Chapter 2 #2
She snorts. “Let’s be real here. You burrowed your way through my defenses. It’s not like I had a choice. Kinda hard to hate a guy that threatened another guy’s dick on your behalf. That’s, like, sacred territory or some shit, right?”
She’s trying to lighten the mood, and I’ll let her…once I say my piece first. “I don’t know, sweetheart. Seems like you’re a pretty good judge of character who wouldn’t let in anyone you didn’t want to be there.”
She thinks about it for a second, her teeth playing with her pouty bottom lip. It’s torture, knowing I might never get a chance to discover if it’s as soft as it looks.
“You’re right.” She gives me a sideways look. “I suppose my subconscious knew you’d be a good friend, so it didn’t sound the alarms.”
Good friend. Right. That’s what I am.
“Then, in the name of friendship, maybe one day you’ll tell me why you’re so anti-pack. Because that’s the only opportunity I think you’re missing out on.”
Her narrow-eyed glare whips toward me, and I almost take a step back when I see the fire sparking out at me, but I catch myself.
“An Omega doesn’t have to have a pack to be complete, Ridge.
It works for some people, but not for others.
I’ve chosen to be packless because in my experience, Alphas can be trusted about as much as one of those popping biscuit cans, but I don’t begrudge anyone who’s happy with one.
Hell, I don’t sit here and complain about yours. Weird bite marks and all.”
“Hey, our bite marks aren’t weird!”
This time, both Memphis and Lyon peek in at the flare of irritation.
“No? I mean, don’t Alphas usually bond those they’re fucking? You’re saying that’s not the case? Because I’ve heard bonding sex is right up there with knotting for an Alpha. Or maybe it was bonding sex with knotting?”
A growl sneaks out, but I catch the grin she manages to stave off.
She’s fucking with me, but I can’t seem to stop myself from making sure she understands.
“First off, I’m not fucking Memphis. Neither is Lyon, for the record.
We all like pussy.” It might be the sunset or the warm summer air, but I’m pretty sure she blushes slightly, and my dick takes notice.
“Secondly, our bites are solely from a safety and security standpoint as it gives us a clearer sense of each other's emotions, which can be important when working on a ranch in case of injury or emergency. It also provided security and stability for Lyon, giving him twenty-four-seven access to his packmates. And yeah, maybe it also gave me the ability to take care of my pack when there’s a hint someone may need me. It was a logical decision we all agreed to. Nothing weird about that.”
She hums. “Touchy touchy.”
“I’ll show you touchy touchy.” Without thinking, I’m reaching for her, my fingers digging into her sides as I tickle her.
The sound of her laughter floats across the field, lighting up something in my soul that’s been barren and cold for years.
She squeals and folds over into herself, trying to get away. “Ah! Stop. Okay. Okay! Don’t make me knee you in the family jewels, ass man. You may want to reproduce one day.”
But I don’t want to stop, because when I do, there’s no tellin’ when I may get my hands on her again. These opportunities only come up once in a blue moon after all.
She spins away, giggling, with a large smile on her face as she tries to catch her breath. Poppy is nudging her legs, trying to get her attention for some more petting, and I have to say I never thought I’d be jealous of a goddamn cow.
“You see what he did to me, Poppy?” she rasps. “Ass man is a big ol’ meanie.”
“I’m not the one who suggested I was fucking my best friend.”
She snorts, her bright green eyes finding mine. “I forgot. You don’t fuck your friends.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to say something that would potentially end whatever good thing we have going here, but I swallow it down just in time.
We’re friends. That’s what I agreed to. I’d rather be in her life like this than not at all.
The reminder that it might never be more sours my stomach, but I pretend like everything is sunshine and rainbows.
“Nope. Sure don’t. Friendship is sacred. Don’t want to screw it up by…well…screwing.”
Her laughter brings another grin to my face. She turns toward the last rays of the day’s sun, and I take a deep breath and exhale.
“See? We’re totally rocking this friend shit. We can even talk about fucking without being remotely affected or embarassed.”
My dick pressing against my zipper disagrees, but I don’t point that out.
“Guess we’ll just have to prove all of Darling wrong then, right, sweetheart?”
She sucks that bottom lip between her teeth again before she smirks back at me.
“Right, ass man.”
“It’s gonna stick, ain’t it?”
“Yup. I think so.”
My sigh makes her giggle again, and I soak it all in. I fucking love this side of her that no one else gets to see. Maybe one day I’ll get to see even more, but until then, I’m gonna be the best damn friend she’s got.