“Sally never goes down there. It houses the laundry machine, and that’s about it.”
“Perfect.” Because I was beginning to think he was. The idea was perfect too, but that was my secondary reaction.
“You’re tired.” He caught me trying to hide a yawn. “I’m such a bad host. Let’s get you a place to sleep.”
“Okay?” It came out as more of a question than I intended.
Killian lead me to the bedroom, his bedroom. I stiffened slightly. Maybe I had read the entire thing wrong. But he’d yet to kiss me, and he seemed the kiss before… anything… type. Or at least I wanted him to be. Nibbling his lips was a fantasy I had far more often than I cared admit to even myself.
“Here you go.” He pointed to the bed. “I’ll take the couch. Oh, and don’t worry, the sheets are clean. Laundry day. So there’s nothing gross. Not that I’m gross. Or do anything gross. In the bed.”
He was babbling. I liked this side of Killian, the unguarded side. But there was one problem with his plan…
“By couch you mean the loveseat?” I quirked my eyebrow. That thing he called a couch was tiny. I had assumed it was for guests, and that the ginormous recliner was his seat of choice. There was no way he’s fit on that loveseat comfortably enough to sleep.
“Yeah.”
I gave him my best really? look.
“I’ll be fine,” he scoffed as Sally pushed between his legs and jumped on the bed.
“You will be mushed into a tiny ball and wake up with a sore back.”
“It’s fine, really.” He tried to argue, but there no fire in his voice. He knew I was right.
“I can sleep there.” I grabbed the first pillow I saw, sad that he had just washed it. I would’ve loved to sleep with his maple scent enveloping me.
“You are not that much shorter than me.” His point was valid. “I’d offer you the spare room, but you saw it.”
“We could share,” I offered before I realized what I inadvertently implied. “I mean, Sally’s already decided I wasn’t sleeping alone, with or without you, so what’s one more?” No, that sounded just as bad. “I wasn’t offering sex or anything—I mean same place sleeping.” Now who was babbling?
Killian was as expressive as his dog, and seeing him utilizing all his self-control not to laugh made a giggle bubble up in my chest, finally escaping in a full laugh.
“I’ll stop now,” I assured him.
“If it makes you uncomfortable, I’m fine in the living room.”
“No. I trust you.”
As we turned down each side of the bed, Sally watching us warily from her place at the foot of the bed, I realized that was the scariest part of all of this.
19
Killian
I'd had people in my bed plenty of times, but other than my brother, it had always been sexual before. And lying next to Marcus didn't feel anything like lying in bed with my brother. I would have given Marcus a pair of my pants to borrow, but his entire body would have fit in one leg, with room to spare. He did take one of my shirts, though. Even though I'd picked the smallest one I had, one I probably didn't fit in anymore, it still swam on him. I tried not to watch as he swapped shirts, but I caught a glimpse of the straight lines of his pale skin, the dusky tint of his nipples, and the glint of something metallic on them before my shirt covered him. Were those… nipple rings? I tried not to think about them, but that was hot. He didn't change out of his pants, though, which were so tight they were nearly plastered to him, and I wondered if he was wearing anything under there.
Asking would have made it too sexual, but that and the nipple rings were all I could think of as I lay on my back, staring up at the ceiling, trying to fall asleep.
Marcus lay on his side facing me, his eyes closed and his breathing even. Was he asleep? Was he awake? I should just turn over and ask him. But would that be too weird? I'd just turn toward him and see if he opened his eyes.
I flipped in the bed, and Marcus's eyes didn't open, but Sally stood with a huff, her apparently perfect position gone with my adjustment. She turned around a few times, scratching at the cover, but something was unsatisfactory, and she gave up on finding comfort at the end of the bed, and walked up to crash between us, her ear flopping over Marcus's nose and face.
He started cracking up with a sputter, too alert to have been asleep, and his eyes finally opened.
"Is this a cock block or an invitation to a three-way," he joked, and I joined him.
"You have no idea," I said. "She's the worst cock blocker ever!" I nearly started in on the story where this one guy I'd brought home, Tom, had been going down on me when Sally had come up behind him and bit him on the ass, but stopped myself. It was totally gauche to bring up exes with... well, I wasn't sure what Marcus was to me. I think I could safely call him my friend, but I definitely was interested in more. Yet crush sounded so juvenile. My mother would call him my "romantic interest." That would work as well as anything else.
I realized I'd been stuck in my head too long when I saw Marcus looking at me with an inscrutable emotion.
"What?" I asked. "Is it weird that the most stable relationship I've had outside of my family is with my dog?"
Marcus shrugged. "Mine is Blubby, so I don't have much room to talk. And I think it's a pretty good indicator of character if a man is loyal to his animals. And kind to animals in general."
"Loyalty is important to me," I said, realizing how unexpectedly serious my voice sounded as the words came out.
"I can see that." Marcus snuggled into his pillow. "Is that something your family is big on?"
"More from experience," I said, surprised at how easy it was to be open with Marcus. I didn't talk about my dad much. "My dad... he kinda decided the family thing wasn't for him after my brother was born. He sent a few birthday cards, but that only lasted a couple years." I rolled onto my back to look back up at the ceiling, the conversation too real and too much for me to be able to handle looking into Marcus's eyes.
"Your mom must be pretty amazing," Marcus said softly.
"She is. And my little brother, Coop, he's damn smart. We all took care of each other. Still do. That's why loyalty is so important to me." I wasn't used to someone listening to me as I pulled threads from so deep in my soul. I tended to keep that shit to myself with Mama and Coop. I'd never wanted to worry them more than I'd had to. "How about you? What's your family like?"
Marcus was silent for a while. "I have a twin brother," he said finally.
"That guy who came in to Café Om that day I took you home?"
"Yeah," Marcus said. "I didn't realize you'd seen him."
"It's hard to not notice someone who looks like your—you." I'd nearly said "your crush," even though just a little while ago I'd dismissed that word.
"We... we've had a rough few years. Decade, really. But... things might be getting better." He didn't elaborate, and we fell back into silence until he yawned again, making me laugh.
"Okay, sleep. For real, this time."
The conversation had eased the tumultuous thoughts in my head, and with Sally pressed comfortingly against my side, putting a barrier between Marcus and I, it was easier to actually fall asleep this time.
20
Marcus
After Killian fell silent, I lay there for a solid hour listening to both Killian and Sally breathing rhythmically in my ear, all the while cursing myself for not only wearing the tightest stupid pants I owned, but wearing my satin manties, as I liked to call my male panties. They were a royal blue and covered all the important bits, but there was still no way I wanted Killian to see those while we were in a platonic arrangement. No matter how amazing they felt against my balls, they clearly had not been my best decision tonight.
I lifted the edge of the blanket off me, careful not to lay it on Sally and wake her up. With my luck, she’d let out one of her barks and, for a not huge dog, she sure as shit had a huge-ass bark. I crept out of bed and unsnapped my pants, the sound echoing in my ears far louder than it
actually was, the grinding of the zipper amplified four thousand percent. I slid the pants down and over my ankles, rolled them up, and slid them under the covers before climbing back into bed. I just needed to play it cool in the morning and slip them on when Killian wasn’t looking.
I wasn’t ashamed of my manties. They felt amazing. But they were also private and, while I hoped we got to that level, tonight—or rather, this morning—was not that time.
The sheets felt so good against my bare flesh that I fell asleep almost instantly. The next thing I knew, I was all warm and snug, Sally lying across my hip. It took me a minute or two to realize that no, that wasn’t Sally, that was Killian’s arm. Somehow in my sleep, I had displaced Sally, snuggled up against him, and was now ensconced in his arm. I kept my eyes shut, savoring the moment, fretting that as soon as he awoke and realized what had happened, the magic would be over.
His breathing was still steady, but not steady enough for me to be sure he was asleep. I dared crack my eyes open the slightest bit to see sun shining through the crack along the edge of his window shades. Morning. It was official, I had spent the night with an alpha.
“Morning,” Killian mumbled, his breath caressing my neck. “Is this weird?”
He wasn’t freaking out. I wasn’t freaking out. All good signs that this wouldn’t be the end of whatever we were becoming. We probably should discuss that at some point, although now was not the time. My erection was becoming almost painful, and I could feel his against my ass so I had a feeling he was in a similar state.
“Weird? No. Maybe? I don’t know. It doesn’t feel weird.” I laid my hand on his, grateful he couldn’t see my face, which was currently sporting the tomato look. “I didn’t mean to invade your space like that. I planned to keep to the edge of the bed.”
“You will never hear me complain about you snuggling, Blondie.” His voice was husky and needy, sending a message straight to my cock, which already had issues staying under control.
The rumbling of a motorcycle on the street was so loud, it distracted me from thinking about my cock, which was pretty damn impressive.
It wasn’t until Killian looked down at the bottom of the bed that I realized the sound was actually in the room. Princess Buttercup. That darn cat had a purr that could wake the neighbors three doors down. What a sweetie. She had to have been a recent stray, given her easy transition to the house. I needed to take a picture of her to send to Dash. Maybe he could make one of his masterpieces of her for Chloe’s project.
I lifted my head to see where exactly she was currently sitting to find her rolled on her back, her body pressed against Sally’s as she licked Sally’s nose. And that was when I saw them. Poor Princess Buttercup was carrying around extra bits that females just didn’t possess.
“We have a problem, Killian.” He was looking at her too, his mouth quirked in a smile, his eyes warm. Had he seen it too?
“You mean the fact that I have a cat? There’s no way I can give her away now.” As if that had ever been an option. He’d loved her before he realized it, or there would have been no other reason for him to set up a cat buffet at work like that. I could only imagine the ration of shit he was going to face next time he worked.
“More like now there is no way you can give him away.” I emphasized the word him, my body awkwardly twisted as I watched Sally soak in Princess Buttercup’s attention.
“Princess Buttercup is a boy?”
“His ball sack would suggest that, yes.” I pointed to the evidence.
Killian shrugged. “The name still suits.”
“I agree.” Not so much that it suited as much as he was Princess Buttercup in my mind already.
“I have a cat.” Killian groaned before falling back on his pillow, our bodies no longer intertwined, much to my sorrow. Not that we weren’t still touching, but I was apparently a greedy bastard.
“You are officially a cat daddy,” I confirmed.
“Next thing you know, I’m going to get a picket fence and house in the burbs and a garden.”
“You make that sound awful.” It sounded perfect to me.
“Oh, I suppose I could deal with it.” His smile belied his casual dismissal. If I wasn’t mistaken, it sounded perfect to him, too.
A peaceful silence fell between us as we watched the cat and dog snuggling in a little ball before they went back to sleep. I wanted to stay there like that all day, but my bladder had other ideas.
“Um, I have to, you know…”
“Bathroom?”
“That. I’ll be right back.” I climbed out of bed before it hit me. And by it, I meant the cool morning air on my mantie clad ass.
Shit shit shit. How could I have forgotten my manties? I only had a brief moment to come to terms with the fact that I’d basically flashed Killian. Might as well own it, there was no going back now. I sauntered out the door, adding an extra swish to my hips with each step. Inside, I wanted to die a little bit, but I wasn’t about to let Killian know that. I was embarrassed enough as it was.
21
Killian
I stared after Marcus. It was surprising enough that Marcus wasn't wearing pants. I would have thought I would have noticed that... but my own legs were completely clad in sweatpants, so I could probably take a by on that. But that little flash of shiny blue underneath my shirt—it was hot enough to see a morning rumpled Marcus wrapped up in my shirt—that flash was completely unexpected. Perhaps it shouldn't have been. Marcus was exactly the kind of guy to treat himself with a little decadence, even if he hid it. And there was no way that little scrap of fabric I'd seen could be mistaken for briefs. The fabric had just been too... touchable.
The bathroom door closed and jolted me out of my shock, and I suddenly realized how damn hard I was. Pound a nail hard. I slid a hand down into my pants and fisted my length, unable to help myself. Marcus would probably be in the bathroom for a minute or so, and I couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like to glide my hand over that smooth fabric, over the swell of his ass. And if my hands slid over his hip bone, to the swell of his cock... would it fit in the panties, or would the head of his cock peak out?
I didn't even realize I was thrusting into my fist or that Marcus had returned until my ass was in the air and his voice said, "Missed me?"
My eyes flew open and latched onto his. He was smiling, a cocky little smile as if he knew exactly what I was doing. I glanced down at the bed. The covers were still up to my elbows, and everything was hidden safe under them. He couldn't see anything, but if he'd been standing there for any time at all...
"Do I need to leave you alone, or would you like some company?" His tone, his lips, were all swagger, but his eyes... there was something vulnerable in them, and I felt caught in the moment of decision. Was he afraid I'd ask him for more? Did he want that?
I lowered my hips and slid my hands out of my pants so I could roll onto my side. I went out on a limb with the truth. "I was thinking about you."
His grin softened, and my eyes darted downward. He was angled so that my giant shirt hid his hips, with him leaning forward, but he noticed my look and straightened, drawing my eyes straight down to catch a glimpse of a blue clad bulge. My hands twitched with the desire to touch him, but I didn't want to scare him away. He reminded me of Princess right before he tamed him. I wasn't a cat whisperer, so he was going to have to make the first move.
Marcus slowly slipped his hand under the bottom edge of my shirt and lifted it up to set his hand on his hip, revealing more blue fabric... and the very clear outline of his erection. "What exactly were you thinking about?"
"What your underwear would feel like under my hands." Marcus's reaction to me stating the plain truth before was making me feel bold, and I pushed the covers down to reveal the erection tenting my pants, my eyes watching Marcus closely. His eyes widened and he licked his lips. Damn. That couldn't be a conscious reaction. Within a moment, he'd pulled his shirt up over his head, and dropped it on the floor, leaving me with a go
od view of... everything. And yes, those were definitely nipple piercings. As enticing as the panties were, all of Marcus captivated me. He was everything I wasn't. Where I was bulky, he was slender. Where I was darker, he was lighter. Physically, the only thing we had in common was height and hard ons.
"Come here," I said, my voice gravelly. "I want a better look." And smell. And taste.
Marcus hesitated, his eyes darting to the foot of the bed. "Is it okay with the kids still in the room?"
I'd completely forgotten about the two fur balls at the foot of the bed. I swung my legs out and picked Princess up once I was standing. "Come on, Sally, time for food!" She was out of the bed in a flash and Princess stretched lazily in my arms. Marcus watched us with an anticipatory grin and I couldn't help but stop to rub my hand over the fabric on his ass. It was just as smooth as I'd anticipated, and Marcus leaned into my touch. Encouraged, I grabbed a bit more of a handful, and he wiggled his hips teasingly, prompting me to laugh.
"I'll be right back," I promised.
"I'm not going anywhere," he called down the hall.
I got both animals their food as fast as I could, setting Princess and his bowl on top of the utility counter again, away from Sally's greedy little nose. I still had to find a better place for his bowl. Then I hurried back. Marcus was laying on his side, posing like a fucking underwear model.
"I'm ready for my close-up," he declared, tossing his head. I closed the door behind me, taking a moment to make sure it latched, and then I was prowling toward him, my hesitation gone. My lips chased Marcus's down to the bed and I crawled between his legs without breaking the kiss. I buried my hands in that blond hair like I'd been dreaming of for months, and he moaned beneath me, his hips kilting up, demanding attention. I wanted to take longer with the kiss, but there were other parts of him I was just as equally excited to explore, so I pulled back. His hips fell comfortably over my thighs, giving me the perfect view of his—
His Secret Billionaire Omega: M/M Non-Shifter Alpha/Omega MPREG (Cafe Om Book 6) Page 8
