"We have things to do today," Seth says, but he's not moving either. His hand is drawing lazy circles on my hip, and I can feel his contentment through the bond.
"What things?" I ask.
"Dinner at your parents' house," Grayson reminds me. "Your mom texted three times yesterday to confirm we're coming."
Right. Family dinner. Where my parents will inevitably interrogate my alphas about our intentions and Ben will glower protectively and I'll want to sink through the floor.
"Can't we just stay here forever?" I ask hopefully.
"No," all three of them say at once.
"Your mother will come get us herself," Seth adds. "And she scares me."
"Good. She should." I stretch, feeling pleasantly sore from last night. River woke me up at two in the morning with his mouth between my thighs and things escalated from there. "She raised me. She knows all my tricks."
"Speaking of tricks," River says, finally lifting his head to look at me. His blue eyes are still sleepy but filled with mischief. "Did you finish that proposal for the diner?"
"Sent it yesterday." I can't keep the satisfaction out of my voice. "Millie loved it. Wants to hire me to revamp their entire social media presence."
"That's the fifth client this month," Grayson observes. He's moved closer now, his hand finding my ankle, thumb stroking the bone there. "You're going to need help soon."
"I know." It's terrifying and thrilling in equal measure. "I'm actually thinking about hiring an assistant. Someone to handle the basic stuff so I can focus on strategy."
Through the bonds, I feel their pride. Their satisfaction that I'm succeeding.
"Told you," River says smugly. "Told you that you were brilliant at this."
"You told me I was going to take over the world," I correct.
"Same thing. Just starting with Honeyridge Falls." He grins, that easy smile that makes my stomach flip. "Soon you'll have clients from Pine Valley. Then Missoula. Then?—"
"Then I'll need a bigger office," I finish. "And probably therapy for the stress."
"We'll help with the stress," Seth murmurs against my shoulder. His hand slides lower on my hip, and I feel exactly what kind of "help" he has in mind through the bond.
"We have to get up," I protest weakly.
"In a minute." Grayson's hand slides up my calf. "We have time."
We don't, really. But when Seth's mouth finds my throat and River's hand slides under my sleep shirt and Grayson's pulling me toward him with that intense look in his eyes?—
Well. Dinner can wait.
"You're late,"Ben says when we finally arrive at my parents' house three hours later.
"We're fifteen minutes late," I correct, trying to smooth down my hair. River keeps messing it up in the truck and I'm pretty sure I have beard burn on my neck.
"You're late and you smell like—" Ben makes a face. "Never mind. I don't want to know."
"Then don't comment," I say sweetly, pushing past him into the house.
The smell of roast chicken and fresh bread fills the air, mixing with Mom's vanilla-lavender scent. I hear Dad and Papa in the kitchen, arguing good-naturedly about seasoning.
My alphas file in behind me, and I feel their combined nervousness through the bonds. Even though they've been here before, family dinners still make them anxious. Wanting to prove they're good enough for me.
Idiots. They're more than good enough.
"There she is!" Mom appears from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. Her eyes go straight to my throat—to the three claiming marks there—and her smile gets impossibly wider. "And looking so happy. Come here, sweetheart."
