“Nothing, that’s just oddly sweet for you,” he teased. “Beck’s our sweet one. You’re the snarky brat, remember?”
“Only for you and Graham.” I winked. “And that’s because you fuck me like the Doms of my dreams. Contrary to popular belief, I do have a heart.”
“I knew you did somewhere,” he said, gripping the front of my shirt and pulling me in for a kiss. His lips slanted over mine, claiming me with a searing kiss that had my cock stirring in seconds. His pine scent swirled around me, mixing with lust in the manliest intoxicant I’d ever encountered. I could get high on this stuff.
Before we could go any further, his phone rang again. With a huff, I scooted off his desk so he could get back to work. Teasing him was all well and good, but I wasn’t going to drive myself nuts when satisfaction was so far out of reach. With a swat to my ass as I passed, he answered the phone in much higher spirits than before.
The apartment was quiet when I walked out, everyone working in their own spaces. Graham had put an office set-up in Briar’s room last week, and she’d spent every afternoon working at her desk. The rest of us did the same, or most I should say. I’d already finished my workload by ten, so I was enjoying a rare afternoon off that didn’t include avoidance.
Instead of mindlessly scrolling social media, I went to the ‘becoming a dad for newbies’ site I’d been working my way through. I’d made it past the early weeks, and the information was starting to be a bit more interesting. As it talked about the baby recognizing our voices and brain development, I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like having an infant around. No matter how I spun it in my head, I knew that if she left after I met the little one, I’d be devastated. The baby wasn’t even here yet, but I was already this invested.
The information turned from voices to what kind of music was good for babies, and there was enough written on classical music that it had me opening my music app. I wanted to start on a playlist of classical music for the penthouse. Of course, in hindsight, work hours wasn’t the best time to do it. The system immediately played the last thing I’d listened to… which happened to be porn. And of course it wasn’t a cheesy intro. Nope, the surround sound went right into heat action, blending a chorus of manly moans with a high-pitched female’s keening cries. Fuck my life. My mouth dropped open in horror as the video echoed through the penthouse at top volume. More than one door burst open, with everyone, including Briar, looking around wildly.
“Yup. It’s my porn! I’m sorry,” I growled before anyone pushed. “It was unintentional.” Ignoring all of their glares I switched it over to classical and turned it down to an ambient level.
Briar was the first to crack, her laughter bubbling out of her before it turned into a wheezy cackle that was obviously contagious. The others joined in one by one until everyone was losing their shit, bent over and laughing at my expense. I wanted to hate it and be angry, but seeing the effect she had on everyone proved my fucking point. I turned to Ellis and gave him a meaningful stare that he shook his head at, but his smile never left his face, especially when he turned to the omega who was now leaning on Beckham for support.
“That was certainly the mid-day pickup I needed,” she mused as she straightened and wiped her away tears.
“Come on. I’ll start lunch,” Graham said with a chuckle, gesturing for the rest of us to follow. Within minutes, he had a sandwich-making spread set up, paired with two bowls of chips, and all of us dug in.
“I got a new client today,” Briar said softly. The room fell into silence, and we all stared at her, waiting for her to continue. From the twisting of her fingers and the excitement in her scent, it was huge.
“With?” Tallon prompted, always the impatient one.
“Cafe Mocha!” she admitted with a scarlet blush on her cheeks. “They saw my portfolio and messaged me, offering a contract for a full logo and brand set. Apparently, a new shop moved in with similar branding, so they want a new look to wow the city.”
“That’s amazing,” Wells praised. The pride in his voice had her biting back a pleased smile. I knew that feeling well; these alphas knew the right tone of voice to bring us to our knees. It was adorable to see Wells doing it for her without a second thought.
“That really is incredible. I told you your work would speak for itself,” I said. Seeing her so excited had the rest of us buzzing with it, ready to celebrate.
“This calls for an ice cream toast since we can’t share champagne just yet,” Graham joked. Beck and I helped clear the table while our resident mother hen put together an ice cream buffet in minutes. I hadn’t even known we kept this kind of stuff in the house, but he had sprinkles, chocolate chips, and several syrups. When we all gaped at him, he growled. “We have a pregnant omega in the house. You thought I wouldn’t cover all necessities?”
“Ice cream is a necessity?” Tallon snorted, but his laughter cut off when Briar spoke up.
“Yes, it is,” she said, plucking a cherry out of the bowl and popping it into her mouth, yanking the stem away as she danced happily in her chair, humming at the taste. It was fucking sinful, but she somehow remained oblivious, happily finishing her bite then dressing up the bowl Graham handed over. I swore he looked like a proud papa as he watched her fill up her bowl with way more sugar than a single person needed. And those damn moans of happiness as she ate it were worth every fucking second of torture.
Not our pack… What a fucking lie.