Roseville Romance

by Lorelei M. Hart

  “No.” He chuckled. “Not at all. And this is not an attempt to take advantage of you in an emotional state. I just think you need a little time to get yourself back together.”

  “Let me try.” I fished my phone out of my pocket and texted the sitter who was very happy to be on overtime. “This is going to be costly.” But I didn’t care.

  “I’ll pay it.”

  “No...don’t be crazy. I can afford the sitter. I’m just amazed you aren’t calling Uber to get rid of me as quickly as possible.”

  “Not a chance, omega.” He tipped my head up and kissed my lips, a brush of soft warmth that made me yearn for more. “I’m touched that you felt comfortable enough to share the past with me.” But his next kiss was firm and just a little demanding. “Because we’re all about the future.”

  I looped my arms around his neck and accepted another kiss and another, welcoming his tongue inside to explore, twining mine with his and feeling my heartbeat speed up in response. He was warm and strong and took control of the kiss, guiding me into a sensual place I’d never been before. We were the future. I hoped. If only my son cooperated.

  But for once, I pushed Dane to the back of my mind. This was the first evening about me and someone else. Someone whose embrace gave me a sense of safety, of comfort, and whose kiss made me want to strip bare and lay myself out, exposed to him, as well. As we kissed, making out like teenagers, my hand landed on his chest and I pulled back.

  “What’s wrong? Link reached for me again but I pointed to his chest.

  “You’re soaked, and it’s all my fault.” Nothing like soaking the shirt of your new alpha with tears for your old one.

  But he just shrugged. “It’s just a shirt. But it is a little chilly. Maybe I should go upstairs and change into another one. Give me a minute.”

  Like hell I was letting him walk away. As he headed up the stairs, I followed. At the top, he turned to face me. “If you come into my bedroom with me, I’m going to think you want more than just a few kisses.”

  He headed down a short hallway with me on his heels, undeterred. “I want more than a few kisses.” Having vented, I felt uplifted, cheerful, cheeky...horny. As if nothing stood in our way now—at least one of heck of a hot evening. We’d have to take this one day at a time for a bit, but I wanted this him right now.

  Link strode into his bedroom and turned on a lamp then faced me, unbuttoning his soggy shirt as he did. “Last chance to go home.” He peeled the fabric from his shoulders and let it fall to the floor. “But I hope you…”

  I grinned, stepping out of my pants. My shoes were already lined up beside the bed, my socks balled up in them. “You hope I what?”

  “No more talking. Naked. Now.” Link followed his own dictates, and in about thirty seconds we stood there, both naked, and each studying the other with great intent—and both obviously aroused. My alpha’s olive skin gleamed in the lamplight, only a few curls of dark hair on his chest to compete with the dark nest of curls wreathing the base of his cock. He was only a little taller than me, but so lean and muscular he seemed taller. I never realized teachers had time to work out and achieve a body like this. Especially one who spent their afternoons donating their time at an after-school program. If nature gave that form to him, he’d been gifted indeed.

  His flat masculine nipples were a shade darker than the skin surrounding them, and without thinking, I bent and lapped at them, rewarded by a shiver. Oh, my alpha had sensitive nipples. He closed his hands around my head and held me in place as I sucked on the stiff peak and bit down just hard enough to elicit a groan.

  After a few moments he guided me to the other side where I nibbled and licked and sucked until he wheezed out, “Stop for just a minute.” I closed my lips around the nub and held still but he chuckled. “That isn’t helping much.” The hands on my head eased, and I backed off and tilted my face toward him.

  “Are you saying I could make you come just by doing...that?”

  He shrugged. “I never have before, but I am so damn close now.”

  A sense of power flowed over me. I could bring my alpha to the brink just by nibbling on his nipples. That’s right. Me. The omega who had always thought of sex as pretty good, who’d thought the rumors of being able to bring someone to orgasm without either penetration or a serious blow job were just that—rumors—had not only brought my alpha to that point so quickly, but was about to spurt myself.

  Holy shit.

  I started to drop to my knees, wanting to take him in my mouth and swallow every drop of his jizz, but Link slipped his hands onto my shoulders and stopped me. “I want to knot you, omega.”

  My balls tightened at the words. “Oh...kay.”

  He released my shoulders and lifted my chin to meet his gaze. “If that’s what you want, too.”

  Want it? I’d sell everything I had besides my child to get his knot. My chest constricted, and I swallowed hard, trying to speak. “Yes. Yes please.” I squeaked in the least sexy tone possible. “I want your knot.”

  His lips descended to take mine with predatory force, all hesitancy and asking of questions in the past as he devoured me. My knees wobbled, but before I could fall, Link broke the kiss, lifted me in his arms, and dropped me on the bed. Faceup. I moved to roll but he pinned me with a hand on my chest. “No, I want to watch your face when I make you mine.”

  My ass on the edge of the mattress, my legs hung to the sides and exposed me in a way I’d never experienced before. “I thought—I never…”

  “Some alphas prefer facedown. Maybe we’ll do that next time.”

  Dear god, we hadn’t even done it once and he was talking about a second time. Link moved between my legs and nudged them wider. My dick pointed nearly straight up at him, and he zeroed closed his fist over it and squeezed. “Will you come when I knot you, omega?”

  “I-I might come now.”

  “Tsk. No, no. Wait. Can you do that?”

  Could I? He squeezed and released, closed his palm over the head and rubbed the droplet of pre-cum into my skin. My hips bucked, wanting more, wanting everything.

  “I asked you a question.” Extra-hard squeeze. “Can you wait?”

  “Not if you keep doing that.”

  He released my cock and glided his fingers down to my slick. “Fair enough. You’re so ready for me.” He circled my anus, prodding the tip of his thumb inside. “I’d like to play with you for a while, tease you, and keep you on the edge...would you like that?”

  The strangled sound from my throat was the only protest I could summon, but my alpha seemed to get the point because he replaced his thumb with the swollen reddened head of his cock and, with no further teasing, plunged it into me.

  I gripped the sheets in both hands, as if they could keep me grounded to the earth as my alpha drove into me and retreated over and over, grunting with the effort, muttering his desire to hold back, to make it last.

  “Use one of those hands on your cock, omega,” he growled. “You’re so tight and slick, show me how you jack yourself.”

  I freed one of my sheet-gripping hands and closed it around my dick, keeping the point up so it grazed his stomach as he plunged into me. Just a few strokes and my balls were tight, but I still did my best to wait, watching his face. When the tension of extremity tightened his features, I jerked hard, sending streams of cum onto his belly and mine, feeling his hot cum pour into my ass. I thrashed, barely keeping hold of myself as his knot grew, filling me, keeping his seed inside.

  And then it was over and he fell beside me, my alpha did, spooning me and whispering into my ear, “I’ve never seen anything so hot as your face when we came together. I don’t know if I’m willing to let you be facedown ever.”

  “Really?” I snuggled closer, inhaling the mingled scents of our bodies, the clean, salty scent of his cum. “You don’t even want to try?”

  He groaned and pressed his already half-hard cock into my crack. “I guess it would be only fair.”

  Chapter Twelve


  Link

  My alarm went off even though it was Saturday. I must’ve forgotten to turn it off last night after Gustav’s and my coupling.

  I’d knotted him three times in the span of one hour, which was insane in the best way possible. He was mine now, whether he knew it or not.

  It had taken every ounce of my willpower to get dressed and take him home—in my car this time because it was very cold and we were pretty wiped out. I’d grabbed his waist and pulled him to me in his driveway and kissed him long and hard, determined to have his taste on my lips as I went home.

  I rolled over onto the next pillow and inhaled deeply. My mate had laid on this pillow the night before, briefly, but enough to leave his woodsy, snow scent on my bed.

  After patting the side table to find my phone, I sent Gustav a text message wishing him a good morning and telling him how amazing the night before was. I popped onto an app and ordered him a big bouquet of poinsettias then lay back down, intending to get a little more sleep before I had to head out to the center.

  A few minutes later, as slumber began to take me, a text notification rang on my phone.

  I wish I’d woken up next to you.

  Oh, my alpha heart beat double time seeing those words. In my head, I could hear him saying them with his velvet voice and adorable accent.

  I get to see you today. I’ll be the one with the beard and hat.

  That text earned me a smiley face. I’ll be the one with the unusually hyper boy named Dane.

  I replied that I would see him then, and before I could fall asleep again, popped out of bed and went downstairs to get some coffee and Facetime my fathers. It was a weekly ritual.

  Still shirtless but with a pair of low-slung gray pajama pants, I made coffee and waited for the familiar beeping of the Facetime app. I’d just stirred crème brûlée creamer into my cup when the sound came, and I reached out to push the green button.

  As soon as their faces popped up, their eyes roamed my kitchen, on anything but me.

  “Good morning!” I said, trying to get their attention.

  “Where is he? Things didn’t go well?”

  My dads’ ideas of things going well meant my mate would be right next to me. I knew the way they thought.

  “It did. But I had to bring him home last night. It was his son’s first time with the sitter. Not a good time for an overnighter.”

  My older dad, Clint, the accountant, reached out and held my other dad, Beto’s hand. “It must be hard to be without him this morning.”

  I sighed and looked out the window at the sun streaming in, attempting not to let a single tear fall. Being without my mate this morning was harder than I wanted to admit. So, I simply nodded.

  “How about this? Tomorrow is Sunday dinner, and I know you weren’t about to miss it since you haven’t missed one in years. Bring your new mate and his son. Beto will make chocolate peanut butter cake, and I will grill outside. We can help you win the boy over.”

  My dad, Beto, was from Puerto Rico and just his smile could melt any snowstorm. So could his food. “You’ll grill in the snow?”

  He grinned, white teeth gleaming in his tanned face. “For our son’s new family? Of course.”

  I took a long pull of my coffee and mulled it over. My dads were like magic together. They could win over the Hulk in the middle of a rage.

  “I’ll ask him.”

  “What’s his name? Tell us more about our new son-in-law.”

  Those were my parents. They invited everyone over and had never met a stranger. My house as a kid was the main hangout for the neighborhood.

  And now they’d already invited Gustav into our family without hesitation.

  “His name is Gustav. He and his son Dane are from Holland. He’s blond and has super-sexy eyes.”

  I went on and on, explaining every detail of our date, minus the knotting part, but alluding to the union. Plus, they asked me pressing dirty questions until I answered.

  “I think I love him already,” I confessed, head down, lost in love, and yet distressed about Dane and being a stepfather and not knowing if Gustav’s child would ever like me, much less love me back.

  “I can see that, Son. There’s a twinkle in your eye when you speak of him.”

  We said our goodbyes, and they wished me luck. Sunday dinner would be there whether Gustav decided to come or not. I wished he would.

  I ran upstairs and changed into a pair of gym shorts and a long-sleeved T-shirt. It was frosty outside, but once I got the Santa suit on, I’d be sweating buckets. Bags in hand, I got into the car and drove to the center, trying to chill out the smile I knew was on my face.

  The smile of love, that’s what one of my dads called it.

  I went to the back door instead of the front, since I didn’t want the kids to see me. I’d hoped they would assume I wasn’t coming to the event at all, keep up a facade for magic’s sake.

  Even from the back, I could see that Edison and George had gone all out to make the holiday authentic. I’d researched some online and sent them some texts about it, but didn’t know if they would be able to pull it off.

  They did fabulously.

  A wreath adorned with the traditional carrots, clogs, and other Dutch items hung by the front door, and a huge Christmas tree held candles and homemade ornaments. The kids had obviously been busy filling it up.

  “It looks fantastic,” I complimented Edison as soon as he came to the back.

  “Thank you. All of your tips helped. Here’s your costume, the bishop’s cap, and your cane or stick or whatever it is, a good supply of gold-wrapped chocolate coins, and um, your man is out there already. He brought some kind of amazing pastries and other dishes for everyone to sample. And, Link…you’re a good alpha.”

  My neck cracked as I turned to Edison after already heading in the direction of the bathroom to change into the costume. “What?”

  “The look on that omega’s face says you did well last night. Just sayin’.”

  I shook my head and we both laughed.

  Hell yeah, I’d done a good job.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Gustav

  I’d never seen Dane more excited. And I’d never been more touched. Turned out my alpha played Santa Claus at the center as well as wherever else anyone asked every year, but in order to make one small boy feel at home, they’d moved the party up and were celebrating the Feast of St. Nicholas. Every little face beamed as we moved from display to display, admiring the work they’d all done.

  But even as my son was chattering happily with his new friends, I was waiting for Link. It hadn’t been very many hours since I’d last seen him, but it still felt like an eternity. And I’d lain awake for what remained of the night, reliving our evening. Remembering everything I said, and he said, being in turn thrilled and appalled by my behavior and all the ways I could have been more fun...or interesting. Looking for hidden meanings in what he had. No matter how often I’d tried to convince myself that I’d be a better omega the next day if I had some sleep, the thoughts wouldn’t settle down, so I was dragging a little and probably had bags under my eyes large enough to pack for the weekend. But as we pulled into the parking lot at My Brother, My Sister, the droopiness fell away to be replaced by anticipation.

  An anticipation that only grew as the minutes clicked past. I kept taking out my phone and checking, looking at the clock over the entrance, watching the chair set up by the Christmas tree as if he’d appear out of thin air. As magical as his effect on me, he might well appear in a puff of smoke with a hearty ho ho ho. Because despite the date change, I was sure it would be a standard American Santa Claus who would visit us. And that would be fine.

  “Papa, look!” Dane dragged me over to a table where several boys and girls were playing with a model train set up in a fantastical village. Snow-covered cottages and stores, tall pines, dragons, and superheroes...all the things kids love. And my son was no exception. “I want to make the train go!” He bounced up
and down. “Please, Papa!”

  I eyed the setup with a skeptical glance. “I don’t know, Dane. Most of these kids are a little older. Maybe you should just watch…”

  But a familiar face emerged from the chattering crowd. “Papa, it’s Chuck. Hi, Chuck.” Dane flung himself at the teen who had watched him the night before and threw his arms around his legs.

  Wow. If only he reacted that way to my alpha.

  Edison approached us and dropped to a crouch. “Dane, I need to borrow your dad for a minute, okay?”

  “Okay.” My traitorous son nodded. “I want to play with the train.”

  “I’m not sure you’re big enough, Son.” What if he damaged it? Or if the other kids told him he was too young?

  “I’ve got this,” Chuck said, scooping him up. “Let’s get in line and we can take a turn together. Sound good?”

  Dane flung his hands in the air. “Yes!” And I was dismissed to follow Edison to a room off the office where he held the door open then chuckled and closed it, leaving me alone with the spirit of the holiday. My alpha. But wearing a bishop’s mitre and a red cloak over white vestments. In other words, a darn great attempt to match what my son would expect. If I hadn’t felt the emotion before. “I love you...all.”

  The addition of that last word saved me from complete humiliation, but as my alpha swept me into his arms, he said, “I love you, omega.” He tugged his beard down and bent his head to kiss me, his tall, pointed hat falling to the floor, and my breath seized in my chest. Bracing my hands on his shoulders, I let the kiss carry me back to the night before, when it had been just the two of us alone in his home, skin to skin, joined in a way I’d never dreamed possible. Mind, body, spirit.

  And as he nipped my lower lip and set me away from him, he brushed his lips on my forehead in a much more saintlike bestowal of affection. I breathed in his scent, spicy musk that had my cock hard every time I was close to him.