Page 43 of Lying Lainey

Kerian’s fingers dug into the flesh of my hips as he held me down while his hips rolled at the feel of my nails. He groaned in pleasure, tossed his head back, and gave me a perfect chance to nip at his neck until I found the right spot and bit. As an Omega, when I bite an Alpha, it doesn’t matter how hard I bite, nothing will happen other than bruised and bleeding skin, maybe an infection.

However, if an Alpha, especially one scent-paired to the Omega they planned to bite, did so, it would create a bond of sorts. No one can really explain why or what causes it, but it can only happen when an Alpha administers the bite. When the bond is created, they have a metaphysical ability to ‘feel’ their partner’s emotions. Some researchers say it’s to ensure that the Omega is happy and healthy, so the chances of becoming pregnant are higher when we go into heat. In this day and age, it makes no sense, but at one point, there clearly was a need to ensure the population was growing steadily. It seems to me like the only thing Omegas were built for was sex and baby-making.

My train of thought was abruptly halted when Kerian flipped us over, pulled out, and rolled me on my stomach. He held me down with a hand on the back of my neck and rammed his cock into my pussy. I let out a scream, the action being a mix between pain and pleasure. In no way was I hurt, but the action certainly meant Kerian now had my full attention.

“That wasn’t just naughty, it was foolish, Lainey,” Kerian snapped. He timed his thrusts to match his words, making me cry out. “Do you know how hard it is for us not to fucking mark you? Bonds are forever, and if we make that mistake, it doesn’t matter what you want in the end, you’d be ours. Is that what you want, Lainey, for us to claim you and never let you go? To wrap you up in our arms every night so tightly you’ll never be able to escape?”

My heart and body screamed yes to all those questions, yet my brain which still seemed to have an ounce of common sense, gave a resounding no. It would never work—they would mark me in the heat of the moment, and then when they found out the truth, they’d be stuck with a liar and a thief forever. This is why it was better for me to be on my own. No one would be able to accept that I con people out of their money, marriages, and companies. I was a criminal, and these men ran a fucking security company, for Christ’s sake.

Kerian gripped a fist full of hair near my scalp and pulled back, making me arch toward him. “I asked you a question, Lainey. Look, even H and Quin want to hear your answer. Tell us there’s no need to manipulate us to get answers or a reason for you to be crafty in getting us to the point you want to make. All you have to do is tell us, what does Lainey want?”

If only he knew how hard that fucking question was. I didn’t know. I had not one fucking clue what Lainey would want. She hadn’t had a choice in things for so long, I honestly haven’t a fucking clue what I really want or like out of the personalities I’d built and been over the past twelve years. Even before I became a true con artist, Trent told me who I was and the part I needed to play. Have I ever known what Lainey wants?

“Keri, she’s crying. Stop,” Halstead barked.

I was crying? That can’t be right. I don’t cry anymore. Well, not for real, anyway. Why would I be crying now?

eighteen

Lainey

Instantly, Kerian’s hand was gone from my hair, and he slid out of me as gently as possible before Halstead scooped me up. The silver bear curled me up in a ball and cradled me against his chest like I really was a little kitten. His chest rumbled with his deep purr as I reached out and fisted some of his chest hair, making him grunt, but he didn’t stop me.

“Shh,” Halstead soothed as he nuzzled the top of my head with his cheek. “It’s okay… things got a little out of hand, is all. You both pushed each other farther than you should’ve, but it’s gonna be fine.”

A sniffling hiccup caught me off guard, proving to myself I was indeed crying. “I don’t cry,” I mumbled. “Why the hell am I crying?”

“You’re asking the wrong man. I never know why women are crying around me when it happens,” Halstead admitted. “If I were to take a guess, though, it’s probably due to the fact you’re in heat and hormones are running rampant.”

That made sense. I suppose no one I’ve ever been with before would venture on a topic that would be remotely close to making me cry. First, there would have to be talking past the fuck yes, just like that, harder, and get-the-fuck-off-me-you’re-heavy moments.

A glass of water appeared, and I found it was Quintin who offered it to me. “Hydration is important.”

Bless this man for having no idea what to do with a crying woman but still wanting to take care of her. I took the glass because he’d been sweet and brave enough to do something, even if it might not be right. After our few discussions of him struggling with me being a female partner, I was slowly figuring out it had more to do with the fact he didn’t want to fuck up things. He didn’t care that I was a woman and not a man. What he did care about was doing things right and meeting expectations.

“Thank you,” I whispered, taking a sip of the water, then pausing in surprise. “You put something in it?”

“Oh, ah… yes, lemon and cucumber are in the water pitcher,” Quintin explained. “I find that drinking plain water isn’t that appealing, so I like to infuse my water. If you don’t like that flavor, I have others.” He moved as if he would get them all right this moment if I reached out.

“Quin, it’s fine… this tastes delicious. I wasn’t expecting the flavor, but it is a nice surprise,” I assured him. “It’s smart to make your water more interesting so you drink it. I might have to steal the idea.”

“Go right ahead. I got the idea from someone else as well,” Quintin murmured, his cheeks blushing slightly.

Since the water tasted so good, I ended up drinking the whole glass before I handed it back to him. Feeling much better and more myself, I tried to extract myself from Halstead’s grasp, but he had other thoughts on that. Instead of letting me go, he maneuvered me so I sat on his lap while his legs were crossed with arms loosely wrapped around my waist.

“Nope, you’re staying right here until you and Kerian talk about what just happened. Things don’t need to be perfect, but I would appreciate you at least telling him what pushed things too far and then hearing Kerian out on his side of things,” Halstead instructed. “As the saying goes, there are two sides to every story, and I’ve found in my fifty-plus years of life, it’s important to hear them both out.”

While I understood where Halstead was coming from, the last thing I wanted to do right now was have a heart-to-heart moment during the middle of my heat. Granted, the emotions had dampened the need to be fucking someone right now because what woman feels sexy when they’re upset? However, when I looked over at Kerian, my stomach dropped. The man looked so upset as he sat on the edge of the bed with his back to me, head hung low with his dreadlocks hiding his expression. I didn’t need to see his face to know he was upset, though. It radiated off him.

It was clear that while I might not want to deal with this issue right now, I wasn’t the only person in the situation. Letting out a sigh, I had to agree with Halstead—this needed to be addressed. “Kerian,” I ventured. “What just happened is not anything you did. I’m fine, really. I didn’t even know I was crying until Halstead said something.”

Kerian turned to look at me, his eyes full of shame and uncertainty. “I got too carried away. The way I manhandled you like that…” his voice drifted off as he shook his head, “… it was wrong.”

I struggled against Halstead, trying to get to Kerian, but he held me firmly in place. “Doll, when he gets this upset, he doesn’t want to be touched. Doing so will not help matters, and is why I’m holding you here. As an Omega, you want that physical connection with him because that’s what soothes you, but not everyone is like that,” he whispered in my ear low enough only I heard him.

That had me instantly stop my efforts to get free. Halstead was right. Everyone processed things in their own way, and as his partner, Halstead knew exactly what Kerian needed right now. Top of the list was clearly not being touched.

“I like rough sex,” I blurted. “Honestly, I like rough sex more than any other kind of sex. Scratch that, I like public sex. More so the threat of being caught doing something naughty, like getting fingered at the table in a restaurant or a bathroom hookup. Things like that. Seriously, you guys have unlocked a new kink in the way you approach dirty talk. Never understood it until I heard what was coming out of Quintin’s mouth. Then there you were pounding me like I hoped you would when I bit you, but clearly, I misjudged how that would affect you.”