Chapter Thirty-One
Laken
The week had been brutal. Work had taken up most of his time, and though he spent most of that time with Isley, it didn’t feel like they’d had any time alone. There’d been a few heated kisses, but fuck all else and Laken was ready for this week to be over.
He’d kept the chocolate making class as their next date a secret, and he was excited to see Isley’s reaction.
Laken had taken a trip to the bakery twice through the week to pick up Isley’s favorite pastries because he’d wanted to see that shy smile aimed at him.
If his brothers found out what a sap he was becoming, he’d never hear the end of it.
He wanted to see Isley smile, and every time he did it brightened his day, giving him a warm feeling in his chest that made him greedy for more.
And this week it had been in short supply with one of their orders having somehow ended up in the wrong country.
The result was working longer hours to fix the mistake, and that caused a ton of extra catching up for both of them, meaning staying late every day.
Seeing how tired Isley was, Laken had not pushed for an invite back to his place.
Now it was Friday, all bets were off. All Laken wanted was to get Isley alone without the worry of interruption. Hopefully naked, but he’d take whatever was on the table, just to spend time alone with him.
A quick knock at his office door and Silas’s dark head appeared around it. “You up for coming to Ren’s for burgers tonight? Ziggy and the other PAs have plans it seems, and I’m not welcome.”
Isley didn’t look up from his iPad as he finished what he was doing, though his shoulders stiffened. It took a great deal of effort to keep his disappointment from leaching out at seeing his plans shot down in flames.
With no excuse, he nodded. “Yep, are you heading straight from here?”
“That’s the plan. We can take one or two cars and collect them tomorrow. Kari isn’t sure as yet, but everyone else is in.”
“What about driving home and dropping off the cars? Saves doing it tomorrow if anyone is feeling dicey.”
“I’ll get Ziggy to take mine. Sure Taylin could do the same and we can meet the rest of you there.”
“Great.”
Silas left, and when the door closed, Laken kept his gaze on Isley. “Plans? What plans are these? You going out?”
Laken didn’t like the feeling that came at thoughts of Isley out after the last time they all headed out together and ended up in a sex club frequented by Jupiter.
Isley gave him a teasing smile that sent a direct message to his neglected cock. “Nope, we are having a night in, drinking cocktails to celebrate Monty’s mating. It was the first time we were all free on the same night.”
“I had thought…”
Isley rose gracefully and placed his iPad down. Coming around the desk, he wiggled in between it and Laken’s thighs as he spread his legs to make room for him. “Thought what?”
He was not blushing. He was not. “That I might come around and…”
“And?” Isley prompted again coming closer, hands sliding up the front of Laken’s suit jacket and around the collar of his shirt to rest at the nape of his neck.
His fingers stroked the short strands of hair that he found there.
Whatever lusty thoughts were filling Isley’s head, they came with a prominent slick scent and glazed eyes.
Laken’s dick took notice, and as it thickened, his balls felt too big for the confines of his underwear, despite how his legs were parted.
“And?” he answered, distracted by Isley’s full lips that were close but not close enough.
Isley’s chuckle gave his heart a squeeze, right before his mouth claimed Laken’s and he tasted Isley’s happiness.
It was as sweet as the man himself. The fingers threading through his hair tightened and Laken was hauling Isley to him, only satisfied once their chests touched.
Even through the material, he could feel Isley’s heart pounding a fast tattoo.
Joy. Had he ever known such joy from just kissing someone?
Taken the time to explore. To sample the different kisses and what they did to the other person.
Listen to the sounds. The gasps. Whimpers.
Groans. Each noise was different with a change of angle, soft to hard. Just a brush of lips to hunger.
“I could kiss you forever and never get enough,” he confessed when he had to stop to take a breath.
Dazed eyes held the pleasure Laken so desperately wanted to give Isley. “I’d let you.” Some emotion Laken didn’t catch made his stomach pitch before Isley murmured, “What are we doing here?”
He didn’t pretend not to understand, despite the way his stomach lurched. “What do you want us to be doing?”
Isley’s cheeks flooded with a pretty pink. “I thought me and my animal were obvious in what we wanted.” Hands slid to trace his beard. The gentlest of touches. Reverent, even. An earnest expression gracing that gorgeous face. “You.”
“So we’re… boyfriends?” He’d never wanted it before, and it was fucking nerve wracking to find himself seeking it at the age of thirty-six.
Especially when it didn’t fit the overwhelming emotions he had for this man.
Except, he needed there to be something that defined them, so Isley was clear that they were together. A couple.
“If that’s what you want?”
It sounded more like a question than an answer, and where was the enthusiasm? He growled in frustration, bringing Isley back to kiss some sense into him.
He melted against him, opening for the heated assault.
Laken swallowed the noises Isley made and struggled not to rip his clothes off and knot with him once more.
The profound experience had caused a few sleepless nights with the unexpected desire to never be parted. To keep the omega attached to his dick.
“I want everything,” he muttered against kiss-swollen lips. “I don’t want to stop kissing. I don’t want to go out tonight. I don’t want anyone to think you’re available, when you’re not. You’re mine.”
All a bit neanderthal for him, yet he couldn’t seem to stop.
The sparkling eyes could easily have been tears. “No crying. You stop that right now.” Laken struggled to swallow with the panic thickening his throat.
“I’m not going to cry silly, I’m happy. I want to be yours, too.” Isley pressed his cheek to Laken’s and hugged him.
The feeling of panic didn’t subside at the sniffs coming from Isley and the tremendous need to give in and join him when he felt like a heel. Why, he couldn’t figure the fuck out, he just did.
He hadn’t given in to the tears, and for that he was grateful when his brothers, Booker, Jupiter, and Kodi crowded in the cab they’d called to take them to Ren’s.
They were all eyeing him with way more interest than normal.
Laken gave his suit jacket a quick sniff, recalling how potent Isley’s scent got when he was aroused.
“What?”
“Don’t what me,” Booker jabbed a meaty finger at him. “You smell like sex.”
Laken didn’t look in Jupiter’s direction. He didn’t need to when he could hear him snigger. Traitor.
“You got sex on the brain, brother,” Laken tried to deflect.
“Glad someone has,” Kodi grumbled, but he came closer to Laken and sniffed at him. “But he’s right, you stink of sex. How’s that when you’ve been working all day?”
“Give over, stop implying I’m having sex in the office. I haven’t, I’m not Silas.” He threw Silas under the bus with no qualms.
“He’s mated and engaged, it doesn’t count,” Booker defended.
Laken eyed Booker with speculation. “That means you’re doing the dirty at work with Frey?”
“Gotcha,” Jupiter crowed at Booker.
“It won’t be fucking safe to go into anyone’s office at this rate. Maybe we should put it out there, invitations only to get through the door.” Kodi’s complaint held no heat, like usual, and his cheeks went a very interesting shade of pink.
“Invitations. What, you mean like knocking and waiting for someone to say ‘come in’?” Laken deadpanned. Kodi was dreadful for just barging in.
Kodi threw the V at Laken.
“So what gives between you and Isley?” Booker, the bastard, persisted. “You bringing him to the family meeting says there’s something going on.”
Laken met his stare head on and, seeing concern, he blew out a frustrated breath and blurted out, “We’re dating, okay?”
Jupiter laughed silently, his shoulders shaking as he avoided Laken’s pointed stare. Booker glanced from Jupiter to Laken, his brows furrowing.
“You knew?” he threw at Jupiter. “About Laken and Isley? Oh my God, this has something to do with Sunday night when Laken came home. I knew you’d done something, spill.”
Laken shook his head and growled threateningly at Jupiter, “Don’t you dare say anything.”
The car pulled up outside Ren's, stopping the conversation for the time being, but Laken knew it wasn’t over. His brothers never let anything go.
Inside, Silas and Taylin had grabbed a booth and already had a pitcher of beer. Laken slid in next to Silas and grabbed the pitcher, filling a glass. He downed half in one gulp, preparing for what was coming.
“What’s with you?” Silas questioned, looking from Laken to the laughing idiots crowding into the booth on the other side next to Taylin.
“Laken’s got a boyfriend,” Booker said, grinning like a damn fool.
“What? When did this happen? Because I sure as hell never noticed hell freezing, or rather Laken unfreezing,” Taylin asked as he poured beer for the others.
Jupiter, who had sat next to Laken, slung his arm over the back of the padded red seat, and gave him a grin that did nothing to help Laken’s mood. He glared at him hard enough to peel paint off the wall. Did it stop the fucker? Not a fucking chance.
“Isley melted his heart right out of his cold chest.” Jupiter cackled like a damn witch.
“Hold up, Isley? That’s who you're dating?” Silas asked, eyes wide with a light of revenge he’d seen a time or two, causing him to stiffen.
“What was it you said… never gonna happen.” He sat back holding his sides, laughing hard enough he had tears running down his cheeks. “Oh, how the mighty have fallen.”
“Not fucking funny,” Laken grumbled, unamused.
“It fucking is,” Taylin reiterated, joining in the laughter.
A server came up and gave them all a flirty smile. The guy batted for their team judging by the way he was eyeing them up. “Are we ready to order, or do we need more time?”
“We’ll have six triple cheeseburgers, with bacon and extra cheese, with four sides of slaw and fries,” Booker ordered for everyone.
“Bring four pitchers of beer, too,”—Jupiter added, eyeing Laken with pity—“one of us is gonna need it for the ass ripping they’re gonna get.”
“Fuck you,” Laken growled, his own lips twitching at the server's eyes growing as big as saucers when he finally took a good look at Jupiter’s charming smile.
“Not on your life, that would be Isley’s job now,” Jupiter quipped, back fast as lightning, getting more laughter from the others.
“Did Kari bail on us?” Laken asked to get the conversation away from his personal life.
“Yep, said he had something else to do.”
“More like someone else to do,” Taylin said, looking pointedly at Kodi. “Ain’t that right Kodi?”
“Why you askin’ me?” Kodi blushed harder than a guy on his first date after getting to first base.
“You know what gives. Has anyone noticed he smells different?” Silas said in between sips of beer. He never took his gaze off Kodi, watching him closely.
“Yeah,” Jupiter answered first. “Smells like a certain highland cow had a nibble on him.”
Kodi closed up like a sunflower without the sun, and Silas stabbed a finger in his direction. “You know. Fuck, and you kept quiet?” he said sounding shocked. “In what universe does that ever happen?”
“I can keep secrets!” Kodi scowled at Silas. “Kari will talk about what’s happening when he’s ready. Same as the rest of you. None of you were forthcoming about your romances with your PAs, were you?” he demanded, staring them all down.
Silas nodded, grinning. “You’re right, but thanks for confirming that Kari and Bowie are an item.”
“You fucker,” Kodi laughed. “I’m gonna tell him you tricked it out of me.”
Laken glanced around the table at the laughing men who, by chance, had become his brothers.
He didn’t dwell on those who were no longer family.
They were as dead to him as he had been to them until they wanted to take from him.
He hadn’t questioned what Dad had done with his father.
He didn’t need to know that either. Dad’s actions spoke to what genuine love for family was.
It was the here and now one had to truly appreciate in life.
And Laken, as he met Jupiter’s cheeky smirk, had more than many to be grateful for.
“Don’t get any more ideas about hugging me and declaring how much you love me, okay,” Jupiter whispered in his ear, nudging his shoulder good-naturedly. “I'm done with my quota of lovely dovey crap to last a lifetime.”
“Right, did you tell Isley that so his sugar glider understands? And you know I love a challenge,” he fired back, all teeth and teasing, getting loud laughter in response.
“Beer, we need that beer,” Booker said looking for their server.
“I hope it’s not your turn to get up with Emmy,” Silas pointed out as Booker finished his beer.
Booker gave Jupiter a hopeful smile, and the table erupted with more laughter when Jupiter blushed as he shook his head, not convincing any of them he’d not be the one to get Emmy in the morning.
Laken glanced at Booker. “You should tell Jupiter how much you love him, that will work,” he said tongue in cheek.
“Fucker,” Jupiter hissed, blushing.
Booker put his hands over his heart and battered his eyelashes, looking utterly silly at how he exaggerated the big cow eyes, making them all roar with laughter. “I lube you, Jupiter.”
Crying with laughter, they fell into each other, even Jupiter at the lube comment. Laken grabbed his phone and asked the server who had come with the pitchers to take their picture. He sent it to Rue and Kari with the caption… this is not going to end well!