30. James

30

JAMES

Kissing Ivy was always addictive. Kissing a gradually submitting Ivy going all loose and docile in my arms? Fucking live wire of electricity splintering my brain.

Again.

I slid my tongue against hers and earned every little whine I drew out of her.

More.

My fingers raked through her hair, close to her scalp, and gave it a light tug. Not for pain.

As a reminder of who she belonged to right now.

Ivy only sank further into me.

Good.

“Come on,” I said, massaging a firm line from her hairline down her neck. Up and down as her lashes fluttered.

I took her hand and led her to the bathroom. Kissed her and told her to wait as I dimmed the lights and ran a bath. I pulled out a few large candles and lit them, the golden glow illuminating the rising steam. Finally, I selected a bath bomb that would turn the water silky soft and set it to one side.

“I didn’t realize you were such a bath person.” There was curiosity without judgment in her voice.

“I do this for Rome sometimes,” I admitted.

The idea that alphas didn’t need to be cared for was silly. After the grant announcement, he had been a ball of stress. More than that, he was on the verge of acting rashly. Wanting to practically set up on Ivy’s doorstep and in her classroom every day. It would’ve overwhelmed her, caused her to lash out harder than she already did.

The hike had taken the edge off somewhat but his mind still churned with what-if scenarios.

So I ran him a bath just like this one and fucked him into a moaning puddle on our bed.

I began to lift the hem of her sweater up. Ivy instinctively reached to help me and I stopped her.

“Let me,” I insisted.

Her lips parted, a flush spreading across her cheeks as she raised her arms obediently so I could pull it over her head.

I knelt down, unbuttoning her pants and sliding the zipper down. It fell to the ground, exposing her thighs and simple black cotton thong. I couldn’t resist leaving a light kiss right below her navel, but nothing more.

Ivy stayed still as I carefully worked the small neckline of her turtleneck over her head. I smoothed the wildness of her hair back down. There was a mark on her skin from where her bra strap had been sitting. I kissed that too as I unclasped her bra. More marks, faint but slightly pink, curving beneath her breasts. I ran my fingertips over them until they faded and softened. More kisses as her breathing grew uneven.

Her scent was sweetening, buttery and spiced and sugared. As I hooked my fingers over her waistband, I didn’t miss the damp spot darkening the fabric nor the glisten of wetness over her short curls. But all I did was let the panties fall to the ground, letting her step out of them.

I turned my attention to the bath, shutting off the water and dropping in the bath bomb. We watched the water bubble and froth, settling into an opaque milky color. I took her hand, guiding her to step inside.

“Oh. It’s really just a bath, isn’t it?”

I gave her a wry smile. “Just a bath, Ivy.”

I was honest when I said this wasn’t about sex. I wasn’t trying to rile her up, even though I could see her blown pupils and hardened nipples. This was going to be all about her, as slowly and indulgently as possible.

Something about seeing the curve of her breasts rising out of the silky water while everything else was hidden beneath the foam almost made me scrap my whole plan.

“Perfect timing,” I said, relieved at Logan’s appearance with a late dinner for Ivy. The two of us flanked the rounded, free-standing bath.

“The three of us went on a hike, you know,” Logan said, as he hand-fed her bites of a grilled cheese sandwich dipped in tomato soup.

Ivy had her hand up to her mouth politely as she chewed. “You did?”

“Mmhmm. The 1000 steps.”

“I haven’t been in a while,” she mused. “It’s pretty up there, isn’t it?”

“It is,” Logan agreed.

A beat of silence.

“Rome almost died.”

I snorted at the memory and Logan’s face split into a wide smile.

“What?” Ivy laughed.

Logan sighed. “I wanted to do a pack date up there but I don’t know if he’ll survive doing it again.”

“He’s more of a sprinter,” I explained. “Endurance is not his strong suit.”

“Really?” Ivy looked confused. “It didn’t seem that way when he spent the entire day?—”

She promptly shut her mouth as she realized what she was saying. I smirked, knowing exactly what day Rome had been good with endurance.

“Guess he has to be really motivated,” I teased her and she went even pinker.

I could already see the tightness draining from her the longer we spoke. Logan had also washed a bowl of grapes and I offered her one. My dick liked the way her lips closed over it a little too much.

Ivy fidgeted and shifted her weight in the water. She wanted to protest. Insist it wasn’t necessary. I gave her a stern look and she released a soft sigh, sinking a little more into the bath as she opened her mouth for the next bite.

When she finished everything she thanked Logan and he kissed her forehead. He told her she did a good job, making her extra flustered before he left with the empty dishes.

I lifted her arm out of the water, cradling her hand between both of mine. My thumb carefully explored the back of her hand until I found the correct spot, a little left of the webbing between her thumb and index finger. I applied a solid pressure and Ivy let out a small whine.

“Acupressure,” I explained softly. “This point helps reduce stress and tension.” I massaged in circular motions for a couple of minutes. I watched her brow unfurl, the lines on her forehead smoothing out.

Next point. Heart 7. I turned her palm upwards, tracing along her wrist until I found it. Right along the crease, almost directly in line with her little finger.

“This one is for anxiety and has calming effects.”

Her breathing grew deeper, steadier, the longer I massaged it.

“Where did you learn this?” she asked me quietly.

“My mom.” I continued to apply the same circular pressure. “I grew up watching her use these techniques on herself all the time.”

She swore by it — still did — but as an adult I wondered how much of it was because we couldn’t afford to see a doctor back then.

I found the last point I had in mind. On her palm, nestled in the muscle at the base of her thumb.

“And this one is for…?”

“Lungs mainly,” I explained. “But also immune system support.”

Logan returned and his eyes widened. “Her scent. She’s so…relaxed.”

Ivy was a gooey dollop of satisfied omega. “Mmhmm,” was all she was able to manage.

It was very difficult not to laugh at her cute expression. I watched as it turned serious, her eyes liquid with vulnerability.

“James, I really didn’t know what I was missing out on until I found you all.”

I leaned over the edge of the tub and kissed that shaky lower lip until she was clinging desperately to me. A small hand began to sneak its way towards the edge of my shirt. I stopped her before she managed to worm her way underneath.

“Soon,” I said against her lips.

Ivy huffed adorably.

“Let me have some fun first.” I stood up, guiding her to step out of the bath. Logan had returned and grabbed a towel ready for her.

It was a shock to my system to watch the water sluicing off her naked body. Dripping down her soft curves. Big blue eyes and nothing else. I swallowed, my cock thickening even as Logan wrapped her up. He swiped the corner of the towel across her face, catching stray droplets.

I grabbed a small vial of massage oil and Logan raised a brow at me. “More?”

“A different kind this time,” I said lightly.

His eyes flashed hungrily. “Bedroom it is.”

It really was very nice having packmates that understood.

“On your front,” I murmured, pushing lightly on the small of her back. Once she had settled on the bed, I repositioned the towel over her lower half, covering her up.

I had a feeling she was going to be begging us to rip it off very soon.

Logan had pooled some oil in his palm and passed it over to me to do the same. The citrusy, earthy blend mingled with Ivy’s natural perfume as we massaged it into her skin. Logan ran calloused palms along her legs and thighs. I traced the graceful curve of her spine before fanning out with overlapping palms across her back.

It was relatively innocent. Until it wasn’t. Logan grazed her inner thigh. I caught the edge of her breast with my thumb.

Ginger, cinnamon and brown sugar overtook the scent of the oil. Ivy twitched, her hips fidgeting and seeking relief.

“This is fun for you?” she asked, her voice strained with need.

No, it was utter torture.

But worth it.

“Very fun. Turn over for me, sweetheart,” I said lightly, as if my cock wasn’t aching to be freed. Like every muscle in my body wasn’t taut and waiting to rip that towel off her so I could bury my face in her juicy pussy.

Ivy wasted no time flipping over. A little shimmy into her new position and the towel slid low enough that I could spy the top of her mound.

“Why don’t we get this out of your way,” Logan murmured.

Fuck. My control was shredding. Her peaked tits, that plump bottom lip, the little dip to her tummy. Her thighs fell open slightly and I could see her clit. Swollen and pink, begging for a taste.

“Do you need more oil, James?” Logan asked.

This alpha had to be inhuman.

Well, if he wasn’t going to stuff her full of cock yet then I had to wait too. Painfully. Hard as fuck. We poured more oil and went back to work on her. Up her arm. Across her torso, between her breasts. Everywhere but those rosy little nipples, no matter how much her chest rose trying to coax my hand there.

Logan wasn’t even hiding that he was only focusing on her inner thighs and lower abdomen anymore. He circled closer and closer to her slick folds until her hips rose off the bed.

“If you’re trying to punish me for what I did” — Ivy sounded like she was struggling to form words — “it’s working.

I leaned over her, holding myself just out of reach of her lips and a soft little whine escaped her. “Tell me what you want then,” I said, lightly running my fingers down her throat.

She looked down at Logan. Back up at me. “I want to be with you both,” she whispered.

My hand inadvertently tightened. I released my hold immediately but her hand flew up, placing my hand back on her throat.

Fuck.

“Tell us exactly what you mean by that,” I demanded, my voice deepening the longer she let me hold her down. “We need to hear it.”

Her other hand curled around my wrist too. Suddenly I was the one being held captive, falling endlessly into her infinite, trusting eyes.

“I want to have both of you. At the same time.”

Our noses were almost touching now. “Logan in your pussy. And I’m going to take your ass,” I said explicitly.

Her chin rose. “Yes.”

My thumb skimmed the hollow of her throat. “Have you ever…”

“No.”

“I’ll go slow.”

Crazy how the tiniest smile could possess me so thoroughly.

“I know. I trust you.”

She was giving me everything. Yet when I kissed her, I was certain I belonged to her .