Niall felt guilty whenever the unbidden memories surfaced. Ronan’s thick alpha cock hitting his sweet spot just right. Teal holding Niall to his chest as the omega came deep inside of him.
Or maybe the beta’s true guilt arose from not wanting to forget those things.
Niall shook his head resignedly as Garin and Kino bounced out of the school building.
***
Two hours later, Niall supervisedthe three boys in the giant upstairs bathroom tub as they splashed in the bubbles. Even Garin, who fancied himself more grown-up than his brothers, giggled as he played with the toy ships and washable tile markers Niall had put out for them.
Niall must have missed the sound of the garage door opening because he glanced up with surprise to find Ronan and Teal leaning against the doorframe, grinning at their children’santics. Breaking with what had become the norm over the past few weeks, they’d both arrived home before dinnertime.
“Look, little gents,” Niall said to the boys. “Papa and Daddy are home.”
“Hi Daddy! Hi Papa!” Kino cried enthusiastically, a change from his usual quiet mode. “See my name? I drew it on the wall.”
“I drew mine too,” Garin chimed in.
“I have a ship,” Zayne said, dipping the toy in and out of the water.
“It’s nice to see you boys having fun.” Ronan grinned.
“But, Papa, can we stay in the bath a little longer?” Zayne held up his hands. “We just got in and I want to have raisin fingers.”
“Yes, of course,” Ronan answered. “You can stay in there until your pointers and pinkies are all shriveled, as long as it’s okay with Niall.”
“Fine by me,” Niall said. “There’s spaghetti warming on the stove, and salad in the fridge. It just needs dressing.”
“I can do that,” Teal said. He leaned down to Niall’s ear. “Thank you. You’re the best.”
A shiver traveled down Niall’s spine at the innocuous words. Teal had such a sexy, raspy voice. Not to mention how well he wore his fitted black suit. And then there was Ronan, with his worn-in jeans, flannel button-down, and work boots. He personified the fantasy ofhot construction worker. Both men seemed unconcerned with the water splashing their clothes as they crowded into the bathroom to kiss their sons’ heads.
Niall exhaled as the husbands retreated into the hallway.
Maybe he did need to leave his job. He loved the boys like his own and admired their parents, but was it fair to Jax for Niall to stay when he lusted after his employers? Even knowing he’d never act on the attraction.
His knees ached from squatting next to the tub. He stood and leaned against the wall, hearing low murmuring from theprimary bedroom next to the bathroom. Niall made out the conversation as Teal and Ronan spoke on the other side of the door, which they’d left cracked.
“…I meant to tell you yesterday, but you got home late and then we got distracted.” The overt innuendo in Ronan’s voice came through. Niall shuddered, imagining the late-nightdistractionthat had kept the husbands from talking.
Their words grew muffled again before Niall heard Teal. “…And he seemed okay, but it’s concerning that his uncle flew into that much of a rage over something so silly.”
Niall realized they were discussing Sorcha.
“Agreed," Ronan said gravely. "It's unfortunate Dale and Abe don’t treat him very well, even though he’s their family.”
There were a few moments of quiet before Teal spoke. “You feel it too, don’t you?” he asked gently. “The pull toward Sorcha?”
After a pause, the alpha replied, “Yeah… I’m not sure exactly what’s going on. It’s never happened with another omega.” Ronan waited another beat before continuing, “The last thing I want to do is hurt you or cause you distress. You know I can…control myself.”
The silence lingered. Niall wished he could see the two men’s faces. How strong was Ronan’s attraction to Sorcha? What did it mean? Had his admission caused the pain to Teal he’d hoped to avoid?
The omega’s next words answered that question.
“Oh, my love,” Teal said reflectively. “I think it’s normal to be attracted to other people. Like we talked about last night. Every time I see Niall, I still feel like I want to throw him down and maul him.”
Such a brash omega. Niall smiled at Teal’s words as they lit him up inside. Even if he couldn’t be with the couple anymore,it felt good to know he was missed. He probably shouldn’t be eavesdropping, either, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself.
“It doesn’t hurt me,” Teal went on. “Because I feel it too. There’s something different about Sorcha. Something that makes me want to protect him.”
