Still, I wondered how mad my brothers would be if I leaned over right now and kissed Lucy. Would they smell me on herwhen they returned? Would they understand that I couldn't help myself? Had any of them given in to these feelings yet, or would I be the first? Fallon had come out of her room the other morning, swearing he’d only slept next to her and not under the covers. I found that hard to believe. How could anyone sleep next to this gorgeous woman and not want to possess her mind, body, and soul?
Before I could resolve my internal battle, Lucy saved me the trouble. She rose up on her knees, wrapped her slender arms around my neck, and pressed a quick kiss to my cheek. The touch of her lips against my skin scorched, as if she’d left a permanent brand.
When she pulled away, her green eyes sparkled with mischief.
"You kissed me," I said stupidly, my brain short-circuiting like bad wiring in a beat-up car.
"I did," she nodded slowly, a small smile playing at her lips. "I don't need a diagram for that."
I stared at her, my heart beating sluggishly, like the world had switched to slow motion. The Alpha in me howled, tortured by want and need.
"Let them be mad," I breathed out, surprising myself.
Lucy looked confused, her brow furrowing slightly. "What do you?—"
She didn't have time to finish her question. I pulled her tightly to me, one hand curling around the back of her neck, the other flattened against her lower back. I pressed my lips to hers, gentle yet firm. I didn't take things too far. I let my mouth linger for several heartbeats, savoring the way we fit together.
When I pulled back, her eyes were wide, her breath coming in short gasps that matched my own.
"There's nothing about you that needs fixing, Lucy," I said, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. "I hope you know that."
I said it so abruptly, so out of context with our carburetor lesson, that Lucy looked almost stricken. She didn’t move, didn’t speak. For a moment, I worried my words had hurt her.
But then she reached up, her cool fingers cupping my face.
"Ditto," she whispered. The single word seemed to echo around us.
I knew the guys might be pissed I kissed her, but I hadn’t broken our deal to let Lucy make the first move.
My cheek still tingled where her lips had pressed.
And I had zero regrets.
59
DEMONX & THEIR OMEGA
{Days later}
The smell of motor oil and metal shavings hung in the air of Kane's garage, as familiar to the five men as their own scents—which, right now, were tainted with anxiety.
Every carriage door was rolled up, letting in crisp night air, because Asher didn’t think he could breathe otherwise. Despite the spaciousness of the workshop, it felt suffocating. There were too many unspoken thoughts swirling around, thoughts that centered around one woman.
Lucy. Their Lucy. Their Omega.
Her name bounced around in each of their minds. Her face was seared into their gray matter.
After years of their inner Alphas pushing them toward madness—longer jumps, sharper blades, bigger fires—Lucy was giving them relief. But now they faced the terrible possibility that she might choose to leave.
The fluorescent lights flickered overhead. Kane walked over to the switches and flicked them up and down, as if that would do any good.
“Stick to fixin’ cars,” Nitro grunted.
“Bite me,” Kane sniped back.
“How hard?” Nitro’s response was instant.
Kane stomped towards Nitro but froze in his tracks when the latter held up his knife, letting the blade catch light. Would Nitro cut his pack brother? Yeah, probably.
