Page 34 of The Rust in Her Hair

"I do," he says. "I was going to take it to the dry cleaners yesterday, but I got lazy."

"Good." I flatten my palm against his flat stomach, feeling him breathe. "I want a private show later. For my eyes only."

"I can do that." Owen turns in my arms, tipping his chin up, his hazel eyes looking slightly bigger behind his glasses. "But first I need to swing by the library for a few hours. I want to make sure the exhibit's still standing after Friday night’s fundraiser.”

“Seriously?” I snort as I caress his warm back. “Are you scared it burned down?"

"With that crowd of self-obsessed, billionaire alphas? Wouldn't put it past them." He rolls his eyes, shaking his head slightly. "Half of them were three drinks in before they even crossed the threshold."

"Morning." Nico's rough voice cuts through the kitchen as he strolls in barefoot and shirtless, scratching the back of his neck. "Is there any coffee?"

"Didn't make any." Owen steps back to grab the pack alpha a mug, and I release him. "I was in the mood for tea this morning."

Nico frowns, cutting a glare at the kettle. "Tea, huh?" He lets out an exaggerated sigh. "Guess I'm making my own coffee, then."

"You know where the pot is." Owen smiles as he sets a clean mug in front of Nico.

"Yeah, yeah." Nico reaches past the beta for the coffee tin on the top shelf, his bare chest brushing Owen's shoulder on the way. "We need stuff from the supply store," he says as he measures out the grounds. "Linny gave me a whole list. He said we need more caulk, a half a dozen new blades, shit like that."

"I can pick them up." I take a sip of my tea. It’s warm and sweet enough to chase the last of the sleep out of my chest. "I've got nothing else going on today."

"You sure?" Nico glances at me as he turns the coffee pot on. "It's a whole list."

"I'm sure." I glance at Owen. "I can drop you at the library on the way, if you want. Save your car the trip."

Owen's face lights up, clearly down with the idea. "That'd be perfect, actually." He takes a sip of his tea. "It'll force me to actually leave at a decent hour."

"You spend too much time in that library already," Nico says.

"I do not spend too much time at work." Owen sets his mug down harder than he needs to. "I know there have been a few late evenings, but it’s not that bad."

Nico gives the beta a pointed look. "You’ve been working twenty-hour days for months. Every damn time you're in that place, we practically need to send in a search party to drag you out."

"That's an exaggeration, and you know it."

"Cariño." Nico crosses his arms, his firm pecs pushing together, his biceps bulging from the movement. "You slept at that library all last weekend. Both nights, on that awful little couch in your office."

Owen pulls his mouth into a sheepish grin. "I was trying to get everything ready for the fundraiser." He wraps both hands around his mug. "But it's over now. Things'll be more normal for a while."

"Good." Nico presses a kiss to the top of Owen's head, lingering there a moment. "Because we've missed you around here."

He tips Owen's chin up and kisses him properly, slow and unhurried, and Owen melts into it the way he always does when Nico gets soft like this.

"Don’t get too caught up, you two. I want to hit the hardware store when it opens."

Nico mumbles something against Owen’s lips. I’m not confident they won’t end up fucking again before we hit the road.

I leave them to it, heading down the hall for a shower.

I pull into Owen's reserved spot around the back of the library. The truck rattles to a stop, then I cut the engine.

"See you in an hour," Owen says, one hand already on the door handle.

"Actually," I say, and he stops. "I kind of want to see this exhibit you've been killing yourself over for the last four months."

Owen's whole face opens up, a wide, unguarded smile breaking across it. "Yeah?" he says like he's not entirely sure he heard me right. "You want to actually see it?"

"Of course, I do."