Chapter 30 Wren
CHAPTER THIRTY
WREN
Sly freezes as he stares at me, his fist cocked back as Pete laughs, letting go of Jagger as he beckons me over, an easy grin on his charming face. “Wren! Help me save Dex!”
I shuffle over quickly. Sly’s eyes track me every step of the way, but he doesn’t move. “You take Sly, I got Jagger,” Pete whispers as if the other two aren’t right beside us.
“What do I do?” I whisper back conspiratorially as my eyes stay glued to Sly. His hand slowly drops, pushing Dex’s head into the bed.
“Hey!” Dex muffles out at the assault.
“It’s easy,” Pete whispers to me. “Do whatever you need to get him under you. That’s how you win.”
Taking a deep breath for strength, I climb on the bed behind Sly and wrap my arms around his middle as I try to pull him to the side, off of Dex.
“You’re gonna have to try a little better than that,” Sly says, finally breaking his silence.
Narrowing my eyes at his back, I wrap my arms around his neck and try to choke him backward, but he easily breaks my hold, grabs my forearm, and uses it to swing me around in front of him.
I try to push him off, but he uses one hand to hold both of mine on the back of Dex’s head, somehow holding us both in place.
“Looks like I win,” he says with what could almost be called a grin. I’d give anything to see a full smile on those sultry lips.
“No, Wren! Don’t give—Oomph!” I tilt my head as Jagger elbows Pete in the gut and he drops to the ground, out of view.
“Pete! No!” I shout dramatically, adrenaline starting to course through me from the excitement. It’s been a long time since I’ve played any sort of game, and one where I get to touch any of these guys is definitely one I want to play more.
Not wanting it to be over already, I know I need to get out of Sly’s grasp, but by the way he’s watching me, he’s not planning on making it easy on me.
Pete’s words flash through my mind.
Do whatever you need to get him under you.
I try to pull my hands away, but he tightens his grip, giving me an idea. “You’re hurting me,” I whisper, and instantly he releases me, his eyes widening in alarm. I use that moment of shock to shove his chest backward.
He falls so easily, I have a feeling he’s letting me get the upper hand, but I’m not about to stop and question him when I’m so close to winning. I quickly straddle his waist and grab his hands, pinning them to the mattress beside his head.
“Go, Wren!” Dex cheers from behind as I smile down at Sly. The bed shakes, and I tilt my head and see Dex leap onto Jagger, pushing him onto the other bed, then Pete jumps up, landing on top of them both.
“Woo! I’m the king of the mountain!” he yells.
I turn back to Sly as I ask, “Does that make me queen of this mountain?”
“You’ll always be my queen, whether you’ve got me on my back or between your legs.”
My eyes widen at the double meaning as I glance down, realizing that’s exactly where I have him right now. I lick my lips and swallow the lump in my throat as his eyes roam my face, and I do the same to him, my gaze falling on his lips. Lips I have yet to touch.
The pull of attraction I feel toward him has me leaning closer, wondering why he holds himself back after saying things like that.
“Why haven’t you kissed me yet?” I whisper, feeling a moment of boldness.
My eyes widen, realizing I just said that out loud. I reel back in embarrassment as I try to flee, but he has me wrapped in his arms and pulled into his lap before I can get away.
He presses his chest tightly against my back, his arms completely wrapped around me, holding me tight. A gasp escapes me when his nose slowly runs down my neck and back up again.
“Don’t mistake my speed for lack of interest, little bird.” The words have me holding my breath, afraid of missing a single word he says. “I’ve been holding back because you’re not ready for me yet.” A rush of breath leaves me as I sink into his embrace.
Not ready for him? Does he think I’m a child? Am I too naive for him? A flood of insecurities swarm my mind as I try to make sense of his words.
I know he has more experience than I do. Does that make me less desirable? No, he said he was interested.
I pull myself from his lap and turn to face him, my brows pinched together as I ask, “Says who?”
“Says me.”
“You’re not the boss of me,” I fire back.
“Maybe not, but I want to be.”
“I—What?” I ask, my head tilting in confusion. “You want to be my boss?”
“In some ways… yes,” he answers cryptically.
“Sly, you’re so confusing sometimes!” I throw up my hands in frustration.
“Am I now?” He raises an eyebrow with a slightly amused look on his face, getting me all fired up about his hot and cold behavior.
“Yes! You tell me you’re interested, but you don’t kiss me. You look jealous when the others do or when I call Dex my boyfriend, but you tell me I’m not ready for you. You tell me you want to be my boss, and I… I have no idea what any of that means!” I yell, flopping onto my back in exasperation.
“If it helps,” Dex says from the other bed, “I don’t understand half of what he says either.”
The bed moves, and suddenly, Sly is lying over me, his weight resting on his forearms, either side of my head, as his fingers brush my hair away from my face. I suck in a breath, feeling him this close has my heart beating wildly in anticipation.
“Let me be perfectly clear, little bird. I don’t care if you call Dex your boyfriend.
Or Pete or Jagger. I don’t need that label because I already consider you mine.
You belonged to me the moment you wrote that first letter after finding out who I was.
And every letter after that just cemented it.
To say I’m interested is putting it mildly.
I’m obsessed with you, little bird. I want to consume you.
It’s not that I want to be your boss, I just want what’s best for you, and for you to trust that I will always have your best interest at heart. ”
I stare up into his gorgeous green eyes, trying to remember how to breathe. How does he always manage to say such romantic things? He knows just how to make my heart melt for him.
“I do trust you,” I tell him honestly.
“Do you?” His eyes burrow into mine, and I nod.
“Yes. If you say that you know what I’m ready for or not, then I believe you.”
His gaze softens, and he trails a thumb down my cheek and over my lower lip.
“Suck,” he whispers, and I part my lips on instinct, pulling his thumb into my mouth and swirling my tongue around the tip.
I had no idea this was even a thing, let alone something that would turn him on.
But when a groan rolls up his throat and his hardness twitches against my thigh, I can feel just how much he’s enjoying this.
He pulls his thumb out and cups my cheeks, his eyes darting between mine and my lips.
Is this it? Is this the moment he finally kisses me?
He doesn’t make me wonder for long as his head dips, his eyes close, and he presses his lips to mine.
His kiss is so much slower than any I’ve experienced so far.
He takes his time, teasing my lips, sucking and biting until he pulls back.
I want more, I want to feel his tongue on mine, I want to push my fingers through his silky hair, but he stops me with a look. One that says trust me.
He’s not Robert, I remind myself.
Maybe I trust too easily, but that doesn't stop me from nodding, even though my lips tingle for more. He bundles me up in his arms and moves us to lie in bed under the blanket. I watch Dex shove Pete, then throw himself on our bed, quickly crawling to my other side as he yells, “Dibs!”
“Peter?” He turns to me with a raised eyebrow in question. “Could you pass me Bluey?”
“Bluey?” His brows pinch in confusion.
“Yeah, my whale.”
“Fuck, you’re adorable,” he says as he glances around and finds it near his feet.
He passes it to me, and I place it tightly under my top arm as he leans over Sly to kiss my forehead goodnight.
“Ow! Fuck, Sly!” Pete says, standing up and cupping his junk.
“If you wanted to cop a feel, you could have been gentle about it.”
“I wasn’t trying to grope you, idiot. But if you touch me with that thing again, I promise you won’t be able to do anything but moan for the rest of the night.”
Pete climbs into bed as he laughs. “Don’t threaten me with a good time, Romano.”
Sly’s quiet for a moment, and I bite my lip, trying not to laugh.
“That’s not what I meant,” Sly finally says, frustration edging his tone.
“Suuuuure you didn’t,” Pete says, egging him on.
“I meant I’d make you moan in pain, not pleasure, you asshat!” Dex and Pete start laughing as I watch Sly’s face grow red.
“Sly?” He tips his anger-filled face down toward me as I reach up and cup his cheek. “He’s just saying that to get under your skin.”
He lets out a deep breath, his shoulders relaxing as the anger fades from his face. “I know, Wren. Sometimes he’s just so…”
“Amusing?” Pete asks. “Handsome?”
“Immature,” Sly finishes.
“Let him have his fun,” I whisper, studying the curve of his jaw and the pout of his lips.
“You’re right.” His eyes roam over my face, and my skin heats with his perusal. “Besides, we all know if I’m going to make anyone moan in pleasure, it’s going to be you.”
I duck my head, resting it against his chest to hide my heated cheeks. He sure knows how to make me feel wanted when he wants to. I can’t believe I ever doubted his interest.
We all say our goodnights as Jagger switches out the lights and climbs into the other bed with Pete. I saw them pull a dresser in front of the door earlier, so lying between Dex and Sly, I feel safe enough to go to sleep.
The warmth of their bodies surrounding mine has me easily drifting off. Right before I nod off, I feel something soft wrap around my ankle as Dex whispers, “Shh, go to sleep, baby.”
Light filters through my eyes, signaling it’s morning, and the need to pee presses me hard.
I push my way out of Sly’s arms and climb down to the bottom of the bed.
As I go to step off, my left foot gets stuck, and I shriek, falling over the end of the bed, my upper body landing on the ground with a resounding thud.
“Ow,” I groan, rolling off my shoulder and onto my back, my left foot still stuck above me in the bed.
“Shit, Wren! Are you okay?!” Pete’s out of his bed and at my side before I can finish moving.
“Yeah, but my foot’s stuck.” I tug at it, but it seems to be held in something that feels much tighter than a blanket.
Jagger, now at my side, helps me sit up on the floor as Pete stands and leans over to look at my foot. I watch as his eyes widen, then he raises his head to look at Dex.
“Dude, what did you do?” he asks with a laugh.
“I wanted to keep her safe,” Dex says in defense. Pete raises an eyebrow and looks down at me on the floor, then back at Dex, as if to say, I don’t think that worked.
“I told you it was a bad idea,” Sly grumbles. “Pete, untie her.”
“You did not!” Dex fires back. “If I didn’t do it, you probably would have… sooner or later.”
“What’s going on? What did you do, Dex?” I ask, annoyed, I still don’t know what they’re talking about.
Jagger scoops me up in his arms and sits on the end of the bed with me in his lap.
I look down at my foot, and instead of seeing it twisted in the sheet, as I expected, I see a light purple fuzzy cuff strapped around my ankle.
Attached to it is a matching rope that extends two feet, right to a matching cuff on Dex’s ankle.
My eyes widen in surprise. “You cuffed me?”
“This way I’d know if you left the bed,” Dex says, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish look on his face. “I couldn’t sleep thinking of you being taken again.”
Instantly, my heart softens. He was worried about me. I climb out of Jagger’s lap and crawl on my hands and knees right up to Dex, wrapping my arms around his neck in a tight hug. Instantly, he pulls me against his chest, hugging me back.
“You’re not mad at me?” he whispers into my neck.
“I could never be mad at you. If wearing this at night helps you to sleep, then I’ll wear it every night.”
“Really?” he asks, pulling back, his face full of surprise.
I shrug. “Sure, why not? I don’t want to be taken again either.”
He cups my cheeks and pulls my face to his, kissing me hard. It only lasts a few seconds, but it’s enough to stir up those butterflies in my belly, which reminds me of something else.
“Can you uncuff me now? I really need to pee.” He laughs and unstraps my ankle. I make a beeline for the bathroom as I hear them chattering behind me.
“I can’t believe you got away with that,” Pete says with a laugh.
“Apparently, she loves his caveman antics,” Sly replies dryly.
Just as I go to close the bathroom door, I hear Dex’s reply. “Yeah… She’s perfect.”