Slick (The Grayverse #1)

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Being told that Diana is in heat and seeing it are two different things.

But the really jarring image is the one where she’s riding a Highway Patrol cop to orgasm, her naked body gleaming with a sheen of sweat and slick. Kennedy explained it all to me, of course, but she left out the bit where her twin brother – who also happens to be one of the biggest porn stars in the world – moonlights as a cop with a fetish for fuzzy handcuffs.

Fuck me.

I’m frozen in the doorway, drinking in the eye-blistering sight in front of me. But as soon as Diana sees me, she tries to roll off the guy, only to be stopped by the chain stretched between them. And is that a collar and leash?

“Rowan…” she mewls, but the guy is already scooping her up, and I realize they’re not just chained together, they’re connected by his knot. Silicone, given he’s as much an omega as she is, but buried deep enough that little moans slip from her lips with every step he takes. But when she reaches me, her arms fly around my neck, the three of us so close I can feel the fuzz of his handcuff brush my cheek. “I’m so glad you’re okay!”

Diana has always smelled like a dream, but this is like mainlining a drug made just for me, and I go rock hard as her lips brush my neck.

Focus, nutjob.

“I’m fine, but let me look at you.” I press a hand to her forehead, checking her blown-out pupils before encircling her wrist to take her pulse. “How are you feeling? Are you in any pain?”

“I’m good, especially now you’re here.”

Her words sink into my heart like a balm, but the hungry look she gives me confirms she’s deep in her haze. As a nurse, I’ve seen a lot of heats, but mostly just the prelude or the aftermath. The only time I’ve attended one all the way through was as a ring-in to an alpha girlfriend who wanted to show off her locking skills. From a physical perspective, I get the mechanics, but it's a lot different when it’s happening to an omega you’re in love with…

“This is her first heat.”

It’s not a question, and I stiffen at the accusing edge to the guy’s voice. Up close, it’s obvious this really is Rowan Vale, and I’m kind of starstruck as he carefully eases Diana off his deflated knot. She makes a soft sound of protest, but as soon as she’s on her feet, she lunges for me, burrowing against my chest. Rowan starts to take a step back, but she jerks her wrist, pulling him in until she’s sandwiched between us. I have to take shallow breaths to stop my head spinning, but Rowan doesn’t let up with his accusing stare. “Yes, this is her first,” I admit. “Has she been okay?”

He leans closer, making Diana squirm happily at our proximity, but his gaze doesn’t waver from mine. “She deserves better.”

Of course she does. Diana’s life has been a shitshow of neglect, abuse, and manipulation, but I’m not going to point that out when she’s deep in her haze. Only happy thoughts, Mr. Porn Star. “Well, it’s good that she’s here for it.”

I hope this guy can read between the lines of more than just a jerk-off script, because I don’t plan on spelling it out to him. The fact that the omegas at the facility are denied their heats is criminal, but the thought of Diana experiencing one in a slick suit is enough to make me puke. “There wasn't much privacy,” I say delicately. “This is much more secure.”

It's the only excuse I have, because we both know her life up to this point has been an abomination. While he doesn’t lose his glare, Rowan finally gives me a stiff nod. “She’s safe here. No one will touch her unless she wants it.”

Reading between the lines: she wants this guy a lot .

And who can blame her? He’s a storybook prince with burnished hair, soulful eyes, and the lean allure of a male omega in his prime. He’s also a legend of the porn industry, and while my interests lean more in the direction of female omegas, I can’t deny how attractive he is, especially sheened in Diana’s slick.

“What’s with the costume?” It’s a stupid question, but I was expecting Diana to be suffering through the first stages of her heat, not indulging in a bit of roleplay.

“It’s a Highway Patrol uniform,” she explains, like I don’t have his shiny badge – and other accessories - staring me in the face. “We were watching Rowan’s porn film, and there was a fireman, a construction boss, and an alpha with motorcycle boots…”

Her face flushes at some memory, and I cock a disbelieving brow at the guy. “You showed her your skin flicks?”

He cocks a brow right back at me. “It seems her education at The Serenity Center focused more on uncontained deposits than personal pleasure.”

I deflate at his words. Who am I to judge him, when the one person I was paid to take care of is completely unprepared for this world? Rubbing a weary hand over the back of my neck, I gesture in the direction of the bathroom. “I’m just gonna grab the medical kit for a quick checkup. Kennedy said there’s one in there.”

“I’ll get it,” Rowan replies, loosening his cuff and bending to kiss the side of Diana’s head. The gesture is so familiar, my stomach clenches in distress, especially when she looks up at him like he hung the moon. “I’ll fill the tub while I’m in there. You can probably use a good mermaid soak.”

His gaze cuts across mine, the challenge clear in his eyes, but Diana makes a happy humming sound. “I told him about your mermaid stories.” She rubs her soft curves against my chest like it’s the most natural thing, her arms hugging me tight. “I was so worried they were going to snap your neck, Dex. I don’t know what I would have done if you didn’t get away.”

Kennedy filled me in on this part, too, and I have to suppress a shudder at the thought. I’ve had a few near-death experiences over the years, but having some gangster fuck threaten you while you’re sedated is a step too close to the grave for my liking.

“You don’t need to worry about any of that now.”

She bites her lip, looking up at me with shimmering eyes. “But the woman at the clinic…”

“I’m sorry you had to see that.” I don’t add that I might have done something similar to the bitch if I’d got to her first. “I called the police. They’ll get the guys who did it to her.”

The truth is, a lot of cops and judges are on the Carrillos’ payroll. I left an anonymous tip from the clinic phone, but if they follow up, I’m betting the investigation into the bitch’s death will never see the light of day.

Good fucking riddance.

“And Kane?” Fear flits through Diana’s gaze, so potent I can smell it in her scent. “Did you ask your doctor friend how he is?”

I pull a face. Of all the conversations I wanted to delay until after her heat, this is at the top of the list. “He checked himself out. Ben had to go upstairs for an emergency and when he came back, he was gone.”

I expect tears, but Diana beams like she’s just won the lottery. “Then he’s healed. Or good enough to walk by himself. I’m sure he’ll track us down any minute now.”

I nod, feeling uneasy. He might have left on his own two feet, but that doesn’t mean he’s looking for us for the reasons she thinks. “He’s a tough bastard.”

Diana hums happily, no doubt re-living the neck-snapping scenes back at the slick factory. “He is. And Kennedy said she’ll find him if he doesn’t turn up here first.” She gives me a tight squeeze, and I hope she can’t feel the tension in my body. “That’s all I want, Dex. All of us together, safe and happy.”

There are so many things wrong with that dream, but I’ll be fucked if I’ll point them out to her now.

“Thanks, man,” I say as Rowan returns to the room and hands me the medical kit. He just nods and retreats to the bathroom, but not before Diana has stretched on to her tiptoes to steal a kiss. I can’t tell if it’s just her heat at work, or if she’s really formed a connection with this guy, but their easy affection twists my gut into a knot.

Stop with the fucking green-eyed monster routine, dumbass.

I curl my lip at my internal pep talk and get busy checking her vitals. Like everything in this place, the medical kit is high-end, and I’m quickly satisfied that her health is exactly where it should be for an omega in heat.

As I pack it away, I look around at the sumptuous room. I know for a fact that a basic room in this hotel goes for a grand, so fuck knows how much they’ve spent on this high-security, gold-plated sex suite.

“What’s that?” Diana asks, pointing to the paper bag at my side. She’s hugging a velvet cushion to her chest, but it still takes a moment for me to drag my eyes away from her.

“I bought some supplies.” I pick up the paper bag, frowning at its crumpled state. “Just some candles and granola bars.”

I thought it was a good idea to stop at a corner store, but now I feel like a cheap ass as I look around at the suite with its overflowing fruit bowl and extravagant flower arrangements. Not to mention the box of designer sex toys sitting out there on the coffee table.

“That’s thoughtful of you,” Rowan says, running a hand through his damp locks as he leans against the bathroom doorway. He’s wearing a dark bathrobe and looks like he’s posing for a lifestyle magazine, but his smile is rueful. “I didn’t think of candles.”

I shuffle my feet, opening the bag to produce a silver tube. “Would you believe I also got cookies-and-cream flavored lube? I even splurged on the Rowan Vale brand.”

He snorts, crossing the room to pluck it from my fingers and check the label. “With two omegas in the mix, I don’t think getting wet is ever going to be a problem.”

I flush, fighting the urge to snatch the lube back. But am I really going to debate sex products with an actual porn star? I might have a medical degree, but it’s not surprising I feel out of my depth with the guy whose name is on the tube.

“Come on,” Diana says, dropping the cushion and getting to her feet. “I want to take a bath while I can still enjoy it.”

I follow in her wake, but snatch her hand as we get to the door. “You sure this is what you want? I know we never talked about your heat, but there are other options if you need them. Places you can go, and professionals who can help.”

I expect Rowan to give my little speech the stink eye, but he nods as he looks at Diana. “He’s right. There are facilities that specialize in omega heats, and even some that are dedicated to first-time heats. Wherever you want to go, we’ll make it happen.”

I’m not sure if he’s including me in the equation, but I decide to take him at face-value. “I can get you a referral from Ben, if you want.”

I’m halfway to pulling out my phone, but Diana places a hand on both our chests. “I know I’m new at making decisions, but I know what I want. This , here with you both, and with Kane too, as soon as Kennedy finds him.” Her face is calm, but her eyes are sharp as she searches my face. “I get to choose, don’t I, Dex?”

“Yes, babe, you do.”

How can I tell her that real choice only works when you have all the information, and not admit that she’s been starved of both for most of her life?

With a satisfied nod, she threads her fingers through mine and leads me into the bathroom. It’s exactly what you’d expect in a suite like this, with plenty of marble and gold flourishes, along with a huge steam shower, decked-out vanity, and an entire wall devoted to plush bathrobes and fluffy towels. The giant tub is lit with more mood lighting, and the shelf behind it is lined with enough bath products to sink a ship.

“Good, then come scrub my back.”

The tub is big enough to fit all three of us, but Rowan doesn’t remove his bathrobe. Instead, he helps Diana into the bath and drops to his knees at the side, his hands sliding to her shoulders. He nods at me, and I kick off my shoes and lose my shirt. It’s hard not to feel a little self-conscious as I drop my jeans and boxers, but Rowan is murmuring in Diana’s ear, his nose brushing the long line of her neck. Her eyes are on me, but they’re hooded, her head nodding slightly at whatever he’s telling her.

Rose petals float in the warm water, the tub’s jets creating sweetly-scented bubbles that pop against my chest. It would be the perfect environment for relaxing if Diana wasn’t staring at me like a snack.

Whatever Rowan is whispering seems to send her forward, her body floating towards me until I feel her hands on my thighs. I grip her hips under the water, but it’s only when Velcro scrapes my wrist that I realize she’s cuffed us together. “Omegas like to keep their lovers close during their heat,” Rowan says with a hint of a smirk. He shakes his head, making the leash dip in the water, and I stare at the leather collar around his neck. “This way, we’re both right where she wants us.”

“And this is where you want me?” I ask as Diana straddles my lap, our cuffed hands clasped together. “Right here?”

“It’s where I’ve always wanted you,” she says in a husky voice, her thighs clenching against my hips. “Because now I can kiss you, any time I want.”

We’ve done this before, of course, but always with at least one layer of clothes between us and a hundred rules ringing in my head. Diana loves to cuddle, nuzzling into my neck and falling asleep in my arms more times than I can count. Back in her narrow bed in the facility, we’d make out like sleepy teenagers, mumbling things to each other as our lips brushed together. There was always something innocent about the way she’d finally slide her tongue against mine, but Diana in her heat is a different creature.

Or maybe just spending time with a porn star has taught her to be more aggressive in her pleasure, because she grips my cheek, her tongue licking into my mouth. I moan as I chase her velvet heat, our cuffed hands pressing between us as I fondle her tight nipples. My eyes roll, but I force them open as she squeezes my hips with her thighs, her belly brushing the throbbing shaft of my cock. “I want you to knot me, Dex.”

“What?”

She’s not so far gone that she’s forgotten my biology, has she? But then I remember what I walked in on, and my gaze flicks to Rowan, who gives me a cheeky wink. “You can borrow mine, man .” He stresses the word, as if mocking my earlier comment, but then rises to his feet. “Just kidding, I bought spares.” He unhooks the leash from his collar, disappearing back into the bedroom, and I stare at Diana, drinking in her heat-glazed beauty.

Now we’re alone, I can admit I’ve wanted this since the moment I met her. During all those kisses and cuddles we shared, I held back, knowing it wasn’t just against the rules, but a shitty thing to do to someone in her position. Some of the caretenders got away with it, working around the constant checks and sensors, but I never crossed the line with Diana. Out of all the omegas, she seemed so innocent, probably because she was in the facility a long time. One of the longest-serving inmates, in fact, since most omegas either dried up or flipped out, their bodies and hormones too abused to produce the minimal amount of slick required by their owners.

“I’m sorry, baby,” I tell her now, burying my guilt and heartache in her neck. “I should have saved you from that fucking place.”

I only realize I’m crying when she catches my tears on her fingertips and sucks them into her mouth. Her eyes are so kind – so forgiving – it just makes the damn things fall twice as fast. “You cared for me, Dex. I don’t doubt that for a second.”

“I loved you,” I correct her, tipping my head back so she can see the truth in my eyes. “Still do. So much that it burns I didn’t do more to protect you.”

She clicks her tongue, both hands gripping my cheeks so that the wet fur of her cuff rubs against my scruff. It tickles, but her eyes are fierce, and I feel my heart freeze between one beat and the next. “You made me strong, my love. You gave me hope. Some of the other omegas…” Her lashes flutter, lost in memories, but then her gaze hardens, the irises darkening to the color of storm clouds. “We heard whispers. Rumors that retirement wasn’t all they promised. I watched some of the others shrivel in on themselves, until even their caretenders couldn’t touch them. But you told me stories, listened to my dreams, and never once questioned my faith. It might have been lies, but they kept me going, Dex. You saved me, in your own way.”

Is that enough? That I hid the lies and spun a bunch of stories? Does that even remotely exonerate me for the damage I let happen?

I don’t think it does, but I sink into her kiss, my hands roaming freely over her body. Or as freely as they can when we’re cuffed together. She laughs when we get tangled up, ripping the handcuffs off and dropping them over the side of the tub with a wet splat.

Rowan chooses that moment to return, and Diana looks at him almost shyly as she explains, “I’ve always believed Dex is mine. Even if he could, I know he won’t leave me.”

“Never.” I catch her lips again, my fingers digging into her hips as I lick the little moans from her mouth. It’s as if my hunger has unleashed her heat and she starts to rock over me, her eyes unfocused as she grinds against my lap. My cock is a hard rod between us, and I bite my tongue every time she rolls her belly against it. I haven’t been this raw and needy since I was a teenager, and I’m suddenly worried I might come before I even get inside her. “Babe, you want my knot?”

She blinks at me, bliss already smeared across her features. “Yes,” she moans, licking water from the side of my neck. “Please, Dex. I want to feel you deep inside me.”

I shudder, grateful for the free hand I can slide beneath the water to squeeze my throbbing cock. What I’m not expecting is for Rowan to drop back down by the side of the tub, a silicone cock ring in his hand. Except that this is bigger, thicker, and more like an alpha knot than a ring. Diana moans at the sight of it, and Rowan gives me a sly smile. “Is this what you want, sweetheart?” he purrs, stroking her damp hair. “Dex’s thick knot to fill you up?”

From the wicked tilt to his grin, I’m guessing he knows exactly how close I am to the edge. I’d curl my lip at him if Diana didn’t grab the silicone knot so eagerly, her scent thickening as she presses it into my hand. “It feels so good when it’s inside, Dex. Will you wear it for me?”

I thought I was already riding the edge, but the needy heat in her eyes rips a groan from my throat. I give the silicone a quick pump, then lift my hips, shoving it down my throbbing shaft. I’m quick about it, since the slightest touch could set me off. Especially with Diana watching the purple crown bob in the bubbles, her tongue darting out to sweep across her puffy lips.

Fuck me.

My balls are already pulled tight, my skin burning everywhere she touches it. I’m on a hair trigger, and I don’t waste any time getting her back into position, but it’s all Diana as she rises to her knees and sinks down on me in a desperate rush. I cry out, almost biting through my lip at the tight, slippery grip. Diana kisses away the sting and winds her arms around my neck as she starts to bob on my shaft. From the velvet of her mouth to the scorching heat of her pussy, I’m drowning in her embrace. My hands are so tight on her rolling hips, I must be leaving bruises, but I can’t let her go.

“So beautiful,” Rowan murmurs, his eyes crackling with heat as he watches us. I could tell him to fuck off, but the adoration in his gaze just adds to my pleasure, and I groan as he leans in to kiss Diana. She melts under his touch, pushing her breasts above the water for him to fondle. I never really thought I was one for an audience, but I watch them, heart pounding, as he sucks a swollen nipple into his mouth.

This is pack , I think, rocking deeper into her, spurts of pleasure coursing down my spine. Hands, mouths, and cocks, all pledged in worship of our omega.

Diana shudders at the attention, her slick so thick I can feel it coating my thighs. Some small part of me jolts at the waste until I rewire my brain – nothing is wasted here. Not a single drop of slick, bead of sweat, or glimmer of pre-cum, when they’re all employed to ease the frantic glide between us.

And then there’s my knot. Top-shelf silicone that cups my cock like a dream and pushes into her hungry pussy, filling her up. She whimpers as it breaches her channel, grinding down to suck it all the way in. The added pressure makes my dick throb, and I reach down to rub her clit. Her head falls back and Rowan laps at her neck, teasing her scent gland with his perfect, white teeth. Her hands fly to the side of the tub, her pussy clenching so tight the knot pumps a wild burst of cum out of me.

“Baby, I’m coming!” I can feel Rowan’s gaze burning into the side of my face, but my vision whites out. I picture my release splashing inside Diana, every thick wave soaking her hungry womb. She cries out, writhing over me as she starts to come, and I pump harder, the knot burying my seed as deep as it can go. “Diana, I love you!”

My ragged cry is buried in her neck, the slap of skin and whoosh of water blending with her own spiraling cries. I hug her tight, wringing out every last drop of pleasure. She dances on my lap a moment longer, my breath hissing through my teeth as she finally collapses against my chest. I meet Rowan’s gaze for a second, shocked by the tenderness I see in his eyes. He gently tilts her head up, kissing her softly parted lips. She blinks, slow to come back to herself, but then gives me a radiant smile. “Can we do that again, my love?”

We take Diana to bed, rolling her between us until our dicks are both raw and aching. Rowan coaches us through it, digging things from his box of tricks when we’re both too depleted to satisfy her. It doesn’t happen often given his ability to come on demand, and I watch in awe as he hammers her into the bed, his slim hips working so fast I don’t know how he doesn’t get friction burns on his dick. But then it’s my turn, Diana’s body sucking another blinding orgasm out of me, until I’m shaking and gasping into the sheets. We swap out the knots for other toys, teasing her with crystal eggs and suction beads under Rowan’s expert eye. I even crack open his cookies-and-cream flavored lube, rubbing it over my raw cock so she can lick it off like a hungry cat.

Diana finally falls asleep as dawn creeps into the room, and I wait until Rowan’s breathing evens out before rolling off the bed. I’m almost at the door when he whispers angrily, “You’re skipping out?”

Shit. I freeze, checking that she hasn’t stirred. “No, of course not.”

“You can’t leave her.”

“I’m not .” I hold a finger to my lips, sweeping up my clothes and jerking my head towards the door. Rowan follows, still frowning, his suspicion deepening as I head across the suite. I weather his glare with a bland look as I quickly dress, and it’s almost worth seeing the surprise on his face when his sister appears. She gives me a grim nod and I quickly shove my feet into my boots.

His head snaps back and forth between us, threatening whiplash. “What’s going on?”

“You were right about Kane.” Kennedy ignores her brother, a thread of iron in her voice as she pulls out her phone. It’s the same tone she used to get me into her car, back when I was about to storm the Carrillos’ club, and I feel my gut clench. “The guy’s a ghost, but it was easier when you helped join the dots.” She points her phone my way, Kane staring back at me in all his thuggish glory. “The last year or so, he’s been off the grid riding with a motorcycle club out of Ridgeport, but before that, he was the personal bodyguard and best friend of Governor Jacob Moore.”

I grind my teeth while Rowan reels back in shock. “As in the guy who’s courting Luscious? ”

Kennedy swipes her screen again, and we stare at a headshot of Governor Moore. This is the guy Kane kept telling me to seek out when we were fleeing from the facility in a haze of bullets. I scroll down, reading his bio, which just confirms what I already knew. Moore was forty last spring, is as handsome as sin, and is currently dating Lily Luscious, the bitch who’s been stealing Diana’s slick.

The next shot is of them together, enjoying a romantic dinner at one of the city’s finest restaurants. Their courtship has raised a lot of eyebrows, but I wonder what the world would say if they knew that he was in league with the Carrillos, and she was one of their best customers?

Either way, I know Kane’s betrayal will shatter Diana’s heart to pieces.

“This is a fucking shitshow,” Rowan hisses, clearly coming to the same conclusion as he casts a worried glance back at the bedroom door. “What the hell are we going to do?”

Kennedy gives me a stiff nod, and I return it with a grim smile. “We’re gonna pay the Governor a visit and rattle his cage, that’s what.”