He stops. He cannot finish. He drifts his hand down and cards his fingers through my hair, light as nothing.
“Thank you,” he whispers.
There is nothing to thank me for.Hegave me this. He let me back into a body that has every reason to refuse me.
Underneath Aubrey’s honey-thick arousal, is a ripple of omega heat that is not Aubrey's. Faint, but building. Espie’s heat is coming too.
My time has come.
I imprint this scene in my brain to remember always. It’s more than I thought I’d ever get.
Espie shoots out her hand and closes her fingers around my wrist, as I stand. “Stay.”
I freeze.
“Please. Stay with us.”
Aubrey stirs against her chest. He has half-closed his eyes, the purr soft in his throat.
“Yes.” Sleepy. Half-formed. Mine to keep. “Sera. Stay.”
“Are… are you sure?” The temptation is there. To join them. Curl around them. It’s… too much.
“Please.” Her fingers clench. “We want you with us.”
There is no universe where I tell her no. Espie shifts from beneath Aubrey and they both shuffle to give me space. Slowly, so slowly I lay next to Aubrey. I go stiff when he sighs and curls into me.
Espie leans on her elbow, watching me. Then leans forward, holding my gaze until her lips brush against mine. Barely a touch. She is testing. I stay absolutely still. I let her lead. I give her nothing but softness.
Every muscle in my body wants to pull her closer. She parts her lips against mine and lifts her hand to cup my jaw, tentative, like she is not sure she is allowed.
She touches her tongue to my lower lip, hesitant, and I open for her. I let her in. I let her taste me, taste Aubrey on my tongue. She tastes of everything I can't have and I store the moment somewhere I keep things I am not allowed to keep.
I keep my hands where they are. She is the one who leads this. She kisses like she does everything else. Carefully at first.Testing. Then her teeth catch my lower lip and I groan. She pulls away. Looks at me. Her eyes are huge, her mouth wet, her breath faster than it was a second ago.
“Sera.”
Just my name. She says it like a question.
“I'm here, sweetheart. Take whatever you need.”
Her hands come up to my face and hold me there and her tongue slides into my mouth. Her perfume blooms hot and sweet. I hold very still because if I move I will break this. She pulls back an inch, then settles next to Aubrey.
Her lips are wet. Swollen. Her cheeks are flushed and her hair is a mess. She’s soft. Breakable. Adorable. There is no other word for it.
This has become dangerous now. I’ve tasted both her and Aubrey and letting go isn’t an abstract thought any more. Letting go is going tohurt.
I find Aubrey’s gaze locked on me, a frown between his brows. I’m not sure what he’s reading on my face but I offer him a smile.
He grips my wrist gently and tucks my arm around his waist before settling against me. Kev is holding a blanket nearby, and suddenly I notice the chill against my skin for the first time.
“Lucky you.” He lays the blanket over all of us, eyes gleaming. “Lucky us for watching it, too.”
“That was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen,” Ezra whispers.
“I can’t wait for their heat. Imagine what the three of them are going to look like when that happens,” Lex murmurs.
I almost believe it. For one second I almost believe this is mine. That I have a place here. That this could be a life.
