Crush began to blink. Once at first. Then a few more times.
“I’m... not great at watching one little face for a very long time,” the alpha admitted. “I don’t think I’m going to win this stare-off.”
“I could give you a consolation prize,” Killian said.
Immediately, Crush broke the stare-off to look at Killian. “Yes, please. What will my prize be?”
Killianblushed.“I didn’t think you would agree so soon!”
“Sweetheart. An omega I greatly admire has just offered me a gift. Which alpha wouldn’t jump on that?”
“G-greatly admire?” Heat burned through Killian’s cheeks.
“Didn’t you know that?” Crush trailed his thumb along Killian’s jaw. “I think you’re great. Great at sparring, talented with words—” Killian coughed “—a dedicated dad, and absolutely amazing in bed.”
“No one has given me so many compliments at the same time,” Killian squeaked.
Crush’s smile was bright and sharp. “Take it like an omega, sweetheart.”
“Oh, gods.” Killian’s face burned.
“Now, before we get further off topic, I want an answer,” Crush said. “What kind of nest did you have when you were pregnant with Naddie? Did her biological alpha parent build it for you?”
“Uh, my friends helped me with it.”
Crush narrowed his eyes. “Not the alpha who knocked you up?”
Killian shrugged uncomfortably. “It was just a one-night stand. I didn’t want an alpha trying to claim my baby.”
At that, Crush glanced at Naddie again. Or... was he looking past Naddie, at Killian’s belly?
More hesitantly than before, Crush asked, “Would you... let me build you a nest?”
Killian’s heart skipped. “You really want to?”
“Yes.” Crush gave him a meaningful look. “I told you I would provide for you. This is part of it.”
Killian tried to imagine the nest that Crush would build. He couldn’t, though. It was too big of a gift. “If you want to. I’m not gonna pressure you or anything. But a nest would be really nice.”
Crush lit up. “Yeah? Do you have any requests? Things I should pay attention to?”
“I just want it to be comfy,” Killian said.
“That’s it?” Crush asked incredulously.
Killian shrugged again. “I can live with very little.”
Except the alpha growled. “That’s not what I asked, bunny. The point here isn’t to make you settle for less. The point is to make the nest so good, it’s like a dream.”
Killian gaped.
“Now, if I were to give you a stack of cash, what would you spend it on?”
“How much is in that stack of cash?”
The alpha rolled his shoulders. “A million? Two million? Ten?”
“Ten million dollars?!”
