A/N: enjoy ;)
Simon's POV
A small cold hand rested on my cheek when the morning rays woke me. Rowan was still sound asleep between us, with a hand on our faces. Vince was up, too, simply smiling at me as I placed Rowan's arm comfortably at his side. He didn't bother removing Rowan's hand from his face, most likely not wanting to wake him.
"Good morning," he said, gently reaching for my hand. "Sleep well?"
I nodded, my eyelids still heavy, but I didn't want to miss a single second of this moment. Vince held my hand to his face, placing a chaste kiss against my fingers, not breaking eye contact once. Heat flushed my cheeks as my legs intertwined with his under the sheets. I would've felt compelled to make out with him if Rowan hadn't been between us.
That would have to wait. We still had Rowan till at least breakfast, possibly lunch if Aspen and Sarah decided to take their time with Arthur.
Then, I'd have all day with Vince; it wasn't like we had anything planned.
Rowan, I reminded myself. Breakfast.
While it was tempting to snooze in, I couldn't trust Vince to make breakfast, and I wasn't going to bother Loreta when she already had many demanding and hungry betas relying on her for breakfast.
"I'll make us something to eat," I said, reluctantly pulling myself out of Vince's grasp, careful not to wake Rowan. "You can sleep in."
He pouted. "I could help."
"I've got it. Unless you'd like to help get him up and dressed."
He glared at the dreaded dresser before turning back to me. "How about you pick the outfit, and I'll let him rest for another ten minutes."
"Sounds like a plan."
Managing to escape the sheets without disturbing Rowan, I quickly trodded over to the dresser, pulling out denim overalls and a striped onesie with paw prints matching Vince's bandaid. I set it on the foot of the bed before heading to the kitchen.
Since Aspen had left us some leftover bacon and rice, I pulled out a couple of eggs to make some fried rice. Quickly scrambling the eggs and setting them on low to cook, I pulled out a couple of fruits to cut for Rowan, falling into steady multi-tasking. It had been a while since I cooked a meal—mostly relying on Loreta nowadays—but it was comforting moving between tasks, the smells of the bacon filling the house as everything came together.
Vince emerged with Rowan on his hip, the matching onesie and bandaid completely adorable. He wrapped around my waist, resting his chin atop my head as he watched me finish the fried rice. "Looks and smells amazing."
"Thanks. Would you get him set up in his chair?"
Vince nodded, not before placing a kiss against my temple, then pulled out the high chair for Rowan, buckling him in as I plated the food.
"Nom nom," Rowan said lazily, opening and closing his fists at the plate of fruit. Vince helped him with the fruits, cutting them even smaller when Rowan struggled. His face was messy with the juices, but Vince did his best at wiping the corners of his mouth after each bite, even making airplane noises when Rowan seemed hesitant with his food.
"How is it?" I pointed to the fried rice.
"Delicious as always," he mumbled between bites.
"You don't have to scarf it down," I warned him. "There's enough for leftovers."
He rolled his eyes. "It's so much better fresh like this, though."
"True."
I laughed as Rowan would reach out and attempt to swipe a piece of fruit from Vince's plate; Vince, in return, made weird faces that made Rowan giggle. Watching their interactions always made me smile, and I think Vince knew that, only intensifying his reactions once he glanced in my direction.
Breakfast had gone well; Rowan was complacent and happy once he finished his food—not that he hadn't beforehand, but he was much more awake and pleased to be out of bed now that he had food in his stomach. I turned on a cartoon for Rowan as Vince cleaned the kitchen, occasionally snacking on the fruit Rowan couldn't finish before joining us in the living room. By the second or third episode, Aspen had called to say that he had been on his way home.
—
It seemed that all the pent-up desire and sexual tension needed a release as soon as Aspen and Sarah had thanked us for watching Rowan. While Aspen had given us a brief overview of his trip, assuring that all was well, he insisted he needed time to process it all before sharing his thoughts on Arthur.
We barely managed to return to our room before we were all over each other. Our lips were on each other before we could shut the door behind us, unaware if the other betas or even Xavier could hear us.
Never in a million years did I think I'd be that kind of person to be tunnel-visioned with lust, but here we were.
After a heated kiss, our eyes met as we caught our breaths, our hands not parting from each other's faces. Vince's blue eyes searched mine as if sharing the same thought. "I want you."
I stared down at his lips. "Is that so?"
We shared a laugh. Vince hummed lowly before leaning forward to enrapture our lips together. There was a fervent hunger in how he toyed with my tongue, occasionally nipping at my lips playfully. His body pressed against mine in heated desire, one hand bracing my back as he carefully turned us around. As his back pressed to the wall beside the bathroom, I got lost in the kiss and the feeling of our bond thrumming between us.
Pressing my lower half against his, a shaky breath escaped him, his hands falling to my waist. And yet, despite the rush and increasing need to get closer, Vince was as tentative and gentle with every languid movement—cherishing each sensation.
I couldn't help but do the same in getting lost in the feeling.
The connection between us was indescribable.
I helped remove his shirt and pants, never parting from our kisses for very long. Vince's nervous hands undid the button to my pants, his hand brushing against the skin beneath my belly button in a way that made my breath hitch. All the simple yet delicate touches were driving me insane. His hand fumbled with my shirt, struggling to pull them above my head. He tossed it to the ground unceremoniously when he managed, glaring at it before pulling our bodies flush.
This wasn't our first time, but the same electric feeling coursed through us as if it had been. His gaze scanned my face as if memorizing every detail, and I did the same. Memorializing this moment with all the others that led up to this.
"Bed," I suggested, tilting my head in that direction with a grin. He mirrored the grin before putting his lips back on mine, his hand on the small of my back.
"Bed," he agreed. I pulled him along until the back of my legs hit the bed. But as I sat down, his hand tugged mine.
"Wait," he breathed, guiding me to stand from the bed and sitting on the edge of the bed himself. It took me a second to realize his apprehension stemmed from something he had mentioned earlier.
"Talk to me," I said, squeezing his hands as I spotted his worried look again.
He gulped, pulling me closer to him to rest his head against my chest like at Aspen's place. "It scares me to be above—like you're trapped and wouldn't have the choice to make it stop."
"Trapped?" I said, resting a hand behind his neck as he buried his face.
He nodded slightly, resorting to the mind link. I'd rather you be in control.
Trailing a finger along his chin and neck, I encouraged him to look up at me. Thank you for your honesty.
His eyes widened at that before his smile returned. He took hold of one of my hands and placed a delicate kiss before kissing the base of my neck. I stepped closer, pressing myself against him between his knees. His pressing kiss wasn't enough to leave a mark but it elicited the same response. He leaned onto his elbows before scooting back on the bed, allowing room for me to join him.
It was my turn to pepper him with kisses and attention.
I crawled above him, straddling his lap as I leaned in to kiss him. From his lips, I left a trail of kisses down his neck and chest, my hand hovering above his skin.
"This alright?" I said, pressing my knees into the mattress to not put my entire weight on him.
He didn't say anything at; first, his hands returning to my sides, one thumb tracing over one of my stretch marks and another along the scar from my hip injury. With hooded eyes and the faintest of smirks, he carefully applied pressure, encouraging me to sit comfortably. "More than okay," he said, his tone rough around the edges.
I rolled my hips against his, the scent of our arousals intensifying, but his hand lowered to his side. A displeased hiss at the loss escaped me, but I turned my attention to his exposed chest under me. His eyes darkened as I slowly traced a line down the center of his chest.
He kept one fist amongst the pleats of the sheets, his other hand gripping the pillow behind him tightly enough that the veins appeared along the inner portions of his bicep. With a smirk, I muttered, "You know you can touch me."
He bit the corner of his lip, his breaths labored. "I know."
I raised a brow, glancing at his firmly placed hands. His self-restraint was commendable, yet I just wanted more. "But?"
"But..." his words faltered, Adam's apple bobbing. "I want this to last."
The corner of his lips upturned into a smile as I placed my hand beside his on the pillow, leaning in closely. He jutted his chin to kiss me, but I whispered, "The night's just begun," before pulling back to admire his blushing face. With a breathy laugh, his ears pinked as if he had spent the day in the sun. His hand he kept at his side released from his mental restraints trailing from my knee to my thigh, leaving a wake of goosebumps in its path.
But as quickly as his hand was there, he retracted it slowly, the side of his index finger just grazing the side of my leg. The action made me pause, curious about his reasoning.
My hand roamed his chest, and while pleased with the reaction it garnered, there were still some walls he was building up in his head that I so desperately wanted to break down. He had done such a good job at freely accepting the strength of the bond earlier in the doorway, but now all I saw was the faintest hesitation.
My hand found his amongst the pillow, squeezing them reassuringly. "Vince."
He hummed, his eyes blinking slowly as our lower halves pressed against each other impossibly close.
"Vince," I repeated more firmly. "You can hold me. You don't need to worry."
He nodded, his hand returning, caressing my inner thighs' sensitive skin. While it did send a wave of pleasure, Vince didn't have to hold back. I placed my hand atop his, guiding it up to the hem of my underwear. He blushed but didn't move to remove his hand, instead moving his other hand to my hip.
He just needed a little guidance and knew exactly what to do.
He gulped, moving the hand on my hip to the side of my face, leaning up to kiss my lips once more.
With just our underwear between us, the slow and tantalizing movements were enough to drive us both mad. We needed more, but like Vince, I wanted it to last. Not just the sex or make-out sessions but this feeling between us, pulling us together. The bond between us was only growing stronger; our wolves could attest to that. I could only imagine how strong it would be once we marked each other.
Between moans, he kissed my neck, his breaths tickling the spot our marks would go. Catching our breaths, he rested his forehead against my chest, his chest breathing in and out heavily.
After our breaths settled, my heart stopped at his next words.
"Goddess, I love you." We both froze the whispered confession echoing as if he had to shout it from a canyon. I tilted my head to get a better look at his blue eyes, still wide with shock, the words probably tumbling out of his mouth in the heat of the moment. Not that I was complaining.
I smiled, amused at his reaction but incredibly enamored with his admission. "Vince," his name like velvet.
"I do," he muttered. His eyes blinked from shock to sincerity. "I really do love you."
Cradling him in my arms, I pulled us back into each other, a kiss more heated than any before. His arms wrapped around me, molding our bodies together like we were one.
"I love you too," I told him, resting our foreheads together. And I'd repeat those words over and over.
After all, the night was still young.
---
A/N: In other exciting news, my Patreon is now live! You can access extra content, snippets, sneak peeks, and exclusive access to my queer prince story, An Oath to Keep (rough draft). Link in bio!
No promises, but I may add a continuation of this chapter (and/or other spicy moments) to my Patreon later on ;)