Page 159 of Pack Plus One

“Yes,” I gasp, wrapping my legs around his waist.

He enters me slowly, pressing me against the cool tile as hot water cascades over us both. The dual sensation makes me gasp. He sets a measured pace, each thrust deliberate, his control absolute even as pleasure builds again. My second orgasm crashes over me just as his rhythm falters, his own release following moments later.

After, he holds me until my legs stop trembling, then gently washes us both again. When he wraps me in a fluffy towel, his touch is tender, almost reverent.

“Better?” he asks, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

I nod, cheeks flaming. “Much.”

When we emerge, I find clothes laid out. A soft t-shirt that smells like Jude and sleep shorts that are actually mine. I dress quickly, feeling languid and pleasantly tired in a way that has nothing to do with bakery work.

Dressed and thoroughly refreshed, I pad to the nest room, drawn by the murmur of quiet voices and the concentrated scent of pack. I find the other three already settled in the nest.

“There she is,” Jude says, making room for me in the center. “Our flour-covered warrior returns.”

“Shut up,” I say without heat, crawling into the space they’ve left for me. “I’m too tired for your comedy routine.”

“Sleep now, mockery tomorrow,” he agrees, yawning widely. “I’m saving all my best material for when Eric’s business inevitably fails.”

“Jude,” Liam warns, sliding into the nest behind me, his still-damp hair giving away what we’ve been doing. Caleb meets his eyes with knowing approval before settling on my other side.

“What? I’m just stating the objective reality that his bakery concept is fundamentally flawed and destined for market rejection.”

“What he said,” I mumble, already feeling sleep tugging at me as I settle between Caleb and Mason, their warmth bracketing me like living walls.

“Rest,” Caleb says simply, his arm a comforting weight across my waist. “Everything else can wait.”

I want to argue that nothing can wait, that we have a thousand things to do before opening day, that Eric is probably working through the night to ensure Alpha Bites crushes SweetOmega before it even begins. But the nest is too comfortable, the pack’s presence too soothing, and my body too relaxed after Liam’s attentions to resist.

The last thing I register before sleep claims me is the gentle press of Caleb’s lips against my temple and the collective scent of pack surrounding me like a blanket.

I wake before my alarm, my stomach already twisted into knots. Today’s the day. The bakery opening I’ve dreamed about for years. The one Eric’s been trying to sabotage from across the street.

Caleb’s arm tightens around my waist as I try to slip from the nest. “Too early,” he murmurs, voice thick with sleep.

“Can’t sleep,” I whisper back.

His eyes snap open instantly, that alpha protectiveness kicking in. Before I can protest, he’s rolling me onto my back, his massive frame caging me in. “Tell me.”

The words spill out in a rush. “What if no one comes?”

Caleb’s purr starts low in his chest, that deep alpha vibration that always makes my bones melt. “They will, but I know that doesn’t stop the anxiety.” His lips find the sensitive spot beneath my ear. “Let me help.”

His hand slides under my sleep shirt, calloused fingers tracing the dip of my waist. The purr grows louder as he kisses down my neck, each touch calculated to unravel me.

“You’re thinking too much,” he murmurs against my skin. His free hand slips between my thighs, finding me already wet. “Let me fix that.”

I bite my lip to stifle a moan as his fingers circle my clit with just the right pressure. The purr vibrates through me, syncingwith the rhythm of his touch until I can’t tell where the sound ends and the pleasure begins.

“Quiet,” he warns as my hips jerk. “Unless you want to wake the others.”

The threat makes me clench around his fingers as he slides two inside. His thumb keeps up that torturous pace while his purr shifts to match my quickening breaths.

“That’s it,” he growls when my back arches. “Come for me. Let it all go.”

The orgasm crashes through me like a wave, stealing my breath and every anxious thought with it. Caleb swallows my whimpers with a kiss, his purr now a satisfied rumble as he holds me through the aftershocks.

When I finally come back to myself, he’s smirking. “Better?”

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