“You finish it,” I said.
“I’m super full. You take it.” She leaned back and patted her stomach.
I shook my head. My upbringing would not allow me to take the last bite of cake. “It’s yours.” I nudged the box her way.
She sighed and speared the final bit of cake with her fork. Butinstead of eating it, she brought it to my lips. Now I was torn between the hospitality my Iranian culture demanded and the desire to do anything to please this omega.
After a moment of hesitation, I wrapped my hand around her wrist and took the last bite of cake off her fork. My eyes had adjusted enough to the darkness to see the general outline of her features, but as her scent bloomed around us, bright and happy, I had the urge to aim the flashlight at her face to fully see her expression.
“Can I ask you a question?” she asked softly.
“Of course.”
“Is there anything that helps your knee pain? Not that you have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” she hurried to add.
I tightened my hold on her. “I’m sorry I snapped earlier. I’m still getting used to needing a cane. I thought it was temporary, and I recently found out it’s more of a long-term thing. So that’s been hard.” She squeezed my hand and I let out a shuddering breath. “My doctor keeps trying to refer me to pain management, but I haven’t decided yet if I’ll go.”
“Why wouldn’t you?”
Because it feels like accepting defeat, like giving up.
“I guess I’ve been in denial.”
She hummed and I braced for her to tell me I was being silly and that,of course, I should go.
“If you change your mind, I’d be happy to go with you.”
My heart stuttered, and a slow smile split my cheeks. “I may take you up on that, azizam.”
We had swayed so close her face was inches from mine.
“What does that mean?”
My fingers trailed down her arm. I was lost in a haze, completely mesmerized by Lucy. She smelled like wildflowers and strawberries, likehome.
“Sweetheart,” I murmured. “Is that okay?”
“Yes.” She brushed her lips along my jaw. “Call me that as often as you want.”
My hand tangled in her hair. She shivered and I drew her closer.
“Are you cold?”
She shook her head, her nose skimming against my short beard before she cupped my face. Our lips were a hairbreadth apart, so close I could practically taste her.
“Leo.” Her whispered murmur was sweet and soft and needy.
I closed the space between us, groaning as my lips pressed against hers. We moved together like we’d been doing this all our lives. I tugged her closer, closer, closer until she was straddling my lap.
“Your knee?” she asked, breathless between kisses.
“I’d rather chop it off than have you move.”
She laughed, but the sound was cut off as my hand went to her jaw, my tight hold urging her to open for me. My tongue dipped into her mouth, and she was sweeter than I’d even imagined, like the honey and rose of my favorite Persian cake.
“Fuck.” My hands gripped her hips. “You’re perfect.” I palmed her ass, pulling her flush against my hard-on.
She let out the most precious omega whine as she ran one hand through my hair and wrapped the other tightly around my neck. “You smell so good,” she said between kisses.
