Olivier smiled, looking away. “I don’t think you know how... how much this means to me.”
It was just sex, wasn’t it? Except Eric saw the soft look in Ollie’s eyes, the wistful smile on his lips.
This meant differently to Olivier, because Olivier loved him.
Eric held his breath, his chest squeezing. Should they have done this? “You know I... I can’t promise you anything,” Eric said, his words tumbling off his tongue. “I mean... I don’t know if I can love you back. Locked feelings and all.”
Olivier swallowed hard. “Yeah, I know that.”
He closed his eyes, tipping his head back into the pillows. Eric could feel the hurt and disappointment in him.
He wanted to promise Olivier things. He wanted to give Ollie what he wanted, because Ollie needed so much. But love? That wasn’t something Eric could conjure on the spot.
“I care for you,” Eric said. This much, he knew. “I want you to be happy.”
“That’s more than I can ask of you.” Olivier gave a crooked smile.
“You can ask anything of me, you know,” Eric said. “Just—just not the love thing. I’ll figure it out.”
Olivier sighed, dragging his fingertips down Eric’s side. “It’s fine. You have a daughter. You have a family. I’m not part of that.”
That didn’t feel right. “You’re my omega.”
“It’s just a mark you made by accident.”
“I will honor it,” Eric said, touching the scab on Olivier’s neck. “And... and you need someone, anyway. You’ve been alone too long.”
Olivier fell silent. He wasn’t denying it, or lying about it, and Eric realized that it was hurting Olivier to be alone.
“So... about me moving in,” Eric said. “You thought about it any more?”
Olivier huffed. “Aside from wanting you to live in my bed? I haven’t.”
Eric snorted. “I’d live in your bed if you wanted me to. Wouldn’t mind fucking you every night.”
“That doesn’t mean you have to—”
Eric rolled his hips, burying his knot deeper into Olivier. Ollie jerked and panted, his eyes growing wide.
“Fuck, that feels good,” Ollie gasped, his nails biting into Eric’s arms.
“I’ll split the rent with you,” Eric growled. “And whenever you want me in your bed, you only have to ask.”
“We’re brothers,” Olivier groaned.
“Behind closed doors, no one has to know what we do.” Eric leaned in, kissing Olivier on the jaw. “All I’m doing is making sure my omega’s satisfied.”
A deep blush crept up Olivier’s throat. He licked his lips, looking away. “That... almost sounds too good to be true.”
“Maybe it is.” Eric shrugged. “Seems like you need something good in your life.”
Olivier cracked a smile then, almost shy. “I’m not going to say no, you know.”
“Yeah, I do.”
“You’re too good to be true.” Olivier sighed, that wistful look flitting through his eyes again.
Eric rolled his eyes. “I’m not. I just haven’t told you about my fuck-ups yet.”
“You’re still perfect to me, anyway.” Olivier blushed. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”
“No need to apologize.” Eric grinned. “As long as I’m perfect to two people—my daughter and my omega—life’s good.”
Ollie chuckled, his entire face lighting up. He was beautiful. When he smiled like this, Eric’s spirits soared. He wasn’t sure why. All he knew was that he wanted to lean in, kiss Olivier’s sweet lips, and share that joy.
So Eric cradled him close, savoring the way Ollie fitted in his arms. Olivier felt perfect against Eric’s chest, like he was always meant to be there, and maybe that said something about the two of them.
Maybe this was meant to happen.
Eric swallowed hard, running his fingers through Olivier’s sweat-damp hair. Around them, Olivier’s bedroom looked... cozy. He had a small writing desk next to his closet, decorated with tiny violin ornaments, and there were music scores carved into his bedside tables, too.
This was Olivier’s safe place. If Eric brought his daughter here... would Ollie still feel comfortable in his own home?
“You’re... sure you don’t mind me moving in?” Eric asked.
Olivier nodded.
“Even Jenn?”
At that, Olivier hesitated. “I... don’t know.”
Jenn looked like Alice, with her red hair and green eyes. It was a painful reminder these days. For Ollie to be around her every day... it would hurt him too, wouldn’t it?
“I’m not moving in until you’re absolutely sure,” Eric murmured. “I don’t want you to regret things.”
Olivier sucked in a deep breath. “I can... meet her. Just once to see how it goes.”
“You sure?”
Olivier nodded, but he didn’t look so certain anymore. So Eric cupped his nape, kissing him softly on the lips.
“I’m not gonna force you to,” Eric said. “It’s not gonna be a requirement that you meet her, okay? I can still come visit you. I’m not gonna judge.”
Olivier smiled wanly. “If you really want to visit.”
“I do.”
Eric pulled him close. His knot was starting to recede, but it felt comfortable, just holding Ollie in his arms.
Would this last, though? When Olivier met Eric’s daughter, would he decide he wasn’t staying around? Or should Eric never have suggested it at all?
Olivier yawned. Eric kissed his forehead. “Sleep,” he murmured.
“I should stay up,” Olivier mumbled, trying to keep his eyes open. “I should...”
“I’ll be here when you wake,” Eric said. “Sleep.”
Olivier nuzzled Eric’s shoulder, his eyelids fluttering shut. He was asleep in moments, his breathing even, his worry melting away from his face. And now, he looked peaceful.
How much weight was Olivier carrying around with him? How much of that had he told Eric?
Eric stroked his hair, studying his omega. Was this the right choice, getting involved with Olivier?
His heart told him it was, but Eric wasn’t sure he believed it. Could this really work out, when Jenn would always remind Olivier of Alice?
12
Eric
“Please don’t burp in his face,” Eric told Jenn as he pulled her socks on. “And I’d really appreciate if you don’t spit up on him, or pull his hair.”
Jenn babbled, patting his face with her tiny hands. Eric cracked a smile. Olivier had finally agreed to meet Jenn. Just a short while—ten minutes, just to see if he’d be comfortable with her.
Eric tried not to squirm. It shouldn’t matter whether Ollie liked Jenn or not. It wasn’t a sure thing that he’d be living with Olivier. For all Eric knew, Olivier would withdraw the invitation to stay in his apartment.
Except... He’d come to anticipate living under the same roof as Olivier.
Eric had been wondering what it would be like, going out on walks with Ollie, watching TV with him. Just being in Ollie’s presence again.
It’s not love. Maybe it was a brotherly feeling. Who knew?
Except there was a hunger low in his gut that wanted to see Ollie naked in bed. He’d tried pushing those thoughts out of his mind, except they’d only come back to haunt him again. Definitely not brotherly.
Eric swallowed, looking up when someone knocked on his bedroom door.
Dad stood in the doorway, his gray hair brushed back, his hands clean—he hadn’t been working on the cars this morning. At fifty-six, Tristan Lancaster had been a mechanic all his life. He’d been a strict father, but when it came time to reward his children, he had always been fair.
“Hey, Dad,” Eric said, waving Jenn’s hand. “Jenn, this is Grandpa. Say ‘Grandpa’.”
“Wa waa,” Jenn babbled.
Dad waved back, coming over to scoop Jenn into his arms. Jenn squealed.
“Who’s a cutie?” Dad asked, a smile
blooming across his face. “Looking great today, Jenn!”
Eric couldn’t help grinning. One month back in Meadowfall, and he still wasn’t used to living with his dad. Growing up, Eric had always admired the man he’d come to see as his father.
He’d been five when Mom and Dad married. Dad had taken Eric on road trips, he’d played ball with Eric in the backyard. He’d brought all four of his children down to the park, and Dad liked having them race each other.
But despite his strictness—or maybe because of it—Dad liked sticking to his old ways.
“What’s up?” Dad asked, his nostrils flaring. “Going somewhere?”
“Yeah.” Eric almost said, We’re going to Ollie’s shop, except Olivier’s carnation scent still lingered on his skin. And Eric harbored a faint memory of Dad saying, Incest is terrible. People are jailed for it.
What would you say if you knew I’d slept with Ollie? Eric bit his tongue.
There was an awkward silence. Then Dad said, “I met Mrs. Sullivan at the pharmacy. She told me some things.”
He eyed Eric shrewdly, like he knew something Eric didn’t.
Eric’s heart stuttered. “What did she tell you?”
“That you were in the pharmacy with Olivier when he went to get a morning-after pill.”
Eric swallowed. His neck prickled, and he hoped it wasn’t obvious. “He asked for a ride,” Eric lied, hating that he was fibbing to his dad at all. “I brought him there.”
“Ah.” Dad sniffed again. “You smell like him.”
“Been seeing someone who smells the same.” Lying about Ollie? That was even worse. Eric tried not to hide his hand when Dad glanced at it—the wedding band was no longer there.
Dad said nothing, but Eric’s pulse thudded anyway. If he let the truth slip... what if Dad judged Ollie for it?
Eric felt like trapped, felt like he needed to get out of here. He’d always wanted Dad’s approval on things. His grades, his sports events, the little trains and things he’d cobbled together with scraps of wood.
For Eric to lose that, he’d be okay, probably. But Olivier would buckle, wouldn’t he?
Dad would never give Eric and Ollie his blessings. You will go to jail, he would say. Ollie didn’t need that kind of judgment. Not after what Eric’s mom might’ve said to him.
His heart aching, Eric reached for Jenn. “I’m taking Jenn to the store,” he said. “We’ll be back in an hour or two. Want anything?”
“None, thanks.” Dad smiled, but he was watching Eric more closely.
It was only when he slipped out of Dad’s sight, that Eric relaxed a little. This couldn’t go on forever. Not with him fucking Ollie, and still living with the rest of the Lancasters. Something had to change.
13
Olivier
Olivier wrung his hands, squirming behind the counter. For more than a day now, he’d been worrying, his heart thumping whenever he thought about it.
“It’s Eric again, isn’t it?” Levi asked flatly.
“Well, yes.” Olivier winced, glancing around the shop to double-check that no one was listening. “I’m meeting his daughter today. In, um, fifteen minutes.”
Levi winced. “Are you sure you want to do this? I mean...”
Olivier sighed. No, he wasn’t sure. It wasn’t like the meeting would go terribly wrong, but... she was also Eric’s daughter. Eric’s most important person. What if Ollie screwed up the meeting? Eric wouldn’t want to see him again.
His heart twisted.
“I don’t know how to deal with kids,” Olivier finally said.
Levi looked oddly at him. “It’s not so difficult if she’s young. How old is she?”
“Ten months.”
Levi chuckled. “Ten months isn’t a big deal, Ollie.”
“Then you deal with a baby resembling your alpha’s ex,” Olivier snapped.
Levi winced; guilt flooded through Olivier immediately after.
“I mean, I didn’t mean that,” Olivier blurted. “I’m just nervous. Sorry.”
“It’s fine,” Levi muttered, looking away. “Seems like having an alpha is nothing but trouble.”
It wasn’t like Eric was trouble—far from it. But nothing Olivier said about Eric had changed Levi’s mind.
“You’re just pissed you walked in on us,” Olivier muttered.
Levi scowled. Maybe he was envious of Olivier’s nebulous relationship with Eric, even if Levi thought sleeping with your stepbrother was the most incriminating thing.
“I’ll be over by the accessories,” Levi muttered, stalking away. “Tell me if you want me to man the register.”
Olivier squirmed, his anxiety doubling. He hadn’t meant to upset his friend. He’d known Levi for years, and if he lost Levi’s friendship... where did that leave him?
He’d be more pathetic than he already was. And then Eric would see, and realize he shouldn’t be visiting Ollie that often. As it was, Jenn was a reminder that Olivier was just a stand-in for Eric’s next omega.
He fiddled with the edges of the glass counter, his stomach flipping.
There were a few more customers in the store now that Eric had started sending out ads for Olivier’s Strings. They’d been doing flyers in the mail, and posts on Facebook, and Olivier was glad for all that help. Even if Eric was still working for Total Sounds.
Maybe Ollie should be angrier about that. Except Eric had been over to Ollie’s place more than a couple times. After each visit, he’d left Olivier’s ass pleasantly sore, his cedar scent heavy on Olivier’s skin.
If Eric was using Olivier... maybe Olivier was using him right back.
The bells on the front door jangled.
Olivier jumped. Then he recognized Eric—tall and strapping, clad in a knitted sweater and dark pants, a baby girl in his arms. Olivier’s heart missed a beat.
Eric looked good. Olivier would never tire of his intent gaze, his full lips. He remembered Eric’s solid chest against him, remembered Eric’s hands on his most intimate parts.
Eric paused just inside the shop, his gaze sweeping from Olivier’s head to his toes, slow and admiring. Olivier’s entire body came alive.
“Uh, hi.” Olivier waved awkwardly, glancing at Jenn. “Welcome?”
Jenn was chubby, with large forest-green eyes and soft red curls. Eric had dressed her in a knitted strawberry hat, with a scarlet sweater to match. When Eric stepped over to the counter, Jenn looked warily at Olivier.
“Say hi to Ollie,” Eric murmured at his daughter, waiting.
Jenn gnawed on her thumb. So Eric took her hand gently, helping her wave. “Hi, Ollie,” Eric said. “There, she said hi back.”
Jenn looked blankly at her dad. But Olivier couldn’t help noticing the faint smile on Eric’s lips, whenever he glanced at his daughter.
“This is Ollie,” Eric said to Jenn. “He’s very friendly, and he’s a good person. You might wanna smile, Ollie.”
Olivier forced a smile. Jenn looked owlishly at him, then turned back to Eric.
“I don’t think she wants much to do with me,” Olivier said, uncomfortable. This wasn’t going so well, was it? He couldn’t help noticing how different from Eric Jenn looked.
“She’ll chat more when she gets familiar with you,” Eric said. “It was new for her too, moving back to Meadowfall. All the family she never knew she had.”
“I can imagine.”
Eric hefted Jenn in his arms. Then he studied Olivier for a moment. “Doin’ okay?”
Olivier knew he meant, Are you doing fine with meeting my daughter? Ollie glanced at Jenn, unsure what to say. “I guess.”
“I’ll show her around the store,” Eric said. “Then I’ll get back to you. How’s that sound?”
Olivier nodded, relaxing when Eric stepped away. Eric wandered over to the violin cases, pointing out the Glossamer to his daughter. Jenn babbled, pointing at it, too.
Maybe Olivier and Jenn could coexist. Jenn liked the look of violins, so maybe she wasn’t so bad. But it
was still nerve-wracking, realizing just how much Eric loved his daughter.
On the surface, it seemed fine, Eric and Jenn moving into Olivier’s apartment.
But what if Olivier screwed up, and Jenn cried? Or what if he accidentally dropped her, or he gave her food that was too hot?
What if Eric thought Ollie was trying to hurt his daughter?
Olivier huddled into himself, afraid now. He couldn’t promise Eric anything. It was one thing to love Eric, but another thing to face Eric’s disappointment and contempt.
If Eric ever looked at Ollie with disgust, Ollie would probably crumble to pieces.
He tensed when Eric returned to the counter, bobbing Jenn in his arms. Eric looked shrewdly at him. “Wanna go for a walk outside? You don’t look so good.”
The customers were still browsing, and no one appeared to have questions. Levi met Olivier’s eyes.
“Could—could you...?” Olivier grimaced. “I’ll be back soon.”
Levi glanced askance at Eric, then nodded stiffly. “Yeah. Go ahead.”
“Thanks.” Olivier followed Eric out of the store, his heart thumping. Maybe this was where Eric would say he wasn’t moving in.
It was chilly outside. Olivier rubbed his arms, keeping a safe distance from Eric. A couple stores away, by a quiet bookshop, Eric slowed down. “Is Jenn making you nervous?”
Olivier shook his head vigorously. “No, no. It’s fine. Jenn’s sweet. I kind of like her.”
Eric watched him carefully. Olivier knew Eric was trying to find signs of revulsion, or of him lying. “You look like I said shit to you.”
Olivier winced. “You didn’t. I’m just... Are you sure you want to move in with me?”
Eric thought about it. Then he reached out, pulling Olivier against his chest. Olivier yelped. Inches away, Jenn giggled. Eric smirked, his breath rushing over Olivier’s lips.
There were people around, people who could recognize them.
“Relax,” Eric murmured. “You’re cold.”
“Someone could see—”
“Someone could see two brothers huddling for warmth.” Eric leaned in, kissing Olivier’s temple. “Or an alpha and his omega and a baby.”
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