Spike stared. And then a smile crinkled his eyes, and he was laughing through his tears, scrubbing them off with his hand. “I hate you,” Spike said, except he was leaning in, dragging his nose against Kai’s cheek, raking his nails down the back of Kai’s neck. “You should’ve fucking told me.”
“I wanted it to be a surprise.” Kai flushed, looking away. So much for that.
“I want you more than that surprise.” Spike kissed him again, smiling now. “Don’t ever fucking keep secrets like that from me again.”
“Even if it’s for you?” Kai asked.
Spike scowled. “Even then. No secrets.”
Kai breathed out. If that was what it took to keep Spike close, then he’d gladly do it. “I promise.”
Spike broke into a smile. When Micah came to sit next to them, there was a relieved smile on his face, too. Kai didn’t think there could be a better sight in the entire world.
“I love you both,” Spike said, reaching for Micah.
And suddenly Micah was there, pressed up with Spike and Kai, small and warm and beautiful. Kai scooted back, hauling Micah up onto Spike’s lap, too. Then he pulled both of them into a hug, pressing his forehead against Micah’s cheek, stroking his palm down Micah’s belly. Having both his alpha and his omega close, having them safe... it made Kai’s instincts calm in his chest.
Micah sucked in a surprised breath, glancing at Kai’s hand on his belly. “The baby...”
“I’ll be the baby’s dad,” Kai said, meeting both their gazes. “Anything to make you happy.”
Delight bloomed through Micah’s face. “But are you sure about it?”
Kai shrugged, peeling up Micah’s shirt to look at his belly. Red stretch marks lined Micah’s skin. When Kai pressed his palm to Micah’s belly, something inside kicked.
Kai held his breath. There was something—someone—alive in there. A tiny person.
Micah smiled. “You felt her, didn’t you? That’s your daughter.”
My daughter. Kai couldn’t wrap his mind around it. “You sure the pregnancy... it’ll go okay?”
At that, a shadow flickered through Spike and Micah’s faces. “Dr. Smith said there’s still a risk of birth complications,” Micah said slowly. “We’ve been looking on the bright side.”
“Gods.” The implications of that made his stomach twist. He pulled his hand away from Micah’s belly, unwilling to linger on those possibilities. “How long until you can go home?”
“I have to be here twenty-four hours for observation,” Spike said, a slow gleam building in his eyes. “Why? When do you have to be back?”
“Before Thursday.” Kai stroked Micah’s back, squeezing Spike’s calf. “But I was thinking about quitting.”
“No,” Spike and Micah said at the same time.
Micah, Kai could understand. But Spike? He frowned. “I thought you didn’t want me to leave.”
Spike chewed on his lip, hesitantly meeting Kai’s gaze. “I thought about it,” he mumbled. “I was being selfish. That’s your dream.”
“But it’s also my dream to be here. With both of you.” Kai blushed, holding their gazes. “Home is with you.”
“Are you sure you can leave that kind of pay?” Spike looked at Kai, and a million words passed between them. Because as much as Spike wanted Kai to stay in Meadowfall, Kai knew Spike would appreciate the extra cash, the safety net to catch them in case they fell.
“You didn’t look so great over the video calls,” Micah said in concern, stroking Kai’s cheek.
Kai flushed harder. “I was jealous,” he muttered. “‘Cuz Spike was all over you and the baby, and I was just... there.”
Spike smiled, and this time, mischief gleamed in his eyes. “So Kai wants some sweet lovin’ all to himself.”
“Can’t say I don’t.” Kai looked away. It had been a while. And being here with them, smelling their scents... it was hard not to want to curl up between Spike and Micah, so he knew for sure that they wanted him here.
“What if we go to Colorado with you?” Micah asked, kissing Kai on the lips. “To your games?”
Kai’s heart skipped. All this time, he’d played knowing that Spike and Micah weren’t tuning in to many of the games—at least, not live. But if they were there, if they were watching him...
Somehow, that excitement presented itself as musk billowing from his skin, his blood swooping between his legs. Kai swallowed. Micah gasped, and Spike growled, reaching across Micah to squeeze Kai’s cock. Kai rocked into his palm, his cock growing.
He’d missed this, too. Missed Spike touching him, Micah with that dark, hungry look in his eyes.
“I can’t wait to get home,” Micah whispered, slipping his hand beneath Kai’s shirt, caressing his abs. Then he moaned, dragging his palm up Kai’s front. “Spike, you haven’t—you should feel this.”
“Yeah?” Spike rumbled, pulling Kai’s shirt up.
Kai had been working out more over the past months, getting himself fit enough to match the NBA’s standards. Core strength, cardio, and all that. He’d been okay with the changes in his body, but it wasn’t until Spike’s gaze landed on Kai’s abs, and he all but shoved Kai’s shirt up his chest, that Kai truly understood why he’d been working out so much.
“Fuck me,” Spike whispered, his eyes raking down Kai’s chest. “I didn’t know you were hiding this under your clothes.”
Kai’s nipples tingled. Yeah, his pecs were more pronounced now, his abs more defined, all the way to the V of his hips. It wasn’t like Kai had looked bad before.
“You weren’t asking him to strip over video,” Micah answered, looking pointedly at Spike.
And now Kai’s cock was so hard, it could pierce his pants. “How long until we can get Spike alone?” Kai asked.
Micah glanced toward the room door. “I promised the nurse we’d be good. Otherwise we’d be kicked out.”
Kai groaned, cupping Spike’s hand to hold him there, before rutting into his palm. “Wanna get you home.”
“That’ll be another twenty hours,” Spike muttered, squeezing Kai’s cock through his
