Page 9

The pool deck is still wet, and when they get inside, everyone—except Grayson—is sitting on the sectional. Every single one of his mates is focused on Leo, who’s animatedly telling his story.

“So when I said we were done with them pushing back on every little thing—” Leo starts, but he breaks off when Gideon and Rowan arrive.

“Come on, you two. Leo was just about to tell everyone how fucking hot he was.”

Jay seems lighter, his eyes bright and his dimple on full display.

Nix is draped across his lap, bare legs sideways so Leo can rub his calves and ankles—while Nix reaches for his beloved biceps, kneading them like a cat making biscuits.

“Fuck off. You’d already scared them shitless. You should’ve seen their faces when we blew in there. We didn’t wear scent patches, and they were shooketh . They all wanted to bend over.”

Leo laughs, shaking his head at the memory.

Gideon doesn’t point out how they also like to bend over for Jay—but for entirely different reasons.

“Get on with it, Leo.”

Cheeks pink, he buries his nose in Nix’s neck.

How Jay can be so intimidating and also humbly shy at the same time is amazing—and certainly part of his vast charm.

“Yeah, yeah. Okay, so I told them we were done, and then Bart from Ripley’s Legal pulled out his contract and started citing our obligations and commitments and blah-fucking-blah. But then— ”

“I whipped out the codicil where we can terminate permanently as long as we aren’t in the middle of an album promotion . I just slammed it down, and the whole room went silent. It was so awesome.”

He’s so fucking cute when he claps his hands and wiggles his now-pantsless butt.

“To be fair, he also yelled, Take that up your ass, bitches. He was epic,” Jay says, his expression pure fondness and pride.

“I have always wanted to say that,” Luca whispers to Finn, who is in new pants but whose hair is still sticking up all over. His glasses have a big smudge on the left lens.

Gideon guesses two back-to-back orgasms without knotting can really take it out of a person.

Fresh from his shower, Grayson slips back into the room and squishes in behind Jay, who sits up so he can rest partly with his back against Grayson’s chest. It makes it easy for Grayson to kiss his neck and slide a hand in and around Nix’s belly, up under a fresh white t-shirt.

Their omega still smells like sex, his nipples puffy under his shirt, but it’s Jay’s suit pants that Gideon’s concerned for—because Nix is definitely enjoying hearing about how badass their mates were.

Or maybe it’s the suit pants and rolled-up sleeves, revealing veiny forearms and… hey, now.

Gideon tries to wrangle his own aroused scent under control, but it gives him an idea for later—he really is a genius if he does say so himself.

“So, you’re done with them? Are they really going to let their biggest money-maker go that easily?” Gideon asks skeptically—nothing can be that easy.

“Fuck yes, we are, and no, they are not,” Jay says. “They were apologetic enough to start with—said they’d fix the problems with scheduling or get us a new manager. I don’t think they thought we were serious, you know?”

“Even after Luca made his big gesture?” Gideon asks, eyebrow raised.

He’s glad Rowan hadn’t been required to go. Even though the enigma is integral to LRH, he wasn’t included as part of the production team. He’d been adamant he didn’t need the contract altered, and now Gideon can see why.

Rowan looks relieved to have avoided the drama.

“Even then. I just looked at Dad and said, ‘ We are done here ,’ and he just slid the termination across the table.

“According to the contract, Long Road Home has forty-eight hours to clear the server of any works-in-progress with no interference. We will not be completing any material for other parties as part of the Ripley conglomerate but may consider doing so on an ad hoc basis.

“Effective immediately, Long Road Home is no longer affiliated with Ripley Entertainment.

“My favorite part, though, was when he told them they had to turn over the masters for all Long Road Home music. I think he made Bart cry.”

“Your dad is epic,” Luca sighs.

He has always had a bit of a crush on Leo’s father—no denying his daddy issues, that’s for sure.

“So then you just walked out?” Nix whispers. “No one…tried to stop or hurt you?”

“Hurt us? No, baby. We just picked up our shit, Rowan’s kit and said goodbye to the studio we’ve been in since we interned.”

Jay hums into Nix’s hair. “It was a bit sad, sure, but we feel good. We haven’t been happy there for a while.”

Nix turns so he can see Jay’s face better, and Gideon’s heart breaks for him.

“It’s not my fault that you have to be done there?”

Luca climbs onto Leo like he’s done every day for ten years—Leo just opens his arms so they can cuddle in close.

“Baby, it’s not your fault. You made it possible for us to free ourselves. We were doing okay. Our lives were good, and we were happy, right?”

Luca looks at each of them, and they nod or hum in agreement.

“Right. We were happy, but we missed you. Even before we knew you were alive, we missed you in our lives.”

Tears slip down Nix’s cheeks, and Luca wipes one away with his fingertip.

“We missed you so much that when we found you again and you came home, we were more than happy. We were so full of joy, and you filled all our empty spots. We don’t want to let Ripley be enough. We want…” Luca runs out of steam.

“Everything,” Rowan says from his place at Gideon’s feet. “We want everything life has to offer, and we want it together. All of us. Right?”

Jay chuckles. “Right. We want everything, so we aren’t letting Ripley hold us back. Thank you for that.”

Finn grunts as Tsuki clambers into his now-empty lap. Gideon had forgotten about her in the shuffle.

“Even Tsuki was being held back. Dog, move your paw off my junk. Ow…fuck…why must you sit on me? There is a whole couch cushion right here.”

She doesn’t budge, though—just settles in Finn’s arms while Nix coos.

“Aw, Finn, she thinks you’re her daddy.”

For once, Finn is at a loss for a snappy comeback, and Grayson coughs while Rowan guffaws so loud he startles Tsuki into a loud, deep bark.

“So, what does that mean for Long Road Home now?” Grayson asks, his face shifting from a smile to a serious frown, an attractive wrinkle forming between his eyes.

Nix gets up and settles himself in Gideon’s lap so he can see all of Long Road Home at once. Rowan rests his head in Nix’s lap, letting their omega pet him behind the ears and over his eyebrows in featherlight touches.

Gideon is rarely content when there’s talk about his family being at risk, but a lap full of cuddly kitten goes a long way toward settling him in the present.

Jay smiles. “Well, we’re going out on our own. You’re looking at the brand-new Long Road Home owned production company.”

Holy shit.

It’s been Luca’s dream. The other members of the band have only ever alluded to it. Gideon had thought maybe they might try one of the other companies that regularly tried to headhunt them.

But being on their own?

Luca has talked non-stop about it on many occasions .

He knows what Luca has always wanted to call it, so Gideon says it first.

“Phoenix Rising Records.”

Their soul bond is suddenly bright, flaring with affection.

Luca shouts, “Yes! Fucking finally. Phoenix Rising. I am so excited, I might die.”

He falls backward, and Leo catches him over his arm—only to blow raspberries on his tummy.

“Phoenix Rising,” Rowan says with awe, looking right at their own rising Phoenix for his reaction. “We had talked about it before. We wanted to…uh, have you with us, you know?”

Nix’s eyes well up again. “Really? But I’m here now. Surely you’ll want to choose something else?”

“Something else? No fucking way. It’s awesome.” Luca sighs at the last part, and Gideon knows it’s true.

“It’s exactly right. Wouldn’t change a thing. As far as making the announcement and new socials, we’re working with our own public relations company. Logan referred them to me and says they do great work for his firm. The rep’s name is Margot Duponte. What was it, Leo? I think Logan said she went to school with you?”

Jay is trying to keep a straight face—and failing.

“Ha, fucking ha. And before you make a big deal of it, I dated her in seventh grade. Before I met Luca.”

“Ooh, you had more than just hot boys in your room, then? I don’t think I’m going to like her at all.”

Nix sounds like he’s joking, but if Gideon puts his nose into his omega’s neck, he can smell that he is genuinely jealous.

It’s beyond cute—especially when those days are long gone, and there’s no one more loyal than Leo Costas.

“Before you figured out you were strictly dickly, you mean?” Finn mutters.

Gideon is saved from separating Leo from Finn’s throat by the buzzer at the gate. Checking the security camera on his phone, he spots a huge delivery truck outside. He stands Nix up so he can get the gate, but the moment he does, Nix just sits right back down—this time with Finn and Tsuki.

His camera app shows two adult heat signatures—one male, and one female. The truck’s registration comes back as company-owned when he runs it (No, don’t ask how he has illegal access to DMV records, among other things). Seems innocent enough, but Gideon isn’t taking any chances.

“Hey! Quiet down. There’s a truck with a huge-ass delivery. Who ordered it, and why is it shoes, Rowan?”

Curse that man and his sneaker addiction.

Gideon allows the truck to lumber through the gates but catches Jay’s eye. With a wave of his chin, Jay herds Nix, Finn, and Tsuki out the back door—toward the yard and out of sight of the clear glass doors.

“Wasn’t me! This time. I swear,” Rowan whines as Gideon keeps a close eye on the delivery workers.

“It’s for Nix. He and I ordered shit yesterday. Replacement stuff for his room and—hopefully—a new mattress.”

Leo stands so he can open both front doors, making it easier to unload.

By the time the truck clears the gate—now empty of the Rhodes pack’s purchases and none the wiser about Gideon’s sweet-smelling omega—there is a six-by-six-foot stack of boxes piled in their living area.

A mattress stands against the wall, which Leo and Rowan immediately carry upstairs, with Luca hot on their heels, shouting:

“Pivot! Pivot! Pivot!”

Gideon has a split second to prepare for the moment Nix spots the boxes. He goes pale and stops in the doorway. He’d been first in the line of those trying to pass through, and he creates a bottleneck until Jay pushes the door wider.

Tsuki runs in circles, sniffing and growling at the new smells. Shit. Their mate is obviously overwhelmed, with his scent burnt around the edges.

Hoping he can head Nix’s rising panic off at the pass, he starts everyone in motion. “Gray, why don’t you start opening these so the mountain looks more like a mole-hill, okay? Finn, help, please. Jay, why don’t you make sure Luca isn’t scenting the mattress so much that he’s got the others naked in the process? He does not have permission until later.”

Everyone disperses except for Nix, who is still frozen. “Kitten?” Still no response. “I’m picking you up, kitten. Try not to get those claws out, I like my eyes in my head.”

Gideon sidles up slowly, tentatively touching his mate’s shoulder. Nix jolts but puts his arms around Gideon’s neck so he can lift him up, koala-style. He presses his nose in under Gideon’s ear while he walks them into the kitchen, where he places his bare butt on the counter.

“Ew, not up here—this is where food goes.” Nix’s nose wrinkles adorably.

“Not the first time, won’t be the last, and do not make me point out where my mouth has been already.” Gideon moves around the kitchen, dropping ingredients on the counter as he digs them out.

“Why must you be right all the time? Why? It’s not fair.”

Nix smiles softly, sorting the ingredients in an order Gideon hasn’t figured out yet.

Then he hops down and opens the fridge for the eggs and butter.

“Why are you like that?” he sighs dramatically. “So smart and hot, and grrrrr. Makes it hard to concentrate on anything.”

It’s surprising.

Gideon knows it shouldn’t be.

He’s got confidence to spare, and some would say he’s arrogant about it. He knows he’s skilled. Despite the lack of formal education, he’s always the first pick for trivia games after Finn.

So…maybe he is smart.

But hearing it from Nix—his new mate—hits differently.

His body betrays him with an epic blush.

Spotting it immediately, he pulls Gideon into a hug, but his eyes won’t leave his pink cheeks.

“Aw, do you like it when your kitten thinks you’re good ?” He grins, voice all sugar and tease. “Smart? Yeah? What about grrrr ?”

“No, I don’t, and whatever do you mean by, ‘ grrrr ?’” He nips Nix’s nose. “Quit that sass, or I will spank your butt and remind you who’s boss.”

There’s a burst of vanilla, and it’s not from the bottle on the counter. “ Hmmm. I think I might like to try that. Can there be a list of things I want to try and a list of ones I don’t?”

Gideon just closes his eyes and lets himself imagine his kitten’s tiny butt, red from a spanking, while he cries tears of pleasure and pain.

“Fucking hell, kitten. Yes, we can have as many lists as you like. Maybe not right now? Didn’t you want to bake Jay a cake for his birthday?” Gideon hopes this might distract his mate from his anxiety about the delivery and himself about the spankings.

“I did! Yes, oh, ha. That’s what all this is for? You’re a mind reader.” Gideon kisses his cheek and doesn’t remind him this is just what goes into a cake and that he chose two of the ingredients.

“Come on, troublemaker. Let’s bake a cake, and you can tell me about when you dated-but-didn’t-date skater-boy Jamie Rhodes.”

They spend the next hour mixing batter and baking a chocolate cake for Jay, while the others stay scarce.

Nix is a natural, eyeballing measurements like he’s done this a thousand times, all while keeping up a running commentary on Jay’s uniquely goofy teenage attempts at wooing—which, by all accounts, aren’t that different from his adult techniques.

Only Grayson stays in sight, methodically unboxing some of Nix’s things, shrinking the mountain of packages to something more manageable. Once the boxes are flattened, he catches Gideon’s eye and gestures toward the laundry area—where he’s stacked fresh pale yellow linens and an enormous pile of blankets.

He even takes the fluffy white duvet outside, shaking it out to air away the sharp chemical scent from the manufacturer.

By the time the cakes are cooling on the counter, Grayson pokes his head around the corner.

“Are we still decorating? The balloons and shit are here, and we still need to make that banner. I can’t believe we forgot. Did anyone tell Luca?”

No.

No one has told his super-sensitive soulmate that they forgot their pack leader’s birthday for the second time .

Is there ever a good time for that?

“No, dammit. You two handle decorations. I’ll find Luca and see if we can still keep it a surprise for Jay.”

Licking leftover icing off his finger, Nix whispers, “Good luck. Yikes.”

Yikes , exactly.

Gideon takes the stairs two at a time, already bracing for impact. He’s going to have to wing this one, and hopefully, the promise of sexy birthday games will be enough to ease the guilt-fueled meltdown Luca will undoubtedly have.

When he rounds the corner, Nix’s door is wide open, but Rowan’s is shut with a blue scrunchie on the doorknob. A clear signal that he and Finn are up to something delicious.

Right now, though, if Gideon’s nose is right, there’s sex happening in Luca’s room, too.

Dammit, Jay, you had one job.

He doesn’t hesitate to push the door open, where he finds Leo naked on his back with Jay’s cock in his ass, balls deep, while an equally naked Luca rides him.

Luca hasn’t come—thank fuck—but Gideon suspects that’s largely because Jay has tied a bright red ribbon around the base of Luca’s cock, pulling his balls in tight.

It’s like a pretty, pretty present.

“Gideon,” Leo gasps, reaching for him as his eyes roll back. “Fuck.”

“You okay there, Leo? This a celebration?”

The three of them have been together the longest, and they move through life the same way they move in bed—synchronized, instinctual, caught in the rhythm of a silent song only they can hear. It’s a dance, and it’s enthralling.

“Fuck, yes, it is. This is how we started, and this is how we go out.” Jay punctuates the last word with a deep thrust into Leo and a kiss to Luca’s drooling mouth. “He knows he can’t come, love. Made sure of it.”

“You’re such good boys.” Gideon steps closer, sliding his fingers into Luca’s damp hair and yanking his head back roughly. “You’re good, aren’t you, Luca?”

Luca’s breath stutters as he clenches around Leo, his whole body trembling.

“If he comes,” Gideon warns, voice edged with authority, “he’ll be sitting out tonight’s events.”

Luca moans at the threat, his fingers flexing against Jay’s sweat-slick waist.

“Fuck, do that again,” Leo groans.

Gideon growls, but Leo—bold as ever—adds, “Please.”

Instead of pulling Luca’s hair, Gideon flicks the swollen head of Luca’s cock—sharp, just enough to sting. Luca shouts, his whole body jerking, and it sets off a chain reaction. Leo groans, coming, and the clench of it drags Jay under, too.

Jay lets out a rough, wrecked sound, grabbing Luca’s waist and crushing their mouths together, all tongue and teeth. He pulls out of Leo, his knot visibly swollen as he rolls them to the side. They’re beautiful—Luca caught between them, teary and trembling, alternating between sucking on Jay’s tongue and kissing Leo’s parted lips.

There’s so much love between them that Gideon rethinks his decision. This is a celebration, after all.

“Luca,” he murmurs, softening. “You are so good. You should celebrate, too.”

Luca lets out a strangled whimper as Gideon reaches between them, pulling the red ribbon free. Jay whoops in delight, his hand on Luca’s cock in the blink of an eye, while Leo buries his teeth in Luca’s shoulder.

“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you,” Luca chants, the words spilling between gasps as his body finally tips over the edge.

Gideon leaves them to it but pops his head back in as an afterthought. “Hey, dress up for dinner. 8:00 p.m. sharp. Don’t make me come get you.”

He’s halfway down the hallway to the stairs before he hears Luca come with a shriek. He’d forgotten to mention the birthday party but has an even better idea. It won’t be a surprise, but…well, not for Jay, anyway.

He texts the group chat and hears a chorus of text notifications from all over the house.

5:00 p.m. - from Gideon – Architect of Pleasure

Dress for dinner.

I mean you too, Ro.

We missed the old man’s birthday.

He’s in the kitchen when he hears Jay yell, “Fuck you, Gideon!” and Luca wail.

5:03 p.m. - from Leo

Now look what you did

In the next instant, Gideon’s screen shows a photo of a crying Luca sitting on Jay’s lap.

5:04 p.m. - from Rowan

We’ll be there.

Do these pants count as dressing up?

Finn says no.

Gideon knows without looking that they don’t—and they barely count as dressed.

5:03 p.m. - from Grayson

Nix and I say YAY.

Gideon can see Grayson and Nix sitting in a pile of tissues and empty boxes on the couch. They actually say yay! as Grayson types it and shows him. Nix isn’t looking at the phone, though. He’s looking at Grayson with a sweet, love-sick smile on his face, and when Grayson looks up, he returns the favor. It’s nauseating but fucking cute, dammit.

Turning away, he throws a hand out to catch himself as he trips over Tsuki—who’d been sitting behind him, no doubt waiting for a treat…or for him to declare his undying devotion. The crash is loud—he flings the pot he was holding across the room and knocks into the drying cake pans as he hits the floor.

Tsuki just barks, and when Gideon rolls onto his back, she lays her head on his belly with a sigh—as if this had been her plan all along. And why had he been so noisy doing it?

Only Grayson and Nix come running, thank fuck.

“Kitten, get your fucking dog out of the kitchen.”

He’s not mad, and any of his other mates would know this is his joking-annoyed tone, not his I ’m-really-annoyed tone.

But Nix doesn’t know that yet.

His sweet kitten is stock-still, eyes tilted down.

“I’m sorry. She didn’t mean to. She just likes you. Please. Please. Please.”

It’s desperate and afraid, his vanilla scent sucked up in a blink.

Stomach in his toes, Gideon tries to diffuse Nix’s fear by rubbing Tsuki’s ears. “Fuck. Kitten, it’s okay. I’m not mad. I’m sorry. You’re safe, and Tsuki is safe.”

Grayson is trying to get Nix to look up, but their omega resists. “Angel, it’s okay. Gideon is just being snarky. See? He loves Tsuki.”

Grayson makes eyes at him, while Tsuki seems to know exactly what she needs to do—she licks him across the face. Wet, slimy dog kisses.

“Mmm. I love doggy kisses. Mmm. Yay.”

Encouraged, Tsuki keeps at it, jumping up with her huge paws on his shoulders, forcing Gideon to stay sitting on the floor. He slams his mouth shut just in time to prevent her from getting a taste of his teeth.

“Mmmmm.”

He closes his eyes just as he feels a tongue on his eyeball. Yuck.

Finally, pushing the dog back, Gideon cracks an eyelid and uses his t-shirt to de-slime his face.

“See, kitten? Tsuki’s okay. Dogs are good judges of character, and she knows I secretly love her.”

The relief Gideon feels when his kitten meets his eyes is tangible. And when Nix smiles, vanilla wafts toward him again—Gideon knows all is forgiven.

“You really love her? Are you okay? I’m sorry she tripped you.”

“It’s okay, kitten. I wasn’t watching where I was going—I could have hurt her. Maybe she could stay with you while I prep for dinner,” Gideon suggests.

Tsuki is a smart girl. As soon as Nix calls her, she moves to follow him out of the room but stops to look back at Gideon .

Gideon bares his teeth, showing her who’s the real top dog here.

She just huffs and walks away.

Gideon is 99.9% sure dogs cannot roll their eyes.

Right?