Chapter Fourteen
Quill
Rafe slung his suit jacket over his shoulder. His sleek, black briefcase swung from a strap over his other shoulder. He smelled like fresh rain and new leaves. My mouth watered; he looked so handsome. He faced the two of us standing in the open kitchen.
“I’m so sorry it’s going to be a long day,” he said. “I’ll try to be home before you’re both asleep.”
Pierce jumped forward, holding out his gift. “We made you breakfast.”
Rafe looked at the paper-towel-wrapped sandwich of bacon, egg, cheese, and sausage patty. “For me?”
I held out a silver travel mug. “This, too.”
Rafe rearranged his stuff, wearing his blazer now, and reached for the food. “Wow. This is wonderful. I won’t have to stand in line at the coffee cart in the lobby.”
“Nope. My breakfast sandwiches are the best,” Pierce said with a grin.
“I know it’s your day off, Quill. You guys go out, have fun today. I’ve got a credit card sitting at the desk by my window. Take it and have a blast.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “I’ve got money. We’ll be fine.”
As he opened the front door, I called, “Try not to work too hard. We worry.”
He laughed and shut the door. He truly did love his job.
Pierce was still job hunting, with no results yet. He was free from interviews today and full of energy. We decided to make today a Pierce/Quill date day and spend some quality time together.
“What would you like to do?” I asked, after swallowing a mouthful of perfectly scrambled eggs.
“The beach? Shopping? A movie?”
“We can do all of that, can’t we?” I asked.
“Sure we can.”
When we finished breakfast, we dressed for the beach. It wasn’t summertime hot but warm enough that we could wade freely and maybe even get a little bodysurfing in.
The water wasn’t too cold. The waves came in fast, shining dark blue in the sunlight. We laughed as we played in the little slipstreams, splashing water into the air and onto each other. We may have exchanged a little kiss, too, as one bigger wave crashed into us.
When we were done, we put our stuff in the trunk of my car and walked along the boardwalk, deciding to each lunch at a beachside café.
When we got home, it was early afternoon. Together, we showered away the sand from all the cracks and crevices of our bodies. Now, we were ready for something else.
We decided to go to a nearby mall. I ended up buying Pierce a new outfit and street jacket. He looked so handsome and very San Diego cool. I bought myself new jeans and some shirts. We bought matching silver bracelets, with an identical third in a small, wrapped box to give to Rafe when he got home tonight. He worked so hard. He deserved a gift.
We were hungry again, so we found a four-star Mexican restaurant and had a great dinner. We decided on a movie next, but we were tired, so we went home and rented one on Rafe’s huge TV. Pierce fixed popcorn with butter, and it was wonderful.
We leaned into each other on the comfortable leather couch. After the movie ended, we stayed seated and talked about everything: our feelings, our lives when we were kids, and how grateful we were to have found each other.
“And poor Rafe,” I said. “I’m so glad he’s ours now. How awful an experience for him with his first mate.”
“I can’t imagine the pain,” Pierce agreed. “We all have each other now. I can tell he’s so happy.”
“We’d know if he wasn’t.”
“That’s another thing,” Pierce said. “This bond is so cool. Like, right now, I can’t hear his thoughts, but I can feel him at work. There’s a certain pride in it, and contentment. And right now, there’s a tingle, like he’s thinking of us at the same time we’re talking about him. And my claiming bite almost itches.”
“I got the tingle, too. He’s definitely thinking of us, and in a very affectionate way.”
Pierce laughed. “Hope it doesn’t interfere with what he’s doing.”
“He’s about to be a senior partner in that company. I’m sure he’s very professional and focused.”
“Can you imagine running a big company like that?” Pierce asked.
I shook my head. I had done well in corporate, but I didn’t have aspirations to rise that high. I’d wanted to stick around for the benefits and raises. But I didn’t enjoy being a boss, though I did run my department very well under a manager.
“Did he ever tell you how much he makes?” Pierce asked.
“I never asked.”
Pierce lowered his head to whisper in my ear. “He told me. Seven figures.”
“What?”
“Yep.”
I slumped back on the couch. “Hmm. And here I am a simple bartender.”
Pierce elbowed me. “You love it.”
“I never thought I would, but yes, I do love it. I love Animals. There’s a charge in the air there that I want to be a part of. I love walking into work. I never much liked hanging out with people or partying, but to be a part of it all from the other side of the bar, not ordering drinks but making them, well, it’s exciting. And everyone there is really cool. I never met people like that at my office.”
“It is a special place.”
I yawned heavily.
“You tired?”
I nodded, glancing at the big stone clock on one wall. It was past ten. I usually didn’t crash this early.
“Let’s go to bed, get comfy, and keep our conversation up from there. I’m sure Rafe will be home soon,” Pierce said.
I wasn’t sure about Rafe, but I agreed with him that lying down on some pillows in a huge soft bed sounded perfect. I wanted to get comfy with my omega mate.
After we were both in bed, lights out, we could see the sky over the city, a sort of dark purple as all the lights blotted out the stars. I would rather have seen the stars, but the purple was pretty, too.
“I left Rafe’s present on his desk. I hope he finds it,” I said.
Pierce held up his wrist. The silver gleamed against his skin. I held mine up to match him. They were twisty cuffs but not big enough to be ostentatious.
“Very chic,” Pierce said.
I started to giggle. I rarely giggled. But he sometimes made me feel like a kid again.
Everything was warm and snuggly. I put my arm around him, and that was all I remembered.
I woke to footsteps moving through the bedroom area. I sat up, my eyes making out a blurry form in the darkness. “Rafe? Is that you?”
A deep voice said, “Were you expecting someone else?”
Pierce slept on his side facing me. He hadn’t moved, and his breathing remained deep and even.
I whispered. “Just my mate.” I blinked hard. “What time is it?”
“Past midnight,” came the soft reply.
“You must be exhausted.”
He sat beside me. I pushed the covers back to make room for him. He lay back, his body against mine, and sighed. “I am. But it was a very productive day.”
“Good.”
“How was yours?”
“Wonderful. Did you find your gift?”
He held out his hand and there it was on his wrist, a band of silver catching the light from the bare windows.
“I’m assuming we all got one,” he said.
“Yep.”
“I love it. Thank you.”
I leaned over his muscled chest and kissed him. Usually, the three of us made love every night. But tonight, we were all together, safe and secure, and that was what mattered.
Soon, we joined Pierce in restful sleep.