The heavy door of the den room clicks shut behind us, the lock sliding into place with a definitive sound that sends a shiver of claustrophobia down my spine. The clinical sterility of the space feels alien compared to Eliot's cozy nest back at the cottage, but Eliot's hand at the small of my back grounds me.

"It'll be better once we make it ours," he murmurs, pressing a kiss to my temple before releasing me to retrieve our bags from the corner.

I nod, swallowing hard against the rising tide of heat already building inside me—making my skin hypersensitive and my thoughts increasingly clouded by need. My omega instincts scream for the safety of a proper nest, for the reassuring weight of Eliot's body against mine, for the hot press of his cock inside me.

Eliot spreads a blanket across the padded mat on the floor and begins arranging pillows with practiced precision. "What do you think? Should we start with the red blanket or save it for later?" He glances up at me, his hazel eyes darkening with arousal as he takes in my flushed cheeks and heavy breathing.

I don't trust my voice to answer coherently, so I simply cross the room and climb into his lap, straddling his thighs. He lets out a soft oof of surprise before his arms wrap tightly around my waist, his scent—bright apples with a hint of cinnamon—washing over me in a soothing wave that makes my omega purr deep in my throat.

"Someone's feeling needy today," he teases, but his hands already cup my face, his thumbs brushing over my cheekbones before he pulls me into a slow, searing kiss that makes my toes curl.

When we finally break apart, both of us breathing heavily, I rest my forehead against his. "I need you," I whisper, my voice already taking on the desperate edge that heat always brings out in me. "Now. Before the worst of it hits."

Eliot's gaze softens, his hands sliding down to grip my hips firmly. "I'm right here, Q. Always."