Page 112 of All Packed Up

With a chuckle, Arlo stood from the floor and bounced his way across the mattress to his partner. Stealing the spoon and carton from his hand, Arlo pecked him on the lips and physically turned Tate’s body toward the stairs.

“What are you waiting for?”

“Nic,” Tate murmured and spun back around.

The beta tilted his head in confusion. “What?”

“She wants you too. Us. Both of us?”

Arlo bit back a laugh and grabbed Tate’s forearm. The alpha gasped and leveled his gaze with his mate, lips parted just slightly. “Just try not to be jealous when I come all over your shirt tonight,” Arlo drawled.

Tate choked out a chuckle and leaned down, kissing Arlo before he pulled back and studied his gaze.

A cruel little tendril slithered around Nic’s ribs and squeezed, jealousy making his chest ache.

But not jealous of either of the alphas individually. No, no. Nic was much more petty than that.

He was jealous of them because… that could have been him and Griffith. If Nic hadn’t fucked everything up for them, would they have continued dating? Nic remembered thinking he could imagine himself mated to Griffith. Was that still true after all the shit they’d been through?

Nic didn’t know if he was ready to answer that. If he was even reading from the same chapter that thought had been etched into. He’d imagined him and Griffith as a book closed long ago.

A tiny, nervous, hopeful little part of him wondered if it had just been a chapter. Something to be continued at a later date.

But were these really the thoughts to be having as he walked past Tate, still frozen to the spot? No.

Wendy’s scent thickened as he climbed the stairs, and Nic turned around halfway up.

“Well?” he called down.

A chuckle spilled out of Nic as Tate stole his spoon back from Arlo. “I need this too,” he said, grabbing the container of ice cream.

Arlo gasped dramatically. “Wendy! You take my man and my ice cream? Blasphemy.”

“Arlo, I’ll make it up to you!” she shouted, her voice ringing past Nic and landing in the living room. Tate grinned, waggling his eyebrows at Arlo.

“I’ll hold you to that,” Tate called out, finally leaving his mate’s side and taking the stairs.

Wendy was still smiling as they entered the room, and Nic leaned against the doorjamb. “Ice cream, huh?” he teased.

“What?” She pouted in possibly the cutest way Nic had ever seen. “I’m still hungry.”

Tate chuckled. “Oh, of that we’re very aware of. This morning’s taste wasn’t enough?”

Heat swirled down Nic’s lower back at the alpha’s words. Damn.

Wendy chewed on her plump lip as her gaze flitted back and forth between them. “Not even close.”

Chapter 28

WENDY

The chilled spoon dragged down her sternum, exploding goosebumps in its wake, leaving behind a trail of snickerdoodle flavored cream. Her nipples beaded in the air, so much cooler than the warmth of Nic at her back.

His hands circled her waist, fingertips smooth and warm as they pressed into her skin.

Tate, wielding the spoon, was backed by candle and moon light. As her eyes adjusted, she could see more than she’d hoped for, including Tate. His abs rolled like waves beneath his skin as he balanced on the mattress between Wendy’s and Nic’s tangled legs.

With a devilish grin, he dipped the spoon back into the ice cream before hovering it over her skin.