17. Chapter 17 - Layrin
Chapter 17
S tretching out, I expected to hit Rion, but all I felt was sheets and air. I sat up, one eye cracked open to look for him, but it was just me in the room. His computer was all geared up, the only indication that he had been in the room. Nothing else was out of place.
Glancing down at the floor, I saw my sweatshirt and bit my lip as butterflies filled my belly. Flashes of what we'd done last night flew through my head. Closing my eyes, I focused on the feel of his mouth on me, the raw sounds he’d made while he took control of my body.
Truth be told, I liked it. I was surprised to wake up and see him down there, even a little embarrassed at first, but when he asked me if he could continue, there was no way I was going to tell him no. I had been dreaming about him and his brothers for weeks, but I’d overthought everything and didn't want to make the first move. Didn’t want to be the one at fault if it didn't work out or if they didn’t think of me like that. When he asked me, relief and excitement had coiled together, giving me the freedom to just feel without thinking about it.
Arching down, I scooped up my sweater and pulled it on. I glanced around, trying to find my underwear, but it was nowhere to be found. I thought back, remembering that he’d ripped them off me and thrown them on the bed. A few minutes passed while I checked the blanket and pillows, even under the bed, but the white fabric was nowhere to be found.
Climbing out of bed, I went to find some of his boxers, which got me thinking. Rion and I hadn’t had a moment to talk about how we wanted to handle everything, but maybe he felt there was plenty of time for that?
Searching his drawers, my fingers grazed over a smooth, round surface, so I moved the clothing aside. Beneath it was a small painted rock. My breath stopped, eyes pinched in disbelief. I traced a finger over the smooth surface, making sure this was even real. I couldn't believe he had this. Picking it up, I set the rock in my palm, shocked that the lion painted on top hadn’t cracked or chipped.
I remembered giving him this for Christmas when we were kids. We had no money at nine years old, even less so being an orphan, but I didn't want their Christmas to go without presents. That year, I went to the creek and scoured the area for three perfect rocks of different colors and shapes. They just needed to have smooth, flat surfaces. I gave them the best present a nine-year-old could think of, a pet rock. Rion got the lion, Roux got the dragon, and Ravi got the fox. Each represented an animal they reminded me of.
Setting the rock down, I grew even more curious, wondering if he had anything else hidden like this. I checked the rest of the clothing drawers and found nothing. Turning around, I leaned against the dresser, trying to think of places that he would keep cute little secrets, and my eyes snagged on his computer desk.
Yanking the top left drawer open, I was disappointed. Pads of paper, pens rolling around, and a few haphazardly placed cables. When I tried to open the bottom one, I felt resistance. I tried again, but it wouldn't budge. A small lock had been secured to it. Glancing to the other side of the desk, the big drawer at the bottom also had a lock on it. What did he keep inside those?
A grumble came from my stomach, followed by an achy feeling, and I knew I needed to figure out breakfast soon. Food had to come before curiosity, so I put my super sleuthing on hold.
Coming downstairs, my stomach turned, tangled up in knots. I took a breath, smoothing my skirt when I got to the ground floor. I didn't know how I was going to face Ravi or Roux, knowing what I had done with Rion, but I hoped they wouldn’t be too mad.
Once I rounded the corner, hushed whispers came to a sudden stop. All three brothers were at the table. Ravi was the first to see me, his face shining so brightly that I didn't understand how he could be that chipper first thing in the morning. “Hey, beautiful. Did you have a good night's sleep?”
My eyes flicked to Rion, who covered his smile with his mug, taking a sip of whatever was inside. Oh, so we were going to play the innocent card? Okay, I could do that. I turned to Ravi. “I slept good, but I could use a cup of…” I peeked at his cup, seeing the dark, bitter goodness I liked, and smiled at him, blinking a few times for extra effect. “Coffee. I could use a nice cup to wake up.”
Rion and Ravi got up at the same time. Ravi glared at Rion, who backed down, then moved around the kitchen, grabbing me a mug that said, “Don’t fuck with crazy.” While Ravi was working, I switched my attention to the other brothers. “So, Roux, do you have any fun plans today? It's Saturday after all.”
Roux shrugged, staring down into his cup. “Work out, then work on research for a project.” It was a vague answer, but that was on brand for Roux.
A mug appeared in front of me, along with the smell of those bitter beans doused in sugar and milk, with a hint of caramel. Raising it to my lips, I tested it out. Exactly the way I prefer it. It was so perfect that I was forced to do a double take between Ravi, who’d settled down next to me with a smirk, and the cup. “How did you know how I liked my coffee?”
Ravi's face froze for a second. The wheels in his eyes worked overtime, like he was rushing to think of an answer. My finger tapped my cup almost like a timer until he spat, “D-d-don't you remember?” I tilted my head, trying to figure out what he meant.
He snapped, pointing at me as his mouth went from pinched to relaxed. “When we were at The Bean House, I took a sip of your coffee when you went to the bathroom.”
Raising an eyebrow, I followed with, “Why? You could've just asked me for a drink.”
Without hesitation, he moved into my space and whispered, “I was curious what you liked.” His eyes shifted to the side toward his brothers. “I wanted an ace in the pocket.”
His boyish smile had me in a chokehold. It was kinda cute that he wanted to know more about me… and a little sneaky that he’d saved the information for the right moment. He winked, and this time I hid my smile behind the guise of taking a drink. This was exactly what I would've expected from a fox.
With my mind made up, I shrugged. “Well, my compliments to the barista. It's perfect.”
His expression was priceless, grinning from ear to ear, a flash of red rising to his cheeks. He’d always had the most adorable reactions. How could I ever suspect him of something weird?
“What about you, Rin? Any plans today?” Rion’s smooth, commanding voice asked, causing my heart to skip a beat.
I had opened my mouth when my phone buzzed with a text from Cin.
Cin: Are you awake?
Not two seconds later, two messages followed.
Cin: Did you get home okay?
Cin: What did you eat for breakfast?
“Who is that?” Ravi asked, and when I looked up, three sets of eyes had laser focused on my phone.
My hands gripped the phone, and I heaved out a weighted sigh. “Cin. She’s checking up.”
Rion fingers flew over his phone, clicking away until his calm, almost bored voice told me, “I hacked into your dorm surveillance this morning and made it look like you went into the building at seven PM.”
My mouth fell open, fascinated by how smart Rion was. Meanwhile, Ravi’s arms violently crossed as he growled, “Who does she think she is? You're an adult. In fact, you're older than her. Why does she—”
Raising my hand, I stopped him, giving him a wry smile. “While I appreciate you backing me up, she has a good excuse for being a little overprotective.” When I felt those laser eyes on me, I put my tongue in my cheek before I mumbled, “I might’ve gotten drugged at the Alpha Sigma Xi house, and she was really upset about it, thinking it was her fault.”
Not wanting to see their faces, I kept my head down and texted her that I was fine and had barely enough time to get coffee in me. She sent me back emojis—sleepy face, knife, skull, and another sleepy face. What the fuck was she trying to tell me?
Roux’s low, rough voice asked softly, like he was trying not to overstep, “Are you okay? Do you want us to find out who did it?”
Finally looking up, I shook my head, giving him a humorless smile. “No. I got home okay, though I don't know how.” Ravi looked up at Roux for a second before turning back to me. “But the evidence tells me nothing much happened.” A mild pain began to work its way from the back of my head to the front. “I have this feeling it could’ve been way worse, but I somehow got out of the house in time.”
When I woke up, I’d been scared that something horrible had happened to me. I’d built up such high shields, making sure to be the responsible, safe girl, and it all came crashing down the one night I eased up on those constraints. I didn’t really blame Cin, but more myself for being so gullible, for being an easy target.
I didn't feel that way around these boys.
Surprisingly, I’d felt more safe and cared for in the past two weeks than most of my life. Ravi’s constant interest in all aspects of my life, Roux always in the background, watching over me, even in their own house. Rion and his gadgets, his mind… his body that had kept me safe and warm all night, like a watchful dark knight. All of it helped me brave the darkness in my mind because they were here for me.
While the incident still bothered me, it didn't consume my thoughts like it used to. My brain was now filled with these men. It was their special gift to me. Only to me.
A surge of something dark and disturbing filled me, like an animal ready to fight over a piece of meat. I had this riveting urge to lay claim to these men, to mark them and tie them to me so they couldn't leave me again. My hands clenched the mug so hard I thought it was going to break. Calm down, Layrin . I took a few breaths, fear of myself overshadowing this new emotion, then shook my head, needing a physical outlet to rid myself of these possessive thoughts.
“Rin?”
I tilted my head toward Roux, whose eyes were focused on me, making me gulp, before I put on a smile and laughed. “Since I’ve been seeing you guys more, I feel like others have been giving me a wide berth. Between Cin, Elio, and you three, it looks like most everyone else doesn't want to attract your ire.”
Ravi laughed. “Well, good. I’m glad no one else is bothering you, but if anyone does, I want you to let us know.” For the first time, a flash of heat filled his eyes, and his fingertips were white around his mug. He saw where I was looking and yanked his hand away, giving me an awkward smile.
“Are you doing anything today?” Rion asked, eyeing his brother before leveling that assessing gaze on me. I was thankful to him for the change of subject.
I shook my head, tucking my flyaway hair behind my ear. “Nope. I don't have anything planned.” I could see the words forming on his lips, so I beat him to it. “And no, Cin won’t be back in the dorm during the day. She said her flight lands at eight PM.”
They did the triplet thing again, making plans with just the widening of their eyes. I knew it had to do with Cin, but I didn't know if it was Ricci business or specifically my overprotective friend. I had a feeling they would get quiet if I asked, and I didn’t want that, so I kept it to myself.
Ravi bowed his head, hands clasped together like he was praying. “I have to pick something up, and I think it could use a girl's touch. Will you come with me?” He tilted his bowed head slightly, adding with a mischievous grin, “I’ll get you those chocolate croissants you like for breakfast…” His eyes snagged on my coffee. “ And another coffee. What do you say?”
I pinched my mouth and tapped my chin, my eyes raised to the ceiling. Realizing I let my curiosity sidetrack me from snagging Rion's boxes, I knew I needed to get some underwear since I was currently going without. He added a bonus without me saying a word. “I’ll also get you those cookies you like from the cookie stand.”
That broke me. I stuck out my hand, smiling as I said, “Deal.”
He grabbed my hand like he was going to shake it, then yanked my arm so I fell into his lap. His smile waned as his finger ran down the side of my face. His eyes grew distant as he cupped my chin, leaning down to mumble, “Fool. I would’ve given you much, much more if you just said it.” I couldn't move, couldn't look away from this face I had never seen on Ravi.
Someone cleared their throat, and the spell was broken. Ravi giggled before we snapped back to our seats. Rion was smirking again beneath his cup. What the hell did that mean? Did he not care if his brother and I flirted right in front of him? Roux was looking off to the side, no glare, pinched brows, or weird look on his face. Both of them seemed perfectly fine, like this was normal.
Ravi popped out of his chair, stealing my mug from my hands and putting it in front of Rion. He grabbed my empty hand and pulled me up. “Chop chop. We have a lot to do and so little time.”
He grabbed my shoulders and turned me around, but I peeked back at the two brothers sitting at the table drinking from their mugs. I opened my mouth to ask them if they wanted to come but lost my train of thought when Rion’s teeth came on display. He winked at me, and I felt a flush come over my body. Well, I guessed he had no intention of coming with us.
When I switched back to watching Ravi, he was putting on a black ball cap and face mask before snagging the keys off the key holders. I had to admit he looked good in his mystery man outfit. Made me think about videos I’d seen on social media of shirtless masked men telling the viewer to run even though they’d always find them. The videos had been funny and a little weird at the time, but now, after seeing a covered-up Ravi, I could understand the appeal.
Ravi grabbed my hand again and tugged me after him. While he had always been more of the touchy-feely one, this was a little on the aggressive side for him. Was something wrong? I yanked on my arm, causing him to look back in question, but his hand only gripped mine tighter in response. I decided to laugh it off, trying to put whatever was going on with him at ease. “I can follow you pretty well with the two legs I’m using. I’m a big girl, you know.”
Before I knew what was happening, he’d boxed me up against the passenger door and leaned forward. He dropped his head until his nose brushed against the naked curve of my neck, and the skitter of tingles sent my cells into overdrive. Even with his mouth covered, his voice held a husky edge that made my skin pebble. “Then I wouldn't get to hold your hand, and what’s the fun in that?”
My eyes closed, picturing him going even further, pushing me up against the car as he ransacked my mouth with his. His hands would travel over my body while he whispered all the things he wanted to do to me, experience with me. Before I could get too deep into the fantasy, a bird chirped from its nest above, bringing me back to reality. What the hell was wrong with me? Why was I acting like a teenager in heat? Was it because I hadn’t explored as much as others in my youth? Or was it just the Ambros brothers? What had they done to me?
While I was lost in thought over my hypersexual mind as of late, his lips feathered along my neck, sparking a need inside of me that I really didn’t want to focus on right now. I made a quick decision and grabbed the door handle behind me, telling my body we needed to create boundaries. My vagina disagreed, arguing that we needed to get some dick, but I resisted the urge to push my body into his.
Pop. The car door opened, which made Ravi freeze. He pulled back to look at me, then the car. He scratched his head and stepped back, looking away from me. “Oops, sorry. I didn’t know I was being too touchy.”
My heart sank at his lost expression. I didn't want that. In fact, I wanted the opposite of that. I wanted today to be fun and to have a good time with him. We didn’t really get a lot of outside time together, and I didn’t want to mess that up. I threw my head up to the sky, clutching my stomach as I said, “I knew you would find a way to bend the rules. That's one of your specialties, right?”
He eyed me for a second before his hands lowered and his face brightened. His normal boyish charm came on display even though he kept a foot of distance between our bodies. He used his finger to tip my chin up, then his eyes roamed my face like it was the last thing he wanted to see before he left this world. “While I’m known for breaking and bending the rules, I can follow boundaries when given to me. I’m a good puppy to my master.”
He said all of that with a sweet smile, but his eyes spoke a different tone, like I was meant to read between the lines of his words. He reached over, and although my breath hitched, I didn't move until he pulled open the car door and waved me in.
My lips fell into a tight, thin line. This was my fault. I had let my mind get the better of me, and now he was going to keep his distance because he thought that was my boundary. If only he knew what was going on in my head. A fire built in my stomach, mad at myself for causing him to feel like he couldn’t be himself with me.
I'd started to sit down when something came over me. Under my breath, I whispered, “Some rules and boundaries are meant to be bent or stretched. As long as you trust the other person, it's okay.”
I expected him to close the door, but when I looked up, his hands groaned against the car frame. He bent down, his face covered by the bill of his hat, but I could hear his rapid, shallow breathing. “Don’t test me, Rin” was all he said before he closed the door and took a slow, long walk to the driver's side.
Once he got in, I needed to do something to alleviate the tension. I buckled myself in and asked, “So where are we going?”
He took a breath as he started the car. Hands planted on the wheel, he looked through the rearview mirror. “The mall. It's the only place where I can get you some new clothes and a smoothie in one trip.”
My mouth fell open. “W-w-what?”
He winked at me, his face lifted on the sides, and I knew, even with the mask covering it, he was smiling. “Yep. Can’t have you wearing the same outfit as yesterday. Might give people the wrong idea, right?”
For some reason, that sounded like a probe for information. I narrowed my eyes on him, but he laughed and said this was non-negotiable so I should just get on board.
I’d been meaning to get another set of clothes, so I didn't really mind him taking me. He could give me some advice since I wasn’t particularly up to date on all the fashions do’s and don'ts. “Okay, but I’ll be the one paying for the outfit.” I refused to be a mooch.
He nodded and gave me a thumbs up. “You got it.”
I should’ve known that was too easy.