Chapter 21
He made no move to stop me. His pulse quickened underneath my fingertips, and his pupils dilated as he stared into my eyes.
He swallowed hard, the lump in his throat pulsing down my hand.
His skin was so soft and smooth. My fingers brushed the back of his neck, right where his pheromone center pulsed with heat.
I bent over him, tugging him by his neck to meet me, and our lips hovered together in a dance of desire and temptation.
The thought of kissing him, of taking him as my own, was so overwhelming I could barely control myself.
Was it his scent? His eyes? The way he looked at me, as if he wanted to bolt away and tug me closer all at once?
What made me hunger for him in this way?
What made me forget I had to hold myself back?
He struggled to speak for a few seconds, starting and stopping a few times before he got something out. “Whose scent is that?”
Tilting my head, I caught a new emotion on his face, one hidden beneath his lowered lashes and that hazy glow in his eyes. Was he jealous? “What scent?”
That glow flitted into anger for a few seconds, switching back and forth like a dance. He had a fire inside him, one he wasn’t willing to unleash. “I can smell an omega on you.”
I growled over those kissable lips, breathing in his delicious, tempting scent.
As if any omega could hold a candle to Casey.
“He’s just a friend.” This close, I could smell Marshall on him.
A subtle scent of sex. I hated it. I hated knowing my omega had been touched by someone else.
It filled me with a rage I had never known.
I was jealous, too. Jealous that my son had what I wanted.
I tilted Casey’s head to the side, smelling every inch of his neck, burying myself in his fragrant skin.
So hot and soft. No other scent remained on him. Good.
“What are you doing?” he whispered, cutting off with a hoarse squeal when my hand tightened on his throat. He whimpered, waiting so patiently for me to relax my grip. He wasn’t even fighting me. If anything, his scent grew stronger the harder I squeezed.
“Just making sure I can’t smell anyone on you. You’re not the only jealous one.”
“I’m not jealous.”
“Don’t lie to me, or I’ll show you exactly what happens to disobedient little omegas.”
“You can’t talk to me like that.”
“Who says?”
“We can’t.” Those brown eyes flicked down to my lips, a soft moan escaping his throat. “We can’t hurt Marshall.”
He was right, and we both knew it. I just wasn’t sure how much longer I would care.
I released him, slowly taking a few steps back until he was far enough away for my pulse to calm down. “I know. But I can only say no so many times, omega.”
The way he looked at me, desire flushing his cheeks, and his scent so maddeningly thick in the air clouded my judgement and rearranged my brain. I don’t know how I resisted him. Walking away caused me physical pain, and I gripped my fists until it stung my already sore hands.
The temptation hung between us, from his reddened cheeks to my racing pulse. The hazy look of desire in his eyes almost killed me, and I struggled to remember why I had to resist this feeling.
“Casey!” The very reason I had to restrain myself ran into the sunroom, heading straight for my omega. Marshall gently touched Casey’s swollen lip and ran a hand through his hair, almost petting Casey as he checked him.
“I f-fell,” Casey stuttered, his brown eyes darting towards me.
My son’s look of concern made me wonder if I hadn’t taken his fall seriously enough. Casey may have bumped his head. He hit the floor pretty hard. The only thing strong enough to override my desire was fear. What if he was gone before I could even have him?
Feeling bile rise inside my mouth, I stepped forward, hovering beside him as Marshall examined the bump on Casey’s face. That wince wrinkling his delicate features made my stomach twist.
“Woah, that is a wicked busted lip, Casey,” David said from the doorway, balancing a stack of pizza boxes in one hand.
“David, hush,” I told him. Should I say something? Ask questions? They might notice how concerned I was if I did.
Casey all but pushed Marshall away before the exam was over. “I’m fine. I didn’t hit my head.”
“All good,” Marshall pronounced, giving Casey a kiss on the forehead. “Just a bruised lip.”
Thank god.
I melted with relief as Marshall trotted over to help David with the pizza and left me alone with Casey for a few moments. His smile turned into a frown when he looked up at me.
“Stop fussing over me. He’s going to suspect something if you don’t leave me alone.”
“That wasn’t fussing, omega. If you pull this shit again, I’ll show you what fussing looks like.
” He rolled his eyes at me. Oh, he deserved to be bent over my knee for that.
Just the thought of spanking him almost made me lightheaded.
I couldn’t tell if it was his scent, or that sassy attitude of his that made me want him more.
“I said I’d say no. I didn’t say I’d leave you alone. ”
He actually scowled at me that time and spun to give me a firm retort when my sons returned from the kitchen.
“Alright,” David announced at full volume. “I think it’s time we properly welcomed Casey into the family. I’ve got pizzas, beer, and a table full of board games. Family game night, Pops?”
I knew my son wasn’t trying to ruin my life, but it kind of sounded like he was.