Page 97 of Bonds of Pain
“You know you’re eventually going to have to clean these sheets, right?” she asks with a small laugh. “No nest can last forever.”
I lean against the doorframe, watching her. “Not unless you promise to make me another one.”
She blushes a pretty pink and looks away. “If you want, though I can’t promise it would be the same. I wasn’t exactly...myself when I made that one. Unless you want to wait for another heat or load me up with blush.”
“The blush can be arranged if you want it.”
Her eyebrows go up. “I assumed that stuff was illegal.”
I laugh. “Nah. Blush is expensive, but perfectly legal. Most Alpha bars sell it from behind the counter.”
“For what purpose exactly?” she asks, voice carefully neutral.
“Recreation, mostly. Though some Omegas use it to enhance heat experiences.” I watch her face carefully. “Logan keeps some in his nightstand. I’ve seen him take it before certain social functions.”
Her expression doesn’t change, but something flickers behind her eyes. Calculation? Interest? I can’t quite tell.
“What does it feel like?” she asks. “It seemed like I only had a little, and then everything went...fuzzy.”
“It amplifies sensations. Makes you more receptive to pleasure.” I pause, remembering how she was that night with Cillian. “Lowers inhibitions too.”
Maya’s hand absently strokes the nest beside her. “No wonder the Alphas wanted us to take it.”
I’d unfortunately missed the spectacle, though I heard enough from Logan about it afterward. “You regret it?”
She looks at me directly now. “I regret not knowing what I was getting into. There is a difference.”
I move to sit next to Maya on the bed, close enough that our thighs touch. Her eyes dart to that small point of contact, but she doesn’t shift away from me. The heat from her body radiates through the thin fabric of her pants, warming my skin.
“Sounds like you liked something about the blush,” I murmur, lowering my voice to a flirtatious rumble.
She shrugs instead of answering, but I feel the little shiver that runs through her body. She tries to repress it, but our proximity makes it impossible to hide.
“Was it the heightened sensation?” I ask, running my fingers lightly along her thigh. “The way everything felt more... intense?”
Her legs fall open slightly, almost imperceptibly, but I notice. At this point, I’ve practically made a study of even her smallest tells. The way her breathing quickens, her pupils dilating just a fraction.
“Maybe,” she finally admits, looking down at my hand on her leg. “Everything felt more….”
“More what?” I press when she trails off, my thumb making small circles on her inner thigh.
“Just more.” A pretty blush spreads across her cheeks. “Like my skin was too small for my body.”
She looks so adorably embarrassed that I can’t stop myself from leaning in. My lips find hers, and to my surprise, she responds immediately, eagerly. Her mouth opens under mine, her hand coming up to grip my shoulder.
The kiss deepens, her tongue sliding against mine as she shifts closer. I taste her desire, feel it in the way her fingers dig into my muscles. My hand moves higher on her thigh, and shemakes a small sound in the back of her throat that drives me wild.
Then suddenly she pulls back, breaking the kiss but staying close enough that I can feel her breath on my lips.
“You taste like sweat,” she says, wrinkling her nose. “And dirt.”
I laugh, unexpectedly charmed by her honesty. “Sorry. Training with Logan when he’s in a mood will do that. I don’t think a single part of my body didn’t hit the ground at least once.”
“It’s not bad,” she admits with a small smile. “Just... salty.”
I stand up, stretching my arms over my head. “I should probably shower then.”
Her eyes track the movement, lingering on the strip of skin exposed where my shirt rides up. I pretend not to notice, but satisfaction blooms in my chest.
