Sometimes, Beckett wondered about these fine folk. He really did.
“Are you fully recovered from the suppressants now?” Beckett asked, digging his hands in his breeches pocket and turning to face Jack, walking backwards. “Don’t lie to me.”
“Yes.”
“I meant it when I said that if anyone has to take them again, it’ll be me.” He didn’t relish the idea of it, as sick as Jack had got. He wouldn’t let Jack go through it again.
Jack smiled at him fondly. “There won’t be the need.”
“I’ll have your promise that if there is, you’ll let me take them,” Beckett said firmly. “Right here and now, Jack. You promise me.”
Jack didn’t like that one bit. “I promise,” he said with extreme reluctance. “And now I’ll make extra sure that it won’t happen again.”
“Fancy that,” Beckett marvelled, well pleased.
That earned him a look. Beckett grinned.
Down by the water’s edge, Arden was up to mid-calf in the sea, slogging his way through the waves. Beckett and Jack, up in the dunes, kept pace with him.
You could tell from Arden’s body language that he had no idea of how they watched him. Probably thought the two of them were up here gazing into each other’s eyes or some such nonsense, like they weren’t both hotly aware of their omega prancing about, turning his smiling face to the sun, vibrating with energy.
“D’you have to go back today?” Beckett said suddenly.
“I do. There’s a case I need to sit in on, and it’s not one I can get Nolan to do for me or pass on to another Council member.”
“Nolan sent some papers for you. Stuff to sign, other stuff to read. Oh, and Lord Crewe’s being a pain about something.”
Jack sighed. “Of course he is. Thank you.”
They watched Arden for another quiet moment. “Reckon I’d better go back to Sevennis with you,” Beckett said abruptly.
“Oh? You don’t want to stay here with Arden?”
“I do. Give it three hours before I have your husband bouncing on my cock, though.”
“How crass you are sometimes. Are you trying to shock me?”
“Nah. Don’t see no need to beat around the bush, is all.”
“Hmm. I’d have thought you’d be more than eager to have him bouncing on it.”
“I am that. Only, I think the next time he gets fucked, should be by you.”
“I’m not interested into going into this with a scorecard, Beckett.”
“Me neither. Just, I think that’s what Arden needs. Don’t you?”
Jack was silent for a moment, contemplative as he watched his husband prance about in the waves, kicking a fine spray up with each over-exaggerated step he took. “Yes,” he said.
“All right, then. It’s settled. I’ll come back to Sevennis with you. And soon as you can get yourself some personal time, we’ll both come back to Arden, and see about getting him to pop your cherry.”
He’d been poking at Jack with that smart-arsed comment, but Jack didn’t take the bait. Instead, he said, “You have to be there, Beckett.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes. I don’t…” They’d reached the midpoint of the long curve of sand, and Jack stopped. “There’s a good reason I never married him until now.”
“You on about that romantic little idea of him keeping bees in a cottage somewhere again?”
