Chapter 28

twenty-eight

TOMMAS

The second we walked through the door, Dimitri turned straight back around and stalked toward Enzo with murder in his eyes, my brothers flanking him. The enforcer backed up, hands lifted in surrender.

“Hold on, guys. Lemme explain.”

I didn’t wait for Enzo’s explanation as to why his scent was all over our home. My Alpha was full of pent up energy from having been away from my Omega for fuckin’ hours, and having another males signature in our goddamn living room only amped up my need to see her.

Following the sound of music into the kitchen, I froze in the doorway, a smile tugging at my lips.

Kitania was piping filling into hollowed-out chocolate muffins, dancing to the beat with an enticing shake of her hips. I watched as she popped her finger into her mouth and sucked it free of frosting, humming appreciatively at the taste.

Ho-ly fuck.

My cock went hard from zero to sixty, pressing uncomfortably against the zipper of my jeans. For a minute, my mind was riveted on the image it conjured of my Butterfly on her knees, sucking on something far more naughty. The vision of sliding my dick between her luscious lips had me biting down on my fist to suppress a moan.

I couldn’t tear my eyes away from her. My little Omega moved with sensual rhythm and grace, her softness wrapped in an apron that I hadn’t been able to resist buying her as soon as I learned she loved to bake. The bohemian blue frock was trimmed with frilly shit that made Kit look like a sexy Betty Crocker. Her femininity contrasted so sharply with my world of violence and power. I was drawn to her, the moth to her flame, unable to fight it, even if I wanted to—which I absolutely fuckin’ didn’t.

The gentle expression on her face, the way she seemed blissfully lost in her own little bubble, shattered something heavy inside me.

I stepped into the kitchen and cleared my throat, breaking through the low thrum of whatever pop song she had playing through the sound system. She spun around, a mix of surprise and delight coloring her delicate features, and for a moment, the world outside faded to nothing. Just us—here, together.

“Tommy!” she breathed, her eyes lighting up as vibrantly as the sky on a bright summer day. “You’re back!”

The way she said my name, the way she smiled at me—I was done for . The sweet burst of her signature short-circuited my brain. I was sucking down that moss and moonflower freshness when she launched herself at me without warning. The piping bag clattered to the floor a second before I swooped low and caught her. I lifted her against me, holding her close while I rubbed my face against her hair, marking her with my scent.

“We’re back, Butterfly.”

I was struck by how effortlessly at home she made me feel, especially because I was in my own damn house. But these four walls had never felt as intimately ours as they did since she’d come to live with us.

My hand moved to grip her ass, and I relished the way she clung to me, her legs wrapping around my waist. Her warmth seeped into me, chasing away the chill of the outside world. I carried her to the counter, setting her down gently on a clean spot next to her baking station. My hands lingered on her hips, reluctant to break contact.

“What’ve you been bakin’, Butterfly?” I breathed in the rich aroma of dessert.

Kit’s cheeks flushed a delicious pink. “Cookies, pie, scones, and double-chocolate muffins. I thought it might help pass the time and… I don’t know, maybe bring some normalcy.” Her eyes dropped to the floor, uncertainty clouding her features.

My chest tightened. Fuck, I hated seeing her doubt herself. “Hey,” I murmured, tilting her chin up with my finger. “They smell fuckin’ amazing. Can I steal a muffin? Chocolate’s my favorite.”

A hint of a smile tugged at her lips. “They’re not quite done. I still have to pipe in the fudge filling.”

I spotted the abandoned piping bag and snatched it up, a wicked idea forming. “I think we need a quality assurance check,” I teased, squeezing a dollop onto my finger.

Kit’s brows furrowed, failing to fully grasp my plan. I held her gaze as I slowly brought it to her lips, smearing the rich chocolate across them. Her breath caught, a soft “Oh” escaping.

“Tommy…” Those ice-blue eyes of hers went wide.

I braced my arms on either side of her thighs, caging her in. “Tell me if you want me to stop,” I murmured, giving her plenty of time to object. When she didn’t, I leaned in.

The first swipe of my tongue across her bottom lip was electric. The sweetness of the chocolate mingled with her own intoxicating taste, and I was lost. I sucked gently, savoring every nuance of her flavor. Kit’s fingers tangled in my hair, pulling me closer as she parted for me with a soft moan.

Oh fuck, yes.

I deepened the kiss, my tongue exploring, tasting, claiming. My little Omega met me with equal fervor, her body arching into mine. The world narrowed to just us—the softness of her lips, the warmth of her skin, the small mewling sounds of pleasure she made. Her perfume rose, making my cock jerk.

I wanted to bury myself in her so deep she wouldn’t know where she ended and I began.

When we finally broke apart, both panting, I rested my forehead against hers. “Fuck, Butterfly,” I breathed. “You taste better than any dessert.”

A flush stained the apples of her cheeks. Her bow-shaped lips were nearly the same rosy shade, swollen from our kiss. She bit her plump lower lip, abusing it further, looking up at me through dark lashes. “I was worried about you,” she admitted softly. “When you were gone for so long…”

Guilt twisted through my gut. I hated keeping shit from her, but I also didn’t want to burden her with the ugly realities of our world. Still, I could see the curiosity burning in her eyes, mixed with genuine concern.

I sighed, running a hand through my brown hair. “One of our shipments got fucked with.” I wanted to explain, but needed to choose my words carefully. “It was an all hands on deck situation.”

Her brows furrowed. “What kind of shipment?”

Unsure of how much to reveal, I hesitated, then dove in head first, as I was known to do. “We don’t deal in the heavy shit like drugs or weapons—that’s more the Valentinos’ style. But we’ve got our fingers in some… let’s call it alternative commerce. Fine foods, art, that kinda thing. This delivery was supposed to come in overnight, but someone intercepted it.”

“Who would do that?” That crease in her forehead deepened.

My jaw clenched involuntarily, and I noticed her eyes following the movement. Fuck, she was observant.

“You think it was Rocco and Vincent?” she guessed, her voice tight with anxiety.

I cupped her face in my hands, trying to soothe away the worry I saw there. “That’s the running theory. But it’s nothing for you to stress about, Butterfly. We handled shit, and everything’s fine now.”

A hint of doubt lingered in her eyes, her straight, white teeth nervously chewing on her bottom lip.

I pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. “We promised to keep you safe, and that’s exactly what we’re gonna do. Always.”

I witnessed the conflict within her; her trepidation clashing with her yearning to fully trust us and allow us to take care of her.

Kit wound her arms around my neck, pulling me close. I breathed her in, that intoxicating scent of moss and moon flowers enveloping me like a balm. Hands on her hips, I dragged her closer, leaving zero space between us.

“I believe you.”

“Good,” I murmured into her ear, slipping my hand beneath the back of her shirt so I could feel her creamy skin.

She positively melted into my chest, nuzzling her nose against the crux of my neck where my scent was the strongest. A shudder ran through her when she breathed deeply.

“Is it weird how much I want you to touch me like this?”

The confession was nothing but a wisp of sound.

And it hit me then that she had no idea just how touch starved she was. Or that she was allowed to crave contact and physical affection from her Alphas.

What the fuck did they teach Omegas at the OMA if not to understand their biology?

“Butterfly,” I rasped, swallowing hard as I figured out how to explain this. “Omegas need their Alphas touch. It’s not healthy for an Omega to be isolated and alone. Or to be forced to endure the wrong kind of physicality. Holding hands, cuddling, kissing, snuggling… sex … all normal. Believe it or not, my Alpha craves contact too. Hell, I’d be more worried if you didn’t want those things with us.”

Nuzzling closer, she pressed a kiss to the side of my neck that had me stifling a groan. Those lips on my skin were fuckin’ addicting.

I fought to keep my voice steady as her mouth trailed up my throat, setting every nerve ending on fire. “You never have to feel ashamed about wanting our touch, Butterfly. It’s natural. Healthy, even.”

She pulled back slightly, eyes searching mine. “Really?” The vulnerability in that single word broke my heart. I hated all the fucked up shit she’d been through that made her doubt something so fundamental.

“Swear to God,” I assured her, tucking a strand of onyx hair behind her ear. “And you can always ask for what you need, sweet girl. Understand?”

“Yeah.” She gazed up at me from beneath coal dark lashes. “Tommy?”

Goddamn, I loved hearing her use my nickname. “Hmm?” I was too damn distracted by how her tongue peeked out to wet her lips.

“Will you… Will you kiss me again?”

And fuck if that didn’t make my chest tighten.

“Always, Butterfly.”

I couldn’t resist sliding my hand into her hair, fisting it gently. Her scent spiked with pleasure as I leaned in and captured her mouth once more. For the first time, a purr blazed to life, growing deeper as I showed her just how happy I was to give her everything she could possibly want or need.

Because this Omega was mine .