidered pillow I took from the living room. He holds his arms open wide, and I have to control my immediate urge to fall into him, moving slowly as I snuggle into him instead. I lay my head on his broad chest, telling myself this is book research and nothing more.
Don’t get attached, Riley.You can’t stay here.
“It’s cozy,” he says, pulling me in tighter, pressing his nose to the top of my head.
We stay like that for a moment, holding each other, enjoying each other’s scents before he speaks again. “My dad wasn’t around a lot, either, when I was a kid. I know it’s not the same as him dying, and I would never compare the two situations as the same.”
I immediately wonder about the dynamics of his family pack. It sounds like he only had one Alpha as his father. It’s less common nowadays for a single Alpha to bond to a single Omega without forming a pack, and I have to wonder if there were other Beta men in the pack as well. Though, it’s not my place to ask.
“I get it,” I assure him. “Why wasn’t he around a lot? You mentioned the military. Was he on special assignments?” Now I’m picturing an older Miles wearing a Navy SEAL uniform and breaking into prisons or something. It’s not a bad image.
“Yes.” He nods, his chin pressing against my hair with the motion. “We would go to a military base to live for a while, usually overseas. While there, he would work to free Omegas in captivity in that area. Sometimes he worked with local lawmakers or the party in power to have them simply released. Other times, it took more force, and he would arrange special rescue operations. It kept him away from us for weeks at a time, but once it was over, he’d come back to the base, and we’d pack up, and move on to the next assignment.”
“That sounds very brave,” I murmur, nuzzling into his chest. He just smells so damn good, I can hardly stand it. My breaths come broken from my lips and I have to press my thighs to stifle the ache between them, making a mental note to double my dose of heat suppressants. “It seems both of you are good at rescuing Omegas.”
“Omega rights are getting better. But no country has it totally right yet. Our country falls somewhere in the middle. Most of the laws are archaic and demeaning, but we aren’t openly selling Omegas like in other countries.” He sighs, and the weight of the world seems to be in that single exhale. “Of course, I used the wordopenlythere. We both know there are ways around everything.”
“I know,” I say and stroke my fingers back and forth over his chest, hoping to comfort him. “I haven’t experienced anything like that, and I’m grateful for it. It’s just the other parts that make me so crazy. I want to be able to just walk down the street and enjoy myself without being scared. I don’t want to have to tie myself to a pack in order to experience freedom.” That sounds like I’m declining the Woods pack outright, so I continue in a hurry. “I want to choose one because everyone in the pack wants it. Including me.”
“And you deserve that,” he says, and then he presses a kiss to the top of my head. It’s soft and sweet, a tender action that makes my eyes sting with tears. I rub at my eyes quickly, but I’m sure he still noticed.
“You didn’t want to go into the military, then?” I ask, trying to change the subject away from me.
“Not at all.” He laughs. “Not even in coding. I lived the Army brat lifestyle, and it’s not something I want to do with my own kids or my pack. I love what I do now, and it’s all contract work, so I can plan my work around my duties to the pack. Thane, Fox, and Levi are all stuck on schedules, whether it’s Thane’s hospital shifts, or Fox’s game schedule, or Levi’s classes. With my time being flexible, I can support them as needed.” He lets out a dramatic sigh. “Even if that means washing Fox’s football uniform for him from time to time.”
“So gross,” I agree, turning my head so I can grin up at him with a smile. He smiles back at me, and my heart pulses. I could live like this forever, safe and secure in his arms. But then, he makes a weird face, and I sit up quickly. “What’s wrong?”
“There’s something poking me in the back,” he says, squirming around until he pulls out a spiral notebook. Oh, shit. That’s my idea notebook.
“What is this?”
“Nothing,” I lie. “Just where I keep my ideas before I start writing them on the computer. I like to jot down random words and character ideas, and it’s just easier in a notebook than pulling out my laptop all the time.”
“Makes sense,” he says, running a finger down the spiral binding. “What are you working on now?”
“Well.” I bite my lip. Miles will understand, I think. “I’m trying my own story, for once. Not a client’s story.”
“That’s amazing,” he says. “I know it’ll be great. What are you thinking of writing?”
“Well, I was thinking of something about a lost Omega, who doesn’t know where to turn,” I murmur. His eyes grow soft, and I know he’s picked up on the subtext. “She’s taken in by a group of Alphas, who are all very close. They help her find a home, and they end up becoming their own little family.”
“I like that,” he whispers, and he tugs lightly on my arm, bringing me close to him until our faces are just inches apart. “Is there kissing in this book?”
I nod, and he licks his bottom lip, all the while staring at my mouth. “Yes. Lots of kissing.”
“Do you need some inspiration?” he asks, his voice dropping an octave, Adam’s apple bobbing. “The writing process can be hard, and real-life examples help.”
“Definitely,” I say, my voice turning breathy. “I could use the inspira—” The words are barely out of my mouth before he rolls me over onto my back and kisses me deeply. I gasp, surprised at the suddenness, but when I feel his smile against my lips, I soften, letting him take the wheel.
Miles kisses me again, more passionately this time, thrusting his tongue between my lips and groaning deep in his chest. It feels incredible, but already I need more. Even with the suppressants and the blocker I can smell my own scent mingling with Miles’. Feel the slick between my legs. It’s not working. These Alphas are making it impossible to erase this part of me.
I should care, but right now I don’t. Not even a little.
I just need more, moaning low in my throat as his tongue caresses mine in deep, claiming kisses.
