Page 114 of Feeling the Heat: Part One
His reassurance helps with my unease, and I nod. “Yeah. Of course. In that case, I’m fine with casual touching and kisses in front of others, and seeing other people do that in front of me.” My face heats as I continue. “I’m also alright with more, uh, intimate things as a group. Like they were during my heat. But I don’t have to do that!” I tack on the last part quickly, my focus once again going back to River, worried about him feeling excluded.
“Oh, we’d definitely like to do that again,” Jackson chuckles. “For my part, I’m down with everything Camille said. And my limits are the same as before for the guys. Kissing and some touching in front of me is fine, but I don’t want to see you fuck.”
River rolls his eyes. “Don’t worry, we know you’re not interested in that.”
The slender alpha takes a sip of his water, and I watch his throat work with far too much focus to be polite, wondering what he’s going to say. “I’m fine with anything you want to do in front of me. For professional reasons, sex while I’m present would be inadvisable, but if it happens…”
River hesitates, eyes widening like he didn’t expect those words to come out of his mouth, and he runs a hand through his hair with a soft huff. “I’m a realist. Eventually, there’ll be a point where Camille needs Ambrose, and he needs me. That’swhat happens with packs. So me refusing to be present for that isn’t an enforceable boundary if we want this to be a permanent thing.”
My pulse spikes at his words, and the thought of River being there while I’m naked and writhing on his mate’s knot. Perfume floods from me, and Ambrose groans softly as the scent hits him.
“I’m the most flexible,” the older alpha says, voice thick. “I’m fine with anything and everything, as long as everyone involved consents.”
Jackson raises a brow. “Everything?” I have to assume he’s talking about the whole daddy thing that came up during my heat, but there’s something else in his voice that makes me think there’s more to the question.
Ambrose levels him with a calm gaze. “Yes.”
There’s a moment of silence before Jackson replies. “Okay. River’s right. I amend my personal rules. If we’re all there, and things get, uh, intense, I’m alright with seeing River and Ambrose together.”
Ambrose seems entirely unshocked by this change of heart, but River’s brows narrow at the beta. “Don’t be flippant. It’s a real possibility.”
Jackson scowls. “I’m not being flippant! I was there with Ambrose during Camille’s heat. If I can see him fucking her, then I can see you fucking him.” He huffs, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’m not homophobic, dude. I just didn’t want to make things weird. But you’re right. This sort of thing is unavoidable with an omega in our pack.”
There’s another long, weighted silence. I sit in it, trying not to get more turned on by the talk of all four of us being together.
“So, to sum it up… Ambrose is fine with everything. Jackson would prefer not to see Ambrose and River together, but isfine with that if we’re all there. River would prefer not to be there while I’m being intimate with either of you, but it isn’t a hard limit. And I…”
I wrestle for a second with my omega, who wants to say I’m also fine with everything, including me being intimate with River, even though that isn’t on the table.
“I’m fine with being with both Ambrose and Jackson, and River, uh, being present or him doing things with Ambrose.”
“Hell yeah, go team!” Jackson says, reaching out to high five me.
I laugh, appreciating how he’s able to make this very awkward conversation less tense. River gets a high five next, then Ambrose, who rolls his eyes a little at the beta, but doesn’t leave him hanging.
“Alright, who wants to help me finish getting ready for dinner?” Jackson asks.
I open my mouth to offer, but Ambrose stands up. “I’ll help. You two stay here and chat.”
It’s a blatant setup to make me and River interact, but I don’t argue because what am I supposed to say? No, don’t leave me in here alone with your packmate, he makes me nervous and I’m afraid that I’ll do something wrong and ruin the tentative peace we’re establishing between us?
“Sounds good,” I say, trying not to show River how not good I feel about that. It’s oddly comforting that he has a matching false smile on his face as he nods.
Ambrose and Jackson head off to the kitchen and I cling to Dahlia, hoping she can help me get through talking to River without making a fool of myself.
37
I’m goingto strangle them.
Ambrose is getting his ass turned red at the very least.
I make one off-hand comment about how I should probably get used to having small talk with Camille, and they run off and leave us both together within ten minutes of her arrival.
This is so damn awkward.
I need to say something, but nothing will come out. Camille stares down at Dahlia, petting her and looking at the dog like she has the power to save her from me.
I clear my throat, hoping that will unclog my words, but all that does is startle the omega sitting on the other end of the couch.
