Page 285 of The Omega Exchange: Omnibus

Nik doesn’t stop, he pulls me past it, and that’s when I really fall in love with this room.

There’s a bed larger than anything I’ve seen. It must be one and a half or two king-sized beds. It has a matte black headboard, a white comforter that’s thick and puffy, and too many pillows to count.

There’s a smaller flat screen on the wall at the footboard of the bed and under it is a freakingfireplace. But the double French doors past all of that draw my attention.

“You’ll love this,” Nik says, guiding us forward with a hand on my ass. He opens one of the doors, and I’m glad he’s practically holding me up at this point. There’s a deck with a view of the pool and, past it, the backyard. This side of the house backs up to the water, and even though it’s chilly out, I know I could curl up in one of the plush chairs and be content to write out here every single day of my life.

“Wow,” I whisper, taking everything in.

“Wait until spring, it’s magnificent when the willows and the cherry trees are really in their prime.” Nik grins, nodding to the trees.

“I can only imagine.”

“You won’t have to,” Oliver says, popping up on my other side. “You’ll see it in a couple of months.” He sounds so sure that it puts me at ease. I know we bonded, but it’s all so new. I don’t even fully understand how to block my thoughts or emotions and how to send them through, but I can’t wait to figure it all out.

Oliver heads off to see about something for dinner and to check in on Miller and Carver. I heard the guys mentioning something about hiring movers for Carver, but I only got the basics. Honestly, I’m surprised my brain is working at all.

It’s been a whirlwind since I met them. Nik briefly shows me the main bathroom and it’s bigger than my entire garage apartment back at my mom’s.

I honestly don’t think I’d be comfortable with them coming home with me. I feel like maybe they see me one way, and if they see where I’m from...

I blow out a shaky breath. Material possessions aren’t everything. It’s hard. I know I don’t fit in here, but I will do my best to not embarrass them in front of their friends and family.

A pang of pure terror floods my system at the thought. I’ve done a pretty good job of hiding my identity, but the reality is anyone could link me to my pen name. I really don’t know how that could impact Nik or Oliver’s careers.

Ben was very clear that he didn’t want any of his family to know what I write. My mom was supportive, right up until she got around to reading my first book.

“Can I show you the rest?” Nik asks, using his grip on my hips to pull me flush with his front. “The nest is extremely basic at the moment, but that’s because we want you to set it up to your liking.”

His short dark stubble is a little longer than it was at the hotel. Combined with the searching look and his tight hold on my hips, it makes it very hard not to climb him.

I’ve had the least opportunity to really get to know Nik, but I am comfortable with him.

It’s just hard. I think he’s the one who’s most likely to change their mind once I start getting as big as a house. I guess everything felt a lot more insulated at the hotel. I’m sure he has female fans, and Oliver insinuated that women tend to throw themselves at Nik.

“Come on. I want to get this out of the way so you can pick a spot and settle in. You need rest,” Nik says, wrapping his arm around my lower back and turning us so we can head further down the hallway.

The nest is of a similar style to the one at the hotel. Except where there was a circular cushion, this nest has a massiverecessed square area that faces a full floor-to-ceiling window that also looks out over the yard and has a view of the water. There’s eight or ten feet of open carpet flooring from where we are by the door. If you look straight ahead, you see the sunken nest and the wall of windows.

“It has a panel that can be lowered when we’re nesting,” Nik says, sliding his hand up the bottom of my dress. He palms my ass cheek with his scratchy fingers.

“It’s amazing.”

To the right is a wall that has an open area you can walk through. There are steps that lead to a giant mattress-style nest. It’s fully enclosed on three sides. Both aisles alongside the nest have carpeting and small end tables near the top where the pillows are.

It doesn’t have any natural lighting, but I like that. My impulses immediately love it.

“There’s a curtain that can be closed to block off the entire back wall,” Nik says, flicking several switches on the wall. “There are different light settings and even music or nature sounds. There’s white and pink noise, but honestly?” He laughs, shaking his head. “I couldn’t tell you which is which.”

“I love it,” I assure him. Turning to face him, I stretch up on my tiptoes and kiss the edge of his mouth.

“Good,” he growls, lifting me into the air. My legs twine around his ass and then my back is hitting the wall. “Shit, I know I need to be gentle with you... it’s hard. I’ve been fighting my impulses all day.”

He tilts my head to the side, licking his way down my neck.

“Why?” I ask.

“I know Oliver is my packmate. The two of you bonding is agoodthing, but I’m territorial under the best of conditions. My teeth ache with the urge to claim you.” He scrapes his teeth overmy throat, and I whine in response. “You want that too, don’t you, gorgeous?”