Not resisting the pull of his strong arm, Lucky arched an eyebrow.“Thisis your solution?Instead of lifting the small child onto your lap?”
“It’s what I would have done.”Chase handed Ford a newly lit cigarette with a lingering graze of fingers that had Lucky tempted to smack him.Except Pip looked so happy that Ford had made space for him.
Ford huffed against his neck and made a small sound in the back of his throat.“You don’t smell like me,” he grumbled, rubbing his nose along Lucky’s neck and jaw, like he could leave his scent behind.
Shifting to lean against his shoulder, Ford’s arm firmly around his waist, he focused on Pip and let Ford enjoy his smoke.“Have you had a nice day?”
Pip reached for the bucket of chicken and smiled sweetly when Lucky tilted the bucket for him to reach inside.“Tauri took me to the shops and we picked up a present for Tiloo, to say thank you for signing my forms,” he admitted, like it was nothing to have his adoption process begin.
“What else did you do?”
Pip tore off a chuck of chicken.“We went to play games and Tauri didn’t let me win.”
Ford ruffled his hair, unconcerned.“’Course I didn’t.You gotta earn your wins wi’ me.You will, eventually.”
While Pip rambled and answered the questions of their friends around the table, Lucky leaned against Ford.“You make a wonderful tauri.I love seeing you like this.Pip lights up when he’s with you, because he knows you mean everything you say.He knows he can trust you.”
“Shut up or I’m gonna kiss you,” Ford replied, making him smile and nudge closer.
“Then hurry up and kiss me.”
Ford didn’t hesitate to claim his mouth with teeth and tongue, saying nothing about his immediate surrender.He retreated too soon, the hand on Lucky’s stomach pushing up his T-shirt to make skin-on-skin contact.“Better save some for later.I finally got you both for a whole weekend, and I intend to enjoy it.”
Lucky brushed his fingers against Ford’s thigh.“I can’t wait to meet your friends.”
“I want you to meet Jesi.Properly, when it’s not work.He’s kinda like my kid.”
That was far more important than just meeting his friends.Lucky swallowed his nerves and tried not to grab Ford’s thigh for support.“Then he’s my kid too.”
Ford groaned and tightened his hold of Lucky.“If it weren’t for Pip, I’d have you over this fucking table for talkin’ like that,” he warned, grazing teeth over the curve of his jaw.
Lucky’s breath hitched and he bit his bottom lip.Maybe it was his upcoming birthday or the OX that was potentially still in his system, but he could feel slick slipping free.
Ford inhaled deeply, proof the waves were already rolling towards his two mates.“You’d better be careful.Your papa made me swear you’d get home in one piece, but the more you open your mouth, the more I wanna take you to bed and fucking destroy you.”
“You’re not the only one,” Chase piped up with an intense gaze that made Lucky’s heart beat faster.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chase
At seven o’clock, Chase parked in the car park at the beach.The bonfire and staked lights lit the area well enough to make out a sizeable crowd.Sitting on a fence, the unmistakable shape of Ford lit a cigarette, with Lucky next to him, while his friends hovered nearby.
Neko and Grant filtered from the car and Chase followed.Locking the door, he handed Grant the keys and headed to his boys.
Chase had put effort in, gelling his hair, putting on tight jeans and a white shirt open at the collar, letting them see what they could enjoy all weekend.Lucky had easily outdone him—he looked stunning in a cropped tank top with a scooped neckline and a cropped denim jacket with three-quarter length sleeves.He’d paired the look with low-riding shorts that emphasised his curves and showed off a circle of sigils around his waist that made Chase’s mouth water.His wrists were decorated with bracelets, fingers littered with rings, and hair tied up into a knot at the base of a long ponytail.While Lucky wore bright neon colours, Ford was a perfect contrast—black jeans and a black shirt open at the collar, the leather thong with Omha’s protective pouch around his neck.
Lucky greeted him with a hug, then stepped away to make room for Ford to slip a finger into his belt loop.
Tugging Chase closer, he caught his mouth in a kiss.“Fucking sexy, as usual, meda.”
“Back at ya.”
While Ford turned into a protective ORTa, checking everyone had plans to get home, Chase focused on Lucky.“Baby, you are fucking edible.”
Lucky gripped his waist, eyes sparkling with excitement.“Thank you.”
Looking around, he clocked three older alphas hovering at the gated entrance to the beach.Ford accepted a bottle of beer from one, who edged closer to Phoenix and leaned an elbow on his shoulder.
