THIRTY-SIX
SO HE WON THE battle to be allowed back to Breckenridge House. Despite his objections, he didn’t win the next one regarding a wheelchair. No amount of brothers would shake her and Alice from their insistence. If he wanted to be home, he had to prove his ability to compromise.
That was how she learned Breckenridge House had an elevator. Behind a regular door, it wasn’t a typical metal box, nor was it very big.
“I’ll meet you upstairs.”
She darted away before anyone could object and ran up the stairs.
Two women at Darroch’s bedroom door stalled her.
“Let me—it’s locked.”
“It’s not locked, it’s—”
“Can I help you?” she called, bringing them around. One wore a knee-length trench and what might be hospital scrubs. The other… were those fishnets?
“We’re looking for Darroch’s bedroom,” said the fishnets woman.
Yeah, and if she was a more suspicious person…
“For what reason?”
“Bright!” Tripp called from behind her. “Hey, baby.”
“These are your nurses?” Brant asked. “Shit, wait ‘til Mom sees this.”
Tripp swerved past her to curve an arm around the fishnet woman’s waist. Had he called her Bright? Her actual name or a nickname?
“Your brother? That’s why you called me?”
“Yeah, don’t worry about that, Bright, baby. His girlfriend’s standing right there.”
“What’s going on?”
Darroch rolled up with a couple of brothers.
“Mom and Dad are downstairs with the neurologist and a nurse, Tripp—”
“Jodi, there,” he said, gesturing to the woman in scrubs. “The best nurse you’ll ever meet. We…” He backed off keeping the other woman pressed to his side. “Will see you all at breakfast.”
Tripp was happy to saunter off, down the hallway.
“Brant, take Jodi downstairs to Mom.”
The woman went when Brant raised an arm the other way.
Caber opened the bedroom door and entered before Ward wheeled Darroch in.
The first thing she did was double clap, then pulled back the covers.
“Help me get him into bed.”
“Baby, you don’t need no help with that,” Darroch said, planting his feet on the floor as he bounced forward in the chair.
His brothers grabbed his shoulders to hold him back. “Dad was clear on this, fresh meat. Mom and Sav’s word is law.”
“She wants me in bed, you heard her say that.”
“I heard her ask us to help you in bed.”
“Okay,” Darroch said as Troy came around to fold back the feet rests. “You know we’re not playing that game. Help? With Savvy in bed? Not a chance, Sunshine.”
Caber took one arm, Ward the other, they pulled him up and did more of a toss than a help.
He took it with a laugh and flipped himself over, she was less amused.
“Okay, maybe I’ll just help him get ready for bed alone,” she said, trying and failing to contain her offense. “Go and check when he next needs his meds, please.” She pushed the chair toward them. “Go on.”
His kind of taken aback brothers shuffled out with the wheelchair.
“Cherry—”
“We don’t want you to get too hot.” She kneeled at his feet to take off his sneakers and socks. “Your sweats should be okay for—”
“Cherry,” he said, sliding a finger under her chin to elevate it. Nothing but tenderness bled from him when he witnessed her gathering tears. “What’s wrong, baby?”
Rising, she touched her mouth to his. “Sit back,” she whispered, climbing on as he shuffled back to lean on the headboard. Straddling him, she held his face in both hands. “I’ve never been so happy to see a man in his own bed.”
“I’m over the fucking moon every time you’re here.”
His wit remained healthy.
“Is there anything you need?”
“Yeah, what you didn’t give me last night.”
Though his mischievous eyes betrayed he didn’t expect her to yield, he underestimated how pleased she was to have this opportunity.
“You have a crack in your skull,” she said, unzipping his hoodie, helping him liberate his arms. A longer kiss. “The doctors said no strenuous exercise.”
“What they don’t know…”
Mm, their tongues smudged together. Sliding her hands up under his tee-shirt, it was so difficult to be careful when his body felt so vigorous.
She released, then kissed him gently. “You need to relax.”
“Best way to do that is with my girl.”
His tee-shirt went the way of the hoodie and their mouths joined again. How could she do anything less than forever with the man who’d awoken her carnal soul? In that bed, they’d grown closer, slept wrapped in each other, shared heat and intimacy. Shared safety.
“This feels like…” she broke their kiss just long enough to get her top off, “a violation of your mother’s trust. I’m…” Shit, it didn’t feel right to do anything with her mouth other than consume his. “I’m supposed to be looking after you.”
“Cherry…” his hands surged up her back into her hair. “With you, I’ve never felt healthier.”
No, he hadn’t. Mm and they’d never had circumstances come together so… Undulating her hips, for once, she was actually allowed to enjoy how he felt. How would he feel inside her? Power, that’s what he gave her, what she felt like being intimate with him. That response, his cock, hard and ready, massaging her pussy as she tilted closer to rouse her clit, that was hers. He was hers. Awaking the heated pressure, the demand of the other was ready to be satisfied, ready to be released.
Before she’d shed her bra from her arms, her breasts filled his hands.
“Darroch,” she whispered his name when his head urged hers aside. “Gentleman—”
“Not tonight,” he growled against her. “I’ve got you, baby, and there’s no fucking way I’m letting go.”
Yes, those were the words she ached for. Squeezing his arms, her fingertips wandered down and across to his abs and lower to—
The door burst open, she barely got a chance to—
“Savvy’s naked!”
She grabbed for her chest, pressing herself to Darroch. From that angle, all the youngster would see was her back, but that didn’t account for the shock of his presence.
“Get the fuck out of here, Astor. You little—”
“Mom’s orders,” came an older voice from outside.
Ward appeared carrying the end of a couch.
She caught Darroch’s hoodie as he wrapped it around her. With her arms in the sleeves, she climbed from his lap, zipping it up.
Ward and Troy carried in the couch. Axon and Acre were right behind them with another.
“What are you assholes—”
“Shh,” she whispered, touching his lips. “They care about you.” The guys set up couches, brought in Barca’s and a huge projector screen. “You told me your mom didn’t let you take your wealth for granted, don’t take their love for granted.”
“And how long you think my girl will stick around if I don’t show her love?”
She grazed the stubble on his chin. “Would you leave me for not giving it up?”
His arm around her clenched, pinning her to him. Dipping, he kissed her, just for a brief moment; even in that whisper she tasted his possession.
“Soon as you give up your heart to me, I’ll never surrender or abandon it.”
“If you two are done with the gooey gazes, pick a movie.”
“A movie?”
Breckenridges as far as the eye could see. The young ones were on the couches, now there were three in the room and a couple more on the recliners.
“Thought I was supposed to rest,” Darroch said as his brothers passed around popcorn and snacks.
“Do that,” Caber said, dropping onto another chair, smirking. “Pretend we’re not even here.”
Though he stayed quiet, Darroch’s irritation showed in his face.
She laughed and kissed him. “They wouldn’t be your brothers if they didn’t wind you up. I think it’s cute.”
“There may be another Breckenridge injury tonight. Next one won’t be mine.”
“We can cuddle,” she said, raising his arm over her head to wrap it around her.
“Cuddling,” he said with no intonation. “Every guy’s wet dream… when he’s thirteen.”
“Oh, am I in the wrong place?” She raised her interest. “Should I be cuddling with Astor? He won’t mind I’m not wearing a bra, will he?”
His arm clenched tight around her. “Not a fucking chance.”
“Good.” Wriggling, she relished his heat and solidity. A real, tangible man, her man. “I don’t take this for granted.”
He kissed the top of her head and that was enough. Surrounded by his family, the lights were dimmed, and the movie started. Being in the Breckenridge bubble was a blessing. She hardly recognized her life. Fate had a great way of making her point.