37. Daniel
Daniel
The sound of Leo's professional tone is a strange counterpoint to the soft, wet sounds coming from his lap.
He's sitting in one of the armchairs, a phone pressed to his ear.
Mara is kneeling in front of him, head bobbing in a motion that's making my own cock twitch with interest and a fair amount of jealousy.
"What? Can't you multitask?" she asks.
"Your mouth is making it a little hard to do that, baby," he counters.
"Do you want me to stop?" A little giggle escapes her, an incredibly hot sound.
"Leave him alone. I'm available and great at multitasking," I say.
She gives Leo's cock one last, slow lick before she pulls away, a move that makes his eyes roll back in his head. She wipes her mouth with the back of her hand and crawls over to me on her hands and knees, a graceful movement that's pure sex.
I crouch down to meet her, my hands cupping her face. "You are trouble, aren't you?"
She laughs, a real, throaty laugh this time. "That's why you guys love me, isn't it?"
And then she stops.
The laughter dies in her throat as panic crosses her face.
She freezes, as if she's said something she shouldn't have, revealed a card she wasn't ready to play.
I don't hesitate. I lean in and kiss her, a soft, reassuring press of lips that's meant to erase the fear. I can taste Leo on her, a faint, salty reminder of what she was just doing.
"Holy shit," Leo says from across the room. He's unmuted his phone, but has clearly forgotten all about his work call.
When I pull back, she's smiling, a genuine, happy smile that makes my chest feel tight. "I'm not sure if this is the residual of the heat or if you meant what you just said," I tell her.
"I meant it." She's a little breathless.
"Okay," I say. I need to say this. I need her to know. "Not to get it twisted, but I love you for so many other reasons."
Her eyes widen.
"Mara Jameson, I love you because you're intelligent. I know you helped my sister with her classes; I know you helped my parents with this place, with the lodge. You're brilliant, baby."
I take a breath, my thumbs stroking her cheeks. "I love you because you're gorgeous, and you're kind, and you have an empathy that puts everyone else to shame. You feel things deeply, and you're not afraid of it."
Leo is kneeling beside me now, call ended, his hand resting on her back.
"And I love you because you are the best thing that has ever happened to us," he adds, his voice thick with emotion.
"You walked into our lives and just… made everything better.
Brighter. Tell us you feel the same. Tell us you are in this with us. "
"I love you." Her lip trembles. "Of course I fucking love you guys."
Tears well up in her eyes, sparkling in the candlelight. They slide down her cheeks, and I wipe them away with my thumb. "Don't cry, my love."
"Oh, shit," she says, and then a real sob escapes her, a sound that's so full of emotion it makes me laugh. It's a messy, beautiful sound, and I can't help it. I pull her into my arms and kiss her. She whimpers into the kiss, pushing her tongue into my mouth.
"Fuck," I curse, sucking on it, feeling my cock harden further.
I stand, lifting her effortlessly into my arms. She wraps her legs around my waist, and I carry her toward the bed. Leo is already undressing, his clothes falling away in a heap on the floor. I'm about to lay her down, to lose myself in her all over again, when I hear footsteps on the stairs.
Gray appears, a tray in his hands. On it are four steaming mugs of hot chocolate, complete with little marshmallows floating on top. He stops dead in his tracks, taking in the scene: me holding a half-naked Mara, Leo standing there naked as the day he was born.
"You guys need to give her a break," he says, a low chuckle rumbling in his chest. "You're on her like dogs in heat."
"Oh," Leo says, a wicked grin spreading across his face, "you'll join us in a few seconds when you hear what she said." He turns to Gray, his eyes dancing. "She loves us."
Gray pauses, his eyes widening as he processes the information. A slow smile spreads across his face. "Damn," he says, setting the tray down on a table. "Now I want to fuck her too, just so I can hear her say those words as I'm thrusting into her."
"Told you," Leo laughs.
I lay Mara down on the bed, her body soft and pliant against the sheets. The three of us are a unit, a pack, drawn together by this amazing, complicated, wonderful woman who has somehow managed to love us all back.
An Omega who has finally completed us.
The café smells like garlic and basil and the rich, savory scent of Leo's attempt at homemade pasta. He's stirring a giant pot on the woodstove, a look of intense concentration on his face.
"Man, I miss electricity," he says. "A real pasta maker would be nice right about now. This is a lot of work."
"Some of the main lines are still down," I tell him, leaning against the counter. "There was an announcement on the radio. Faulty transformers, something like that. Could be a week before the lights are back on."
Gray nods, sipping his coffee. "A week? Seriously?"
"That's what they said."
"How's Tess?" Mara asks. She's sitting at one of the tables, her legs tucked under her, wearing one of my T-shirts and a pair of leggings.
The shirt is too big for her, the soft cotton hanging off one shoulder, and her chestnut hair is pulled up in a messy bun.
She's so fucking sexy it takes a physical effort to keep my hands to myself.
I shake my head, trying to focus. "She's okay. Mom and Dad are bringing her home this evening, now that the roads are clear."
Mara nods, but a flicker of anxiety crosses her face. I know what she's thinking. The inevitable confrontation.
"There's something we should discuss," I say, my voice serious. "I think we need to tell my family. About us."
Leo lets out a loud, booming laugh. "Dude, we locked down this café for days, living on canned goods and cocoa.
I'm pretty sure some of the folks helping Mrs. Lacey have already figured it out.
Especially when one of us had to run to the lodge for more supplies, and Mara was nowhere to be seen for days. "
"Shit," Mara says, her eyes widening. A little ball of panic forms in my chest. I hate seeing that look on her face.
"Are you okay with that? With people assuming that we're together?" I ask. My stomach is doing somersaults. I'm terrified of her answer.
She takes a deep breath, then nods. "Yeah.
I mean, Leo's right. Someone must have figured out by now that I was locked up in here with you guys.
Might as well tell your folks before they hear it from someone else.
But I think I should at least talk to Tess first. I want to make sure she's okay with it. "
"Good plan," Gray says, pulling her into his lap. She moans softly as he kisses her neck, his hands roaming her back.
Leo laughs again. "Hey, she was supposed to be dessert. You guys are ruining the carefully constructed meal schedule."
"What?" Mara laughs, a bright, happy sound.
I can't resist. I walk over to the table, tug her out of Gray's lap and into my arms, and kiss her. I slide my tongue against hers, my hand working the hem of her T-shirt higher, my fingers tracing the soft skin of her stomach.
"Don't listen to Leo. You're the appetizer."
"You're crazy." She laughs again.
"Maybe, but will you still say that after I finger fuck you?" I gently bite her lower lip.
"Let's find out," she moans, grinding her ass against Gray, who's now dragged his chair over and is sitting right behind her.
I laugh, wrapping her hair in my fist, my other hand sliding easily into the waistband of her leggings. She's so wet, so ready for me.
Just then, the door of the café swings open, the little bell above it jingling a cheerful, utterly unwelcome tune.
"What the fuck!"
Leo drops the pot he's holding. It hits the floor with a deafening clang, sending a spray of boiling water and half-cooked pasta everywhere. Mara scrambles off Gray's lap, her face a mask of horror. We all turn to find my parents and Tess standing in the doorway, staring at us.
My dad's face is a thundercloud of confusion. My mom's hand is covering her mouth. And Tess… Tess looks disheveled, her blond hair also in a messy bun, her eyes wide with shock and something that looks a lot like betrayal.
"We came home early," my dad says.
"Tess, I can explain," I start, taking a step toward her.
"Fuck you," she says, her voice cracking. And then she turns and rushes out of the café, disappearing into the swirling snow.
I turn to Mara and find a horrified, stricken look on her face. "I'm sorry," I say, the words feeling pathetic and useless.
She just nods, her eyes wide with panic.
I don't hesitate. I run after my sister. She's already at my truck, fumbling with the door handle, trying to get the engine started. I pull open the passenger side door and climb in.
"Get out," she screams, her voice a raw, ragged sound.
"Tess, can we talk? Just for a minute?"
"No, the fuck we can't," she says, finally getting the engine to turn over. The headlights cut through the gathering dusk. "How long has this been going on? Is that why you called and told us the roads were locked down? So you could have your little fuckfest with my best friend?"
I clench my jaw, my own anger rising. "I get that you're mad, but you don't get to be rude to Mara. She didn't do anything wrong."
Tess laughs, and it's a harsh, ugly sound. "Go ahead. Defend her."
I tug at my hair out of pure frustration. "Is it so wrong that I like her? That I love her? Is it so wrong that she likes me back?"
"No," she says, staring me straight in the face, her eyes flashing with a cold, hard fire. "No, but you chose your loyalties."
"What are you talking about?"
"Marcus called me this morning. He told me what you did."
I swallow, a cold dread seeping into my bones. "What did he say to you?"
"Do you really need me to rehash how you ruined my life?" she asks, wiping angrily at her cheeks. "Don't fucking touch me," she snaps as I reach for her.
I pull back, stung. She's angrier than I've ever seen her, a fury so deep it's terrifying.
"You told the school about us," she says, her voice trembling with rage. "Even after you promised."
"I didn't," I say, shaking my head. "I swear. I talked to the dean. I told him that one of the professors was dating a student, that it was an abuse of power. I didn't mention your name. I swear."
"Well, they put two and two together," she says, her voice breaking. "For whatever it's worth, I just lost the love of my life. So please, get out of the car."
I try to explain, to tell her that I was just threatening to sue the school for misconduct if they didn't review Mara's contract, that I was trying to help because I found out Marcus was lying to her and stringing her along just like Jonathan had done to Mara.
But she's not listening. She's shaking her head, her lips pressed into a thin, bloodless line.
All she hears are the excuses.
Fucking liar.
Traitor.
Is an age gap only acceptable for Mara and me and not her and Marcus?
Selfish.
Hypocrite.
Her words are like daggers, each one finding its mark.
Finally, I give up. There's no reasoning with her when she's like this. I climb out of the truck and stand there in the cold, watching her drive off, the taillights of my truck disappearing into the snowy darkness.
I feel like I've just lost my sister. And I have no idea how to get her back.