Page 45 of His Gentle Omega
“Good morning.” His greeting was low, slightly raspy, and sent a shiver down my spine. He sipped his coffee, his eyes roaming me from head to toe. He had shaved, his face smooth from the sexy bristle that had covered it last night. Shay with the beginnings of a beard was sexy, but a clean-shaven Shay was hot as fuck.
There was no mistaking the tell-tale signs that he had been ill. He was still pale beneath his tan, dark circles edged under his blue eyes. His face was still marked with bruises that had faded but had not disappeared. None of that detracted from the fact that the man was freaking beautiful, and there was more than a passing resemblance to his gorgeous brother.
“How are you? Sore?” He scanned my face for any hint of discomfort.
I gave a half-hearted shrug with one shoulder. “A little. It’s a good sore though. Big day for you today.”
Talking about my hole made me want to duck my head and blush, so I quickly changed the subject. It wasn’t like I was a virgin, but I couldn’t remember one alpha I had fucked–granted the list wasn’t that long–who had ever asked if I was sore after. It was such an…intimate question. One a lover or mate would ask.
Shay ran a hand through his blond hair, tousling it. “Are you sure you don’t mind watching Lucas this morning? I need to see about opening a bank account after my meeting with the lawyer. Pick up a few things Lucas and I need. I’m notsure how long all of this is going to take. I don’t want to take advantage of you, Bennett.”
“I don’t mind at all.” Sitting down at the table, I ran a finger over the rim of my coffee mug. “I offered, remember? Take as much time as you need, Shay. I love hanging out with Lucas; he’s a great kid.”
He smiled at my words. A real smile, that shone all the way to his bright blue eyes. The effect of that smile made my stomach flip inside me. I hadn’t been graced with a feeling-halfway-decent Shay Pierce smile before. Holy Goddess, it was breathtaking.
That smile had me squirming in my seat, and I felt the trickle of slick on my backside. Clamping my thighs together tightly, I silently urged my half-mast cock to go down.
“Thank you,” Shay told me, as I waged a silent war with my body, telling it to behave. It was just doing whatever the fuck it wanted, dragging me along for the ride.
“I have a few errands to run today.” Taking another much-needed sip of my coffee, I nearly sighed in bliss as the caffeine entered my system. “Is it okay if I take him with me? I wanted to make sure first, but we can stay here if you would rather I didn’t take him anywhere. I don’t have anything to do that can’t wait.” That we didn’t need another grocery store incident went unsaid.
He gazed at me for what felt like forever, staring at me with an expression I couldn’t read or understand. Finally, his words soft, he said, “I trust you, Bennett. It’s fine if you take Lucas. I’m sure he would enjoy it, actually. And I’ll pay you back for anything you spend on him. I’ll get an account opened today, and since Asher gave me a cashier’s check, they shouldn’t hold the funds.”
Hearing him say he trusted me pleased me and had my wolf preening inside. I had a feeling Shay did not trust easily, and I couldn’t blame him. It was something I wouldn’t take lightly, and I wouldn’t break.
Shaking my head at his offer, I sat my cup down. “You don’t need to pay me back, Shay. If I choose to spend money on Lucas, it’s because I want to. Keep your money for the things you need, and for a security blanket.”
He stared down into his own mug, before looking up.
“About last–”
“I don’t–”
Our sentences, said at the same time, were interrupted by a quiet knock on my front door. At the sound, Shay got a slightly panicked look on his face, while I just wondered who was knocking so early on a Friday morning.
Standing, I told him, “I’ll see who it is.”
He looked torn. Like he wanted to protect me from who, or what, was waiting on the other side of the door. Yet slightly relieved that I was the one getting up to answer it.
Catching my hand as I passed him, he silently stopped me. His blue eyes had that shadowed look in them I had seen way too many times the past week. “Check who it is first. Please.”
Ignoring the weird energy Shay was giving off, I softly caressed his smooth jaw, rubbing my thumb over his high cheekbone.
“I will,” I promised, before he released his hold on me.
Standing on tiptoes to see through the peephole, I turned to Shay. “It’s your brother.”
Opening the door, Asher stood there, dressed for work in dress pants and a white button up and silk tie.
“Morning,” he said by way of greeting, and I moved out of the way so he could enter. Shay had crossed the living room and gave his brother a tentative smile.
“You’re out and about early,” he commented, his tone light, but he looked unsure as to why Asher was here.
“I’m on my way to work.” Asher held out a black box to Shay. “I got you a cell phone. It’s on our plan right now, but we can get it switched when you get things figured out. No rush. But you need a way to stay in touch with people, the school when Lucas starts this fall, pretty much everything.”
Shay looked stunned as he opened the box and pulled out one of the latest models on the market.
“I figured basic black was good, but that can be switched too.” Asher continued, “Or you can just put a case on it. Seth, my nurse, is always changing his phone cases.”
