Lakelyn steps up beside him, her hand slipping back into his. She doesn’t say anything, but the look she gives me is enough—soft, almost sympathetic. Like she knew I’d lose it, like she was expecting this all along.
I take a deep breath, fighting for control. This isn’t over. Not by a long shot.
But today? Today, they won this round.
“Lesson’s over,” I mutter, spinning on my heel before I do something I’ll regret.
But of course, he doesn’t let me retreat, doesn’t let me lick my wounds in peace. No, Chad follows. And Lakelyn’s right there with him, tethered to him like they’re a packaged deal now. Exactly how she told me already.
I slam the office door behind me, hoping for a moment of peace, a second to pull myself together. But Chad pushes through, dragging Lakelyn inside with him like he has every right to follow me into my own space. He shuts the door with a soft, deliberate click, leaning against it with his arms crossed, staring at me like he knows exactly what he’s doing.
The image pulls me right back to a memory that’s been haunting me for years—my father, standing in the same spot, arms crossed, blocking my escape. I was barely seventeen then,and he was tearing into me for even thinking about Chad. For wanting him. Needing him. I’ll never forget the way he looked at me, like I was some kind of disappointment, just because Chad didn’t fit into his perfect plan.
My father was all about control—our image at the country club, my tennis career, even the kind of omega I was allowed to be with. And Chad? He was never part of that vision. Hell, when I was gunning for the Olympics, I could barely breathe under the pressure, and my dad made sure I pushed myself until it felt like my fingers were bleeding. All I wanted was to get away. But Chad... Chad got out first. And he didn’t look back. Until now.
That fact digs under my skin, festering like a wound I can’t heal. Because every part of me still wants him. Hell, it’s worse now that I know what they both are to me. I’m living in purgatory.
“What do you want?” I growl, the words harsher than I intended, but I’m too wound up to care.
“More of what happened yesterday,” Chad says, his voice low, and it sends a jolt through me. My eyes snap to his, and the tension in the room tightens, sharp and electric. “I like the way you make me forget my problems.”
I can feel the pull, that magnetic force drawing me toward him, toward both of them. Every inch of me wants to close the gap, to make him eat those words. But I fight it, standing rigid as his words echo in my head.
“You couldn’t wait to get out of the car,” I remind him, my voice quieter now, the bitter truth hanging in the air between us like a challenge.
Chad’s gaze holds steady, unwavering. No apology, no explanation—just that same charged energy humming between us, daring me to make the next move.
Lakelyn steps forward before I can react, her fingers brushing lightly against my arm, sending a shockwave straightthrough me. I freeze, eyes flicking from her to Chad. He’s watching, not in the way a bystander would, but as if he’s in control, orchestrating the entire thing.
Her touch lingers, soft but deliberate, and I feel her heat, her scent wrapping around me like a second skin. My instincts surge to the surface, and I have to clench my fists to stop from doing something stupid. Like dragging her against me.
“What are you doing?” I rasp, my voice tight, barely holding it together.
Chad’s lips quirk up, and there's something devilish in his expression, but not playful. Calculated. “Isn’t it obvious?” he says, his tone smooth, almost coaxing. “She’s making it easy for you.”
My eyes snap to Lakelyn’s, and she looks up at me, that same quiet determination in her gaze. Her fingers slide down my arm, resting on my wrist, and I feel my control slipping, the primal part of me screaming to take what’s mine.
“Go on, Dean,” Chad whispers, leaning back against the door, arms crossed casually like this is no big deal. “Kiss her.”
I swallow hard, every fiber of my being pulling me toward her, toward him, like a gravitational force I can’t resist. Lakelyn’s eyes stay locked on mine, waiting, her lips parting slightly, as if she knows exactly what’s coming next.
I’m not sure if it's Chad’s words or the look in her eyes, but before I can stop myself, I close the distance between us in one swift step. My hand moves to her cheek, and then I’m pulling her into me, my lips crashing against hers. There’s no hesitation, no holding back. The second our mouths connect, it’s like everything I’ve been fighting against snaps loose, and all that’s left is raw instinct.
Mine.
Lakelyn melts into me like it’s where she belongs, her hands gripping the front of my shirt, and I deepen the kiss, feeling theheat rise between us. Chad steps closer, his presence thick in the air around us, and I can feel him there, just on the edge, waiting.
A purr rumbles from him, and Lakelyn presses more firmly against me. I’m drowning in her. It’s perfect in every way. Just her. Yet, more. The three of us. How would this feel with Mason here to complete the haze of our scents? Would it make all of us aware of what we are to each other?
I know that combining their perfumes makes me feel on edge and crazy. And a part of me craves what Mason’s musk would add. I only got the slightest tease of it last night.
More. I need more.
CHAPTER 30
Lakelyn
Dean’s musk is intoxicating,filling my senses, wrapping around me like a heavy blanket. The way he kisses… it’s as if nothing else exists. His lips move with a fierce kind of focus, and I feel like I’m the only thing that matters. Like I’m the air he needs to survive.
