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“I’m lucky too,” I whisper.

He bends down and kisses me, tender and sweet, and he tastes so good, I want more. Before I can beg him to claim my mouth with his tongue, I’m hauled off my feet as he hoists me up and against his chest with an arm under each of my thighs. I wrap my legs around him and submit as he kisses me again, tongue tracing the seam of my lips like he’s asking permission. I part my lips and grind against his stomach as he delves deeper, and moans, low and guttural, resonating in my blood.

We kiss the entire way, both growing more desperate. I’m panting and breathless, delirious with need. He pulls back, eyes glazed with lust, and backs us against a door before opening it, pausing to kiss me again before he carries me in.

“I can’t get enough of you.” He nuzzles down my neck with a long inhale before he licks and kisses me there. “It’s like you were made for me.”

My belly swoops. It scares me how much I want him to, so I say, “I bet you tell all the other omegas that too.”

His eyebrows dart inward with sincerity. “Never. No one’s ever smelled so good as…” He nuzzles his nose against me again and moans. Then he lowers me onto my feet, keeping his hands on my hips. “Well, here it is.” He sounds nervous, like he thinks I could be disappointed by the luxurious sanctuary before me.

Inside, it’s den-like, cooler than the living room, and lit only by the dim glow of a salt lamp by the bed. It’s the perfect setting for nesting during a heat wave.

He flips a switch by the door, and soft light illuminates the room. The walls are painted an airy blue-green, and a cream rug covers most of the ash wood floor. Layered boho curtains block out the sunlight and provide complete privacy. The bed is large and made of a similar shade of wood that’s sanded and unfinished, smooth like driftwood. Like the rest of the furniture in the living room, it’s simple in a way that looks expensive.

The bed is made, cream sheets peeking out from beneath a gauzy sage blanket, and a fluffy down comforter folded neatly at the bottom of the bed. A basket on the ottoman at the foot of the bed overflows with blankets and linen, each rolled up and positioned like a flower in a bouquet for easy picking. There’s a mix of thin muslin, cotton, and knitted blankets. Most of them are mellow shades of peach, goldenrod, and orange.

Okay, so there is one hundred percent a heat plan. I’m hyperemotional right now so of course my eyes mist over a guest room. It’s just… He listened and he remembered. He thoughtfully sourced bedding in my favorite sunset shades.

Distantly, I wish that Tyler were here too. Not to replace Alden, but to join us. They smelled so good together when I balled up the towel and board shorts. I’m already imagining how I’ll craft our nest to fit both Alden and Tyler.

But Tyler isn’t here. No matter what Alden said, if Tyler really wanted to stay, he would have found a way. It hurts. A lot. But Alden makes up for everything. My feelings for him didn’t diminish after I connected with Tyler.

Alden feels like my mate, but in a different way. I guess I have room for more than one mate. And yes. I’m insane. Fully aware. I just met these men, and I’ve got hopes and dreams that don’t include settling down with two alphas. Journalism and writing are my focus, and I don’t want a family now.

I close my eyes and force myself to live in the present, then step onto the rug, and stop at the decadence beneath my feet. I look to Alden. “It’s so soft.”

He smiles. “It’s not home, but hopefully it’s good enough.” He puts his hands in his pockets and leans against the door.

“It’s perfect. Better than home. Better than most homes.” I grab a bedpost and swirl around the corner of the bed. “Can I move in?”

His eyes turn to crescents as he smiles. “I’m so relieved.”

“It’s too much,” I say.

“No. All omegas should be treated this way.” He looks at me with such fondness I feel a tug in my center, a warm kindling.

My cock hardens, and slick starts to flow. His nostrils flare, and he licks his bottom lip like he wants to taste me there. The gaze between us grows charged, but I don’t look away. My pulse slows. I’m hypnotized.

“Before we take this further,” he says, pushing off the door frame. “You need to drink something with electrolytes to replenish your stores after all you’ve been through today.”

Now that he’s mentioned it, I notice how dry my tongue is. He’s right. I’ve been too focused on heat-related things to take care of my body. “Okay. As long as it’s not Grackle Juice.”

He laughs. “It’s disgusting, isn’t it?”

“So disgusting.”

“I definitely need to get you hydrated if Tyler felt it necessary to offer Grackle Juice to a cute omega.”

I laugh too, warmth filling me, at least until a stronger cramp begins. I hiss and clench my stomach.

“Sorry, sweetheart. I’ll knot you soon, I promise.”

My belly swoops. Again. There’s nothing but belly swoops where Alden is concerned. He’s sweet and sexy and unguarded. I can’t believe I only met him for my Omega on the Street column.

I brace for him to leave the room. After what happened to Tyler, I have every plan to follow him closer than a shadow. He guides me to an armchair in the corner of the room that would make a perfect reading nook.

“Sit, please.”