Chapter Forty-Nine
Wes
Wes came home the Friday after the school play to find the downstairs eerily silent. Both Assa’s and Valentin’s cars were in the garage, but when he checked the kitchen, living room, and den, neither man was in evidence.
He was heading upstairs when he heard the telltale rattle of pipes from the main bedroom. At least one of his partners was in the shower, so that’s where Wes planned to be soon. His cock perked up thinking about it.
The door to the ensuite was open. Wes saw Valentin soaping his body through the frosted glass. He stripped off his clothes and padded into the steamy bathroom.
“Mind if I join you?”
Valentin startled, dropping the bottle of body wash on the shower bottom before grinning. “Guess I was in my head. You snuck up on me.” He slid the door open.
Wes stepped in and plastered himself to Valentin’s back, warm water dripping down their bodies. He took the washcloth and began rubbing slow circles over the alpha’s stomach, then down to his cock.
“Mmm.” Valentin closed his eyes and tipped his head back as Wes worked his way across his hips.
He appreciated that he could do this. Early in their relationship, they’d revisited his and Assa’s rule about not having sexy one-on-one time with others.
As Valentin was their equal partner, they decided it no longer made sense.
Wes and Assa had been having sex as a twosome for a dozen years.
Were they going to make sure Valentin was there every time now?
It would never work, especially considering the alpha’s late hours at The Cracked Heart.
So, while they were often intimate as a threesome, one-on-one times were also part of their lives.
And Wes adored these private moments with his alpha.
With Assa, Wes was the most tender version of himself. A Caretaker. But with Valentin, he was rough-edged and selfish. A taker.
He wondered how much time they had.
“Where’s Assa?” he asked.
“Zinn picked him up. They took Lachie to the park. I guess he likes to look at the ducks.”
Wes tightened his hold on Valentin, not missing the alpha tense up at having to mention the baby. Wes and Assa had discussed Valentin’s reluctance to assume de-de duties but had yet to ask him about it directly. They hoped it would improve with time.
But Wes didn’t want to think about Lachie right now, not when his hard dick was poking between Valentin’s cheeks. Did the alpha want to be topped? That was a rare thing they’d only started trying a few months ago, and so far only with Wes.
Negotiating a sex life among three men could be challenging. They were constantly adjusting expectations and desires. Two years ago, he never would have imagined he and Assa would have another partner, nor that they’d be sharing parenthood duties with their son’s birth parents.
Yet here they were. And it was wonderful.
He trailed a finger through Valentin’s crease, circling his hole. A low rumble left the alpha’s throat.
“Ryde’s not here?” Wes asked.
“Pizzeria. Jordie and Kino are taking him to a movie later.”
“Then we can take our time.” Wes stroked Valentin’s cock with the washcloth. “How should I make you come?”
Handing him the bottle of lube they kept in the shower, Valentin smiled over his shoulder. “Slick up those fingers of yours, my beautiful beta. And we’ll see where it goes from there.”
Wes grinned and obeyed, then massaged his way into Valentin’s ass with his pointer finger. He swirled it like a corkscrew, opening the alpha up as he moved the washcloth over his cock with his other hand. Valentin yelped when Wes tapped the sensitive spot inside him.
“Fuck,” Valentin panted, bracing himself against the marble tiles. “Fuck.”
The alpha turned in Wes’s arms until they faced one another. Wes managed to keep a fingertip in Valentin’s ass, but it wasn’t as deep as it had been.
Valentin didn’t seem to mind. He kissed Wes aggressively as water sluiced between them, pooling in the hollow where their chests met. Wes groaned as Valentin’s hot tongue slid between his lips, gentle and demanding at once.
Reaching below their stomachs, Valentin took the washcloth from Wes and wrapped it around both their dicks, moving his hand up and down despite the tight squeeze of their bodies.
“This is how you make me come,” Valentin growled, backing Wes against the shower wall as he worked their cocks. “You at my mercy while your finger’s in my ass. Owning me. Loving me.”
Wes’s breath hitched.
Valentin maneuvered his legs, getting a better angle as he stroked them faster. His tip slid against the sensitive underside of Wes’s cock.
Wes nearly came undone.
“Not yet,” Valentin said before growling again. “Together. I want to make a mess together.”
Wes nodded, furiously poking his finger in and out of Valentin’s hole. It might be shallow, but he needed his alpha to feel him there.
The washcloth fell to the shower floor with a wet plop. Valentin gripped their cocks with his bare hand. The muscles of his forearm flexed and strained as he worked his wrist between them.
“So close, alpha,” Wes breathed out.
“I love you,” Valentin said, pressing their foreheads together. “I love you.”
He pulled back to jerk their dicks with more rhythm, and it allowed Wes to shove his finger deeper into the alpha’s ass.
Wes pushed in a second finger and curled them until he hit Valentin’s spot again. “I love you too.”
Valentin took his mouth, firm and confident as his fist flew. Seconds later, the alpha grunted as his hot release painted Wes’s stomach. The sensation sent Wes over the edge. He pulled back from their kiss, looking down to see his cock erupt all over Valentin’s hand.
Wes watched the water wash away the evidence of their pleasure. Carefully, he pulled his fingers from Valentin’s fluttering hole before leaning against the shower wall with shaky knees.
“Whew.” He soaped up a fresh washcloth. “That’s a good way to start the weekend.”
“Perfect,” Valentin agreed. He gave him another peck before adding hesitantly, “Hopefully, you didn’t mind not getting your dick in me. I just…I doubt I’m going to want that too often. But your fingers were wonderful.”
Wes was so used to communicating openly with Assa about their sex life, sometimes he forgot it was still new for Valentin.
“Alpha—” Wes cupped his cheek. “You never have to worry that I’ll be disappointed for respecting your boundaries.
And you know I’m the same way about getting fucked—it’s something I’m gonna pass on more often than not.
You should always be honest about what you want.
You can also change your mind about things.
We all can. Even if you never want to be topped again, it’s fine.
I’m certainly not complaining about what we just did. ”
Valentin handed him the conditioner and waggled his eyebrows. “Nah. I’ll definitely want your cock in me again.”
After they toweled off, Wes threw on some sweatpants.
“Freeballing?” Valentin asked.
“I like to air dry after a shower.” Valentin chuckled as Wes added, “I’ll see if there’s something we can scrounge up for dinner. But since Ryde is gone, maybe we should just get takeout.”
“Shoot!” Valentin exclaimed.
“What?”
“My underwear is still in the dryer. I forgot to bring the laundry up this morning.”
“Are you sure you’re grown?” Wes teased.
“Hey, don’t blame me. I spent six years in prison being told what to do practically every minute of the day. I like having the freedom to be a sloth when it comes to chores.”
Wes hated thinking of Valentin being locked up. All those years stolen from him. Wes had watched Valentin find joy in so many simple things that he and Assa took for granted, including the ability to be lazy sometimes.
“Lucky for you, there are no wardens here. The only place I want to boss you around is this bedroom.”
Valentin cinched the towel around his waist and walked over to Wes with a feral gleam in his eyes.
“You don’t always get to be the boss,” he said in his alpha voice.
Wes shivered. That voice might be the best thing about having an alpha partner.
He and Valentin were at the bottom of the stairs when the front door opened. Great. Now Assa could weigh in on whether they should get takeout.
But it wasn’t Assa who walked in. It was Zinn.
Assa was a few steps behind him, carrying Lachie.
“It must have fallen out of my pocket when I was sitting here earlier.” Zinn made a beeline for the easy chair in the living room before looking up to see Wes, shirtless in gray sweatpants, and Valentin, towel around his waist, moisture clinging to the dark hair on his chest. “Oh,” Zinn squeaked, his cheeks flushing.
“Oh is right.” Assa laughed as he hefted the baby higher on his shoulder. “You should have texted me it was naked living room time.”
“We’re hardly naked,” Wes said, smiling as he walked over to kiss Lachie on the head. “Ryde’s out, and we thought Zinn would just drop you off.” He tilted his head toward Valentin. “And someone left all his clean laundry downstairs.”
Valentin shifted on his feet. “I…uh…forgot to bring it up last night.”
A minute ago, Valentin had been a full-on sex beast, using his alpha voice like he was trying to start a fire. Wes couldn’t tell if he was acting oddly now because Lachie was in their house or because Zinn was.
The omega was clearly trying very hard not to stare at Valentin. But the heat in his eyes was unmistakable.
Wes cleared his throat. It was one thing to know that Valentin and Zinn still had complicated feelings for each other, they all understood that, but it was another to see them so blatantly on display.
A swallow worked its way down Zinn’s throat. “I didn’t mean to interrupt,” he said. “I wouldn’t have come in at all except that I misplaced Lachie’s favorite binky.” He held up the green pacifier he’d rescued from the cushions.
Zinn spoke politely, benignly, yet his intense expression told a different story.
Wes shared a glance with Assa that signaled he saw it too.
But why was Zinn so affected? It wasn’t as if he hadn’t seen Valentin without a shirt before. They’d been on family outings to the pool.
Then he realized. The alpha and the omega could smell one another.
Zinn would know by Valentin’s scent that he and Wes had just had sex.
And Valentin would know by Zinn’s scent that the thought turned him on.
Because it did. That much was obvious. Zinn’s face wasn’t hot with jealousy over his ex having new partners. That had been a non-factor between them from the start. No. The omega was hot with desire.
If Wes had to guess, he’d say that Zinn’s mind was currently conjuring images of Valentin and Wes fucking. And Wes understood. He’d once caught Calder and Zinn kissing in Felton’s, and it had given him plenty of material when he’d taken himself in hand that night.
Desire was only natural, an instinct, especially when people loved each other as much as the five of them did.
Valentin disappeared into the laundry room. Ten seconds later, he raced back up the stairs with the basket.
Zinn took Lachie from Assa. “I’m sorry that was awkward,” he said.
Assa slung an arm around Zinn’s shoulders. “It’s not an issue, precious. We get how it is with you and Valentin.”
Wes hummed in agreement.
“Someday it won’t be so…strong…between us, I hope,” Zinn said.
“It will be different eventually,” Wes said. “Everything evolves. But you don’t honestly believe your feelings for him are ever going to be less than strong?”
Zinn patted Lachie’s back. “No, I suppose not.”
Assa gave Wes a pointed look. “Well, we’re not going to figure it out tonight,” he said. “Only time will tell. For now, I think we should stop focusing on the chemistry between Valentin and Zinn and pay attention to the relationship problem we can actually solve.”
“What problem?” Zinn asked.
“Valentin and Lachie,” Assa answered with a sigh. “Our stubborn alpha partner is still resisting getting close to the baby.”
“I’ve noticed,” Zinn said dryly.
“We all have,” Wes said. “But I’m pretty sure he thinks he’s doing the right thing hanging back. The noble thing.”
Zinn hmphed. “That sounds like the old Valentin. The guy who told Zeller they shouldn’t be together because Valentin wasn’t good enough for him.”
“Exactly,” Assa said. “He’s not behaving this way because he’s resentful or doesn’t want to be a part of the baby’s life. I see the way he watches Lachie when he thinks no one’s looking.”
Lachie opened one eye and peeked at Wes as though he knew he was the subject of their discussion. Wes grinned at him. Lachie gave him a gummy smile in return and went back to sleep.
Wes was resolved. Valentin needed to know this sweet baby.
“I have an idea,” Zinn said. “Jordie and Kino are going to junior prom next weekend. Calder has been saying how he wants to spend more quality time with Ked, just the two of us and him doing something he loves, like going to a game. Since Lachie’s been born, I haven’t left him for more than an hour, and I’m only going to do it if he’s with family. ”
“I see where you’re headed with this,” Wes said.
Zinn nodded. “This would be a great time for Lachie to hang out with his de-de Assa, de-de Wes…and de-de Valentin.”
“You’re on,” Assa said eagerly. “We are officially on Lachie duty next Saturday night. Ryde too. And we’ll make sure that de-de Valentin does his part.