by Jill Haven
I covered a yawn with my hand, the adrenaline of the day starting to pull me down.
“Go get some sleep,” Ace ordered. “I’ll stay up until Ten gets back, and we can talk in the morning.”
“But—”
“Rest.” Ace shooed me, which made me laugh, then scowl.
“I’m not a dog,” I said tartly.
“If you were a dog, you would listen better,” Ace retorted.
I shook my head, but the gesture was fond. “Fine. G‘night.” I moved toward my bedroom, stopping with my hand on the knob when I heard Ace clear his throat. When I spun around to face him, he looked almost awkward, a look he didn’t wear well.
“Good night, Beau,” Ace said finally, something deeper in his eyes that I wasn’t sure what to do with.
Instead I gave him a smile, not sure what else to do, and headed into my bedroom. I hadn’t been kidding. I really was tired, and sleeping far too long seemed like the perfect way to overcome things.
Whatever was wrong, I could deal with it in the morning.
8
Ace
I was sitting downstairs near the front door when it opened, Ten coming to a stop when he saw me. “Not doing anything more fun?” He arched an eyebrow.
I snorted, although the humor was buried behind worry. “What are we going to do about a security system?” I wasn’t going to dignify his question with an answer, not now.
Ten frowned, walking in further. He put my duffel bag down in front of me, keeping his in his other hand. “We’ll have to go into one of the big cities,” he said slowly. “Otherwise we won’t find the right components. And we’ll need to adjust it for shifters.”
I held my hands up, because it was starting to sound like gibberish. “That’s your area, not mine,” I drawled. “I’m just here to smack things.”
“You sure you can handle being with Beau alone?” Ten asked, his words cautious.
“Of course,” I said with a confidence I didn’t feel. Instead I turned my attention to securing the house, checking each window and door to make sure things were locked down.
When we were finished on the first floor, I wasn’t surprised to see Ten smirking at me. I glanced upstairs to where Beau was sleeping, then back at my best friend. “I doubt anything will happen.”
Ten’s steady gaze raked over my face. “You really like him, don’t you?”
I shrugged, not sure how to answer that particular question. I needed him more than anything. It was like he was a part of me, an itch that I would never scratch, a craving that would never be satisfied. I still wasn’t certain what to do with that.
“It’s late,” Ten said, glancing at the microwave and its bright numbers. “If I’m going to the big city tomorrow, I should be up early. And you’ll need to watch over Beau.”
I grimaced, not entirely thrilled with Ten leaving, but if it would keep Beau safe, I would do whatever it took. “Your guest bedroom is this way,” I said, walking him upstairs and then down the other hallway. It was just a coincidence that Ten’s room was the farthest away from Beau. Not that I thought he would do anything, but there was a primal part of me that didn’t want anyone else near what was mine.
Even if Beau didn’t know he was mine yet.
Ten waved a goodbye without speaking and headed into his bedroom, closing the door behind him. I stood where I was for a few seconds, letting out a long breath and letting my shoulders relax as my body started to calm. I was used to an adrenaline-fueled job, but this was different. Whatever tied me to Beau, it heightened everything I felt.
Aware that I had access to a guest bathroom instead of the master one, I showered quickly before putting back on the sweatpants Beau had left. They didn’t fit exactly—they were a bit short—but Ten had brought our stuff, and I could change into something more reasonable tomorrow. For now, I wanted to smell like him.
Raking a hand through my blond hair, I stared at myself in the mirror as if it would change anything. I looked the same. Same hair, same eyes, same cheekbones and jawline. But inside, I was different. My life had somehow rearranged itself around the divine omega who wanted to throw me out half of the time.
I let out a low grumble, retreating back into my furnished bedroom. I wasn’t particularly picky; I could sleep on the floor if I had to. It was a nice surprise that the bed was soft and comfortable, equipped with enough pillows that I wasn’t certain if any human could actually use so many. I tossed most of them onto the floor, mentally apologizing to Beau as I did so. If he got mad that they were dirty, I could buy him more.
Sleep didn’t come easy. I lay on my back, staring at the ceiling as if it had the answers to all of my questions. My eyes were half-closed and I tried to keep my breathing regular using any and every trick I’d resorted to in order to get sleep when I had to. Except it didn’t work.
A whisper of a moan hit my ears, light enough that I thought I was imagining it. Then I heard another one, a louder, deeper one, and I sat straight up in bed. It was Beau. He let out a stifled whimper, then another groan, like he couldn’t help himself.
When he gasped my name, I broke.
Tossing the covers aside, I left my bedroom just to open his door, standing in the doorframe with my eyes wide. It was even better than I’d hoped.
Beau was lying on his bed, the duvet somewhere on the floor, completely naked with a hand on his hard shaft. He’d clearly stopped mid-movement when the door opened and seemed to be staring at me with a mixture of horror and want. Okay, maybe more horror, but there was no mistaking what I could smell.
The cloying, sweet scent of his lust was addicting, and I could feel precum drip from my cock in my sweatpants. I was already close, just from hearing and seeing him. My mouth was almost drooling, my body itching to go to the bed, join him.
Beau let go of his cock, scrambling for what seemed to be pants he had been wearing at one point.
“Don’t you dare,” I growled, leaving the doorframe and moving toward him. Whether he meant to be obedient or not, Beau stopped where he was, staring cautiously at me. Closing the door mostly behind me, I flicked on the bedside lamp so his whole body was lit up, the shadows only accentuating his beauty. “Continue.”
Beau’s cheeks, which were already a light pink, flushed even darker, and he slicked his tongue across his lower lip. His eyes were locked on mine, the amber almost obliterated by his dilated pupils. He slowly moved onto his back, taking himself in hand again.
I licked my lips, which made him gasp, then I moved to the end of the bed so I could get the best view. He didn’t stop looking at me.
The first pump of his hand was tentative, cautious, and I almost lost it when beads of precum formed at his slit, slowly joining the small pool on his abdomen. My gaze roamed over him hungrily, from his tousled black hair to his amber eyes, to the wide shoulders and trim hips, a body defined from working on a farm all day, every day. His darker nipples were stiff and peaked, his other hand resting against his chest like he wanted to touch them. A delicious V led to his hard cock and I had to stop myself from going over there and swallowing him down. There was time for that later.
“Stroke yourself,” I demanded, leaning closer.
Beau gulped audibly, his cheeks flushing, and then started to do what I said. His hand slid up and down with the ease of lube, although he was leaking precum liberally to the point he probably didn’t need it. His breathing stuttered with each movement, soft whimpers escaping him.
“You’re gorgeous,” I murmured, watching him arch into his hand, watching him twist his grip at the top under the flared base of the head and let out a long moan. The flush of his face moved down to his neck and chest, but he still wasn’t looking away from me. My cock was painfully hard, the dragon inside me shouting at me to grab him, fuck him, fill him with my seed, and make him mine. But I knew it wasn’t time yet.
His other hand moved to his balls, rolling them as he bit his bottom lip, struggling to keep his eyes open and his focus on me. Every so o
ften he would hit a stroke just right, letting out a grunt and his toes curling as if the pleasure was unbearable.
“Ace,” Beau whimpered, his eyes starting to flutter closed.
He was close, then. “Stop.” I made it a command, and Beau’s hand froze mid-stroke. His eyes were wide and hungry, raking over my body like he never wanted me to wear clothes ever again.
Maybe he didn’t.
I crawled onto the bed until I was on all fours over him, staring down at him. His breathing was rapid, the musky omega scent strong enough I could drown in it. Deliberately telegraphing my moves, I lowered my head until my lips were a whisper away from his, desire thrumming through my body.
Beau squirmed underneath me, like he couldn’t help it, like he was stopping himself from reaching for me.
I’d have to fix that. Instead, I kissed him, taking the kiss I had wanted earlier, starting sweet and then swiping at his lower lip with my tongue, urging entrance. Beau moaned into my mouth, his back arching up to slot our hips together. I growled, a low dragon sound, and slid a hand into his hair, urging his head back just a touch so I could have better access to his sweet, sweet mouth.
My tongue swept every inch of his mouth, my dragon thrilled at having its mate so close. While I’d never been a fan of monogamy, I was currently convinced that if I died with Beau’s taste on my tongue, it would have been worthwhile.
“So fucking sweet,” I murmured, the kisses slow and lazy. He was rolling his hips against mine, the friction good but not quite enough. Pulling back, I smiled when Beau whimpered his discomfort, when he reached for me to try and drag me back down. “Can I finish you off?”
Beau blinked at me, letting out a low moan when I reached down and stroked his cock. “Does anyone say no to that?” His words were gravelly, hoarse, and the sex-rough tone made something warm and satisfied flood through my chest. When I didn’t move, his hips jerked forward. “That’s a yes.”
I hummed in delight, kissing his lips, his cheekbones, down his jaw. “So sexy.” I moved down his neck, open-mouthed kisses marking what was mine. Drawing one of his nipples into my mouth, I rolled his balls with my other hand, not giving him attention where he needed it the most.
“Ace,” Beau pleaded, hips rolling into my touch. “Please.”
“Since you asked so nicely,” I murmured, like I wasn’t affected by what was going on. It was the biggest load of bull I’d ever heard. My head was swimming with his smell and the scent of sex, I could have drilled through steel with my cock, and it was the barest thread of control that kept me from fucking him senseless then and there.
Instead, I forced myself to keep moving down his body, feather-light kisses drawing little gasps and moans from him as I made my way to his cock. Without warning, I swallowed him down, delighting in the half-shout Beau made and the way he almost jack-knifed off the bed.
“Holy fuck,” he breathed, a hand finding its way into my hair. I hummed, making him shudder. “I’m so close.”
I pulled off until I had just the tip in my mouth, sliding my tongue over the sensitive slit to taste his salty, bitter precum before taking him down again. While I’d given blowjobs before, this one was different. It wasn’t just about my pleasure. If anything, watching Beau moan and gasp underneath me was moving me closer to the edge without even touching myself. He was so beautiful.
“Ace.” My name was a drawn-out moan this time, Beau tugging gently on my hair like it was all he had the effort for. He was writhing underneath me, needy sounds dropping from his lips like a prayer.
I moved a finger behind his balls to his taint, pressing there at the same time I took him down and swallowed around the head of his cock. With a strangled shout he came, whimpering as he shook with the aftershocks. I drank all of him down, licking him to make sure I hadn’t missed a drop.
When I straightened up, Beau was staring at me with wide eyes, and some of my control had slipped its leash. I shoved down my sweatpants, taking my cock in hand, and started jerking myself, straddling his thighs.
“So hot,” Beau muttered, his eyes flickering between my face and my groin. “Come on me. Please.”
My frantic pace slowed, keeping me just on the edge but not letting me go over. I had to be mishearing things. Even though my dragon was assuring me that no, I hadn’t, my mate wanted me to mark him.
Apparently, what I thought showed up on my face, because Beau twisted underneath me. “Come on me, please. Please, Ace,” he begged, amber eyes wide, pink lips kiss-swollen. He begged so beautifully, too.
I gripped the base of my cock to stop myself from coming, and I stared down at him. There was nothing but honesty in his eyes. “You’re mine,” I said simply, although it came out more gravelly than I expected. I kept my gaze locked on his face as I pulled on my shaft, twisting my hand just the way I liked it. Beau watched me hungrily, like I was the best thing he’d seen in ages.
My climax hit me like a train, cum shooting onto Beau’s skin, a stripe hitting his neck. He moaned as loud as I did, reaching down and swiping his fingers through my cum before sliding them into his mouth without breaking eye contact.
This time I whimpered without meaning to, leaning down to kiss him and taste myself in his mouth. My dragon was loud inside me, making its satisfaction known. My mate was below me, marked by me. He’d smell like me. He was mine.
By the time my balls were empty and I could breathe again, I was still straddling Beau and he was staring at me from just underneath me, his eyes wider with embarrassment being the predominant emotion. I wanted to smear my cum into his skin so he couldn’t get my smell out, but I pulled back that part of my possessiveness. He wasn’t ready for that, and I wasn’t sure I was, either.
“Welcome back,” I murmured, kissing his cheek. I’d wondered how long it would take for reasonable Beau to return.
“I…we…you…” He seemed to struggle with English.
I chuckled, slowly getting off him and stretching. “Yes, we did.” I headed into his bathroom, grabbing a cloth and wetting it before coming back into the bedroom. Beau was still lying where he was, apparently torn between petrified and suspicious. Unable to get the smile off my lips, I didn’t even try. A pleased rumble resonated from my chest.
“Are you purring?” Beau stared at me, distracted from his embarrassment.
“Are you saying you didn’t enjoy it?” I raised an eyebrow at him pointedly, wiping down his abdomen.
Beau studied me in silence, except this was a heavy one. I could see cogs moving in his mind, even if I didn’t know what he was thinking. “I don’t do this,” he said, the words halting. “I don’t hook up.”
“I know,” I said, a feeling slotting into place in my chest, a puzzle piece I hadn’t known I was missing. If he was mine, I wouldn’t need anyone else. I leaned down to give him a gentle, closed-mouth kiss, since he seemed too apprehensive for more. “That’s why, from now on, you’ll be the only one I sleep with.”
Beau’s eyebrows furrowed in doubt. “I don’t believe you.”
Pain lanced through me, but I kept my face neutral. “I’ll just have to prove it, then.” I leaned in and claimed his lips, delving deeper this time, letting my tongue get a taste of his sweet, earthy scent. I could feel his reluctance, but he kissed me back as eagerly as I kissed him.
By the time I pulled back, both of us were panting. But I wasn’t going to push him for anything else. I stroked a thumb across his cheekbone. “Good night, Beau.”
I was almost to my bedroom before I heard Beau speak. “Good night, Ace.”
Pushing open the door to my bedroom, I smiled. Progress.
9
Beau
For the first time ever, I lay in bed for an extra twenty minutes and stared at the ceiling, trying to come up with ways to avoid seeing either Ace or Ten. I had no doubt Ten would figure out what happened last night, and Ace was probably going to look unbearably smug most of the day.
I shuddered, pleasure sparking through me at the thought of
him on top of me, working his cock until he marked me, until I was his.
Whoa. No. I dragged my brain away from that. Whatever madness had infected me last night was just a one-time thing. I wasn’t his. I didn’t even want to be his. True, it was the best orgasm I’d ever had, and I slept like the dead, but that was just…a coincidence. I slept better because I knew I had protection, and not because Ace was asleep in the room next to mine, there if I needed him.
I sighed. Lying to myself got exhausting. There was something about Ace that settled me, something that had gotten even more intense after we came. Instead of an itchy restlessness, waking up with a need to do something, I woke up sated. It wasn’t just embarrassment that bothered me, it was contentment.
It was Ace’s fault.
Grimacing, I got up and did my usual morning routine, surprised to find downstairs quiet when I reached the kitchen. I hadn’t checked the bedrooms, but neither Ace nor Ten were around at the moment. A look out the window showed their car still there, so they hadn’t gone somewhere. I shrugged, but long-ingrained manners had me mentally tripling—and then quadrupling—what I usually made for breakfast. I wasn’t a shifter, but I had heard stories of their metabolisms and how they required more food than regular people like me.
The clack of the pipes turning on upstairs as someone got in the shower echoed loudly, making me jump. So at least one of them was there. Inwardly I sighed, already shifting to the pantry to grab what I wanted. I wasn’t making my grandma’s best biscuits and gravy recipe to impress Ace. Nope. Not at all.
Okay, maybe a little.
I scowled, but my cheeks were pink as I reached into the cupboard for the pots I would need. At least it was a dish I had made a lot, so I didn’t have to focus. Kneading biscuits was good stress relief, especially since I was still flinching every time I heard someone move around upstairs. I couldn’t think of the last time I’d had company. Probably not since my grandparents died. If I ate with the farmhands, it was at my second-in-command’s house.