Page 11

It’s so funny that Gideon laughs with the joy of it. It’s the first time really in months that he’s let himself feel this kind of freedom.

He jogs toward the house, letting his hand slide up the inside of Nix’s thigh, and then sucks those fingers into his mouth. Nix’s slick has always been delicious, but now it’s truly ambrosia, as Grayson had once called it. The nectar of the Goddess. Silky, smooth, and sweet like the best candy.

The house is closer than Gideon thinks, and maybe Nix hadn’t been running that fast when he’d set off into the wintry afternoon. The cover is off the pool and there is a mound of wet clothes on the pool deck, already covered in a light layer of snow.

Shit, what happened?

Wet-headed Rowan and Grayson are surrounded by blankets on the couch with the others, and Gideon can only imagine what had them looking like wet cats and smelling like dead leaves and chlorine.

“Everyone okay?” They’re looking at Jay’s phone, and Luca’s cheeks are pink. But Grayson nods.

Nix wiggles like he might get down and give Gideon another reason to chase him, so he smacks him again and turns toward the left-wing and his bedroom. Gideon will give him a nice shower and maybe warm him up in other ways, too.

“Put me down, Gideon Carnell. Right now. Fuck you. Fuck you, I say! You’re not the boss of me!”

It’s all for the benefit of the others, of course, and he hears Jay chuckle.

Gideon takes the stairs two at a time, and when he pushes open the door his room smells stale. He’d not been spending any time here really, choosing to sleep with the mates he missed like a limb when he was home.

He wastes no time in the room proper, instead heading into the en suite to turn the shower on and dump Nix under the warm spray, fully clothed.

“Ow! That’s hot.”

“It just feels hot because you’re cold. Give it a minute.”

Gideon undresses him and throws their sopping wet, likely ruined clothes into the hamper, before joining him under the spray.

“See?”

“Mmm,” Nix hums, resting his petal-soft cheek on Gideon’s chest while Gideon reaches for the soap.

He washes his mate’s back and butt, then up under his hair and along his shoulders. He slaps his butt gently.

“Let me see your front.”

“Okay,” Nix says drowsily.

The water courses down over the planes of Nix’s narrow chest, and Gideon follows it with soapy hands, slipping in the divot of his belly button and over his rounded tummy.

Going to his knees, Gideon places two soft kisses on the silky, firm shape of their pack babies. He looks too small to be carrying the pack’s future, but he’s undeniably beautiful .

There’s a giggle, and when Gideon looks up, Nix is smiling. “You’re actually sweet, you know?”

No, Gideon did not consider himself sweet.

He shakes his head and lets the water rinse the soap and his “sweet” kisses away. He squeezes Nix’s bum with both hands—and promptly gets a hard cock nudging his chin for the trouble.

Laughing under his breath, he takes a moment to rub his stubbled jaw over the smooth head.

“Ow! Hey!” Nix pushes his hips forward, though, and Gideon has to do it again, before sucking his mate’s perfect cock into his mouth.

The cold had softened it a bit, but it takes mere seconds before Gideon has a mouthful.

“Gideon. Oh, my god.”

Nix’s hands slide into his dripping hair, and when Gideon carefully grasps his slippery thighs and stands up, Nix is just aware enough to bend over Gideon’s head.

“Gideon! Whoa.”

Gideon just sucks harder as he takes them back into his room and only releases his dick when he lays Nix on the bed.

“What was that?”

“Didn’t want to let you go, but I am tired of being wet.” He uses a towel on the end of the bed to dry Nix’s front and then his own body. “But I like it when you are, omega. Color?”

Goosebumps fly over Nix’s skin in a wave, and his baby bump is even more prominent when he’s lying on his back.

Gideon can’t resist running his nose over each hip bone and pressing his nose deep into his omega’s navel.

“Fuck, Kitten. You are good enough to eat.”

“Yes. Do that,” Nix begs breathlessly, trying to get Gideon’s mouth back on his leaking dick.

“Oh no, I think I promised you something new. Yeah?”

“New?”

“Mmm. But you have a choice. ”

That perks him up, and he goes to his elbows with interest. “Oooh, Luca told me about this. You torture him, but he gets to choose how. Okay. Tell me.”

Gideon laughs. “You guys talk about it outside of when we do it?” he asks, and gets off the bed so he can dig around in the toy chest.

“Yeah, we talk about everything. He’s taught me all kinds of tips and tricks.”

Nix rolls to his side and props his head up on his hand, running his hand over the mound of blankets.

“Oh, he has, has he? Like what?” Gideon asks while he opens the top drawer on the toy chest.

“I don’t want to betray his secrets…and aren’t you going to make me come? I’m waiting.”

“Secrets? Luca and I have no secrets,” Gideon says confidently, only to have Nix tilt his head to the side and squint.

“No? Okay. I’ll make it up to him later. What about when he’s blowing you and he uses a two-finger rhythm on your perineum? Did you know he’s playing chords to Another One Bites the Dust ?”

Nix shows him the easily recognized rhythm with his fingers and hums the riff.

That little shit.

Nix laughs and rolls back on Gideon’s messy bed with glee. “Told you so!”

Dropping the first toy he’d chosen back in the drawer, Gideon chooses two different ones. He is going to enjoy this.

“I have a few secrets of my own. Are you ready?”