by Aria Grace
Collin shakes his head and turns to Gunnar. “We’ll each have a muffin. Thanks.”
Gunnar smiles, pleased to get the answer he wants. “Great. I’ll be right back.”
I slide onto the wooden bench pressed against the café wall and rest my elbows on my thighs, taking in long, slow breaths. We sit quietly for a few minutes before Collin can’t take the silence any longer.
“Are you okay?” Collin moves to the bench beside me, immediately placing his hand on the back of my neck to hold me in place. “What’s wrong?”
I can feel my cheeks warming as I consider how to answer him. I don’t want to lie, but I can’t tell him the truth. It’s just too pathetic to be a twenty-two-year-old virgin. “Yeah, just still surprised to see you guys on the front lawn.”
Collin’s grip on my neck relaxes a bit as he swirls a finger through my dirty-blond curls. “Yeah, I was just out for a run when I found myself in front of Omega House. And when I saw Seth, I thought he was you…but he just looked at me like he didn’t know me, so I kept going.”
Gunnar walks out with a cup carrier of drinks in one hand and a tray with three plates of muffins in the other. Collin stands up to help Gunnar with the tray while I sigh in contentment. I can’t explain why I always feel different when they are both near me, but it’s almost a tangible blanket of protection and warmth that snugs around me when both men are in my presence.
“And where did Gunnar come from?” I ask before taking a sip of the hot coffee Gunnar hands me.
He chuckles quietly. “Florida, originally, but I’ve lived here for most of my life.”
Collin smiles then raises an eyebrow in my direction before sitting down beside me again. A few inches closer than before, I might add. “Is that what you meant?”
“No, I mean earlier today. You were running when you saw Seth…but where did Gunnar come from?”
“Oh, I was stalking you too.” Gunnar breaks a piece of his muffin top off and pops it into his mouth after that declaration, daring either Collin or me to question him.
“Yeah, I guess that’s what we were doing.” Collin nudges my knee with his. “Anyway, I walked in front of Gunnar’s bike and almost knocked both of us onto our asses. Then we decided to check in on you.”
“Why?” I ask quietly. When neither one responds, I clear my voice and ask again, louder. “Why did you want to see me?”
I keep my eyes trained on my muffin even though I can feel both men staring at me. Collin slides closer to me on the bench and Gunnar’s wide palm closes around my knee under the table. With both of them touching me, I let out a deep breath and look between them, scared and excited by what they might say.
“I’m not sure how to answer that…” Collin’s voice trails off and he turns to Gunnar. “But I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you guys since the hospital.”
“I, um…” Gunnar looks me right in the eye for a long moment before turning to Collin. “I don’t usually believe in all that fated mate shit people talk about either. But my mom used to tell me about how she met my dad, and she could feel in her belly that he was the one. I thought she was just being dramatic after having a few glasses of wine, but all the words she used were the same things I’ve been feeling too. Desperate, obsessed, anxious, content…happy.”
My hand quickly drops into his when Gunnar reaches for me from across the table. Collin takes my other hand before reaching for Gunnar’s. Once we’re all connected physically, the pull in my belly becomes as apparent as the pool forming in my pants.
“Don’t you mean horny?” I think before realizing I’ve whispered the words out loud. “Shit, sorry. I didn’t mean to say that.”
Gunnar’s nostrils flare as he draws in a deep breath. “Yes, that too.”
Collin rests his cheek on the side of my head and nuzzles me for a second before catching himself and scooting a few inches away from my thigh. The loss of contact leaves a cold spot that goes bone deep. “Yeah, that.”
Dammit.
There goes another shiver of anticipation from the center of my balls out to my fingers and toes. If I’m not careful, I might come in my pants just from watching the expressions on their gorgeous faces.
And as much as I’d love to come for them, I’d rather do it with a thick knot inside my ass rather than empty and inside my jeans.
57
Gunnar
Watching Sean struggle to understand the situation is tough. Particularly since I don’t think Collin or I have a real clue as to what we’re suggesting either. All I know is that sitting here with both of them feels a whole lot better than I felt at home alone. Even being with just Collin is different than when I’m with them both.
Collin’s thumb brushes across my knuckles but his gaze is focused on Sean. “What are you thinking right now?”
Sean shrugs and looks at him with so much longing it almost hurts. “Are you guys together?”
Just hearing those words makes my cock harder than it already is. Collin glances at me for just a moment before turning back to Sean. “Not yet. We just met at the park. And we haven’t seen each other since the hospital.”
Sean’s eyebrows furrow. “But you look so…comfortable together.” He gives me a small smile. “When you were standing against the wall, I just assumed…”
Collin shifts his weight, and I have a feeling he’s dealing with the same problem in his shorts that I am. “I can guarantee it didn’t look as natural as when Connor was on top of you,” he whispers softly enough that only we can hear.
A full-body shiver rocks through Sean’s frame as he breathes out quickly. “Yeah, that was intense.”
I slide my feet forward so they’re caging in Sean’s, keeping him right where I want him. His eyes instantly find mine and the connection between us is almost palpable. “This isn’t traditional or even common, but it feels right, doesn’t it?”
“Yes.” His voice is barely a whisper, but that one word conveys everything I’m feeling. And the way Collin’s shoulders drop in relief and his forehead falls to Sean’s shoulder confirms that he’s right there with us.
“Want to head to my place for a bit? I can make dinner, or we can order in.” I pull out my phone and already have the ride share app open before either man responds.
“I can’t.” Sean looks as devastated as I feel, and Collin’s grip on my hand slackens for just a second. “I mean, yes, I want to, but I have to finish my project. It’s due tomorrow and I don’t have all my prints ready yet. I really need to get back to finish up.”
“So, tomorrow night?” I wait for Sean to nod before looking at Collin. “You’re welcome to come by tonight, if you’re free.”
Collin smiles then huffs out a slow breath. “I can wait until tomorrow.” He presses a gentle kiss to Sean’s shoulder. “Can I pick you up on my way to Gunnar’s?”
Sean’s eyes are hooded and the aroma of his slick hits me hard when the wind shifts in my direction. I don’t know how Collin has the strength to sit so close to him without tearing him apart. All I can think about is sinking into his wet hole and riding Sean until he’s begging for my knot.
I wonder if Collin is thinking the same thing. Does he want Sean as badly as I do? And where do I fit into his fantasies? My fantasies for Collin are equal to my thoughts for Sean. I’ve always been attracted to both alphas and omegas but never both at the same time. In fact, if I had to choose one over the other, I couldn’t.
I want them both.
Desperately.
After enjoying the cool evening for a while longer, we head back to Omega House. This time, instead of Collin and me going out of our way to give Sean some space, we huddle together as we move down the sidewalk, perfectly synchronized with every move we make. We’ve barely known each other for twenty-four hours but anyone on the street would think we were one unit.
And in my idealistic mind, we are.
The walk doesn’t take as long as I would have liked and before we’re ready to say goodbye, we’re s
tanding in front of Omega House.
Sean pulls away from us first, obviously still not sure what his role is in our strange coupling. “Well, thanks for the coffee.” He looks right at me. “I’m gonna need it tonight.”
I hold out my arms in a silent invitation. Sean hesitates for just a fraction of a second before throwing himself against my chest and holding tightly around my neck. My fingers instinctively curl in his hair as I treasure the weight of his slight frame in my arms. “I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
“Me too.” His grip on me tightens before he takes a step back and looks at Collin for direction.
The corner of Collin’s lip curls up in a smirk and he cocks his head to the side. “Do I get one of those?”
Sean exhales and falls into Collin’s arms just as enthusiastically as he did in mine. Collin nuzzles the inside of Sean’s neck and whispers something I can’t hear. Sean nods twice before stepping back. “Well, good night.”
“Seven o’clock tomorrow?” Collin looks at me then at Sean after I nod.
“I’ll see you then.” Sean reluctantly turns his back to us and jogs up the steps to the house. The house he shares with countless other omegas who were once used and abused.
As soon as he’s safely inside, I turn to Collin. “I’ll walk you back if you want. Or I can leave my bike here and call a car to get you home.”
“You don’t have to do that.” Collin’s eyes are bright even in the dim streetlight. “I’ll be okay on my own.”
The unintentional frown on my face must give away my dislike of that statement because Collin reaches up to smooth the stubbled skin of my clenched jaw. “But if you’d like to walk me home, that would be nice. I’ll give you a ride from there so I know where to bring Sean tomorrow.”
“Okay.” I swallow back the questions on the tip of my tongue. I want to know where his attraction lies, but I don’t want to come across as desperate. “That sounds good.” I take a step toward the sidewalk, tempted to reach for his hand when he doesn’t immediately follow me.
“Aren’t you forgetting something?” He gives me the sexiest smirk I’ve seen in a long time.
I look back at the house and then at Collin. “I don’t know. Am I?”
“Your bike?” He nods toward the fence hiding my road bike.
“Oh, well, I can get it later…unless you have room in your yard for it.”
“I do, but I also have a truck, so you can take it home tonight.”
“Cool. Okay.” Truthfully, I couldn’t care less about my damn bike right now. But I don’t want to impose upon Omega House or get Sean in trouble for leaving it there, so I run to the gate and grab my bike, rolling it beside me until I reach Collin.
“You ready?” he asks, his tone low.
I’m not exactly sure what he’s asking me but I’m ready for just about anything with him. “Let’s do this.”
58
Collin
The walk to my place only takes about twenty minutes, but it feels like longer with the awkward vibe flowing from Gunnar. I can’t tell what’s bothering him, but when I think back to when his demeanor changed, it’s easy to trace it back to the coffee shop when I told him I would wait until tomorrow instead of going home with him tonight.
We’re just a few houses before mine when I finally get the nerve to address the situation. I don’t want anything to be weird between us tomorrow. I want tomorrow to be perfect.
“Is everything okay?” I stop at the corner and slip both my hands into my pockets, giving him time to respond.
Gunnar keeps his gaze pointed straight ahead, not looking at me as he leans the bike on his hip. “Yeah, everything’s good.”
“No, it’s not.” I put my hand on his shoulder and give him a nudge so he’s facing me. “What’s wrong?”
“Look, I get if you’re only into omegas.” He kicks a rock into the street. “I guess I just let my imagination run a little crazy there…”
“What are you talking about? Why would you say that?” I step closer, my right foot in between both of Gunnar’s.
“It’s cool. We can both be with him without…being with each other.” He swallows hard and looks past my shoulder, still not willing to make eye contact with me.
“Gunnar, I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression–”
“It’s cool, I swear. We’re good.”
“Would you just shut the fuck up for second and let me talk?” He finally meets my gaze, the vulnerability obvious in his big green eyes as he gives me his full attention.
“I’m not… I mean…” Fuck, what do I mean? Instead of trying to find the right words, I take one more step forward and lean in until my mouth presses gently against his. Gunnar doesn’t move at all, not even to breathe, for a long moment before his hands close on my hips and his mouth begins to respond to mine.
In the back of my mind, I feel some guilt over not sharing my first kiss with Gunnar while Sean was with us. But we both need this in order to move forward. It’s not uncommon for an alpha to have two omegas, but it’s less common for two alphas to share an omega. An alpha is born with an inherent instinct to dominate and claim, as well as an inherent instinct to not be dominated or claimed.
That’s what makes this thing between Gunnar and me so intense.
We both want what we know we shouldn’t have. But the way his lips mold to mine and his tongue gently probes inside my mouth as he explores me for the first time eliminates any doubts either of us might have had about our compatibility.
This works. We work.
My dick is hard and throbbing against Gunnar’s, and if we don’t stop this now, we’re going to get arrested on this street corner. With a final grind against Gunnar’s swollen length, I pull away and catch my breath. “You were saying…”
Gunnar is as breathless as me, stepping toward me even as I back away. Pressing my palms to his solid pecs, I hold him in place. God, he feels good under my fingertips. “Where are you going?”
“Nowhere.” I lock my elbows and maintain the space between us. “But we should wait.”
Gunnar relaxes and nods in agreement. “Yeah, I guess. Tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow.” I release the fabric of his shirt which has somehow become entwined in my fists and smooth it out, trying not to make it obvious that I’m copping a feel of his massive chest. “I’m just down the street.”
We walk the last hundred yards in silence before getting to my place. Gunnar slips his bike into the back of my truck while I run inside for my keys. As soon as we’re back on the road, Gunnar reaches across the center console and takes my hand in his. “So, you’re okay with this?”
I give him a side glance and slide his hand over a few inches so he’s resting against my thick erection. “I thought I made that painfully obvious.”
“You’re making it painful, that’s for sure.” His index finger brushes over my cock, sending a shiver up my spine. “But I just want to make sure.”
With the GPS guiding me the short distance to Gunnar’s house, I pull his hand to my mouth and press my lips to the back of it. “I’m sure.”
“Me too,” he says huskily. “And tomorrow already feels too far away.”
* * *
Sean is on the front porch when I pull up in front of Omega House at six fifty. I tell myself he’s as eager for this date as I am as I walk to him ten minutes before we were scheduled to meet. Seth is sitting beside him on the bench with attentive eyes. I feel Seth inspecting me from head to toe and can almost sense the warning in his gaze. I nod to Seth, grateful that he has Sean’s back before turning my attention to Sean. Brothers should watch out for each other, and I’m happy to know Sean has someone with his best interests at heart keeping an eye on him.
“Hey, Sean.” I pull him into a chaste embrace as soon as he’s on his feet.
Sean wraps his arms around my neck and clings to me like he’s had a rough day. “Hi, Collin. Thanks for picking me up.”
Running my hand through his hair,
I try to calm the anxiety I can feel in his tight muscles. “I’m a little early but if you’re ready, we can go any time.”
“I’m ready.” Sean turns to his brother and flashes a sweet smile. “I won’t be late. I promise.”
I want to correct him and tell him he won’t be back before breakfast but it’s too soon to make assumptions or demands like that. “Good to see you, Seth.”
“Be careful.” Seth’s warning is as much for me as it is for Sean.
I don’t want him to be worried, so I reach over and offer my hand. “We’ll take good care of Sean. I promise.”
He stares me down for a good five seconds before dipping his chin. “You better.”
Seth isn’t a big or tough man, but he definitely knows how to hold his own against an alpha and doesn’t seem intimidated by my larger frame or twenty extra pounds of muscle. He will kick my ass if I hurt his brother.
And I would let him.
Once Sean is safely buckled up in my truck, I reach for his hand and place a kiss on the back of his hand. “You look great.”
Sean’s smile is shy, but he leans over the console so he’s a few inches closer to me. “You do too.”
I pull into traffic and allow the GPS to guide me back to Gunnar’s while Sean and I sit in comfortable silence with his arousal and my cock growing by the second.
59
Gunnar
I met with a few clients before lunch and since then, I’ve been shopping and cleaning to get my house perfect. I do outside sales for a medical devices company and only meet with clients a few times a week to make my commissions. Thanks to some strategic approvals last year, my bonuses have been in the six figures for the past four quarters. Being single and somewhat of a homebody, I don’t spend a lot of money outside of remodeling my house and buying a few cars that are as much for entertainment as for transportation.