Page 131 of Slow Heat

Vale sat up slowly, like his muscles ached and his ass was sore.

“You feeling all right?” Jason asked. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

Vale puffed air through his lips. “Hardly, darling. I’ll be ready for you again before we know it.” He blinked as Jason climbed into bed with a bowl of soup. “What’s this? Rosen made it?”

“He did.”

“Maybe we should hire a beta cook for heats,” Vale murmured, letting Jason feed him a spoonful. “Not to stay in, of course, but to prepare things to eat in advance.”

His heart fluttered hopefully. “If you’re planning for future heats with me, are you going to sign the contract now?”

Vale shrugged. “Maybe. Do we need one? Legally, everything that’s mine is yours anyway. And the rest is details.”

“Do you not want to contract with me? Truly?”

Vale’s dark lashes touched his cheekbones. “If we don’t contract, you could still take a surrogate and—”

“Stop, Vale.” Jason held out another scoop of soup. “Eat more and then we’ll talk.”

Vale took several more proffered spoonfuls and then scooted back. “Enough.”

Jason didn’t argue. Omegas were notoriously hard to feed during heat so their colons could be put to a use better than elimination. “Listen carefully, now. I will never take a surrogate. Do you understand?”

“You are a stubborn man, Jason Sabel,” Vale said with a dark glance through his lashes.

Jason put the bowl on the nightstand and then moved to a comfortable place on the pillow, gazing warmly at Vale’s vulnerable expression. “Did you really think you’d scare me away with your confession?”

Vale rubbed at his beard, reminding Jason of the chafing on his own chin. It burned despite the ointment Rosen had rubbed on it. “I had hoped so, yes.”

“Why? Is being with me so terrible? An hour ago, you were sobbing about the perfection of my knot.”

Vale rolled his eyes, a fond smile on his lips. “You’re an asshole.”

Jason grinned. “No, you are.”

“I think we’ve had this conversation before.”

“And it ended with you begging me to fuck you. I suspect this one will end the same way.” Jason puffed up.

“You’re awfully proud of yourself, aren’t you?” Vale asked.

“Making my omega cry with joy before he came so hard he passed out? Yes, I’m proud. I’m downright egotistical about it. I’m going take out an ad in the newspaper to announce it to the world and paint a big sign by the side of the busiest road in the Calitan section of town.”

Vale giggled and it sent a ripple of joy up Jason’s spine. “You silly, beautiful boy.”

Jason cuddled Vale closer. “Vale, I need to tell you how sorry I am.”

“For what?”

“I should have told you immediately, as soon as you told me, that what happened to you during that rebound heat wasn’t your fault.”

“It was my fault. If I hadn’t—”

“What happened to you wasn’t your fault,” Jason said again, authority filling his tone. “I want you to let that guilt go now. Do you understand?”

Vale swallowed hard. “Yes.”

Jason kissed his mouth softly. “Also, thank you for telling me. That’s what I should have said that first day. But I was an idiot and did everything all wrong. I’m sorry.”