by Kathryn Moon
“Tell me.”
“Blankets. Pillows and stuff like that,” I admitted in a whisper, gasping for breath as I moved faster.
Matthieu grinned back at me. “Ah. Yes, I think I fucked a fair bit of bedding when I was a teenager too. My poor mother.”
I snorted and had to take a break to catch my breath. When Matthieu’s hand on my ass cheek swatted again, perfectly light and purely playful I whined and jumped back into motion.
“You like that too,” Matthieu said, repeating the teasing action and tugging on my hair at the same time.
My mouth was hanging out open, my voice thin and whimpering as I started to rut desperately, heat growing in my core, flaring in small doses to hint at what was coming.
“I like it like this, with you here where I can see,” I said. I still had a hard time with a lover behind me, leaving room for my head to replace them with ugly memories.
Matthieu hummed in understanding. His hand moved to cup my hip, pushing me up even as I tried to grind down.
“Up, Lolotte,” Matthieu said, firm and warning.
I growled back at him and he laughed, happy lines digging into his cheeks as I wiggled up, hovering a few inches above him. He tugged my shorts and underwear down, smiling at the wet dew coating the lips of my sex, and then pulled his own sleep pants down, cock bobbing against his stomach.
“There, now get me wet with your juices,” Matthieu said, pushing me back down and hissing as my hot pussy slid over the length of his cock. “That’s it. Make me ready for you, hm?”
I moaned and tucked my face into Matthieu’s neck as I obeyed him, the heat of his thick, stiff cock against me guaranteeing I’d be coming fast in another moment or two.
Matthieu’s lips pressed to the shell of my ear, making me shiver. “Use me like one of your blankies,” he whispered.
“Ohmigod!” I burst out laughing, pounding the heel of one hand against his shoulder in retaliation for his dirty teasing.
Matthieu purred in response, twisting my hair and pushing my bare ass down to press me harder against him. I squeezed my eyes shut, sucking down deep lungfuls of his scent as I rocked over his length. I hit a bump at his base and realized it was his knot, and it felt fucking fantastic. Matthieu groaned in earnest as I stayed there, the sound vibrating against my cheek.
“Fuck, Lola, you’ll undo me and I have plans for you,” Matthieu rasped.
With that promise I came, my hands fisting over his shoulders as my thighs trembled, and I slowed into little twitches of my hips. Matthieu sighed and bucked gently beneath me, coating his length in my release.
When his hand guided my hips to line himself up at my entrance, I patted his shoulder limply.
“No?” he asked, and I marveled that he didn’t even seem frustrated by the thought I was refusing sex.
“Oh, no, I definitely want to. But I want you on top,” I said.
I pushed myself up to see Matthieu’s surprise, his cheeks flushed and his throat bobbing. “You’re sure?” he asked.
“Definitely sure.” I wanted Matthieu’s weight on top of me and his scent surrounding me. I wanted him driving into me and holding me in his arms. The only thing I wasn’t sure of… I bit my lip, and he waited. “I just…don’t think I’m ready for your knot.”
“Mmm, not an issue,” Matthieu said. He released my hair to hold my shoulders, rolling us on the mattress and making me gasp as he nestled back between my thighs.
I sighed. He hadn’t even blinked. Instead, Matthieu nestled close on top of me, our chests pressed together. He kissed my chin and both my cheeks and then over my neck, licking my throat until I was wiggling beneath him. He rucked my tank top up and then over my head.
“Kiss,” I begged, all but devouring his mouth when he finally offered it.
Matthieu hummed again, pulling away just enough to reach between us, guiding himself to my soaked entrance. “Still sore?”
I shook my head and then arched as he pushed in slowly, never stopping until his knot rested against my opening, nudging my clit just enough.
“Oh, fuck, yes,” I breathed, my eyes falling shut and my legs spreading farther open for him.
His lips landed on mine, swallowing my gasp as he pulled out and then stroked in again, from tip to hilt, slow and steady, letting me feel every thick, long inch of him. He sucked my tongue, arms around my back holding me as close as he could, our chests pressed firmly together. Every stroke nudged his knot against me, but he never pushed, never tested me, and soon I was rising up into his thrusts, enjoying the friction of the ridge against me.
Matthieu was close, intoxicating and heavy and encompassing. My legs twined around his hips, and I swallowed his groan in our deep kisses. His purr resonated against my breasts, body pinning me to the bed, anchoring me in the blissful connection.
His mouth tore away, pressing to my cheek, and I caught that first rewarding mutter of French on my ear. I dug my fingers into his back and arched my own, turning my hips so the head of him dragged along my walls.
“God you feel good, Matthieu,” I moaned. He did, he felt fucking amazing, but I wanted to play it up a little too. “So fucking good. Ah! Yes, just there, there. Oh, fuck, please!”
Every little word of praise made him thrum and growl in my ear, the bed starting to rock as his thrusts were quicker.
“I’m not a school boy, Lola,” Matthieu rasped, teeth scraping along my jaw. “And I plan on feeling you gushing around my cock at least twice before I finish.”
I whimpered and squeezed my thighs around his hips, meeting his thrusts, marveling at the thrill of his knot striking gently against my opening. Could I take him? All of him? Would he howl for me if I did? Bite—
Matthieu pushed up just enough to cup behind my shoulder blades, his own back arching so his lips could cover my breasts in sucking, biting kisses that made me beg.
“Please, please, harder,” I cried.
Fingers tangled in my hair again, a rougher tug, and Matthieu fucked me in earnest, hips slapping against mine. I drew my knees higher, planting my heels into his ass and gasping as Matthieu chuckled against a nipple.
“Come for me, Lola,” Matthieu growled, pinching my other nipple in his fingers.
I came with a cry, body trying to twist out of reach, but Matthieu held me tighter in his arms. He purred with a roar in my ear as I shuddered over his length, riding me into the bed even as I shattered. His forehead was against mine, breath panting on my lips.
“You sure you can make it?” I teased when I caught my breath. His body was almost frantic on top of mine, every muscle tensed and restraining.
Matthieu grinned and nipped my full cheek. “Touch yourself for me, Lolotte. I want to come together.”
That was too sweet an offer to resist, and I wiggled my hand between us, fingering my clit roughly and digging my free hand into his hair. Matthieu’s tongue licked against mine, mimicking the long thrusts of his cock inside of me. The longer he lasted, the heavier he got, until my hand was trapped between us, cursory nudges against my clit made by his shallow thrusts rocking us both. Sweat stuck our chests together as we begged and praised and moaned into one another’s mouths.
“Belle. Ma Lolotte. Come. Come again,” Matthieu pleaded.
My legs had fallen to the bed, and I spread them as far as I could, suddenly wishing I’d never said a word about his knot. I wanted him to consume me, or vice versa. I wanted us tied together completely and permanently.
“Come, darling, please,” he said, sucking on my bottom lip.
I squeezed myself on his length, forcing my orgasm to come crashing over me, and Matthieu wedged his hand next to mine, fucking me frantically and gripping hard on his knot. His orgasm overlapped with mine, our voices broken as we broke the kiss, heat filling me. Matthieu was slack on top of me, breathing hard against my jaw, scenting me with gentle nuzzles. His purr was broken with his panting, and he groaned as he turned us, holding us joined together as he rolled onto his back and draped me
over his chest.
His hands squeezed my ass and I shuddered, making him grunt. “Lie together with me?” he asked.
I nuzzled his temple and Matthieu’s purr thrummed heavily, echoing in my sex and flaring soft heat. “Yes, please.”
“Mmm. You’ll be very easy to spoil, Lolotte,” Matthieu said, kissing my throat.
Thirty-Two
Leo
Rake’s foot nudged mine as we sat on the couch, his eyes popping slightly, trying to urge me to speak. Deep in his own armchair, Matthieu sat innocently drinking his scotch with a book open in his lap. Cyrus was painting in his studio, and Wes was…doing Wes things—working out maybe, or working in his office.
“Ask,” Rake hissed.
“You ask,” I whispered back.
Rake was a master of the faintest use of his bottom lip. It was absolutely a pout, but not one you could reasonably call him out on. I sighed and cleared my throat, catching Caleb’s attention on my left but not Matthieu’s.
“Maybe later, in private,” I said to Rake.
He huffed and twisted toward the end of the table. “Hey, Matt.”
Ah, shit.
“Hm?” Matthieu’s eyebrows bounced, drink held to his lips.
“What’s up with all the gifts you’ve been sneaking Lola?” Rake asked, leaning forward on the couch.
Matthieu turned to stone at the question, although I was pretty sure there was a little hint of a smile in his eyes. “What gifts?”
“The flowers,” Caleb said immediately, smiling when I glanced at him in surprise. “What? You think I haven’t noticed too?”
“And that chocolate cake you brought home for dinner last night that made her make sexy sounds,” Rake said.
“And the hair clips,” I added.
I hadn’t noticed them at first, the pretty twisted silver pins she’d used to twist her hair up, ones that matched her usual silver earring posts. She hadn’t had them last night but she’d been wearing them as she left this morning. Rake and I had already noticed something was up. Matthieu was practically bouncing as he walked, and Lola had a near permanent blush on her cheeks and a glitter in her eyes that I usually only caught right before sex. It might’ve been explained by sex too, except I knew Lola’s anxiety started beating her up after the post-coital endorphins wore off. This was different. It lasted longer, and I wanted to know how to make it happen for her as well.
“Are you trying to seduce her with money? Because I don’t think that’s Lola’s style,” Rake said.
Matthieu straightened at that, his smile vanishing. “Of course not. It’s not…” His jaw clenched, and he stared out the dark windows to the balcony.
“Are you courting her?” I asked, staring at him.
Matthieu blushed. Aha!
“I…hadn’t thought of it like that, but yes, I suppose I am,” he said slowly, brow furrowing. He pushed up from his armchair and crossed immediately to the ottomon in front of the couch we all sat on, planting himself in front of Rake. “You are my omega but—”
Rake shook his head. “Don’t. Don’t ask me for permission, you have it. You know I already want Lola to be pack. If her connection to us includes you, then I’m even happier for all our sakes.”
Matthieu sighed, and his shoulders softened as he nodded. “Good. I assumed that’s what we were all thinking. She said something that bothered me on Sunday, that she didn’t think a beta was wanted. But I don’t think she meant all betas.”
I nodded. “She meant herself, I’ve caught that from her too.”
“Is it because of them?” Matthieu asked, growling faintly. “Those men?”
I groaned and reached my arm behind me to try and dig the tension out of the back of my neck.“I’m sure they didn’t help but…a lot of betas have insecurities about self-worth. Alphas have a very clear purpose, and our whole culture is built around the concept of cherishing omegas.”
“You want to treat her like an omega,” Rake said softly, staring at Matthieu. “Oh, Matt, I love that idea.”
“I intend to treat her as she deserves to be treated,” Matthieu said with a shrug. “But I did get her to admit that she craves the kind of attention that comes with courting an omega. Don’t share that,” he said, pointing sternly at all three of us. “That was information I gained with a great deal of persuading. I don’t want her to feel like all we do is gossip about her when she’s not here.”
“It is all we do,” Caleb said with a soft laugh. “Leo, you should swap the name on my ticket for hers. Take Lola to Malta with you.”
My eyebrows bounced. I had a trip to Malta planned over the weekend to see a property my firm was interested in for a possible resort site. Caleb and I had planned to go together months ago, but the idea of taking Lola was equally appealing. Lola was sharing her time at the house between Matthieu, or me and Rake together. As happy as I was to see her falling into a place with our pack, I was a little nostalgic for those early moments with her.
Just us.
“You don’t mind?” I asked, and Caleb shook his head. I turned to Matthieu and he blinked in confusion. “Do you mind?”
He scoffed. “Do you? Not that men should say things like ‘dibs’ about women, but I have been horning in on your time with her recently.”
“You’ve been making her happy,” I said, smiling as he sat up straighter. I turned to Rake to make sure he was on board, and instead found him scrolling furiously on his phone. “What are you doing?”
“Shopping.”
“Now?”
“I’m sorry, but if anyone is an authority on spoiling an omega, it’s the omega in the room. Besides, Lo and I talked about fashion and makeup for hours during fashion week. I have an actual wishlist I compiled for this exact moment.”
“Subtlety, Rakim,” Matthieu growled, reaching for the phone as Rake scooted quickly out of his reach and into Caleb’s protection.
“You be subtle! Anyway I can just…stuff it in my closet until I think she’s ready,” Rake muttered, adding a pair of leather-like leggings to his cart.
“You’re just going to keep women’s clothing in your closet and assume Lola won’t wonder why?” I asked.
“Gender is a social construct.”
Matthieu groaned and left the ottoman, heading out of the living room.
Rake smirked at me and Caleb. “He just knows I’m going to out-do him on the presents.”
“Call her now,” Caleb urged me.
I dug my own phone out of my pocket, reaching my arm back behind Rake to squeeze Caleb’s shoulder in thanks. He had his own reasons for wanting Lola comfortably and permanently entwined with our pack, and it made my heart ache beautifully to watch the way she was falling into the center of us. Even Cyrus, who had balked at the mention of making Lola pack a week ago, had spent every dinner she was with us since flirting shamelessly with her. And Lola hadn’t seemed the least bit skittish in response.
“Can’t manage even one night without me, can you?”
My whole body melted into the couch at the sound of her voice, teasing and sweet. Lola had come a long way from the guarded woman I’d met at the club who’d lured me in like a siren. Every glimpse I got of the happy, witty, talented girl that had been buried under terror, made me want to dig for more, help her excavate herself from the rubble.
“Barely. Hey, do you have a passport?”
“Um? Yeah, if it’s not expired.”
“Check for me,” I said. Take the dumb grin off your face, she can’t even see you.
“Ugh, but packing boxes. Okay, hold please.”
I listened in the quiet to her shuffling through her barren apartment. I leaned into Rake’s side, watching him shop on his phone. “You’re overdoing it,” I whispered to him. Lola didn’t need a lot of formal wear. Unless Caleb finally found his theater event partner…
“I’m just brainstorming,” Rake whispered back.
“It’s still good,” Lola said on the phone.
“Great. I hope yo
u don’t have plans this weekend.”
“I promised Rake I’d watch that new reality show.”
“He’ll forgive you for canceling.”
“Wait…this weekend? I thought you and Caleb were going to—Oh!”
“Last-minute appointment,” Caleb whispered to me, and I nodded.
“Caleb has a last-minute appointment with a client he needs to meet. I need a date for the trip. It’s only a little bit of business, and you can hang out at the hotel pool—”
“Oh! Swimsuits,” Rake whispered.
“—or come with me to the property and tell me what you think. We’ll be back late Sunday night.”
“I…” I held my breath as Lola hesitated on the other end of the call. Caleb and Rake both stared at me, eyes wide and hopeful, waiting for her answer. “I don’t really have any reason to say no,” Lola said, giggling. “God, that sounds amazing! Are you sure?”
“Positive! Fantastic. I’ll pick you up from work on Friday. And you’ll be here tomorrow night won’t you?”
“Mm, maybe I should pack—ah, fuck it, I’m totally packing tonight. Yeah, I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
“Great. See you tomorrow! Lo-Lola,” I said, choking over the words I’d nearly said and scrambling her name instead.
“‘Night!”
She hung up and Rake reached up, poking my flaming cheek with his finger. “Smooth recovery, babe.”
“Don’t tease him. And pick her out a swimsuit for the weekend. That’s an easy one to sneak into her suitcase,” Caleb said, winking at me.
Thirty-Three
Lola
All of my internet searches hadn’t really prepared me for Malta. I couldn’t imagine a place so old and so bright, without stepping onto its warm streets myself. The entire city of Valletta was built from the same beautiful golden sandstone, but the architecture shifted from one era to the next, creating unity and diversity at the same time.
“I feel bad that Caleb is missing this,” I said. “I’m sure he’d have loved the inspiration for his own work.”
