Page 57 of Lilacs and Leather
“Yvette says that the service staff of any upstanding hotel should be as unobtrusive as possible, especially when inside of the guest rooms. I’ve tried to tell her that isn’t really necessary, but she’s been in the hospitality industry longer than I’ve been alive.”
The sound of Rhett’s voice makes me jump out of my skin, my head whipping around to see him standing in the mouth of his hallway. He’s changed out of the slacks and button down and into jeans and a zip-up jacket over a T-shirt. His hair is still damp, brushed off to one side, head tilted slightly and a gentle smile pulling at his lips. He nods toward the food, and I follow him over to the island. He pulls two champagne flutes from inside of a cabinet and pours our drinks as I sit down on one of the island stools and remove the lids.
I moan a little at the smell of delicious breakfast carbs as it wafts up to me in the steam. Rhett sits next to me and pulls a plate of waffles, eggs, and sausage toward him. My pancakes are heavenly, topped with whipped butter and real maple syrup. We eat in silence for a while, just enjoying the food.
“Mateo said that you were worried about us,” Rhett says into the quiet, making me jump.
I shrug, unable to help the coil of tension in my gut. “I’m just—this is all new to me, and I don’t want to step on any toes.”
“Lydia, you’re handling this all remarkably well for never being in a poly relationship before,” Rhett says soothingly.
I blush a little, pushing a bit of egg around my plate to avoid looking at him.
“If you’ve got questions, please ask them,” Rhett prompts when I don’t respond.
I let out a long sigh, trying to relax. I take a drink from my mimosa, hoping a little liquid courage can make this less awkward.
“Are you and Mateo…” I trail off, my face heating even more.
“Together? Not in that way. I love him to death, and I’d be lying if I said that we haven’t experimented on a few occasions just out of curiosity, but since we’re both tops, it didn’t last,” Rhett explains patiently.
I snap my wide-eyed gaze to him, face heating for an entirely different reason. The image of Rhett and Mateo together, hands touching bare chests and mouths battling for dominance, flashes through my mind and I have to fight to push it aside. Rhett’s nostrils flare, and a smirk pulls at one corner of his mouth.
“Wicked girl, you are. And here I thought Mateo was just being a tease,” Rhett purrs, making my lower belly flutter.
I clear my throat, looking away again. “And what about Lucas?”
“At first it was just him and I, but he’s developed a relationship with Lex as well. We’re committed to each other, and he means the world to me,” Rhett says warmly.
I nod, considering everything he’s said. They seem to have their dynamics in balance, and a little voice in the back of my head is green with envy. They have a support system within their pack, and it’s clear that they care deeply about each other just from the way they talk about the other members.
“I meant what I said on our first date, Lydia. I’m drawn to you in a way that I haven’t experienced before, and I want to make this work. But I understand if this is a lifestyle that doesn’t appeal to you,” Rhett says, and the emotion in his voice draws my eyes to his face.
His icy eyes swim with concern, his scent shifting toward leather and old books as I look at his earnest expression. I wait for my gut to respond, to warn me away from this. Alphas can’t be this generous; it’s not in their nature to share an omega. But no warning bells go off in my head. Rhett’s honesty, combined with his relaxed and understanding reaction to finding me coming out of Mateo’s room earlier, settles something into place in my chest. But Rhett deserves to know what sort of baggage I’m bringing with me before we take the leap.
“I do want to try. But there’s a story I need to tell you first,” I start.
Rhett nods, his eyes trained on my face as his expression slips into a serious frown. I look away, trying to gather my thoughts and figure out how to word this.
“The phone call from Wila was about a piece of mail that got sent to the shop for me. I usually don’t get personal mail there, so she wanted to call me to get permission to open it,” I say, tracing patterns on the marble counter with my finger.
“What was it?” Rhett asks after a moment.
“An invitation. To my brother’s wedding.” I stare at the counter, picking at a chip in the stone.
“Why would that be sent to Wila’s and not to your apartment?” Rhett prompts, tone neutral.
“My mother’s father passed away recently, and I sent flowers to the funeral. A business card made it into the package, along with my condolence note. It’s the only address they have for me. Jason is the only person in my immediate family that knows where I live.”
“Why only him?”
“He’s the one who helped me when I needed to run. He set me up with a friend of his from college while I was getting on my feet. Also, he’s my emergency contact if anything happens to me, so I gave him my new address when I got my own place.”
Rhett is silent for a moment, and I let him absorb that information. I take steady breaths, trying to keep my mind from spiraling. My skin feels cold, and I have to stop myself from wiping my sweaty palms on the pristine marble. I twist my fingers, leaning heavily on my elbows as they rest on the countertop, counting my breathing again. Rhett’s touch startles me a little as he takes one of my hands in his, lacing our fingers together. The warmth of his skin, the squeeze of his grip, settles something in me.
“What do you mean when you say that you ‘needed to run’?” he asks slowly, voice barely above a whisper.
I press my lips together as I take a long breath in and out through my nose. I squeeze his hand for a moment, my other pressing flat. “This is where things get long, complicated, and ugly,” I whisper back.