Chapter 12 #4
“He returned home late last night, not long after we grabbed your stuff,” he said confidently.
Vail released me and turned to the dresser, where he had begun to clear several drawers for my stuff, squashing his things into the ones beneath the bed.
I had taken that as a cue to start putting my own things away when he pulled out a pair of dark sweats and a hoodie, reminding me very much of Shaw’s style.
When he began stripping down in front of me, I purposefully kept my face turned away.
It’s been too damn long since Patrick and I had last hooked up, and seeing Vail’s sculpted, adonis-like stomach… dirty thoughts of him entered my mind…
Him as he was crushing me against the wall as our tongue’s danced together. Him as he was fisting my hair as he’d just done a minute ago, his body between my legs. I could just imagine what his body felt like, and I imagined running my fingers and my tongue over every inch...
Goddamn Vail and his beautiful stomach muscles, the cocky bastard…
I just bet he knew he was hot shit, too, the way he was slowly getting changed behind me.
It’s like he knew I was avoiding looking at him.
When I think of how Patrick looked, it just doesn’t compare.
Patrick, though a little beefier than the typical boys at the Academy from playing football, had nothing like the muscles that Lee and Vail were packing.
I carefully folded up my things, discreetly shoving my undies and bras into the bottom drawer and quickly shutting it closed before I did something stupid like decide to let him see the silky pieces I had, just to find out what his reaction would be.
But no. I needed to focus. Some serious shit was about to go down. All else could wait until later…
Later… like when we’d be sleeping side by side. Ugh! Focus Casey! I seriously needed to get a grip.
“So what are you going to say to convince Keith to give up his role as the trustee to my inheritance?” I asked, trying to keep my head in the game. “He’s not gonna want to give that up, especially if he’s doing what you’re claiming-”
“He is. I guarantee it.” His voice was muffled, most likely because he had been pulling the sweater over his head.
“That department is as crooked as City Hall. You’re not going to get justice from them.
It needs to be resigned. I was betting if we brought this to the attention of the courts and they asked for receipts, Keith would be fucked. ”
I was doubtful of their plan. Was Keith really gonna be intimidated by two teenage boys and their threats to expose what they think he did? I don’t know… I really am having a hard time believing it. But do I want to give up and go back to him? No, no, I fucking do not.
I think my silence only revealed how skeptical I was because Vail stepped up behind me then, placing both his hands on my shoulders.
I tipped my head back, peering up at him upside down from where I was still sitting on the floor.
He was fully dressed now, and had the smallest of smiles on his lips.
“Have ye a little faith,” he said the familiar line again.
Before I could say a word, he leaned down until his lips were brushing over my forehead then to my temple.
His fingers moved to cup my throat lightly, and he whispered, “Casey… I was serious when I said that we were your family now. We’re not going to let you down.
We’ll always protect you, darling. And that includes saving you from your piece of shit father. ”
“Vail…” I whispered as his fingers stroked my skin, so lightly, it was like a feather was floating across my neck.
“I’m not letting you go this time,” he breathed, his lips pressing a kiss just below my ear.
“ We won’t let you go.” He crouched down and turned me to face him, still lightly holding my throat.
The pupils of his eyes were blown, almost inking out the hazel colour.
He caressed my neck, stroking the marks Keith left behind as though these gentle minor strokes would make them all better.
He stared at my mouth for a second before he leaned in and kissed me.
While Shaw’s was full of hunger, impulse, and wildness, Vail’s kiss was ardent, full of passion, and assuredness.
His tongue swept my mouth, demanding I return his kiss, and I did.
Vail’s kiss made me forget everything at the moment except for him and me, and I gladly fell into him.
When he finally pulled away, we were both breathless, both leaning into each other, as though we needed the other’s support to stand.
For a minute, neither of us spoke as we held on to each other, both comfortable with the silence between us.
It was like we could feel what the other wanted, and it was reciprocated.
“You know why I won’t let you go?” he whispered at last.
My head was spinning from that kiss, so lost in the moment that I couldn’t even remember my own name right at that second. I gave my head a little shake.
The hand on my throat moved up and cupped my cheek, his thumb lightly stroking it, and murmured, “Because my heart aches for you, my soul cries for you. I need you and you need me. I’ve loved you from the very first moment, Casey. That’s never changed.”
I was speechless, caught off guard by how beautiful and heart-wrenching his words were.
Before I could even think of what to say back, he pulled away, giving the tip of my nose a small kiss before he strode over to the door as if nothing happened.
“We’ll be back in a couple of hours,” he called over his shoulder, giving me a wink before departing.
I could hear the guys talking to each other briefly; their voices were unclear from where I was up the stairs.
I was still feeling light-headed from Vail’s kiss, his proclamation.
I had eventually snapped out of it when the sounds of the locks on the front door opened and then slammed.
I ran into the hall and peered down the steps only to hear the beeping of the alarm system, followed by the locks sliding back into place.
I was feeling so confused about everything as I tried to continue putting my stuff away.
I’d spent the night with Lee, flirting and being all domestic with Amelie, then again at breakfast as he held me close and fed me like I was his sweetheart.
But then there was Shaw… Shaw, who needed me so badly, and a part of my soul needed him.
His kiss last night... it was like a part of me had found itself in him and was uniting at last. But then…
there was Vail , who was just… Vail. Vail, who said he loved me.
My head was whirling. Even though I had managed to fit most of my clothes in the dresser and found space for my books along the one shaded windowsill, overlooking out onto the porch that only Vail’s ( our ) room had access to, I was feeling incredibly anxious and confused.
What was I doing? What was I going to do?
I overheard them last night and this morning.
Shaw’s kiss, Lee’s flirtations, and Vail’s sudden change of heart; all told me one thing…
they all wanted me here. But not only that, it was clear that they all wanted me.
If I could sense all of this, then there was no way the guys were ignorant of each other’s feelings, either.
I wanted them… all three of them. Each one touched a part of my soul in different ways, and when one of the three were gone, I found myself aching for them.
When I lived on The Hill, I missed all three, thought about all three, missed all three.
How could I choose only one? I needed all three.
So how was this going to work?
I shook my head, unable to deal with this at the moment. I was too nervous about the idea of Lee and Vail walking into my father’s home and making demands. What if he calls the cops or pulls a weapon on them?
I grabbed my toiletries and headed out into the hall, checking the linen closet for a towel.
It’s sparse, with only two extra, so I took one and walked into the bathroom.
I spent about five percent of the time shampooing, shaving, and scrubbing myself down, and then the other ninety-five percent I stared at the yellow, tiled wall, feeling on edge.
A gentle knock on the door snapped me out of my contemplation, and I wiped the water out of my eyes as I stuck my head out from behind the shower curtain. “Yeah?”
I heard a muffled voice behind the door, and I knew it was Shaw. But I couldn’t hear him over the shower, not with his raspy whisper. I’m done anyway, so I shut it off, wrapping the towel around my chest to hide my body, and opened the door. “What was that?” I asked.
Shaw’s blue eyes widened a fraction at the sight of me in a towel, and very slowly, his gaze perused down my body, then slowly up again. His pale cheeks reddened ever so faintly, and he cleared his throat, suddenly looking incredibly bashful. I hadn’t expected that.
“Um, I was… I wondered…” His voice trailed off, and the next thing I knew, there was a tent in his pants.
But wow, holy shit, something I hadn’t expected to see…
Shaw Bishop was packing! I could tell he was uncomfortable by the way he hunched over ever so slightly and shifted his legs, as though trying to hide that extra limb between his legs, but it was too late.
I didn’t know whether to laugh or feel bad for him, as he seemed really embarrassed by it.
I was about to let him know it was fine, but he just backed up and headed down the hall to the room on the other side of the linen closet, and quickly shut the door behind himself.
I chuckled a little to myself. Still got it! I couldn’t help but think as I walked into Vail’s (frick! Mine… Vail’s, and my room. That’s going to take some getting used to) to dry off and change.