Page 24 of With A Little Luck

Chapter Twenty

Quincy

R idge guides me upstairs with King at his feet.

He stops next to a bedroom door I don’t recognize and nods to it.

“This is my room. If you need anything, don’t knock, don’t worry about bothering me, just barge right in.

” He opens the door, flips on the light, and King trots inside.

“He’s going to pout until I make it back, but he’ll live.

” He chuckles fondly and shuts the door.

“He has stairs to get up onto the bed, but he’s too lazy to use them.

Why bother when he can be carried to bed like a king? ”

I smile and let Ridge guide me down the hallway with his hand on my lower back.

“Seeing how much you care for King is…” I laugh awkwardly.

A lump forms in my throat as my eyes ache.

Sometimes even I don’t understand my fluctuating emotions, but it’s comforting to know he can care for another living being.

I can only imagine how dedicated he could be to a human if that’s how well he takes care of his pet. “It’s very sweet.”

I want the baby to have that. For her to know her dad loves her and will look after her no matter what.

It’s silly to look back on one night with such fondness, but he really did make me feel like I was the only woman on Earth. He was so attentive in a way I had never experienced.

We come to a stop outside the door to the pack bedroom.

Ridge keeps his hand on my back but moves until he’s directly in front of me.

That night we spent together, he had more of a playful, lighthearted energy. I saw little glimmers of that while we were talking in the living room, but the look on his face is so intense that I find myself taking a step back, followed quickly by another.

My butt and shoulders hit the wall, but Ridge doesn’t remove his hand from my lower back. He follows me, step for step, and my breathing quickens as his other forearm lands against the wall above my head.

It traps me to the wall with Ridge as my confines.

My head tilts to keep sight of his eyes. If I didn’t, I’d be staring at his pecs. The height difference really is staggering, more so than even with Trigg or Hart.

“We don’t have a lot of time before the baby comes, but I want to spend as much time as possible getting to know you before she gets here,” he says, studying my face. “No matter what, we’re going to be in each other’s lives for at least the next eighteen years.”

“Yeah,” I agree. “I want that too. I mean, I want to spend time getting to know you.”

“Good.” It comes out low and rumbly.

A memory sparks.

Ridge purring as he held me in his arms just before we fell asleep that night. My head resting on his vibrating chest and his huge hand smoothing up and down my spine.

His expensive cologne scent was everywhere, while my nose enjoyed each one of the notes.

Leather.

Bergamot.

Pipe tobacco.

None of those scents are particularly pleasant on their own, but they blend together to create perfection.

A perfect smell that’s so distinctly Ridge.

“Did you hear me, sweetheart?” he asks.

I blink up at him and shake my head, trying to force away the memory.

It’s impossible.

My body seems to remember how warm his muscular chest was as I cuddled up to him. I never meant to fall asleep, but his comfort was too enticing.

A whimper escapes, and I fling myself forward. My nose lands against his chest, then I’m rubbing my face all over his T-shirt, desperate to soak up all his pheromones.

“I’m so sorry,” I whisper.

I don’t know what I’m apologizing for. It could be the mess of losing touch and popping up pregnant with his baby. Or it could be the fact my hands dig into his back like I’m terrified he might try to get away.

I’m sure he’s as confused as I am.

Ridge’s hand on my lower back tightens.

I keep wallowing around his chest like I have the right. “You smell so good.” I didn’t know I could moan an entire sentence, but I guess I do have that skill, after all. “I forgot how compatible we are. Why are you so sweaty? You should be sweatier. It would make you smell even better.”

Ridge snorts. “I thought I was sobering up, but maybe not. I’m not sweaty, sweetheart, but I also haven’t had a shower yet tonight.”

“You smell great.”

Ridge’s hand meets my chin, and he stretches back, pulling my nose from his T-shirt. “You smell pretty fucking fantastic to me too.”

I lick my lips.

He has a really nice beard.

And eyes.

His scent is kinda like a drug.

I wonder if I could pin him to the wall and hold him in place long enough to satisfy the urge to smell him. He might not even fight it if I tried. He might draw the line at licking, though.

“Can I have your T-shirt?”

“Are you okay, Quincy?”

“Yeah, there’s this whole thing with pregnant omegas needing alpha pheromones and semen,” I blurt out, and my cheeks heat. “It’s fine. I’m fine. I’ll be fine.” I shake my head, but he’s still holding on to my chin.

Why isn’t my brain working?

I know what I want to say, but when I open my mouth, nothing seems to come out right.

The door next to my bedroom opens, and Trigg pops out. I can only see him out of my peripheral vision, but Ridge loosens his grip on my chin when he notices I’m struggling to get a look at what’s happening.

Ridge growls. “Fuck off, Trigg.”

“No.” Trigg is still in the same dress shirt and dark jeans that he was in earlier, but he strides closer with a small pile of laundry tucked under one arm.

My eyes widen, and I whimper. “Is that for me?”

Trigg’s face softens, and he nods. “All for you, angel. Stick it under your pillow or cuddle it like a teddy bear.”

Ridge sighs, runs his thumb over my cheek, and steps back.

“It’s much more serious than she’s letting on.” Trigg comes to a stop at our sides. “Omegas need certain things from alphas to grow a healthy baby.” He looks at me poignantly. “And to keep themselves from becoming ill.”

I’m not proud of the fact that I pivot, snatching the laundry from his hold. Before I can stop myself, I’ve got my face buried in the small pile, attempting to sniff out which piece is the smelliest.

“This is the first I’m hearing about this,” Ridge growls. “Why exactly is this the first time I’m hearing any of this?”

“We just reconnected today,” I say, but it’s muffled by Trigg’s clothing.

“You need rest.” Trigg quirks an eyebrow.

“That we can agree on,” Ridge mutters. “We all need a good night’s sleep. We can reconvene in the morning.”

It takes everything in me to pull the clothes away from my face, but I nod. “I am exhausted. Thank God I don’t have to work tomorrow.”

“And on that note, I’m going back to my room.” Trigg spins around and heads off. He grumbles something under his breath that I can’t make out, but I’m distracted by Ridge.

He shoves my hair behind my ear and bends, kissing my forehead. “You know where to find me if you need me. I get it. We’re not there yet, but don’t be stubborn. If you don’t feel well, I need you to make sure you let Hartley take care of you.” He quirks an eyebrow. “You understand?”

I nod, and my chest gets tight. I hate the distance between us. I’m just not sure how to go about fixing it.

“Sleep well, Quincy.” He teases the backs of his fingers over my cheek and strides down the hallway.

It sucks watching him walk away.

If my instincts had their way, I would have Hart, Trigg, and Ridge locked away in the nest. Omega impulses don’t always understand the intricacies of modern society. They’re much more animalistic than I am.

Shaking my head, I push off the wall and let myself into the bedroom I’m sharing with Hart.

I get Trigg’s laundry snuggled under my pillow, visit the bathroom, and climb in bed next to Hart.

The sexy alpha immediately cuddles closer to my front. “Missed you,” he mumbles sleepily, planting a hand on my hip.

Even the small point of contact makes me smile.

It doesn’t take long for me to get settled, and I’m almost asleep when the baby starts to move.

Even after all this time, it still surprises me.

It’s weird to feel my skin bounce as she wiggles and rolls.

Sometimes her movements keep me awake, but I’m just exhausted enough to ignore it.

I’m either dozing or just about there when Trigg’s scent gets even stronger.

“You forgot your water. I brought you another. It’s on the nightstand,” he whispers close to my ear. “Good night, angel.”

I suppose that answers the question of whether Trigg has cameras hidden throughout Ridge’s house.

If nothing else, he has them in the living room, meaning he watched and probably listened to my conversation with Ridge.

I wouldn’t be shocked to find he put cameras in here, too, but I’m too tired to address it right this moment.

I don’t open my eyes to acknowledge Trigg. I never heard him come in, and I hear nothing that leads me to believe he’s left the room, but some part of me is at peace knowing he’s watching over me.

Now to figure out how to get Hart on board with Trigg’s unusual style.

I’m too tired for that now.

It’ll have to go on tomorrow’s to-do list.

“You’re lucky you’re cute,” Hartley murmurs close to my ear as we take a quick shower the next morning.

His warmth frames my back while his cock bumps around my ass.

“All I could smell when I woke up was Trigg’s stinky armpit funk, and you snored worse than my old teammates back when we had to share hotel rooms for away games. That’s kind of an accomplishment.”

“Hart!” My hands fly to cover my face.

Pregnancy is embarrassing.

It’s not the ideal time to start a new relationship. I’ve never been told I snore before, but I also have no trouble believing his words are true.