Chapter 38 - Bridget
It was much easier to think about telling the guys how I felt than to put it into practice.
At least I could touch them now. I woke up the morning after, and it took a second to figure out why I felt so at peace.
In the warmth that smelled of Andrew’s spice and Nathan’s crisp freshness and Gabriel’s earthy cedar, I luxuriated in a sense of deep wellbeing and satisfaction completely at odds with the stress of the last few weeks.
My whole body was heavy, like my limbs were filled with warm sand.
Then I realized I was completely naked, and it all came rushing back.
I expected to be embarrassed, and I was a bit, but I also felt…
smug. My inner Omega was very proud of herself.
Watching Andrew’s eyes as he came all over my chest, hearing Nathan’s ragged breathing as he kissed me there, Gabriel’s groans and curses in Italian as he watched…
It was powerful knowing I caused that reaction.
I had turned towards Nathan in the night. The sunlight from the window fell across his cheeks and brow and I caught my breath at the beauty of him like this, his proximity, the intimacy of his hand on my waist and his breath tickling my forehead. It was like holding a soap bubble in my hands.
I couldn’t help myself. I kissed him.
He woke suddenly, and for a moment I felt bad about waking him up. But then he smiled. It was a shy smile, but it made my heart thud.
“Good morning,” he whispered, then kissed me again.
It was the kiss we should have had a long time ago; gentle and sweet, his lips barely brushing mine. But I knew now what was hidden under that initial layer of reserve, and when I nipped at his lower lip, a growl started in the back of his throat.
“Be nice,” he murmured against my lips. Heat gathered in my core at the casual command. It annoyed me as much as his demands always had, but this time in an exhilarating way. It made me want to misbehave.
His tongue swept in and he took control. He shifted closer so he could sink one hand into my hair and deepen the kiss. He explored every inch of my mouth and the heat was pooling inside me faster now.
I let him have the upper hand for a while, but my impatience won out. I fought back, meeting each brush of his tongue with one of my own until the kiss turned fierce.
Just as my thoughts turned to climbing on top of him, he pulled back. He kept his hand at the nape of my neck and touched his forehead to mine. When I tried to kiss him again, he shook his head.
“Not yet. You’re exhausted, and you need rest,” he murmured.
“Stop being so bossy,” I whispered.
“I think you like it. Don’t you, princess?”
“I do not.” But my body betrayed me with a shiver when he brushed his thumb over my ear.
His pupils were blown wide, his eyes almost black. I was about to try to crawl on top of him anyway when Andrew groaned dramatically behind me. He slung an arm around my hips and tugged me until my back was flush with his chest.
“Go back to sleep, both of you,” Andrew grumbled into my hair. “It’s too early.”
Nathan rolled his eyes. I peeked over Nathan’s shoulder at the clock, then blinked in disbelief. “No it’s not, it’s noon,” I whispered. Nathan’s eyes widened too. It had to be the latest either of us had slept in a long time. “Noon.”
“I don’t care, it’s still too early,” Andrew said and scooted closer behind me.
Was this weird? It was a little, looking into Nathan’s eyes while Andrew’s hard length pressed against my backside. But Nathan just interlaced our fingers together like it didn’t bother him at all. If he was okay with it, I would try to be, too.
I dozed again, the heaviness in my limbs pulling me back under. And the next time I woke up, a cramp had settled deep in my belly. Whatever my heat was going to look like this time, it was coming.
“You’re lucky I love you so much or I would fucking kill you for being so… stupidly brave,” Andrew growled. Gabriel was sitting in his lap on the couch. Andrew didn’t seem to be able to stop touching either him or me at any opportunity.
Both Nathan and Andrew had been horrified when Gabriel and I explained what happened the previous day.
Not by what Gabriel had done — we all agreed it was justified — but at what a monster Domenic had turned out to be.
Even though I was familiar with his casual cruelty, I was still shocked by the depths of his depravity.
“And you’re sure all the Omegas got out safely?” I asked Gabriel for the third time.
“I promise, carrissima,” he said patiently. He’d called Jason while Andrew made breakfast, which we hadn’t eaten until two p.m., and Jason had confirmed all the women were safe.
“But he could have a dozen more women stashed somewhere else we don’t know about,” I said. It was not a comforting thought.
Gabriel got up from Andrew’s lap to stretch, and Andrew frowned up at him.
“I do not think so. It is expensive to buy a human being, and to hire guards. No, we cannot know for sure,” he put up his hands to forestall my protests, “but you cannot worry about everything, carissima. You must also think of yourself.”
I huffed, but he was right. What could I do about it, anyway?
“Are we sure it’s safe here?” Nathan asked Gabriel.
I was leaning against his chest with a heating pad on my lower belly to help with my cramping.
It had been getting worse as the afternoon progressed.
He was playing with the end of my ponytail absentmindedly, and even that small touch made my heart flop around in my chest. “He knew who you were. And he’s probably very angry right now. ”
Gabriel’s eyes burned. “Let him come. I am ready.”
Andrew had wanted to relocate to his estate, but we all knew that was out of the question now that Domenic knew I’d been with him and Gabriel. We would just have to trust that Domenic still didn’t know about this apartment.
“It doesn’t matter. Our priority right now is your heat,” Andrew said, pulling Gabriel back into his lap. Gabriel rolled his eyes and settled back onto his chest.
God, I wanted what they had.
My face burned. “Are you all absolutely positive you want me to stay? Because I could go to a Center, I’m sure—”
“Stop suggesting that,” Nathan growled in my ear. My stomach swooped with mingled pleasure and annoyance at his possessive tone.
Andrew nodded once in approval. I was still getting used to them being so friendly to each other.
It was a half-hearted suggestion, anyway.
After a while, they left me to finish the nest. Andrew wanted to go out and get a nice canopy, but Gabriel wouldn’t let him leave the house.
So they made me sit on the couch and watch The Philadelphia Story for the thousandth while the three of them tacked sheets to the ceiling and draped them over the repurposed headboard to make a little tent.
When I peeked inside at the progress, it looked perfect; cozy without being stifling. Like a really complicated pillow fort.
I also took the opportunity of their distraction to make a couple calls. The first was Maggie.
“What the fuck does that mean?” she demanded when I said she didn’t need to worry about who was threatening me anymore.
“It means you don’t need to worry about it. Nathan and I are fine, and we’re taking care of it,” I said while Cary Grant called Katharine Hepburn a goddess on screen.
“Bullshit. No. You’re telling me, right now.” When I didn’t answer, Maggie groaned. “God, when did you get so stubborn, Bridge? Usually it’s much easier to bully you.”
“Aw, thanks. And I’m not stubborn, I’m finding my voice. Isn’t that what you’re always telling me to do?”
“Yeah but not to me.”
I dropped my voice lower. “I’m serious, Mags. Leave it alone, okay? You and Soren can’t be involved.”
“That doesn’t make me feel better,” Maggie hissed back.
“Just trust me. And one day, when you’re retired from the FPD, I’ll tell you all about it.”
My next call was to Anvi. I hadn’t consulted the guys about this, but she deserved to know who she was working for.
“Bridget?! Oh my god, you’re alive!” Anvi’s yelp was so loud I had to pull the burner phone away from my ear. “Where have you been? Where is Nathan? You guys left me all by myself and these new people they hired… Bridget they’re so mean, I can’t even describe to you how horrible it’s been.”
I smiled in spite of myself. “I’m really sorry, Anvi. It wasn’t on purpose. And that’s kind of why I’m calling. You should find a new lab. Talk to Dr. Finch, I’m sure he can help you—”
“Why? What’s wrong with this lab? Is that why you left?” Anvi interrupted.
I told her a sanitized version; that Dr. Davis was collecting payment from Andrew, and that the samples that had started failing for HLA compatibility came from an unlicensed facility. I still didn’t know if Lisbeth was involved or not, so I warned Anvi not to share anything I was saying with her.
“I still don’t get it. Why did you disappear? And why is your phone off? Nathan implied you were in some kind of danger.”
I sighed. “I’m fine, I promise.” I wracked my brain for an excuse that wouldn’t open another can of worms. Maybe I could distract her. “I’m actually staying with Andrew and his partner. But don’t tell anyone, okay?”
Anvi gasped, and I heard a thunk, then a rustle. It sounded like she’d dropped the phone. “You’re WHAT?! In that giant house he has on the sound?”
“No, it’s an apartment downtown. That big green glass building a few blocks from the lab, actually.”
Anvi gave a little squeak that I attributed to her excitement at this fresh gossip.
“You promise me you’ll find a new lab, right?” I asked.
Anvi sighed and her voice turned dour. “I’ll try. Hey Bridget, I just wanna say I really liked working with you. You were a really good teacher.”
I blinked in surprise. “Thanks, Anvi. I really liked working with you, too.”
“And I’m sorry,” she blurted, then took another breath. “You know. For messing up sometimes.”
“It’s okay, nobody’s perfect. You’re a great scientist,” I said.
For some reason that made Anvi burst into tears, which set me off because my hormones were raging, and that’s how Nathan found me: bawling into the couch pillow.
This was all a great distraction from the real problem at hand: my heat. I was terrified of course. I was still technically a virgin if you ascribed to the western paradigm of penetrative sex being the deciding factor. I wished I didn’t, but it was the only paradigm I’d ever known.
There was also the prospect of knotting. I knew the biological facts, of course, but there was quite a difference between the concept of something and the reality of it. If I hadn’t been so crampy, I would have suggested a trial run.
Instead I snuggled deeper into Nathan’s chest and reminded myself of that feeling I’d had waking up between my Alphas. They’re what you need, that little voice inside me said. I would have to trust that voice knew what it was talking about.
There was one person I still needed to talk to, though. I cornered him that evening while Nathan and Andrew made dinner.
“Hi,” I said, tapping lightly against the doorframe of the bedroom. “Do you have a second?”
Gabriel’s hair was damp from the shower. He smiled the smile that melted my insides like butter. “For you carissima, always.”
I took a step into the room and gripped my hands in front of me. Then I inhaled like I was about to dive underwater.
“I’m sorry for taking over your space,” I said, gesturing to the mattresses on the floor. I’d tried to apologize to Andrew earlier, too, but he’d just kissed me until I forgot what I was saying.
Gabriel shook his head. “Please do not think that way. It is our space, tesoro.”
I met his eyes, trying to telepathically communicate what I was really trying to say. “But I’ve only been here for like a second. I mean—” I broke off and tried again. “This is your home, not mine. You were here first.”
Judging by his small smile, he understood. “Ah. This again. Vieni qui, carissima.”
Gabriel led me over to the nest, and pulled me down to lay next to him.
As always, my stupid heart picked up at his closeness.
There was nothing inherently sexual about the way our bodies touched — his leg against mine, his hand on the curve of my waist — but I was aware of each point of contact as if there were an electric current passing between us.
“Are you feeling well?” he asked, brushing my hair from my forehead. “You are not in pain?”
I shrugged. “It’s okay. I took some ibuprofen.” I didn’t tell him it barely took the edge off.
“Mia bugiardella,” he murmured with another small smile. “You must stop worrying, tesoro mio. You know how I feel about you.”
But I didn’t, not really. And that was the problem. “I know you care about me.”
“Sí. Very much.” He brushed my cheekbone.
I was going to have to be brave and just say it. “I know. And I know my perfume affects you in that way, and it’s bound to be really strong during my heat, and I don’t want you to be uncomfortable. I care about you, too. Very, very much.”
I loved him, actually, but I snapped my mouth shut before that escaped.
Gabriel’s thumb brushed my cheekbone again, then swept down the curve of my jaw to rest on my chin. He studied me, his eyes gleaming, and then he slowly brushed across my lower lip. My heart contracted painfully. How could I ever get used to wanting him this badly?
“Your scent does affect me. It makes me ache for you,” he murmured, brushing my lip again. He used the tip of his thumb to pull it down until my mouth opened slightly. “But I am beginning to think it is not just your scent. It is you, mia cara.”
I didn’t move or breathe. My head was going light.
“You are precious to me. But also more. When you were gone… All I could think was I must find you so I could hold you again. Touch you again.”
He brushed my hair away from my neck and I shivered. His fingers traced from just below my ear to my collarbone, soft as a feather.
I whimpered in the back of my throat. My pain was forgotten in the rush of heat from his touch.
“You are not taking my space, carissima. I have room here.” He caught my hand and placed it against his chest. His heart was pounding just as hard as mine.
“Sei cosí dolce,” he breathed before our lips met.