She brings Archer’s hand to her lips and places a kiss on it. “Should probably go get your meds and see if they’ll help.”
“Oh! Yeah. Duh. Of course. They’re in my nest. I’ll just…” He trails off, reluctantly releasing her hand and giving another adorable little wave before scurrying to a door on the other side of the room and shutting it behind him.
As soon as he’s out of the room, Ruby moves over to me, a frown twisting her lips. “Hey. What’s wrong?” The words are gentle rather than accusatory.
I blink at her concern. “N-nothing.”
She rolls her eyes and presses a finger against my chest. My breath hitches at even that small amount of contact. There’s the slightest hint of a sugary, citrusy scent now that she’s close to me, and my alpha is eager to lean down and rub my face against her neck to get more of it.
“I thought you said you needed honesty. That goes both ways.”
I flush. “It’s not a big deal. I just… I think I should go, right?”
Ruby scowls, the look somehow still sexy as hell on her. “What? Why?”
“You and Archer know each other. He’ll be more comfortable if he doesn’t have a stranger—an unknown alpha—in his space. Especially if the suppressants don’t work and he doesn’t want to go to heat services…” I clear my throat, ignoring how my dick thickens at the idea of Archer’s heat progressing. “You can take care of him. You like him and he likes you, and you’re very good at taking care of omegas.”
She waits a moment, letting me open and close my mouth a few times, trying to find a way to explain more eloquently, and failing. “Okay, I understand where you’re coming from.”
I’m not sure if I want to sigh with relief or cry that I was right about not being needed.
“But,” she continues, sliding her hand so her palm is resting flat against my chest, and looking up at me through her thick dark lashes. “You’re a part of this, Beau. Me and Archer knowing each other doesn’t change that. It doesn’t mean you’re not wanted.” She smiles, a hint of teasing sparkling in her eyes. “And I certainly don’t mind the idea of spending extra time with you to get to the same level offamiliarity.”
Some of the tension in my chest releases. “If you’re sure you don’t mind…”
She chuckles, low and breathy. “No, big guy, I don’t mind. I sincerely doubt Archer will either, but let’s ask him when he comes back in to make sure we’re all on the same page.”
“Oh, I don’t want to make him uncomfortable.”
Ruby scoffs. “He said he wasn’t. Besides, you’re our scent match.”
“Am I yours?” I don’t mean to ask aloud, but there’s this pathetic, annoying voice in my head telling me that the matching service made a mistake and I’m somehow Archer’s match, but not hers.
Her brow furrows. “What do you mean? Of course you are.”
“I haven’t really gotten to scent you,” I reply weakly.
She doesn’t argue. She doesn’t make fun of me. No, this gorgeous omega silently closes the remaining space between our bodies and wraps a hand around the back of my neck, pulling me down to press my nose against her scent gland.
I inhale, the sugared lemon and tart cherry and creamy vanilla still subtle under her remaining scent neutralizer, but undeniablyperfect.
A deep groan rumbles out of me, and I press closer, sucking in another lungful. She purrs and I feel her drag in her own deepbreath. “Mmm, you smell amazing. Crème brûlée is one of my favorite desserts,” she whispers.
Ruby pulls back, which is good because I was seconds away from grinding my stiff cock against her stomach. “That clear things up?”
I smile, the tightness in my chest all but gone now. “Hmm, I might need more to be certain.”
Ruby grins up at me, something wicked crossing her expression. The hand on my chest slides down to my stomach, and a jolt of lust hits me, so potent I feel dizzy.
“Ruby,” I groan, but she chuckles and her hand lifts off me before it gets too far down my body. It takes me a moment to register what she’s doing. There’s a soft rustle of fabric, and her eyelashes flutter as she sucks in a shaky breath.
“Here, try this,” she murmurs, stepping back just enough so I can see her pull her hand out from under her skirt. Her fingers glisten as she brings them up for me to inspect.
“Oh,fuck.” I smell her slick, better than any candy I’ve had. Better than anything I’ve ever smelled, other than Archer’s equally intoxicating scent.
Before I can stop myself, I wrap a hand around her wrist and bring her hand to my lips.
Her pupils dilate as I slowly open my lips and suck her fingers into my mouth, my cock bucking as her taste overwhelms me. She gasps as I swirl my tongue around her fingertips as I slowly pull off of them.
