Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
Tyrell
I’d never been particularly good at pretending I wasn’t affected by something.
But I’d had a lot of practice.
I stood near the window long after the room had gone quiet, hands braced on the sill, breathing slow and measured while my body stubbornly refused to follow suit.
Fucking hell.
The image of the two of them entwined replayed whether or not I wanted it to.
Hope trembling, soft and open, and Perry’s hands steady at her waist as the two of them writhed against each other, chasing their pleasure.
Then there was Lee’s voice, where he did that growly thing that made even my knees go a bit weak.
I closed my eyes briefly. I wasn’t ashamed of the arousal.
That wasn’t the problem. I knew myself well enough by now.
I knew what moved me. Tenderness did. Vulnerability did.
Watching someone unravel and then be held through it absolutely did.
What unsettled me was how right it had felt.
My body was still tight with need, the heat coiled low and insistent, but beneath that was something scarier. Something I hadn’t allowed myself to feel much since this whole thing began.
Hope. Hope about being with Hope.
God help me, I felt hopeful.
Behind me, I heard the faint murmur of Lee’s voice and the softer rumble of Perry’s response. I didn’t turn around because I didn’t need to. I could picture them without looking. Honestly, I could still see them in my mind’s eye.
That small, brief, and almost hesitant kiss. My chest tightened at the memory, and for one sharp, selfish second, I wished it had been me. A huge part of me wished Lee had turned to me. Kissed me. Chosen to share that with me first.
The thought flared hot and was gone in the same breath, because this was never about who was first. It was about Perry, Hope and Lee. About all of us making a match that would last longer than this damn holiday.
And I really, with all of my heart, wished it would. My Little had more love in him than any one person could possibly hold. I’d known that from the beginning. I’d loved that about him from the start. He, more than anyone I knew, deserved to give it freely.
And both Hope and Lee deserved to share in that love with me.
I exhaled slowly, dragging a hand down my face. Now wasn’t the time to worry about possibilities and what might go wrong. Now was the time to focus on both of our Littles and see that they got the care they deserved.
I pushed away from the window and turned back to them.
Hope was tucked against Lee’s side now, her cheek resting just below his collarbone, pacifier abandoned somewhere in the sheets. Perry lay half-sprawled over both of them like he hadn’t quite decided who he belonged to most.
My mouth twitched.
He belonged to himself.
We just got the privilege of orbiting.
“Alright,” I said quietly, letting my voice settle into something steady. “As much as I’m tempted to let you three stay tangled up all morning, we probably need to get you all out of bed and cleaned up.”
Perry groaned softly, nuzzling closer into Lee in a way I hoped signaled we’d be seeing loads more of going forward.
I crossed the room and nudged his ankle with my foot. “You especially, naughty boy.”
He peeked up at me through messy curls, cheeks still flushed, eyes glassy and satisfied in a way that made my stomach tighten all over again.
“You’re bossy today, Daddy,” he muttered.
“That’s exactly how you like me,” I replied easily.
A faint smirk tugged at his mouth before he rolled onto his back with exaggerated reluctance. I reached over and brushed my knuckles over his jaw, needing to touch him, and check he was fully back with us. “You good?” I asked, softer, just for him.
His expression shifted from playful to soft and open in a heartbeat. “Yeah,” he said after a second. “Yeah, I’m good, Daddy.”
That was what mattered.
Lee squeezed Hope’s hip gently. “How about you, sweetheart?”
She nodded at first, then hesitated.
I saw it before the others did, that flicker of fear behind her eyes and the way her fingers tightened slightly in the sheets.
“Shower,” I said lightly, giving her an out. “You can get cleaned up in here, and I’ll take Perry back to our room to get him cleaned up and dressed. Then we might see about breakfast?”
The words landed like a stone dropped into still water, and Hope froze. The change was subtle, but it was there. Her shoulders tensed and her breathing changed.
Lee felt it immediately, too. His hand went still at her waist.
And my ever perceptive Little pushed himself up on an elbow, brows drawing together. “Hey…?”
I stepped closer, lowering myself to sit at the edge of the bed, against Lee’s hip, so I wasn’t looming over her.
“Talk to us,” I said gently, reaching for one of her still, cold hands.
I gave her fingers a gentle nudge and was rewarded with a return squeeze.
Whatever it was, if she was with us, we could handle it.
Hope wasn’t able to meet my eyes, but for now I would allow her to keep her focus on Lee’s chest if that helped her get the words out.
“Whatever it is, button, we can help. Or at the very least, listen.”
“I still haven’t responded to Troy’s message,” she finally told us, the words so soft they were barely audible. “And if we go out for breakfast, I’ll probably have to face him and Archie.”
“You don’t owe either of them an immediate response, button,” I interjected. “You were transparent with them about seeing us, and never made them any promises.”
Her fingers tightened in mine. “But I can’t just avoid them forever,” she whispered.
“No,” I agreed gently. “You can’t. But you also don’t have to handle it before you’re ready.” I also didn’t think it was only about the response she felt she owed whoever this Troy was.
Lee’s thumb resumed its slow stroke along her hip. Perry shifted closer to her other side, silent but present.
“This isn’t about a text,” I finally added. “It’s about what changed for you this morning.”
Her throat bobbed, and a beautiful flush spread across her skin.
“Yes.” The word was short, soft, but filled with what sounded suspiciously like guilt. Oh, our poor, poor girl.
“And that change doesn’t disappear just because Troy is sitting ten tables away eating toast.”
A small, shaky huff left her at that, but she didn’t respond or acknowledge what I’d said. Although her lip did tip up slightly on the side.
Perry leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her lips.
“We can go later,” he murmured. “Or not at all. We could order something from room service and spend all day in bed. Or I could go grab us some stuff and bring it back.” He shrugged before looking at me sheepishly.
“Well, I’d probably make Daddy go get it, but the result would be the same. ”
I smiled at him, warmth flaring in my chest again.
My Little boy.
Hope shook her head slightly. “I don’t want to hide.”
My chest filled with pride at the look of determination I saw mixed with fear.
She was being so damn brave. I wish I could have just promised her everything was going to be okay, but I didn’t know Troy and Archie, and I wasn’t sure that if I was on their side of the coin, I would take the news that Hope didn’t want me with any good grace.
But what I could do was be there for her. “Then we don’t hide, button. And no matter what happens, Lee, Perry, and I will be there for you.”
She looked up at me, those large eyes filled with emotion, before she smiled tentatively. “Thank you, Daddy,” she whispered.
“You’re very welcome, button. Now, before we go, I was wondering if there was a reason your bed and floor are covered in glitter?”