17. Ready
Ready
JON
Whatever Cooper saw in my eyes, or felt in my kiss, seemed to settle something in him.
He gave a tiny, satisfied nod that was followed by an enormous yawn.
I shifted my grip, one arm firmly around his waist, the other sliding up to the nape of his neck, fingers tangling in his curls that were damp from the heat pushing through.
He let out a small sob—half relief, half surrender.
“You’re tired,” I murmured. My instincts were screaming at the sight of his drooping eyelids. The adrenaline of the reveal was fading, leaving him fragile. He needed to rest. I tried to ease him down onto his back, but he resisted, his hands clawing weakly at my chest.
“Not tired. I need things,” he mumbled, his scent flaring into something heady and almost desperate. “Don’t let go yet.”
“I won’t. What things?”
“Important things. Omega things. Top priority. Urgent.”
My heartbeat quickened. Cooper needed things, and I felt like every fiber of my being was wired to give him whatever he needed.
“Name them.”
He nodded, looking immensely pleased with this situation.
“First of all,” he said, pulling my face down toward his with a sudden burst of energy. “There needs to be significantly more kissing.”
“Of course.” I obliged, ghosting my lips against his until he sighed in satisfaction.
“And,” he added, another massive yawn cracking his jaw and ruining his serious expression. “You should hold me. But more. Like—” He wiggled, trying to pull me completely on top of him.
I braced my weight on my elbows, providing the heavy, grounding pressure he wanted without actually crushing him.
“Like I can’t go anywhere,” he finished, his legs tangling with mine as he sought every possible inch of contact.
I tightened my arms, pinning him to the mattress. “Like that?”
He made a soft, purring sound of approval. “Yes. Exactly like that. That’s some high-quality anchoring, Alpha.”
I felt ridiculously proud.
“And now,” he mumbled, his voice fading into the fabric of my undershirt. “We can officially start the pleasure.”
My lips twitched. “Now,” I corrected gently. “You should sleep. We have a lot of driving to do tomorrow.”
He squinted at me.
“No, not sleep. You need to keep looking at me like that. Like you’re undressing me with your eyes.”
I huffed a quiet laugh, my forehead resting against his. “Sure, Coop.”
“And then,” he added, his body going heavy and pliant as he sagged deeper into the mattress. “You should touch me until I forget my own name.” He yawned again. “And my social security number.”
I leaned down and pressed a kiss to his forehead, breathing in the sweetness of his skin.
“You can start whenever,” he mumbled, his words slurring together. “I’m ready for action.”
I held my breath as his grip on my shirt loosened. It only took one second for his body to go completely limp.
He was sound asleep.
I rolled over next to him, keeping him tucked firmly against my side so he wouldn’t feel the loss of contact.
I reached for the new blanket with my free hand, adjusting the edges until he was perfectly cocooned.
Finally, the tension in my shoulders broke.
I smelled his hair and pressed another kiss to his temple.
Then I fell asleep too.
Next to my Omega. My Cooper.
In this messy, perfect nest he had built for us.