Page 53 of Lilacs and Leather
“In my defense, you are very distracting,” he replies with mock seriousness.
It only makes me laugh more, and the movement makes his knot press against me, an orgasm flooding my veins with warmth. He groans as my walls flutter, pressing a long kiss to my shoulder. When it passes, I let out a long, satisfied sigh.
“I wasn’t in heat, but he tried to force it and when that failed, he tried to force the bond anyway,” I say, my voice distant.
“Is it wrong of me to say that I’m glad it didn’t work?” Mateo says sheepishly.
I turn my head back, looking at him in alarm. He kisses me softly, and I can’t help but melt a little.
“I’m not glad you had to go through it, baby. I’d never think that. But I’m glad that the fucker who tried to trap you failed. Bad things happen to good people, but it all adds up to make you who you are today. And I really like you, Lydia,” he explains, and I can see the boyish smile lighting up his entire face as he talks.
My face flushes hot, and I look away with a bashful smile. Mateo hums a little laugh, snuggling close. I bask in the warmth of his arms, my heart full and mind at peace. We’re quiet for another long moment, and his knot finally deflates enough for him to slip free. He kisses my shoulder lightly before sliding out of bed. I hear a door open behind me, and I roll over, hissing as the bathroom light blinds me for a moment. I open my eyes and watch Mateo running a washcloth under water in his bathroom sink. With more light, I see the detail of his rib tattoo. A little warm patch in my chest appears as I realize I was right. Mateo and Rhett have matching tattoos.
He crosses back to me, and I let him wipe me clean with the cloth. His touch is gentle, and I sigh, suddenly tired and relaxed. His weight disappears for a moment before I feel the blankets below me pull taught. I crawl under the soft sheets, letting Mateo pull me into his arms again.
“What does your tattoo mean?” I ask through a yawn.
“Gonna have to be a little more specific, baby,” Mateo replies with a soft laugh.
I poke him in the ribs, making him laugh harder. “That one. Rhett has it, too.”
“All of us, Rhett and Lexi and Luc and me, got it when we made our pack official. It’s Latin. It means ‘Bonds stronger than blood.’”
Twenty-One
Rhett
I pull into the front lot of Wickland House and frown as I find Mateo’s SUV parked in his reserved spot.He rarely stays in the pack suite, but considering he went out with Lydia last night, and this is closer to her apartment, he may have crashed here after they got home. Not that she owes me anything, but she didn’t respond to my goodnight text so they must have been out late. I pull my suitcase from my trunk, wheeling it behind me with one hand as I take my phone out with the other. It’s midmorning, but Mateo should be awake, since he still has to work today.
Me: I’m at Wickland House and coming up to the suite. Make sure you’re wearing pants.
Mateo: You’re home early
Me: Found an earlier flight
Mateo: You sticking around for long?
Me: I was going to shower and eat something before heading over to Lydia’s. Why? Got company?
Mateo: Something like that.
My brows pull down at that cryptic message. Mateo wasn’t one to kiss and tell on the best of days, and I’d hope if he brought someone home, he’d at least had the courtesy of taking Lydia back to her place first.
I scan my access badge at the private elevator and board it with a sigh, thoughts still on Lydia. I’d texted her earlier to let her know I was going to be home early but haven’t heard anything back. It’s her weekend off, so I’m hoping she’s just sleeping in. Maybe I could surprise her with a late brunch in bed. By the time the door elevator opens into the suite common room, I’m looking at takeout menus for places that still serve breakfast past 10 AM on my phone. I walk in without looking up but stop in my tracks as I spot a woman’s shoe on the floor. The scent of lilacs and honey hits me a moment later.
My head snaps up, and Mateo is leaning against the wall at the entrance of the hallway that leads to his bedroom. The sound of a shower running fills the tense silence that stretches between us. Mateo’s only dressed in a pair of gym shorts, with his hands tucked into the pockets. His posture is relaxed, but it doesn’t escape my notice that he’s put himself between me and his bedroom door.
“Why is Lydia here?” I ask, surprised by how calm my voice is.
“She stayed the night with me,” Mateo replies neutrally.
“Stayed the night, orstayed the night?” I ask, hand tightening on the handle of my suitcase.
“So, what’snotgoing to happen here is you getting mad at her for any of this. Everything that happened was consensual. You can get off your high horse with the possessive alpha bullshit, because sleeping with Lydia isn’t a fucking competition,” Mateo snaps with a startling amount of heat.
His words make my brain stall out, all of my swirling thoughts halting in their tracks. I let out a long breath, shaking my head. Of course, Mateo could see through me. He’s always been an expert of cutting through to the heart of me, even if I really wish he wouldn’t at times. But he’d hit the nail on the head. One mention of Lydia being with someone else, and the primal part of my mind went into a tailspin. But I have no ground to stand on in this particular case. I can’t expect monogamy from Lydia when I’m still actively involved with Lucas.
“I know,” I say at last, shoulders slumping, eyes drifting away toward the sound of the shower behind him.