Chapter Eighteen

Rya took Hailey to bed, and Lexa was going to head upstairs when she was snagged around the waist and hauled into the living room. Grigory was carrying her easily, and he grimaced. “We need to talk.”

She sighed and was plopped down onto his lap while the other two sat nearby.

Delun spoke first. “Thank you for dealing with my mother that way. You took her bullying with grace and managed to keep her from trying to stuff you full of food at every opportunity.”

Lexa nodded. “I was not expecting her to send the other grandchildren after me with endless desserts. I couldn’t say no to them.”

Arthur grinned. “Now, what about what happened to the women at the party?”

She wrinkled her nose. “I prize self-control for a reason. When I feel trapped and emotional... it goes into the women around me while I remain calm.”

Grigory frowned. “Not the men? There were some upset men there.”

Delun smiled. “Because their women were upset, daughters, wives, mates. Right. The children were fine.”

“Uh, yeah. It only hits adult women.” Lexa shrugged. “So far, I hadn’t needed it, but I use it in court when I have to.”

Delun snorted. “Now, for the true problem of the evening.”

She was wary. “What?”

“Which of us can keep you company tonight, even if it is just cuddling.”

She smiled. “Anyone who wants to. I’ll be in the nest upstairs.” She tried to get off Grigory’s lap.

“You haven’t told us how pretty we are, treasure,” Grigory murmured against her ear.

“Um, you are all stunning. I have had to distract myself with my lack of undergarments for hours just to make sure that I didn’t throw myself at you with Hailey in the room.”

Delun chuckled. “I thought you dressed with Yirra?”

“I did. But as she pointed out, silk robes were the only undergarments of the time that this outfit was designed.” She opened the outer three layers with her fingertips and kept peeling. “Nope. Still no skin, still no underwear.”

Delun smiled. “Well, that does explain the photo that Grigory got earlier.”

She looked innocent. “Really? What photo?”

Delun got his phone out of his sleeve, and he showed her the photo of her lying back, one thigh showing, nearly a nipple, and her biting her fingertip. It was very pinup.

Arthur chuckled. “Yes, this photo.” He held up the image on his phone.

“Oh. That. Well, I thought as long as we were doing photos, I would see if Alexi would take some flirty shots. This was the most demure of the photos, but I am fully dressed in all of them.”

Delun blinked. “There are more?”

Grigory’s arms were tightening on her. She squeaked. “A few.”

Delun closed in on her, and he was purring. “How many?”

Arthur was sliding his hand up her leg. “How many are there, Lexa?”

“Um, I don’t know. A dozen. Maybe two? We were pressed for time.”

Delun looked to Grigory. “Find out.”

Grigory growled, and it was a very sexy growl. He tapped for a moment, and then, he hissed. “Twenty-three.”

She tapped his hand around her ribs, and he let her breathe. “They went quite quickly once I explained what I wanted.”

Grigory handed his phone to Delun. “They are coming through.”

“What? Hey, they were supposed to be a surprise.” She was upset, and it started to bleed through to her marks.

“Alexi was very pleased with how they came out and wanted to show me.” Grigory kissed her neck. “He also can’t keep a secret.”

“I wish I had known that when I asked him if he could keep a secret. It is things like this that make me less trustful of men.”

Delun looked at one of the images and groaned. “This is going on my desk.”

She knew which one it was. “My face isn’t in it?”

He grinned. “Yeah. The one with your marks.”

“Ohh. Right. Getting the angle on that took a minute.”

Grigory murmured, “Let me see. Oh... treasure. That is stunning.”

Arthur saw the image and pressed his face to her thighs.

It had seemed like a good idea at the time to kneel and stretch forward with her head down, exposing her marks and shoulder and a tumble of hair with her arms reaching out.

Grigory pressed kisses to her temple. “You are strong, beautiful, and a very brave woman, treasure. And I want that picture or one of them in every single office of every single club that I own.”

“Make a deal with Alexi. Who hired him?”

Grigory grinned. “I did. He has already been asking if he can enter some in gallery shows. He appreciates how they turned out.”

She felt awkward. “How many does he want?”

“A dozen. As you stated, they are all erotic but not lewd. That is the fun of it.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Figuring out birthday or holiday gifts is going to be tough. You guys have everything. I thought this was such a clever idea.”

Delun smiled. “It was very clever, and we are all very appreciative. And we want to show you that appreciation. At length.”

She blinked. “Uh. This sounds suspiciously like my heat.”

Grigory chuckled and rose to his feet with her in his arms, dislodging Arthur. They all headed up to the nest, and they spent hours showing her their appreciation.

When they were naked in a sweaty sprawl, she kissed them all one by one before she crept out and took a shower in Grigory’s room. She slipped on one of his enormous shirts and walked downstairs, sitting out on the patio and watching the night sky march over head.

She texted Olivia and said, Not a booty call, but you up?

There was a heartbeat of wait when she got the answer. On our way.

She smiled, and it was less than five minutes before the jeep lights came toward her across the huge connected yards.

Two omegas were in the jeep with no alphas. Scandalous.

Olivia ran to her and hugged her, rubbing her head along Lexa’s. Ford waited, and then, he came in and gave a gentle hug. Peaches, apples, and roses thickened the air.

They all just stood for a moment and then sat around the table.

“Ford, you are a guy,” Lexa stated. “What can I get for my mates for birthdays and holidays?”

“Sex.”

“Uh, they get that daily.”

Ford raised his brows. “All of them?”

“Yeah, they have different schedules, so I can usually fit them all in, so to speak.”

Olivia smiled. “Where are they now?”

“In my nest, waiting until Grigory overheats and wakes up to see I have snuck out.”

“That’s the big guy?” Ford asked.

“Yup?”

“He’s in the kitchen making a sandwich... naked,” Ford muttered. “Wow.”

Olivia turned to look, and Lexa smiled as Olivia’s jaw dropped.

She looked from Lexa to Grigory and back again. “You said you had a type. I now know why I am so comfortable with you around my guys. That... is a type.”

Lexa giggled, and it set the two others off. Delun and Arthur joined Grigory, and they all stood around, having a late-night snack and waiting. Everyone but Grigory was wearing a towel.

“So, the midnight omega club has now come to order. I still don’t know what to get them for presents.”

Ford smiled. “A baby?”

“That trick only works once a year.” She chuckled. “I can’t even save it for Christmas. Delun would know. He’s a honey tongue.”

Ford blinked. “No shit. I thought they were a myth.”

“Oh, he’s a healer all right, and that tongue is a devious thing. I had a great present planned that was fun, but the stupid photographer was so excited that he showed the images to the guys, and the result of their enthusiasm is standing in the kitchen.”

Olivia cocked her head. “What did you do?”

“Just some flirty photography, nothing lewd.”

Olivia asked Ford, “Can I do that?”

He grinned. “Oh, yes, honey, you can. We can arrange a shoot for you with some of the outfits and body paint from the videos. Lexa, you should come along; we can make a day of it.”

“As long as it doesn’t conflict with my court schedules, I will be there. I get the feeling that I am going to get pretty busy for a short amount of time.”

They chatted for a few more minutes, and then, Olivia’s phone started lighting up. Ford hadn’t brought his. Olivia sighed. “They know I snuck out.” She held up her wrist and the mark there. “They know when I am having fun without them, but you apparently have a specific emotional signature for me.”

Lexa got up and hugged them goodbye. If her pride was looking for her, they probably wanted to cuddle. They hopped in their vehicle, and it was then that she realized Ford was wearing boxer briefs and Olivia was wearing a chemise. Lexa’s heart warmed as she realized that she had two friends that nature said she shouldn’t be able to stand, but she didn’t have any competition from them. She didn’t want their alphas, and they were wary of hers.

She turned her head, and Grigory was holding a sandwich on a plate and waggling his eyebrows. Lexa laughed softly and headed inside. “Bribing me with food?”

“It’s bacon.” He grinned.

She lunged to grab it, and it caused her to be plastered against him by design. He caught her and pulled her against him. “You are wearing my shirt.”

Lexa nodded. “I am. I also showered in your room and put my towels in the hamper.”

Delun asked, “Why his room?”

“It was closest, and I didn’t wake you guys up with memories of shower sex.”

Delun smiled slowly. “Oh, yeah.”

Grigory raised his brows. “Ah, yes. She ran.”

Arthur chuckled. “Oh, right. Which caused the birth control consideration.”

She blushed. “And the no-holds-barred heat. Now can I have my sandwich?” She whined and reached for the sandwich, but Grigory easily kept it out of her grip.

She licked at his neck and whined as she wiggled in his grip. He leaned back against the kitchen island, and he purred for her. His erection was prodding the inside of her thigh, and she moved her hands on him. He grunted as he handed the sandwich to Arthur, and they headed upstairs to resume their appreciation of the photos. She didn’t think it would be an all-night event, but apparently, she was wrong.

The next morning she was yawning through breakfast, and everyone around her was smiling whenever she tried to hide the inhalation.

She got a text from Ford, and she smiled. She looked at the guys. “I can go back to working on videos, right?”

They looked at each other and shrugged. Arthur said, “I don’t see why not.”

“As long as you take bodyguards and a driver,” Grigory muttered.

Delun nodded. “And keep your phone with you. You have all our numbers?”

“Yes, Judge Hall.” It was fun to tease the man who liked to start the morning with his head between her thighs.

He grinned. “Hailey is home today. Do you want to take her with you?”

“Um... she likes to watch me dance, but I think she needs to get ahead of her school work if she is going to your sister’s school on Monday.”

Illyana smiled. “I agree. If she finishes her homework, I can bring her to the shoot later if you like.”

Lexa grinned. “It sounds good. Great. I will tell them I can go out and play.”

Hailey came in, and she snorted. “Mr. Ford and Miss Olivia, Mom?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you going to dance in this one or just do gymnastics?”

Her mates turned to her with interested looks. “Uh, he didn’t say. But, he mentioned that he finished the video from your birthday.”

Hailey’s eyes glowed happily. “Will he show it to us?”

“I will ask him for a copy.”

“Don’t watch it without me.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” She chuckled.

She got the destination from Ford and gave it to Grigory so he could summon the driver and bodyguards. Arthur had a serious expression.

Lexa asked, “Terrance?”

“Yup. I will deal with as much as possible, and he has Delun’s details for the portion of suit that Hailey is bringing.”

Lexa paused. “Oh, so that’s why you did that. Smart.”

Delun frowned. “Did what? Adopt Hailey? Defending her interests was part of it. Keeping her safe was most of it.”

Hailey frowned. “Mom kept me safe. She didn’t need help.”

Lexa looked at her daughter, and she stood, holding out her hand. Hailey took her hand, and they went into Lexa’s office to talk. Misha and the kittens greeted them, and Lexa smiled. “Hailey. I did need help. I just didn’t have anyone I could ask. Now, I do, and I am taking all the help I can get.”

“But we were great. It was good.” Her frown was deep.

“I was tired all the time. I couldn’t play with you or enjoy your days off. I had to work the whole time, which was fun, but I would rather you have a day off, and I put you onto the back of my bike, and we roar off across to Olivia’s place.”

Sly hope covered her features. “Can we ride horses?”

“We can probably find somewhere nearby to ride horses.” She smiled.

“Okay. Are they talking about court? Are you being sued again?”

“Not this time, baby. This time, we are suing her. She did a very, very bad thing by showing up at your school.”

Hailey looked smug and angry, her little face screwed up. “So, she will be punished?”

“Oh, yes. If we can’t throw her in jail, we will get money so that you have everything you need for the rest of your life.”

“What about you, Mom? You have lost everything so many times.”

“I have what matters. I have you, I have the guys, and I am getting more friends each day. Life feels better than it used to.”

Hailey hugged her. “I am glad it is better.”

“I had better get dressed for the video shoot.”

“Ooh. What does Ford want you to wear?”

“I don’t know yet, but it has a fairy tale theme. That first one was so popular that a set of videos have been commissioned by the local library.” Lexa chuckled. “Apparently, I make a good fairy princess.”

“Can you send me pictures of you in your costume changes?”

“Of course, baby. You study hard, and one day, people might pay you to go play dress-up.”

“From taking clothes off to putting them on. Your life has sure changed.” Hailey grinned, and they high-fived.

“Yes, it has. Now, go and have breakfast with your nanny.” She kissed Hailey’s forehead, and their days were arranged.

Lexa was going out to play. Yes, she had to take guards, but it was still going to be fun.

Eight hours later, Hailey greeted her at the door and grabbed her hand as she stumbled into the house. “Come on, Mom. We held dinner for you.”

“What do you mean, held dinner. Isn’t it like four o’clock?”

“Yeah, but Ford, Olivia, and her guys, and the boys are coming over this evening so we can see the videos from the park. I have to eat and help tidy up, and you have to eat, have a bath, and relax.”

“Who gave that order?”

“Zumu Fen. She video called me today. She said dealing with folks who weren’t yours all day would make you tired.”

Most of the family was arranged for dinner, but only Grigory was there. Delun and Arthur were missing.

Grigory smiled. “And now, we resume normal life where we constantly try and catch up with each other.”

She kissed him and took her seat at the head of the table. “It smells amazing.”

Yorgi smiled. “Thank you. I have saved servings for Delun and Arthur.”

The salad, fried chicken, mac and cheese, coleslaw, and six other sides were better than any takeout she had had in the last five years.

Hailey asked, “What did you do today, Mom?”

Illyana smiled. “The costumes looked lovely.”

“They were and a little scratchy.”

Grigory frowned. “Did you get abraded?”

“Little bit. There were more acrobatics today than I was anticipating.”

He nodded. “We will take care of that before the guests come over.”

Hailey smiled. “Boxes started arriving for you today. There was a lot from Zumu Fen. She felt really bad. She doesn’t normally get called out.”

Rya snorted.

Hailey shrugged. “What? She said so on the call.”

Lexa smiled, and they kept eating dinner while Hailey chuckled and talked about her new grandmother. She hadn’t had a good grandma in her life since she was two, so it was good that she was excited. Having met Fen, Lexa could understand the attraction. Until she started playing games, she was graceful and sweet... and she had an immediate bond with Hailey.

When she was done with dinner, she waited while everyone else finished. Yorgi scowled. “You didn’t eat much.”

She looked at the remains of three pieces of chicken and the crumbs from her sides. “Um, it was all I had room for?”

Yorgi snorted. “Hailey made a suggestion for dessert. I hope you kept room for it.”

Hailey was smiling and rubbing her hands.

Yorgi went to the kitchen and returned with a huge bowl with contents she recognized. Rya walked in after him, and they served up portions of banana pudding while Lexa tried not to hop up and down in her chair.

Yorgi looked at Lexa and blinked. “Huh. The little miss was right.”

Hailey grinned. “She loves me, and then, she loves banana pudding and then bacon. Then, maybe Delun, Grigory, and Arthur. She would love them more if they were covered in banana pudding.”

Lexa already had her dessert half gone, but she had her spoon in her mouth while she looked at Grigory, and she cocked her head doing the math. “Maybe.”

The table erupted in laughter, and Grigory took a serving and set it aside. “For later.”

She giggled and went through her serving before looking for an angle of attack on the huge bowl. “Boris, can you pass that down, please?”

He took a scoop and passed it down, then Illyana did the same, and Rya and even Hailey. Lexa was nearly in tears when it arrived with only one tiny serving left. One spoonful, and it was gone. Grigory pulled her onto his lap, and he soothed her. “So, you will fight other omegas and battle in videos, but being deprived of dessert makes you cry?”

She leaned against his shoulder. “It was a very painful day. Control is a little thin.”

The bodyguards looked nervous.

Grigory frowned. “What happened?”

“Ford had to fire some riggers. I fell about ten feet.”

The table gasped.

“Right, so I am going to take a bath and try and give myself a bit of a rubdown and then try not to think about the bruising that is going to pop up.” She kissed him quickly. “See you guys in an hour.”

She slipped out of his lap and headed up the steps.