“Oh,” the tall beta said, stumbling slightly. “It’s super soundproofed up here.”
“Yes,” Valentin drawled. “Soundproof and entirely private. The other offices are downstairs.”
The dark-haired beta folded his arms across his chest. “Your security guard wasn’t clear on why you wanted to see us.” He looked at Valentin with the ghost of a smile, tempered by caution. “You wanted our opinion on the deejay?”
Valentin’s lips turned up. “That wasn’t the reason, but now that you’re here…” He waved his hand in a circle, stepping closer.
The man ran a hand over his scruffy chin. “Honestly, I don’t have an opinion. My husband and I can dance to anything.”
“That’s true,” the red-haired beta said. “But the music downstairs was very, uh, enjoyable.”
“I see,” Valentin hummed. “Glad to hear it. I noticed you two on the floor…enjoyingthe music.”
The man blushed, showcasing freckles Valentin hadn’t noticed from far away. “We don’t get out very often,” he said. “Babysitters are tricky to find for late nights.”
Valentin paused. These men were fathers. Interesting. It solidified that, whatever this was, it could only last for tonight. Good.
“Then I’m glad you were able to find someone and come out for Beta Night. I’m Valentin, by the way. The Cracked Heart is my club.”
He stretched out his arm. The dark-haired one shook his hand. “I’m Wes, and this is my husband, Assa.”
“Pleasure to meet you.”
Valentin appreciated the roughness of Wes’s fingers as their palms pressed together. The betas couldn’t smell him, but he was sure his smoky sage scent was going crazy.
Quick breaths escaped Assa’s mouth as he watched Valentin rub his thumb back and forth across Wes’s knuckles.
“What are we doing here, Valentin?” Wes rasped, dropping his hand back to his side.
By the catch in his voice, Valentin was confident the three of them were on the same page. He inched closer, moving into the couple’s space until they were practically touching noses.
When neither beta stepped away, he grew bold.
“Like my note said, I saw you dancing. I couldn’t stop watching. The way you moved together. It’s not my general mode to be so forward with my guests, but I was wondering if perhaps you were open to having a little fun with a lonely alpha. If not, no harm done. But I didn’t want to miss the opportunity toinquire.”
“You are confident,” Wes stated, although he didn’t seem mad about it.
“Not always,” Valentin replied honestly. “But when I saw you, it seemed worth the risk.”
“You don’t have a boyfriend? Or a husband?” Assa asked, eyeing Valentin’s bare ring finger.
“Married to this club.”
“Why us?” Wes asked. “I mean, why did you think we’d be amenable?”
Valentin shrugged. He didn’t want to explain his fascination, how he’d been transfixed by the look in Assa’s eyes and the way Wes had moved behind him. It seemed like too much of an admission to let on that he’d watched them so closely.
“I didn’t,” Valentin replied. “I took a chance when I sent Xan down with my note. But I know what I want. Even if others may have beenamenable, you’re the only ones who interested me.” He reached up slowly so the betas could step back if they wanted to. They didn’t, allowing him to rest a hand on each of their arms. “But you’re here now, so maybe I was right? You’re curious?”
Valentin began kneading their shoulders.
Wes licked his lips and let out a hoarse laugh. “We’re more than curious, alpha. Obviously. We wouldn’t be here if we weren’t.”
Assa nodded his head enthusiastically, even as his cheeks grew pink.
Valentin was drawn in by Assa’s blushes, but there was also something about Wes’s candor he found intriguing. He imagined touching him, making him cry out and softening his tough exterior.
“You’ve been with other men in bed before? As a couple?” Valentin asked.