Lola & the Millionaires: Part One (Sweet Omegaverse #2)(100)

Ah, shit.

“Hm?” Matthieu’s eyebrows bounced, drink held to his lips.

“What’s up with all the gifts you’ve been sneaking Lola?” Rake asked, leaning forward on the couch.

Matthieu turned to stone at the question, although I was pretty sure there was a little hint of a smile in his eyes. “What gifts?”

“The flowers,” Caleb said immediately, smiling when I glanced at him in surprise. “What? You think I haven’t noticed too?”

“And that chocolate cake you brought home for dinner last night that made her make sexy sounds,” Rake said.

“And the hair clips,” I added.

I hadn’t noticed them at first, the pretty twisted silver pins she’d used to twist her hair up, ones that matched her usual silver earring posts. She hadn’t had them last night but she’d been wearing them as she left this morning. Rake and I had already noticed something was up. Matthieu was practically bouncing as he walked, and Lola had a near permanent blush on her cheeks and a glitter in her eyes that I usually only caught right before sex. It might’ve been explained by sex too, except I knew Lola’s anxiety started beating her up after the post-coital endorphins wore off. This was different. It lasted longer, and I wanted to know how to make it happen for her as well.

“Are you trying to seduce her with money? Because I don’t think that’s Lola’s style,” Rake said.

Matthieu straightened at that, his smile vanishing. “Of course not. It’s not…” His jaw clenched, and he stared out the dark windows to the balcony.

“Are you courting her?” I asked, staring at him.

Matthieu blushed. Aha!

“I…hadn’t thought of it like that, but yes, I suppose I am,” he said slowly, brow furrowing. He pushed up from his armchair and crossed immediately to the ottomon in front of the couch we all sat on, planting himself in front of Rake. “You are my omega but—”

Rake shook his head. “Don’t. Don’t ask me for permission, you have it. You know I already want Lola to be pack. If her connection to us includes you, then I’m even happier for all our sakes.”

Matthieu sighed, and his shoulders softened as he nodded. “Good. I assumed that’s what we were all thinking. She said something that bothered me on Sunday, that she didn’t think a beta was wanted. But I don’t think she meant all betas.”

I nodded. “She meant herself, I’ve caught that from her too.”

“Is it because of them?” Matthieu asked, growling faintly. “Those men?”

I groaned and reached my arm behind me to try and dig the tension out of the back of my neck.“I’m sure they didn’t help but…a lot of betas have insecurities about self-worth. Alphas have a very clear purpose, and our whole culture is built around the concept of cherishing omegas.”

“You want to treat her like an omega,” Rake said softly, staring at Matthieu. “Oh, Matt, I love that idea.”

“I intend to treat her as she deserves to be treated,” Matthieu said with a shrug. “But I did get her to admit that she craves the kind of attention that comes with courting an omega. Don’t share that,” he said, pointing sternly at all three of us. “That was information I gained with a great deal of persuading. I don’t want her to feel like all we do is gossip about her when she’s not here.”

“It is all we do,” Caleb said with a soft laugh. “Leo, you should swap the name on my ticket for hers. Take Lola to Malta with you.”

My eyebrows bounced. I had a trip to Malta planned over the weekend to see a property my firm was interested in for a possible resort site. Caleb and I had planned to go together months ago, but the idea of taking Lola was equally appealing. Lola was sharing her time at the house between Matthieu, or me and Rake together. As happy as I was to see her falling into a place with our pack, I was a little nostalgic for those early moments with her.

Just us.

“You don’t mind?” I asked, and Caleb shook his head. I turned to Matthieu and he blinked in confusion. “Do you mind?”

He scoffed. “Do you? Not that men should say things like ‘dibs’ about women, but I have been horning in on your time with her recently.”

“You’ve been making her happy,” I said, smiling as he sat up straighter. I turned to Rake to make sure he was on board, and instead found him scrolling furiously on his phone. “What are you doing?”

“Shopping.”

“Now?”

“I’m sorry, but if anyone is an authority on spoiling an omega, it’s the omega in the room. Besides, Lo and I talked about fashion and makeup for hours during fashion week. I have an actual wishlist I compiled for this exact moment.”

“Subtlety, Rakim,” Matthieu growled, reaching for the phone as Rake scooted quickly out of his reach and into Caleb’s protection.

“You be subtle! Anyway I can just…stuff it in my closet until I think she’s ready,” Rake muttered, adding a pair of leather-like leggings to his cart.

“You’re just going to keep women’s clothing in your closet and assume Lola won’t wonder why?” I asked.

“Gender is a social construct.”

Matthieu groaned and left the ottoman, heading out of the living room.