Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Goldie

I don’t know how long I’m out for, when I wake up. Sleep has never been something that came easily to me, yet Ky’s presence seems to act as a sleeping potion.

His scent, his warmth, the way he holds me…all of it is so overwhelming in the best way.

I smile to myself as I think of my first kiss. Ky was perfect. After the emotional day, I hadn’t wanted to go to sleep alone, but I also didn’t know how to express that. Offering Ky his bed back was genuine, I don’t like that he had to give it up for me, but he stubbornly refused to take it back.

The thought of sharing with him had my heart racing, and if he had refused my offer I would have understood, even if it had been disappointing.

But he said yes. And I found myself curled up in his arms, nuzzling his chest, ready to fall asleep.

That brief taste I had only made me want more. The urge to crawl on top of him and keep kissing him had been so strong, I nearly gave in. He’s just as nervous as I am, though.

I was nearly asleep when he whispered sweet dreams. The excitement of the day had left me too tired to respond, so I just gave in and let my dreams drag me under.

Coming back to the moment, I groan, as the light from the morning filters in. My dreams were nothing short of filthy. As I take a deep breath, I’m filled with the potent scent of Ky. I slept in his arms the entire night. I pull my bottom lip between my teeth and just enjoy the way he feels against me. We’ve rolled in our sleep. I’m on my left side now, with Ky curled around my back. His arm is draped over my waist, and his hand presses against my abdomen.

There’s a press of something hard against my ass. When I realize it’s his dick, a quiet gasp escapes me.

Rather than jump from the bed like I would have in the past if I had woken up with a man wrapped around me, I wiggle against Ky. With a groan, his hips thrust forward, and he buries his nose against the crook of my neck, as he inhales deeply.

I’m panting now, excitement and desire swirl in my chest, and I feel a dampness between my legs. I’ve touched myself before, but rarely. None of those moments compare to this one. The press of Ky’s hand against my abdomen travels lower, and I spread my legs to give him better access.

My pheromones are going crazy, as the scent of my slick fills the air. I let out a moan when Ky’s hand nearly reaches the place I need it most. His hips jerk against me once again, but as he releases another groan, he suddenly freezes.

“Goldie?” he rumbles, his voice deeper this morning.

“Ky,” I whisper back, but he doesn’t reply. Instead, he jumps out of bed with so much force, I’m shocked I don’t fly out on the other side. “Oh!” I yelp, spinning around to see what’s wrong, but Ky is already in the doorway of his bedroom.

“I’m so sorry, Goldie!” he says, his voice filled with regret. The devastated look in his eyes breaks my heart, but before I can reassure him, he’s disappearing, and slamming the door in his wake.

I’m not sure what I did wrong that upset him. What caused him to bolt out of the room like a bat out of hell?

With a huff of frustration, I push the gray blanket to the side and throw my legs over the edge. The coldness of the floor seeps through my socks as I make my way out into the kitchen. I want a cup of tea, after that disaster. My stomach rumbles, and I guess I could also use some food.

I can smell them before I see them. There’s a basket of warm muffins on the counter, and I smile like a fool. Tea and muffins sound amazing. There’s no sign of the playful Alpha, but I know it was Cillian who made these. I wonder why he got started on his day so early.

When I accidentally use my injured wrist to reach for the mug on the shelf ahead of me, the lingering ache from yesterday is gone. I carefully unwrap the bandage from Aunt Alma and my jaw drops. The bruising that had been at the base of my wrist is nearly gone. I tentatively rotate my hand, but there’s no pain. I guess I didn’t break it after all.

I pull down a brown ceramic mug and a tin of tea. The kettle still sits steaming on the grate by the counter, so I quickly make a cup for myself.

Snagging a muffin next, I make my way over to the comfy window seat that drew my attention the first day. Since then someone has added the blanket I snuggled the first day as well as a few others. After I set my snack down on a well-placed empty shelf, I climb up among the cushions and settle back against the wall with the green blanket across my lap.

The curling steam coming off the mug carries scents of Earl Grey and chamomile tea, soothing me. I take a sip as I watch the sunlight paint the sky in the colors of dawn. Pinks and lilac give way to a bright blue. I can’t remember a morning where I felt this much peace. I don’t have any chores waiting on me. No hungry animals who will only be fed if I do all the work.

I’m nibbling at the delicious blueberry muffin when Cillian walks in the front door. The blast of cold sends a shiver down my spine, and I let out a short whine at the temperature. His eyes snap to mine as a brilliant smile overtakes his face.

“Good morning, Little Omega. How are you feeling?” he asks as he strides closer. There’s a knowing smirk tugging his lips up, and I try not to think about what he might have scented last night…or this morning.

In the crook of his elbow hangs a basket full of herbs and vegetables from the garden. His fingers are still covered in dirt, and he looks like he worked up a sweat, even though the morning chill would have me shivering out there. He takes the seat next to me, before placing the basket on the floor, and I notice it also contains some eggs. His body heat seeps into the space between us, and I turn, so I can face him better.

“Good morning, Cill. I’m good. I can see you’ve been busy this morning,” I tease as he looks at me. The sunlight catching the flinty steel color of his eyes distracts me as he reaches a hand out to push my long hair off my shoulder.

“I was just making sure I had what I needed for lunch and dinner today. I have someone to impress, after all. I see you already found the muffins.” He wiggles his eyebrows at me, and I giggle. I can’t help it. I take another bite of the treat as an answer. Smirking at my response, he surprises me by leaning forward to place a kiss on my cheek.

“Are you still hungry? I can make you something more filling? I was thinking eggs.”

“Oh, um, yes, please. Eggs sound delicious.” I know I’m blushing, but I can’t help it. The muffin is tasty, but it’s small, and not very filling.

“Perfect. Sit back and settle in. I’m going to make you the best omelet of your life, then we’re going for a swim,” he says as he picks his basket up, stands, and turns to walk into the kitchen. “Enjoy your view, lovely. I’ll let you know when it's ready.” I watch as he removes his shirt, tossing it to the door. “Too dirty to cook in,” he adds, not looking my way this time, as he washes his hands. Cillian is a work of art. His body is sculpted, and very attractive. All the desire from before, with Ky, comes rushing back in as I observe Cillian.

“Wait. Swimming? It is way too cold for that,” I yelp, finally registering what he said. It took me an embarrassing amount of time for it to click.

“Mornings are always chillier up here than the rest of the day. By the time we’re done with breakfast, the water will be warm enough to swim in,” Cillian explains as he cleans the veggies. I don’t tell him I’ve never had an omelet. Or, if I did, I was too young to remember. I’ve experienced so many new things with these Alphas in the last two days. “Come on, Goldie. Think of it as an adventure.” He’s so encouraging. So happy and cheerful. It’s hard not to want to share in that.

“Okay, Cillian. If you promise to keep me warm,” I agree, and don’t miss the smirk he sends me over his shoulder. I didn’t mean for my words to sound suggestive, but I’m not about to take them back.

I watch him out of the corner of my eye as he moves confidently around the kitchen. I keep trying to focus on the book I’ve finally chosen to read, but no matter how many times I look away, I catch myself constantly returning to Cillian. I’m mesmerized by the flex of his muscles as he whisks the eggs. Why can’t I keep my eyes off of him?

The only thing that successfully draws my attention away from Cillian, is his brothers.

Skin. So much skin.

Aldair is chopping wood. Shirtless. I’ve never seen so many half-naked bodies. Toned, muscular Alpha bodies. The heat Cillian reignited builds as I watch Aldair. His muscles ripple with each downward swing of the ax. Swiping my hand across my chin, I check for drool. I feel like a starving animal with a slab of meat dangling before it.

Then there’s the man that sparked this fire inside me to begin with. Ky rests against the fence with Bear leaning over his shoulder for a scratch. His long blond hair has been swept up into a bun off of his shoulders. I chuckle when Bear gets pushy for attention and nips at his hair. From experience, I know that he better have a treat ready, or he’ll have a very sassy horse on his hands. I can’t help but notice that Ky looks tense, though.

“Breakfast is ready. Why don’t you take a seat while I let them know?” Cillian asks as he heads for the door.

In the center of the table is a platter of eggs, that must be the omelets, seasoned and topped with cheese, while a large plate of thick bacon and sliced bread sits on either side. He’s also put another cup of tea out for me to enjoy. As soon as I sit down and take a sip, Aldair and Cillian come in through the door. They both have shirts on, and I can’t help but pout. My disappointment only worsens when Ky doesn’t join us.

“Ky needed to finish some things outside,” Aldair says as he takes the seat next to me. “We’ll make sure to save him a plate.” I wonder if he senses my desire to wait for Kylan, and that's why Aldair said that.

I’m aware that they both know something happened between Kylan and I last night, and then again this morning. Even if their youngest brother hasn’t said anything, they’re Alphas. They would have scented…well, everything. I hope they don’t think I favor Ky over them.

If they are jealous, neither of them brings it up, as Cillian grins at me like the cat that caught the canary, and he piles my plate full of food. It looks amazing, and the smell is making my mouth water.

“Thank you,” I say with a shy smile. I like that I don’t even have to ask them to fill my plate, almost as much as they fill theirs. And I never have to ask for seconds or even thirds. If they aren’t offering it, they’re already serving me more.

“Nothing brings me more joy than feeding you, Goldie. Watching you slide my food between your lips before you moan in pleasure, is the highlight of my day, and night.” Cillian sends a salacious grin my way, as Aldair glares at his brother. Meanwhile, my mouth pops open on a gasp, and I can feel my cheeks heating. There’s no mistaking his words for anything other than a sexual innuendo. I’m not completely oblivious, I’ve heard the women of my village gossip, but this? Cillian saying such filthy things while smiling at me as if he’s innocent, is more than I think I can handle.

“Cillian–” Aldair hisses, but I can’t help it, and I burst into a fit of giggles.

“I can’t believe you just said that!” I gasp, eyes wide, as I flick a tiny bit of egg at the naughty Alpha. “Bad boy, very naughty,” I scold, as the giggles continue. Both men chuckle, enjoying my outburst.

“I can show you my bad side, if you like,” Cillian offers with a wink, making the giggles worse. “Ky certainly showed you his, hmm?”

“Cillian!” I gasp, eyes wide, mouth once again hanging open. “It’s very impolite to call a lady out like that at the breakfast table.” I shake my head, returning to my food, and pretending to be cross with him. Cillian pouts.

“Oh, I thought we were just teasing, I didn’t mean to upset you…” Cillian trails off as his frown deepens. It only gets worse until Aldair lets out a full belly laugh.

“She’s messing with you, Cill,” Aldair says with a shake of his head, as he stuffs one more piece of egg into his mouth and then rises. Cillian’s frown morphs into a grin, as he narrows his gray eyes on me, mouthing, ‘little vixen.’ “You two behave today,” Dair’s tone is serious, but the smile on his lips softens his delivery, but it still makes me shiver. I think I like the way he commands me…

“No promises,” I tease, making the large Alpha grunt.

“We have a bit of a walk before we get to the spot I want to take you to swim today. Why don’t you get ready and put on your shoes while I grab some towels and pack a small picnic for us to take.” His smile is infectious as he bounces out of his seat.

“I’m telling you, it’ll be too cold to swim…” I tease as he moves around the kitchen with a leather bag, collecting a small loaf of bread and some other treats. I shake my head with a laugh as Aldair takes my plate.

“Indulge him. I’ll take care of the dishes,” he leans in close, adding. “It’s okay to let go and have fun. To enjoy yourself…and Cillian.” As he steps away, his scent washes over me, and I breathe in deeply. I’m suddenly very eager to go on this adventure with Cillian.