Page 66 of Lying Lainey

“Why does it smell like something’s burning?” Lainey asked as she and the others caught up to me. I just pointed at the microwave with a triumphant smile.

“Oh my God, you nuked the phone?” She gasped, then a grin tugged at her lips until she gave in and smiled. “That seems like a fitting end for them, I suppose. Too bad we couldn’t put them all in the microwave. I’d like to give them a shot or two for the bullshit they’ve put me through.”

Halstead wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her against him. “Let’s not look for more trouble just yet. We have a few loose ends to tie up, and if they don’t do as promised, we will find a way to make it clear messing with us isn’t going to work in their favor.”

She hummed her agreement and leaned her head against his shoulder. A weight I hadn’t known was weighing on her had clearly lifted, and in its place, she honestly looked tired. That was the fire I needed under my ass to get this resolved once and for all.

“I don’t know about you three, but I’d like to get this over with sooner than later. The longer Reuben has the code, the more chance he has of causing trouble. We all know that man has no issue riding the line on what is or isn’t legal. So I’m going to shower, change, and then I think we should head to the office. I need roughly about two hours, maybe less, to create this virus if you’re helping me, H,” I shared.

“Fuck yeah, I’ll help you. The faster we get this over with, the better. I don’t like the idea of anyone having a target on my family, and right now, there’s a giant one painted on the back of Lainey’s head,” Halstead grumbled.

With that decided, I clapped my hands with a decisive nod and hurried out of the kitchen. Taking the stairs two at a time, I made it up to my room, where I found Tater sprawled out on my bed, jerking awake at my abrupt entrance with a woof.

“Easy, killer, it’s just me.” I chuckled as I ruffled his wrinkles. “Guess what, T-man, Lainey’s going to stay, so you won’t have to lose your new friend.”

He cocked his head at me as he listened, tongue lolling out one side of his mouth.

“Don’t play innocent with me. Ruth told me how you stuck by her side the other day, totally ignoring her. You know how hard she worked to win you over with all those bits of chicken she supposedly dropped while cooking,” I pointed out as I stripped out of my clothes. “Can’t say I blame you for being partial to her because I am too.”

He gave a big sneeze that seemed to have started at his tail and worked all the way to his nose. With a lick to his nose, he settled back down on the bed with a yawn.

“Good talk, bro,” I tossed over my shoulder as I padded naked into the bathroom.

Turning on the shower, I piled my locks on my head, securing them so they stayed out of the way and didn’t get wet. Hunting for one of my large hair ties, I didn’t notice someone else entering the bathroom until I felt her hands smooth down my sides as she pressed her naked body to mine.

“Mind if I join you?” Lainey asked, pressing a kiss to the back of my shoulder.

I looked at her in the mirror, stunning hazel eyes staring back at me. “You never have to ask that question. Naked or clothed, you’re always welcome to join me in whatever I’m doing.”

The smile that lit up her face at my words and my cock hardened even more than it had, just with her touch and spicy cinnamon and clove scent. “Be careful you don’t regret telling me that.”

Sensing there was more to her visit than simply wanting to be with me, I turned as I snapped the hair tie in place. It was harder than I’d like to admit to keep my eyes on her face while she stood there like the goddess Venus in all her naked glory. “Why would I regret having you around? Isn’t that how it works with someone you love?”

“I wouldn’t know. I’ve never loved someone before,” she admitted. “On that front, the three of you are light years ahead of me in the whole relationship thing.”

“Are you worried you’re gonna fuck this up?” I questioned, feeling like I might be getting close to her.

She shook her head. “No, pretty sure I’ve already done that, so I can check that one off the list. It’s just all this is moving so fast. I get the whole scent-pair thing, but Kerian… what if I really am pregnant? We aren’t even bonded and only met, what… roughly a week ago? All of this is crazy, isn’t it?”

“Nah, it’s not crazy,” I assured her. “What you’re feeling is the fear of allowing yourself to open your heart to trust others. Your mind is coming up with all the reasons this is a mistake and why you should run for the hills as fast as you can. Trouble is… none of us are going to let you go. You told us flat out that you wanted to create a family with us. Baby or no baby, it doesn’t matter, you’ve been accepted into the pack.”

Reaching out, I cupped her cheek, and she nuzzled into the touch, more starved for affection than she realized. It was easy to see how she gravitated to us now that we’d survived through her heat as if her body subconsciously realized what we knew the moment we caught her scent and fed off the comfort we provided. Lainey Caddel was meant to be part of our lives, and Halstead had been right to fight for her even when I succumbed to the doubt.

“Come on, a shower will help,” I suggested. “They have magical powers to wash away all our worries so we can step out refreshed.”

“Did Quintin tell you that?” she asked suspiciously.

I shrugged. “Just something I’ve come to believe and find true for myself, at least.”

She seemed to accept that and took my hand, leading me into the large glass-walled shower. I’d never noticed before, but I was starting to wonder how much effort it would take to put in a bench of some kind. It would certainly open up a lot more scenarios for us to try out in the shower, but then again, being creative is just as much fun.

As if Lainey understood where my thoughts had been, she turned to face me with a sultry look in her eyes. Slowly, she backed into the shower, tugging me along until she stepped under the water’s spray. Tilting her head back, she let the water soak her beautiful hair, making it even darker and a contrast to her golden skin. Water streamed down her neck, making me want to lick it off her before placing my mark for all to see.

No, you can’t do that to her. The others had already told me how that went over like a lead balloon this morning.

Freeing my hand from hers, I grabbed the body wash and my handy shower mitt. No one likes ashy skin, and I found good exfoliation along with moisturizing is the best combination for good skin. Now I planned to buff all of my sexy vixen’s body before taking the opportunity to help her massage that lotion in like the good-caring Alpha I was and maybe even throw in a few orgasms along the way. I read somewhere that endorphins keep you healthy and live longer, both of which seemed like a solid enough reason to give them to her often.

She moaned as I swirled the mitt-covered hand over her nipple, making sure I kept the pressure light. “Did you like that, my sweet vixen?” I asked, making the same motion again, this time getting her to arch into the touch.