Book Smart

Fifty One

I get tucked away on the couch with a blanket in the living room with a good view of the front door, a book in hand from one of the first boxes brought in and set in the larger of the two spare bedrooms, phone on the charger within arms reach, coffee reheated and sitting next to me on the side table while the tang of dark chocolate mixed with sea salt melts on my tongue blended with the taste of Silas as he kisses me. My mate kneels next to my cushion, hand tangled in the hair connected to the nape of my neck, pulling it randomly when he wants my mouth open wider for his passionate parting gift before having to leave me to bring in boxes. The rough way he tastes my mouth lifts my mood so fast it makes my head spin as I try and keep up with him, his tongue only slowing down when an uncomfortable throat clears from somewhere near the front door from someone with a box. I get to pull away just long enough to glance towards the man, his face almost as red as mine. I had been introduced to all of them before getting settled down, but their names flew out of my head the moment Silas had pressed his lips against mine. I don't have time to wrack my brain before I'm pulled back into the abyss of pleasure that is my Daddy's lips until he slows down and eventually lets me up for air. He keeps his forehead pressed against mine, lingering and whispering sweet, "I love you" s to me in between chaste pecks that leave me feeling tingly and warm.

It's hard not to notice when Liam tucks his mate whom I now know as Casper in on the other end of the couch in much the same fashion if not a bit more restrained, doting in a manner similar to the way he made sure I was alright yesterday, repeatedly checking for any new bumps and bruises caused by his long morning on the exhausted man, eventually leaving the two of us be as he and Silas join the other men of the pack that had agreed to help today in the process of unloading all of my worldly possessions and bringing them inside, but not before he nudges Liam's natural leg making the poor man open one of his closed eyes.

"Keep your hands to your fucking self, Casper. I mean it."  My mate's voice is only just barely not a growl as he warns the puddle on the opposite cushion. Casper doesn't look like he can even move at the moment, much less cause me any chaos.

"I know, I know. Liam told me you'd kill me."

"He's right." This time Silas does growl and his overprotectiveness makes me giggle, drawing his attention and making me the target of another passionate breath-stealing kiss and a gentle caress of my cheek before he pulls away this time, his fingers lingering on my cheek with the fondest of expressions on his face, a small smear of chocolate on the corner of his mouth, more of it probably smeared on my own to match. A deeply felt I love you blankets my consciousness in a wave so heavy and loaded with emotion that my hand flies to my throat, my body trying to figure out why I suddenly lose all ability to breathe.

When Silas finally steps away after helping me take my first few shallow breaths to get me back on the path of staying conscious he makes sure the door is left propped open so I can see him when I start to feel like I need to latch onto him and smother myself in his chest, his mind laying heavily on top of mine to soothe the urge we both have to cling to each other.

...
Silas
...

I need my clingy boy more than I need air as his warm mind nuzzles against mine, both of us trying not to stare at each other as we finally get a move on with things, red faces and genuine smiles floating around me as I make my way to the back of one the cars that have actually boxes in it, Liam grinning at me when he hands me one of the heavier boxes.

"So."

"Shut it, Liam." I can practically hear his well-hidden monologue as he does it up in his head, full of comments I'm sure. Over everything... Over the way I hold my baby... The way I talk to him... The way he can't hold in those toe-curling moans when I kiss him... How I tucked him in with one heating pad under his feet and one under his lower back before tucking him in with a blanket to make sure that he stays warm enough with the breeze flowing in through the open door.

"I just think it's cute is all... You know... Big scary you with teeny tiny Adrian. Did you really make him faint?"

Of course, Collin would have told Liam of our unfortunate first encounter.  If he couldn't torment me directly he'd settle for the next best thing- letting Liam do his dirty work.

"Yup." The grunt is all I give him as we stride through the front door with our boxes of books... But it's also all I can manage as I get greeted by a stunning Adrian bathed in the afternoon sun, square of chocolate held to his mouth by a delicate hand, legs bent with his book in his lap..  His curls tucked behind both ears, eyelashes trembling with his focus as he turns the page, stopping only to look up and smile at me with flushed cheeks before bashfully turning back to his novel and pretending like he doesn't want to stare at me.

It's hit me before... That he's beautiful and delicate and mine... But it really settles with me now, heavy in the pit of my stomach that my soul mate is currently curled up and safe on our couch, reading and comfortable while my house officially becomes our home.