Page 13 of Lilacs and Leather
One step at a time, Cooper. First, you need to make sure she doesn’t have a mate.
Right. I’ll go back on Saturday and see if she’ll agree to a proper date. Or maybe just talk a little more. Slow and steady.
I get out of my car and head inside, the smell of food, something garlicky and savory, drawing me toward the kitchen. Lucas is there, aggressively chopping vegetables next to the island cooktop. His shoulders are tense, brow furrowed in concentration. There’s a sizzling pan next to him, and his gaze flicks to it now and then, monitoring. I slide behind him, wrapping an arm around his middle, and kiss his neck lightly. His scent is strong: smoke, sugar, and graham crackers.
“What are we having tonight, Luc?” I whisper in his ear, nuzzling my nose against the junction of his neck and shoulder. The warmth of him in my arms, the fit of him against me is like slipping into a favorite shirt, comforting and secure.
He shivers and wriggles a little in my hold, moving the vegetables he was chopping into the pan.
“Nothing if you make me burn this,” he growls.
I laugh and let him go, but not before kissing his neck one more time. He inhales at the contact, and his eyes follow me as I round the island and take a seat on one of the stools.
“Why do you smell like flowers?” Lucas asks sharply.
I roll my eyes. “I visited a florist on my way home.”
“Are you planning a wedding and not telling us? I’m flattered, of course. But you could at least do me the courtesy of proposing before you book the vendors,” Luc says, a brow cocked.
I chuckle at his humor. “If we were getting married, you’d know. No, I was just looking for something.”
Luc nods absently, only to freeze a moment later and look at me with slightly widened eyes. “You told Lex this wasn’t about that omega.”
“But I found her,” I say, dropping my voice.
Lucas picks up a spoon and stirs the pan, chewing on his bottom lip. I keep my gaze on his face. It’s tight, but not angry, and his eyes are dark with swirling thoughts. Lucas has never been particularly jealous when we’ve pursued relationships outside of our own, but none of those past flings had ever been with an omega. I let the silence linger, giving him space to think. If he has something to say, he’ll tell me. That’s one of the things I love about my beta. He isn’t afraid to speak his mind or hold back for the sake of feelings.
“Did you do anything?” he asks, not looking at me.
I blink, his low, cautious tone catching me off guard. “No. Would there be a problem if I did?” I ask slowly.
Lucas bobs his head, not a yes or a no. “If that’s her scent you’ve got all over you, I’m surprised you didn’t at least get her number. Omegas who smell that good don’t stay on the market for long.”
I blink again. I open my mouth to reply, but he goes on.
“I mean, I get it. I’m just a beta, and you’re an alpha. It’s not like I haven’t been expecting you to find an omega sooner or later.” He’s talking to the pan, scraping the bottom with his spoon.
“Luc, look at me.” I growl, narrowing my eyes.
“Dude, it’s cool. I’m not mad. I’ve got Lex anyway. We can be adults about this,” he says, shrugging.
I get up and round the island in four strides. “Lucas, look at me,” I snap, moving directly into his space.
He shudders at my tone, not quite an alpha bark but definitely not a suggestion. His eyes, stormy blue gray, meet mine, petulance and something a little sad sparking in them.
“You are mine, Lucas. No one is going to replace you, ever. Alpha, beta, omega, none of that shit matters. I love you, and that’s never going to change, no matter who comes along,” I say, speaking slowly and clearly.
He starts to turn back to the food. “Yeah, I know, but—”
I wrap my hand around the back of his neck, forcing his eyes to stay with me. “There is no ‘but.’ This omega is a stranger. You are pack. Bond or no bond, you’re mine. And I’m yours. Do you need a reminder of that?” I cut across him, speaking slightly louder.
He swallows, and I see the doubt in his eyes. I lean in and claim his mouth with mine. I wrap my other arm around his middle, pulling him tight to my chest. Lucas tries to pull away, but I push my tongue into his mouth. With a moan, he relents, and his arms come to snake around me, one of his hands fisting into my hair. His mouth is like a song I know by heart, each movement the melody that’s been in my head for the last three years. My heart is a strong, kicking beat against my ribs, and there’s a familiar swoop of excitement in my gut, the same one I felt when we kissed for the first time. Lucas melts into me, and I worship his mouth with mine, grinding my hips to his. His cock is hard already and pushing back against me as we speak with our bodies, a call and answer etched into our bones.
I push him back, pinning him between the cabinets and my body. My hands slide down his stomach, finding the hem of his shirt. I feel the goosebumps rise on his skin as my fingers scrape against the toned muscles under the material. He pulls away, gasping for air. I trail my mouth along his jaw, down to his neck. My need for him rises in my belly, my cock already throbbing for him.
“Rhett, dinner—”
“Leave it. We’ll order out,” I growl, nipping at his neck.