Chapter 10
Talking in Your Sleep
GREER
The movie almost puts me to sleep. I haven’t felt safe sleeping at the apartment, especially with Chad, and all that lack of sleep catches up to me now. I snuggle down in the recliner between Aiden’s and Roarke’s recliners and yawn again.
A blanket covers me, and I open my eyes to see Wyatt adjusting it. I blink at the screen, trying to figure out if I missed some of the plot.
“We can watch it again some other time, kitten.” Wyatt gives me a smile before heading back to his seat.
I straighten in my chair, determined to watch more of the movie.
Someone lifts me and holds me against their chest. The smell of oranges makes me feel safe and lulls me back to sleep.
Whispers wake me slightly as I snuggle deeper under the covers and sigh against the fluffy pillows.
Something chases me in the dark, and I wrestle with whatever is holding me down. I bolt upright with my heart racing, flinging off the covers trying to hold me down. For a moment, I don’t know where I am or what’s happening. The nightmare felt real, so real, like too close to something that happened in the past. I push it away, hurrying out of the bed and stumbling into the bathroom.
The bright light makes me close my eyes, but I crack them open. I’m still in my dress. I’m at the mansion and must have fallen asleep during the movie. A shiver ripples through me. Given my memory of oranges, Aiden probably carried me to bed.
After washing my face, I wander into my room, turning on the lamp on the nightstand to find some sleep shorts and a tank to change into. When I climb back onto the bed, the nightmare clings to me, making my heartbeat erratic. The room is bigger than I’m used to. The house is eerily quiet. Maybe I can find some tea downstairs to help me back to sleep.
Grabbing a long cardigan, I pull it on over my tank top before opening the door to the rest of the house. I pause, standing in the light, listening. It’s quiet in the hallway, but there’s enough light from the full moon coming through the windows to see my way to the stairs. I don’t really want to run into anyone. As I get to the main floor, I can see a dim light is still on.
I hesitate, but what’s the worst that could happen?
I run into one of the four men who want to fuck me? It’s inevitable. I’m living with them. Releasing my breath, I walk into the kitchen. The light is the undercabinet lighting. The pool is also lit, giving a soft glow to the outside space.
Releasing my held breath, I check the pantry and find a small assortment of teas. With a peppermint tea bag in hand, I return to the kitchen. Seeing a silhouette of a man, I let out a small, startled noise.
“Greer?” Aiden steps into the light and my heartbeat begins to slow. Of all of them, Aiden is the easiest for me to deal with. He’s interested but also respects my space. Though with just sleep pants hanging low on his hips, he’s even more tempting.
“I woke and couldn’t go back to sleep.” I move toward the kettle and set my tea bag on the counter. “Figured a cup of warm tea would do the trick. Why are you up?”
Aiden runs his hand through his curls as he leans against the counter. “Insomnia.”
“Do you want some tea?” I fill the kettle with water and set it back on the pad to start heating it.
“Sure.”
I head back to the pantry. “Peppermint, chamomile, lemon honey, and there are a few more herbal blends.”
“What are you having?” His voice is deep and quiet like the night. It skates down my spine and settles low in my belly. It’s weird not to hear traffic and other city noises. Just the soft crash of ocean waves fills the room.
“Peppermint.”
“I’ll have that.”
I grab another tea bag and then get down two mugs before heading back to the kettle. “Do you get insomnia often?”
Focusing on the cups, I open the packages and put the tea bags in while waiting for the water to heat.
“Some nights.” He sounds off, which worries me. Off isn’t good for an addict. But I also don’t know him well. It’s hard to remember that when he seems like such a large part of my life. Movies and interviews with him don’t really count as getting to know him. I have to keep that in mind.
But he’s also a recovering addict.
“What do you normally do when you can’t sleep?” I glance around the kitchen. The wine is all in the wine room. He said he doesn’t like it, but that doesn’t mean it won’t do in a pinch. I haven’t seen other alcohol anywhere, but I haven’t looked for it either. I’m sure they have a liquor cabinet, but it should be locked.
Tomorrow, I’ll get a better tour. Maybe I’ll ask Mason to show me where all the hidden dangers might be.
“Drink.” He sighs. “It’s been a while.”
I resist the urge to turn to him. He needs my trust that he can control himself. I’m here for when things get bad, which being up alone in the middle of the night could potentially spell disaster. How often has he been restless and stood in this kitchen, wanting a drink?
Fighting that battle on his own has to be draining.
The kettle whistles, and I pour the hot water over the tea bags. I pick up both of our cups and motion to the living room. “Come on, let’s go sit over here.”
I sit in the corner of the couch and set the cups on the coasters on the end table before turning on the lamp. Aiden walks in and sits down heavily beside me. The light on the pool shuts off, leaving the outside dark, with the exception of the moonlight.
“We need to let it steep a little.” I tuck my feet under me and study Aiden.
He looks tired, and I don’t smell any alcohol on him. There weren’t any glasses on the counter. Not that he would need one.
He blows out a breath. “I didn’t drink, little warrior. I may want a drink, but I know I can’t even have a sip. There are no drugs in this house. So I’m clean.”
“That’s a relief. I’d hate to have failed my job on day one.” I let out a little laugh.
“You don’t have to pretend for me.” He rests his head on the back of the couch. “You were nervous when you found me down here alone.”
“You’re right. But partially because I’m in my pajamas and wasn’t expecting anyone else to be up.” I turn to face him more fully. “I don’t know everything about you yet, but I’ll figure it out. I’m committed to your recovery and want to help you however I can.”
“I appreciate that.” He sounds so tired, so different from the man standing up for me earlier today. While I want to say fuck it and see if I can put sex is just sex to the test, I’m still afraid that I’ll fail. Being hung up on a normal guy is bad, but being hung up on superstars that I’ll see all the time on the screen would be tragic.
My life doesn’t need any more tragedy.
I hand him a mug and take a sip of my tea. “From what I understand, part of your recovery is talking to peers and your therapist. Do they know about your insomnia?”
“It’s only recently become a problem again.” He sips at his tea while looking at me over the rim of his mug.
“Do you know what causes it?” I set the mug down.
“My wife.” He chuckles. “My ex-wife. Or rather the lack of. I always slept better with her in my bed.”
“Have you tried a body pillow?” I give him a smile like I know I’m being ridiculous. It’s what anyone would offer as a suggestion. Sleeping alone can be hard when you’re used to having someone right next to you. At least Chad was good for that.
“I could build a fort with all the pillows I have.” His gaze goes to the reflection of the moon in the pool. “The doctors gave me sleeping pills for it, but I don’t like the groggy feeling in the morning.”
“I can understand that. I was on them for a while as a teenager. They made me feel like I was in a fog.” The nightmares I had were worse than any fog, though, so I took the pills until I realized I couldn’t sleep without them. I needed them, and that terrified me. I flushed them down the toilet.
“Did your dad raise you?” He’s steering the conversation away from his problem, but I’m not sure I want to talk about mine. I meet his blue eyes and see the pain lingering in them.
Fuck. Maybe my sad life story will help put him to sleep.
“No.” I pick up my cup and take a small sip. “I went into the foster care system.”
He sets his mug down. “It didn’t work out well for you, did it?”
I shrug. Not sure I want to talk about it, but I can keep it mostly surface.
“I never found somewhere I fit in. It was easier once I stopped trying.” I stretch a leg out before tucking it back under me. “At first, I was so numb, I didn’t try. I think those people really cared. They took me to therapy and tried to help me, but I couldn’t.”
It felt like I never left the apartment. That I was still there and she was still there, so still, not even her chest rose.
Aiden’s hand brushes mine, and I startle back to the present. His blue eyes are haunted as he searches my face. “I’m sure you did the best you could at the time.”
I force a smile and set my tea down. “There were good homes with bad people and bad homes with good people. Some homes had more kids than they could handle. It was easier to hide there.”
“You never found somewhere to stay?”
“I was at a couple for a year or two.” A shiver runs through me. “At that point I wanted it to work. I wanted a place to call home.”
“What happened?” Aiden’s hand rests behind me on the couch.
Yawning, I turn and rest my head against the couch back. “The same thing that always happens. They got rid of me when I became too much.”
The emptiness inside gnaws at my stomach.
Aiden’s arm wraps around my shoulder and pulls me into his side. I don’t resist because I need this connection. “You can be as much as you need to be here, little warrior. I promise not to get rid of you.”
I smile as my eyes shut. “You can’t keep that promise.”
“Watch me,” he whispers.
#
Something tickles my face. I try to brush it away, not wanting to wake up yet. The dream I’m having is too good, wrapped in safe arms, snuggled up warm. I never want to wake up.
“Someone took her job of watching Aiden’s every move literally.” The deep voice startles me. “Didn’t you, kitten?”
Who’s in my room? I open my eyes and Aiden’s face is right there. His curls rest against my forehead. I don’t move as I try to figure out what’s happening. I came downstairs and made Aiden and me tea.
We sat on the couch and talked. He pulled me into his side. And then I woke up literally tangled up with him. His arms are wrapped around me and my leg is thrown over his, while my other leg rests in between his. We’re still on the couch, but I’m tucked on the inside, while Aiden is curled around me.
I’m tempted to reach up and touch his peaceful face, but I don’t want to wake him.
Movement in the corner of my eye makes me glance up. Wyatt stands behind the couch with a cup of coffee.
“Make any decisions last night, kitten?” He arches his eyebrow.
Both Aiden and I have pajamas on, but the way we’re holding on is pretty intimate. I’m usually an I’ll sleep on this side of the bed, touch me and die type of sleeper. I take in a breath of his orange cologne.
“No decisions,” I whisper, watching Aiden’s face, but he’s out.
Wyatt sets his cup down and grabs the blanket off the back of the couch to drape over us. “Take care of him.”
He grabs his cup and walks outside. That didn’t sound like jealousy. He honestly worries about his friend.
I settle back into the warmth of Aiden’s hold, but I can’t go back to sleep. What am I doing here? This is so not normal for me, but maybe it’s time to mix things up in my life. This opportunity could end up giving me a future I never dreamed of having.
My only goal before this was to not end up like my mother. After my father left, she went down a dark path and dragged me along with her. She was careful enough not to get on child protective services’ radar, but that doesn’t mean I was taken care of.
I’m just glad I only had myself to protect. In the foster system, I met a couple of kids who had younger siblings that they were fiercely protective of. I don’t know that I could have stayed present, even for a sibling who needed me, with what I went through.
That doesn’t matter now. I need to live in the present. I realized that long ago. But now I have something else to live for. A future. This concept that’s been missing from my life for as long as I can remember. Moving from one bad situation to the next and just surviving.
My gaze lifts to Aiden’s face. I don’t know if there will be bad in this situation, but there’s definitely good that may outweigh the bad stuff.
His eyes don’t open but he draws me in tighter. “You think too loud, little warrior.”
My lips curve into a smile, but I freeze at the feel of his hard cock against my hip, stirring something hot and achy inside me.
“Just the effect of having a beautiful woman wrapped around me. Nothing to worry about,” he whispers.
I relax into his arms and release the breath I held back.
“I think I’ve found the cure to my insomnia.” His blue eyes open, shining with laughter and a heat I’m growing familiar with.
“If it keeps you from wandering around at night looking for booze…” I give a little shrug. I’m not typically a cuddler, but I like the way Aiden feels against me. He makes me feel safe, desirable, and needed.
He smirks. “Hmm, booze or a beautiful woman in my bed?”
I duck my head as heat creeps into my cheeks at him calling me beautiful again.
His leg between my thighs slides against mine, making me aware of how intimate this position really is. His lips press against my forehead.
“Thank you for the wonderful night’s sleep, Greer.”
I lift my chin to meet his eyes. “You’re welcome.”
His gaze drops to my lips. Is he going to kiss me? Will it be different than Roarke’s all-consuming kiss?
“Why was I not informed of couch cuddles being an option?” Roarke’s booming voice fills the room.
Aiden winces and pulls me in tight. “I’m not sharing right now. She’s my support human.”
I giggle as he tucks me against his chest. His skin is warm against my cheek. Sparks of awareness skate along my veins.
“But she’s also the maker of breakfast.” Roarke’s voice is closer this time.
Aiden sighs and leans into my ear to whisper, “Next time, we sleep in my bed with the door locked.”
A little shiver works through me. Aiden tosses the cover from us and maneuvers himself into a sitting position with me straddling his lap. His curls are all tussled and flat from where he slept on them. Mine can’t be much better.
My eyes meet his and his cock is still hard against my stomach. My insides flow into liquid heat as I search his eyes. He cups my cheek. My breath catches.
“Chop, chop, poppet.” Roarke claps his hands.
Aiden lowers his hand and shakes his head. “Better get your day started, little warrior.”
I back off Aiden’s lap and stand. My gaze helplessly falls to the tent of his pajama pants. Dear Lord, someone blessed these men with large cocks. I doubt Mason’s is small, though I haven’t felt or seen his yet.
Technically, I’ve only seen Roarke’s on the movie screen.
A torrent of heat sweeps through me as I realize my gaze has lingered much longer than necessary on Aiden’s cock and that I’m thinking about four men’s cocks. I close my eyes and turn, stepping into Roarke’s chest.
My eyes pop open and he grins down at me. “Good morning, Roarke.”
He throws his head back and releases a jovial laugh. His hands grip my waist.
“What are you doing?” My hands go over his.
He lifts me, walking me over to the counter and setting me on it. He parts my thighs and wedges himself between them. His hands cup my head, threading his fingers into my hair before his mouth descends on mine.
I don’t have time to protest as he claims my mouth, kissing me like I don’t have morning breath, full tongue. His hard cock presses between my legs, making my already wet pussy throb.
He pulls back and rubs his thumb next to my lips. His blue eyes sparkle. “That’s how we say good morning, poppet.”
I open my mouth but nothing comes out. My gaze goes to Aiden, feeling bad that we didn’t kiss and he had to watch Roarke kiss me. Aiden stands and adjusts his erection in his pants.
“I think you might be onto something, Roarke.” Aiden grabs our tea mugs and brings them to the sink behind me. He winks, but there’s no jealousy.
Roarke backs up and sets me on my feet before turning me and smacking me on the bottom. “Upstairs with you. Make yourself presentable and then make me breakfast. Be quick, woman.”
My cheeks flare hot again. But I walk to the stairs and make my way up to my room. What have I signed up for ?