“Kai,” York told his dad. “Spike had to go pick him up.”
Across the center console, Kai raised his eyebrows. Spike covered the mic on his phone and said, “You missed your consultation this afternoon. With Micah. York’s asking about it.”
Kai grimaced. “Guess I use this time to fix my grades, huh?”
Across the line, York asked, “Is Kai okay?”
Spike hesitated. How much to tell him? “Depends on who you ask.”
“Spill,” York said.
“Kai sprained his ankle,” Spike answered. “He’s losing half his scholarship. Looks like we’re being kicked out of the dorm in a couple weeks. But aside from that... I guess we’re okay.”
“Shit,” York said. Then he told his dad, and Spike held his breath, meeting Kai’s gaze.
“Do they need a place to stay?” Micah’s voice floated through the line, closer this time. He sounded concerned, too. Spike’s heart skipped.
“Mic—The professor’s asking if we need a place to stay,” Spike said, wriggling his eyebrows. If Micah was offering them his own home...
Kai rolled his eyes. “I’m leaving this one to you.”
Spike grinned. Their tight-knit relationship had its perks. “We kinda need a room for Kai and me,” he told York. “But we’re looking at rental listings, too, so it’s really no big...”
“Spike says they’re looking for a room,” York told his dad.
“They, um, I guess they could have the study...” Micah’s voice trailed off, like he was turning around to look at their apartment.
“That’s a bunch of stuff we have to move out,” York grumbled.
Spike’s heart leaped. “Is it really okay if we move in?” he asked. “I mean, your dad doesn’t mind? We’ll pay rent and everything. Plus we can provide any additional services...”
“They say they’ll pay rent and provide extra services,” York relayed.
Micah broke into a coughing fit. Spike knew it was him, because York yelped, heading over.
Well, Micah liked that idea, that was for sure. Spike’s chest puffed up with pride. Kai raised his eyebrows.
“York told him we’d pay rent and throw in extra services.” Spike grinned. “He started coughing.”
“Figures.” Kai barked a laugh, the worry lines fading from his face. “You’re in charge of those services.”
Spike wriggled.
“What, um, what kind of services?” Micah asked when he was done coughing. “Actually, just hand the phone over.”
There were a few fumbling sounds, and then someone’s breath puffed down the line. “Hello?” Micah said.
Spike couldn’t help his smirk. “Hey, beautiful.”
“What—” Micah broke into another coughing fit. Spike imagined his entire face flushed, his ears so red he was practically aglow. When Micah finally stopped, he hissed, “Spike.”
“You were asking about services,” Spike growled, imagining Micah’s soft blue eyes, his full, pink lips. “I’m very good at, ah, pipe cleaning and any chores involving suction. Vacuum suction or otherwise. And um, salad tossing? And musical, um... Musical screams. Yes.”
“The fuck is that?” Kai muttered, throwing Spike an incredulous look. Spike grinned.
“Gods,” Micah groaned. “I’m just—I’m just offering you a room, Spike. I don’t need repayment.”
“We’ll pay it back,” Spike told him. “Plus as much pleasure as you want. I wanna fuck you through your bed.”
Micah’s breath rushed out of him.
“Where’re you going with my phone?” York asked.
“To my bedr—On second thought, you can have it back,” Micah said. “I’ll just make this quick.”
“Aw, no phone sex?” Spike kissed his mic, knowing Micah would hear it. “I’m all hard for you.”
Micah gave a soft whine. “Now’s not a good time.”
“Maybe when we move in?” Spike asked. “Then we can have all the sex you want. Even phone sex.”
The professor gulped. “When will you be moving in?”
“As soon as you let us,” Spike said. “And we’ll visit inside you, too.”
Micah’s breathing hitched.
“Just Spike,” Kai said, dragging his hand down his face. “Sorry, Davis. This is all Spike. Blame him.”
“Hey, you were the one who fell,” Spike said, reaching between Kai’s legs to squeeze his cock. “You should let me fuck you tonight.”
Kai thought about it. “Sure.”
Micah’s breath trembled down the line. “I-I should end this call before it gets out of control,” he said shakily.
Spike grinned. “Before what gets out of control? Your cock?”
Micah chuckled. “That, too.”
That made Spike happy. He breathed out, trying to ignore his hard-on. “Okay, I’ll be serious now. Kai and I really are grateful for your offer, you know. We’ll try our best to not intrude. We’re used to living in a small space together, and we’ll leave you and York alone if you want.”
“It’s not a problem,” Micah said quietly. “You’ve really helped me, so... I’d like to extend the same in return.”
Spike beamed, his heart thumping. Gods, I love him. “Thanks.”
“That’s all for tonight?” Micah asked.
“Yup,” Spike said. “Sweet dreams. Say goodnight to Micah, Kai.”
Kai cracked a smile. “Night, Davis. Thanks.”
Micah laughed. “Goodnight.”
Before he hung up, Spike pressed a kiss to the phone. “Miss you,” he whispered. “Can’t wait to see you again.”
Micah sucked in a shaky breath. Then he whispered back, “Same here.”
Spike’s heart swelled for him.
He ended the call, glancing over at Kai. “We have a place to stay.”
Kai smiled crookedly. “Thanks to you.”
And now Spike could breathe again. “It’s really thanks to Micah. I think I’ll be forever in love with him. Do you like him yet?”
“He’s all right,” Kai muttered. But his ears turned pink, like he was hiding something.
Spike perked up. “You jacked off to him?”
Kai hesitated. “Just once.”
That was a good answer. “That’s the start of it,” Spike said, grinning. “One of these days, I’m gonna hold him open so you can fuck his hole. He’s gonna moan your name, Kai. Have you seen the way he looks at you?”
Kai swallowed hard, glancing away. Yeah, he had. “I’m not sleeping with him for my grades.”
“You don’t have to. You can sleep with him just to hear him moan.”
Kai clenched his jaw, musk coiling off his skin.
Spike’s cock jerked. Kai getting hard for Micah—Spike wanted to see it. “You like hearing him, don’t you? He’ll crave your touch, too. He’ll open around you and take your cock deep inside.”
“Damn you.”
“You really should say ‘Fuck you,’ although I guess it’s the other way around tonight.” Spike jerked his hips, palming his cock. Micah wanting Spike was one thing, but Kai wanting Micah, too? That was such good news.
Kai sighed. “I swear, if you weren’t my brother...”
“You know you love me,” Spike said. It was a slip of the tongue.
Kai paused, his gaze flickering toward Spike. Touchy subject.
So Spike changed it. “Does this mean that, for as long as your ankle’s busted, you’re gonna let me fuck you?”
“Maybe,” Kai said.
Or maybe they’d move into Micah’s, and Kai might start sleeping with Micah instead. Who knew?
13
Micah
It’s been two weeks since I was in heat, Micah thought, and now they’re moving into my home.
York and Spike hefted cardboard boxes through the front door, striding into the half-filled study. Around the living room, plastic boxes had been tucked into corners—stuff that Micah and York had been clearing out of the study the past week, to prepare for their
new houseguests.
Micah still had mixed feelings about this decision. It had been a rash one. He’d been thinking with his cock.
But from what he’d seen of Kai and Spike... they seemed like a responsible pair. They seemed honest and hardworking.
And Spike had been sending Micah short voicemails, of how he was going to slip into Micah’s bedroom at night, and fuck him into his bed. Micah had jerked off to those messages more times than he wanted to acknowledge. He’d kept it a secret, even from Spike.
This isn’t a professional arrangement. I’m offering it to them as a friend.
Kai stepped through the front door, plastic bags hanging from his teeth and wrists, his biceps bulging as he crossed the living room on his crutches.
Micah hurried forward. “I can help with that,” he blurted, reaching out. “That looks really heavy.”
Kai paused, looking back at Micah. That intense gaze still gave Micah a jolt down his spine.
Carefully, Micah unhooked the bag from Kai’s teeth. “There, I don’t want you hurting yourself,” Micah whispered. At least the bag wasn’t so heavy—just bulky.
Kai worked his jaw. “Thanks. You sure you don’t need help with that?”
“If you can carry it with your teeth, I can manage,” Micah said. “It’d be a pity if you lost your molars because you were moving.”
Kai snorted, smiling that rakish grin again. “That’s the least of my concerns.”
Micah gulped. No alpha should look that attractive—and have an equally-attractive stepbrother to boot. “Anyway, this goes in the room, right?”
“Yeah. Thanks,” Kai said, his smile mellowing.
Micah felt the prickle of Kai’s gaze as he hurried away, easing past York and Spike to drop the bag off. Kai followed him into the room, dropping off his own loads.
“What’s left?” York asked.
“Just the mattress,” Spike answered. “The rest is up here.”
They disappeared through the front door again, leaving Micah and Kai in the living room.
“Thanks again,” Kai said, bowing his head. “Wasn’t expecting you to offer your home like that. It was really short notice, too.”
Micah shrugged. “That’s fine. I don’t mind.”
They fell into silence, just looking around. Micah realized he hadn’t spent enough time around Kai and Spike, to know what they chatted about regularly. Hell, he didn’t know much about them at all, period.
“I hope your ankle’s been doing better,” Micah said.
“Somewhat.” Kai glanced at his feet. “I’m supposed to use the crutches for another week, at least. Haven’t used crutches before—they’re a pain. Not sure how you spend every day hobbling around with a walking stick.”
Micah snuffled, surprised. Kai had been watching him? “The stick helps a lot. It’s much better than wobbling everywhere I go.”
Kai was quiet for a moment. “Makes sense. I hadn’t thought about it that way before.”
He looked at Micah’s leg, and Micah fought the urge to hide it away. He shouldn’t have to—he was wearing dark pants today, and a long-sleeved shirt.
Kai’s gaze flicked back to lock on Micah’s eyes. “You don’t have to hide your scars. I’m not repulsed.”
That surprised Micah enough that he stopped squirming. “You—aren’t?”
“Nah.” Kai shrugged. “They’re just scars.”
Micah touched his bald spots. “But... they’re ugly.”
Kai snorted. “Ugly? No. But there’s some people out there who are ugly as fuck. They don’t even have scars.”
That... was a strong statement. And Micah wondered what Kai had seen, to make him think that way.
“I think scars aren’t so bad. They help me read people better,” Kai said.
Micah grimaced. “So... you’ve read me, then. And made your judgments.”
Kai met his eyes. “You always look afraid of me. Like you think I’m gonna tear you up or something.”
Well, Micah had thought that, yes. But having Kai say it out loud—that was embarrassing. “I’m not so afraid now, I guess.” Micah smiled wanly. “I know you a little better.”
Kai chuckled. “Because Spike dragged us into bed together?”
Micah couldn’t help glancing at the front door, his skin prickling. What if Spike and York returned and overheard? “Yes. Spike is... quite the character.”
“He’s good. Thinks about sex all the time, but he’s real sweet. You’ve seen him for yourself.”
“I have.” Micah remembered last week, at the office. Kai growling because Micah had accidentally insulted Spike. “You seem really protective of him.”
“I am. Our parents married when we were ten. Dad’s an alcoholic. Mom’s working two jobs a day now. We take turns to give her cash. Never really had an alpha-parent figure my whole life. My family’s really only me, Spike, and our mom.”
Micah stared at Kai in dismay. “Has it always been that way? If—you don’t mind me asking.”
Kai looked away. “Yeah. That’s some depressing shit, though. Talk about something else. Favorite food.”
A laugh bubbled from Micah’s chest. In his own way, Kai was... funny. Warm. There was pain in his past, and someday, maybe he might tell Micah more of it. “I love cheesy garlic mashed potatoes.”
Kai quirked his eyebrows. “Sounds good. Spike loves baby back ribs slow-cooked with steak seasoning.”
“What about you?”
Surprise flickered in Kai’s gaze, as though he’d expected Micah to be content with his brother’s favorite food. “Fish. Rubbed with salt, and fried with ginger.”
“That’s... sure different,” Micah said, his mouth watering. Except his stomach had different thoughts, clenching and roiling. It’s too soon for morning sickness to set in. “I’d like to try cooking it someday.”
Kai perked up. “Oh—did Spike mention? We can take turns to make dinner. ‘Specially now that I’m stuck on bed rest.”
“You can cook?” Micah asked. And then realized it was a stupid question—with a family like his, Kai and Spike must’ve learned to fend for themselves when they were far too young.
“We started learning when we were about ten,” Kai said. “Mom taught us the basics, bit by bit.”
“She sounds like a wonderful mom,” Micah said. The sort of mom he would sit down and chat with, and bring gifts to.
“Yeah, she isn’t so different from you,” Kai said, his gaze turning shrewd, thoughtful. “She’s strong, too. I hate to say it, but she’s practically a single parent. I wish—” For a moment, anger flickered through Kai’s face, ferocity and disappointment. “I wish my dad would just... quit drinking. Would be nice.”
Micah’s chest hurt for him. What was it like, having a dad who wasn’t around?
He limped across the few feet between them, taking Kai’s hand gently. “If you ever need to talk about it, or vent, I’m here.”
Kai’s eyebrows lifted. “You don’t have to.”
“The same goes for Spike,” Micah said.
Kai chuckled. “He’ll be pleased to know.” Then his smile turned fond, and his gaze softened. “I can see why he likes you, you know. You’re kind. And strong.”
Micah stared, stunned for words. “I’m just... me.”
Had anyone ever described him that way? Kind? Strong? Aside from York, Kai was probably the first to. Micah almost dismissed it as a compliment, except Kai Ventura wasn’t the sort of person to lie.
He looked at his feet, wrapping the words around himself, trying to see if they fit. He couldn’t tell. He was kind, perhaps. But strong? Micah had been hiding for so much of his life.
His stomach roiled again. Micah swallowed hard, clapping a hand over his mouth.
“Davis...?” Kai frowned.
Micah bolted for the hallway bathroom. He barely made it, heaving hard into the toilet. His breakfast came up through his mouth and nose, and he choked, tears prickling his eyes.
Gods, it had been a w
hile since he’d thrown up. He hadn’t missed the puking at all.
I’m really pregnant. I have a baby in my belly.
Micah touched his still-flat abdomen, wonder unfurling in his chest.
The door eased open behind him. He heard the heavy thuds of crutches on tile. Then Kai knelt awkwardly beside him, brushing Micah’s hair out of his face. Micah froze. He spat into the toilet, reaching up to flush it.
Kai grabbed the nearest glass—York’s, actually—and filled it with water. Then he handed it to Micah, and Micah rinsed out his mouth. He tried to clean the puke out of his nose, too.
“Sorry. I’m not at my best—”
He heaved again, more of his breakfast splattering into the toilet. Micah thought Kai might leave, except Kai set a large hand on his back, slowly rubbing.
Micah tensed, spitting the taste out of his mouth. The last time he’d had morning sickness... he’d been alone and pregnant with York, and there hadn’t been any alphas with him at all. No one helping to keep his mug hand steady, no one just... there. Next to him.
He spat the last of his vomit from his mouth, his chest too tight. “You don’t have to.”
Kai refilled his mug, and handed it back to him. “I promised to be responsible,” Kai murmured, looking sidelong at Micah. “This is part of it.”
Tears prickled at Micah’s eyes. He rinsed his mouth out, blinking hard. Kai was kind. Generous. I shouldn’t be getting this emotional.
“I’ve never had—” Micah began, but his throat grew too tight to speak.
Gently, Kai took the mug away from him. Then he pulled Micah against his chest, and just held him, folding Micah into his warmth. Micah trembled, hardly able to breathe.
“Why?” he asked, Kai’s earthy elm lingering in his nostrils, all the way into his lungs. He curled his fingers into Kai’s shirt, savoring Kai’s strong chest against him, strength that Micah didn’t have.
Aside from that first night, they hadn’t been intimate. Kai had kept his distance whenever they met. But this wasn’t sex—it was comfort. And Micah would take comfort wherever he could find it.
“You need someone,” Kai rumbled. “Spike can’t be here all the time. I promised to step in when he can’t.”
His Two Alphas Page 12