16. Chapter 16
16
Damon’s grip loosened on her thighs, his face moving from between her thighs. “Are you okay?”
Shell-shocked, Taeja could only manage to tug up her panty as she stared toward the door.
“Baby?” Damon gently asked as he stood to his full height. “Did I hurt you? Do you need—”
“I’m fine.” Taeja looked at him, almost swooning at how his brows were pulled together, his concern for her rolling off him in waves. She loved how Damon always wore his heart on his sleeve. She looked from him to the door. “There was someone there.”
Damon’s head snapped around. “Where? Who was it?”
“I don’t know who it was. I just looked over there and saw someone go through the door—”
Damon looked at her. “Stay here. I’m going to go check it out.”
“Please be careful,” she pleaded, and he nodded before disappearing into the house. Her heart raced as questions formed in her mind. Taeja chewed on her fingernails. Anxiety washed away any ounce of horniness she felt. Her head snapped up when Damon appeared in the doorway.
“There’s no one here,” he said, holding a hand out.
Taeja didn’t hesitate to rush over, plastering herself against him. “Are you sure?” she asked, her voice shaking .
“Yes.” He nodded. “I checked the entire house and the cameras.”
“Okay.” She rested her chin on his chest to look at him. Damon’s brows were pulled together as he looked down at her. At that moment, he had a striking resemblance to Zain. “I guess you were doing it too good, and I started imagining things.”
Damon laughed, so contagious it had her laughing and smiling, too. “Let’s get you inside. It’s getting chilly and I don’t want you to get sick.”
She nodded as they entered the house. Damon kicked the door shut behind them.
“Are you ready for bed?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No, I’m waiting for Zain to come home.”
“Where’d he go?” Damon asked as they arrived downstairs and sat on the sofa.
Taeja curled into his side, her heart slowing its pace as Damon trailed a finger along her arm. “A meeting.”
Damon snorted. “ Meeting ? What kind?”
“I don’t know… That’s all he told me,” she said, and he hummed. Taeja leaned off him to look at him. “While we wait for him to come, can you do that thing for me?”
“Another time. I only have my tongue and dick with me.”
Taeja laughed, pushing his shoulder. “Is sex all you think about?”
“Sometimes,” he confessed, pulling her close to kiss her neck. “I want to be inside you all day, every day.”
“Sounds like yu waa done me out.”
“You’re too tight for that,” Damon said, and Taeja grinned.
“I know that’s right!”
Chuckling, Damon pulled away and made her lie down. He fixed himself between her thighs, hovering inches above her body. “There’s nothing humble to you, is there?”
Taeja shook her head while smiling. “Nope!”
Damon smirked before capturing her lips. He sucked on her lower lip, making it tingle as her eyes fluttered close. His dick poked her as he broke away to kiss her neck .
“ Damon ,” Taeja moaned.
“Say my name again,” he said, his voice deep.
“I want you to use it.”
Damon froze. He pulled back, his eyes widening. “Use what?”
Taeja caressed him through his shorts. “You know…”
“Are you sure?”
She nodded. “I’ve been thinking about it, but I’m kinda scared.”
“That doesn’t sound like you’re sure. I’m not going to use it.”
“ I am . I just keep thinking it’s gonna hurt.”
“It’s not going to hurt. I’ll be gentle with you.”
She scoffed. “ You ? Gentle? You always fuck me hard.”
Damon smirked. “I was proving a point.”
“Yu know seh mi nuh like yu?” she asked, and he chuckled. “I’m serious, though. I want you to use it—”
“Use what?” came a voice from near the doorway, startling them both.
Damon rolled his eyes as he moved from above Taeja. “You need to stop creeping up on people like that.”
“I can’t creep up on anyone in my house.”
Taeja bit back a laugh as she sat up on the sofa. Watching Zain sit on the sofa opposite them, she asked, “How was your meeting?”
“It was okay.”
Taeja’s brows knitted. She didn’t expect a meticulous speech about every minor detail of his day, but the coldness in his tone threw her off. “Okay…”
Damon threw his arm over her shoulder, pulling her to his side. Taeja relaxed against him, enjoying his body’s warmth while watching Zain. His hair was tied back and his face was a blank slate. He twirled her stress ball in his right hand.
“I didn’t know you took that,” Taeja broke the silence.
Zain looked from the ball to her. “This?” he asked, and she nodded. “I like them.”
“Why?”
He clenched his jaw and looked at the ball. “It helped with therapy.”
Taeja’s brows furrowed. “Therapy?” she questioned, and Zain sighed .
“Physical therapy,” Damon explained, his grip tightening around Taeja. “Those mercenaries messed up some of his nerves, but he’s good now. They’re going to get what’s coming for them one day.”
Taeja glanced at Zain. His face remained impassive as he avoided her gaze, and she pursed her lips before looking away. She understood why Zain didn’t tell anyone about what happened to him, but that didn’t make it less of a weighty secret for her to carry. Especially when she saw how angry Damon got while recalling what happened.
Clearing her throat, she said to Zain, “You need to get your locks checked. Damon and I were having sex on the balcony, and I saw someone.”
“There was no one there, Taeja,” Damon insisted.
Zain’s brows pulled together as he looked at his brother. He didn’t say anything, and Damon didn’t either.
“Probably me a hallucinate because mi hungry,” she joked.
Zain looked at her. “You’re hungry?”
“You didn’t eat at the dinner?” Damon asked.
“Why unu a scold me?” Taeja asked, frowning.
“We’re not—” Damon said.
“We are—” Zain said at the same time.
She chuckled. “A so mi like when unu get along.”
Scoffing, Zain stood. “I’ll make you something to eat.”
“No, it’s fine. I can make something—”
“Let him cook,” Damon insisted while he and Taeja stood.
“Your belly big ino, Damon.”
Damon gasped, lifting the hem of his shirt. His brows knitted as he looked at his less-defined abs. “Are you being serious?”
Taeja laughed, shaking her head. She ran her hand down his abdomen, feeling the muscle beneath the small amount of fat. “No, babe. You’re fine to me.”
“Did you hear that, Zain? She thinks I’m fine,” Damon bragged. “I bet she never told you that before.”
Zain scoffed as they arrived in the kitchen. “She doesn’t have to tell me because I know.”
Rolling her eyes, Taeja sat on a chair at the island. She watched as her guys moved around the kitchen. “Yet my ego big?”
Zain released a sound that almost sounded like a chuckle. “Doesn’t mean I don’t wanna hear that I’m fine, too.”
“Mi naa tell yu nun. Gweh.” She stuck her tongue out.
“I’m wearing a kiss-the-chef apron while making you dinner. That’s gotta count for something?”
“Hmm… I guess you’re right.” Taeja smiled, stood, then walked toward him. “Can I—”
Zain’s head swooped down. His lips met hers, kissing her silent. Taeja smiled into the kiss, tasting a hint of alcohol as he stuck his tongue into her mouth. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head, and she reached out a hand to hold on to the counter beside them.
A loud crash came from in the kitchen, yanking them apart. They looked toward Damon, seeing him sheepishly grin while taking up the pot that fell.
“Sorry,” Damon said, and Zain glared while Taeja chuckled.
Still breathless, she looked at Zain. “You’ve never kissed me like that before.”
Zain smirked. “Because I’m bribing you to say I’m finer.”
Taeja rolled her eyes, walking away to help with dinner. As she washed the vegetables Damon had placed in the sink, she felt him staring at her. She looked at him. “I know you’re waiting for me to say you’re finer, and I’m not going to.”
“Come on, baby, you know I am. I mean, look at me,” Damon boasted, using a hand to gesture at himself.
Zain scoffed. “Didn’t know that’s what people call fine these days.”
“Unu literally look alike,” Taeja deadpanned, and they froze, disgust smearing their features.
“I do not look like him!” Damon insisted.
“You should wish you look like me,” Zain countered.
Taeja rolled her eyes at their playful banter, a smile working its way onto her face. “Unu nuh really look alike now that I know you better, but at first glance, it’s hard to tell. Unu sure unu nuh identical?”
“We’re sure,” they said, and Taeja’s smile widened .
Damon smiled. “You’re loving this, aren’t you?”
She beamed. “Yes! I like it when you two are happy. It makes me happy.”
“That’s all we want, baby.”
“So, no more arguing?”
“We’re not promising you that.” Zain walked toward her with a cutting board. He placed it on the counter beside the sink, then did a demonstration with a tomato. “Dice the vegetables small like this.”
Taeja nodded, following his orders. “Can we play a game?”
Damon chuckled from by the pantry. “Why don’t I like the sound of this?”
“It’s nothing bad, I promise.”
“Okay. Let’s hear it.”
“We should all say what our favorite things are about each other—”
“No,” Zain interrupted.
Taeja rolled her eyes. “Yu know seh yu too bad breed? It nago kill yu fi seh sum nice about your brother.”
Damon snickered. “He doesn’t want you to know how much he loves me.”
“I do not love you,” Zain argued.
“ Sure .”
Taeja smiled. “This is exactly how me know seh unu love each other.”
“Whatever you want to believe,” Zain mumbled. “What were you guys talking about earlier?”
Taeja looked at him. “Wa yu mean?”
“Something about—”
A shriek ripped from Taeja’s mouth. Her eyes widened at her burning fingers. Blood gushed out of a long cut, staining the vegetables a vivid shade of red.
“Fuck!” Zain swore. He rushed toward her and grabbed her hand. He turned the pipe on and shoved her finger beneath the stream, making her wince. “Damon.”
“I got it,” Damon shouted over his shoulder, already halfway out of the kitchen.
“You need to be careful!” Zain hissed.
“I’m sorry,” Taeja cried, tears rushing down her cheeks. She tried pulling her hand away, but his grip tightened.
“No. Fuck . I’m sorry,” Zain rushed out. “Don’t look at it. Look at me.”
Taeja forced herself to look at Zain. She couldn’t see him through her blurry vision.
“You didn’t do anything wrong, okay?” he said in a gentler tone.
She nodded weakly. Who was Zain trying to fool? It was her fault. She was good at making mistakes, and his yelling at her further proved so.
“I found it!” Damon ran into the room. He placed the first aid kit on the island and rummaged through it.
Tightening his hold on her finger, Zain rested his free hand on her lower back and led her toward Damon.
“This might sting a little,” Damon said as he unscrewed a bottle cap.
“It’s alcohol. Of course, it’s gonna fucking sting,” Zain hissed at Damon.
“Zain,” Taeja forced out, shaking her head slightly. As he sighed, she gave Damon a watery smile. “It’s okay.”
“Okay…” Damon poured the alcohol on her cut, making Taeja hiss. Damon winced. “I’m sorry,” he said, proceeding to tenderly nurse her wound. The white bandages were a stark contrast to Taeja’s dark skin.
“Not too deep,” Zain mused.
Nodding, Damon added, “You’re lucky, baby. You could’ve lost your fingers.”
“I’m sorry,” Taeja mumbled.
“Mistakes happen,” Damon said. He took her from Zain and wiped away her tears before hugging her. “I’ll help Zain cook. Why don’t you go wait in the living room?”
“We promise not to kill each other,” Zain added, and Taeja weakly laughed even though he wasn’t trying to be funny.
“Okay,” she said. “Thank you both.”
Damon grinned. “Of course. We’re here for you.”
“I know.” Taeja returned to the living room. She made herself comfortable on the sofa, tugging a cushion to her chest and rocking her body. She frowned at her pointer and middle finger on her left hand, the slight discomfort of the bandages restricting her movement. “Good thing I’m right-handed,” she joked in self-pity. Sighing, Taeja closed her eyes, deciding she’d rest until the fried rice was ready.
A mouthwatering aroma woke her up a while later. She looked up at her guys, towering above her. Zain had his arms crossed over his chest, his hair framing his face. Damon held a plate and a glass of juice in his hands.
“Are you still hungry, or do you want to finish sleeping?” Damon asked.
“I’ll eat,” Taeja said as she sat up.
“Didn’t have a choice,” Zain muttered. While Damon handed the food to her, he occupied the furthest spot on the sofa she sat on. “You need to fix your eating schedule.”
“I tried before, but it didn’t work out.”
“It’ll work out because you have a reason to eat now. We can’t fuck you on an empty stomach,” Zain said, grabbing a plate off the coffee table.
Damon snickered as he sat on the couch that Zain was on earlier. He had a plate in his hand now. “I agree with him.”
“Of course, you would,” Taeja replied as she shoveled rice onto the fork. “Unu a musi rabbit. I don’t know which one of unu more fucky fucky.”
“Damon,” Zain answered.
Damon snickered before looking at Zain with a smirk, making Zain raise his brow. His smirk widened. “She wants me to use my piercing on her.”
Zain looked at her, a small smirk on his lips. “Is that so, Taeja?”
She blushed and looked away. “Yes…” she trailed off, their attention making her hot. “But not tonight. I’m in pain.”
“You only need your pussy.”
“And you need a filter,” she said, and Zain’s brows furrowed. She rolled her eyes. “Can we watch a movie?”
“Sure.” Damon reached for the remote. “What do you want to watch?” he asked, and she suggested a rom-com.
Taeja’s brows furrowed as they groaned. “What’s wrong with rom-coms?”
“Nothing…” Damon said while searching for one .
“It’s fine. We can watch something else. Put on an action movie, I like those. Are you okay with it, Zain?” she asked, and Zain nodded.
Damon found a random movie, and they ended up barely paying attention to it. All they did was talk and laugh with each other.
During this, Damon turned the lights off and came over to sit on the same sofa. Taeja laid her head on his shoulder, and he threw his arm around her. Zain placed her feet in his lap, absentmindedly massaging them.
She glanced at Zain with the smallest of smiles. The light from the television cast shadows on his face, making him more rugged. He didn’t look like he realized what he was doing. Taeja was so happy that Zain was touching her that she was hesitant to make even the slightest of movements.
Damon laughed at something on the screen, making Taeja focus on the movie again. “Remember this?” Damon asked, and Zain nodded.
“What’s funny?” Taeja pried.
“We used to have belching contests. Just like they’re doing.”
Taeja scowled at the screen. “Ew.”
Damon laughed. “What? It’s not nasty, it’s fun. Listen to this—” He released a big belch.
Taeja covered her nose. “Ew, Damon!”
Zain scoffed. “That was weak.” He inhaled a big breath and released a louder belch.
Taeja scowled. “Unu sick mi stomach!”
“Only when we’re not in it,” Zain said, smirking as her eyes widened. “Try it.”
“I can’t belch…” she confessed.
Damon gasped. “How can you not belch?”
Taeja shrugged. “It never happens to me.”
“She probably farts a lot,” Zain stated, and Damon hummed.
Taeja’s mouth dropped. “I—”
“Zain’s right?” Damon asked, but she shifted her focus to the movie, pretending to be intrigued by the finishing credits. Damon paused the show. “We used to have fart competitions—”
“Yu know wa? Me a go mi bed.” Taeja jumped to her feet and grabbed the small stack of plates and glasses. Heading to the kitchen, she heard Damon whisper something that made Zain erupt into loud laughter. She scowled as the laughs turned into belches. “Mi nuh know weh Kacian get them from.”
Wanting to hurry back to them, Taeja opted to load the dishwasher instead of hand washing, then returned to the living room. She smiled as they stopped belching to look at her. “I’m going to bed.”
Damon nodded and stood. He walked toward her and pulled her into a hug. She wrapped her arms around him and imprinted his scent — a slight trace of dark coffee beneath his cologne — into her memory.
“Goodnight,” Damon said as they pulled apart. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Her brows furrowed. “You’re not staying?” she asked, and Damon shook his head. “Why not?”
“Zain doesn’t like sleeping in the same bed, remember?”
Taeja sighed. “I don’t want you to go. It’s late. Zain has a guest—”
“It’s fine,” Zain’s voice came from behind them. “Damon can get the bed. I’ll sleep in the guestroom.”
“Can you stay until I fall asleep?” she asked and Zain nodded, making her smile.
They went to the bedroom and brushed their teeth before lying on the bed — Damon behind her with his arm thrown over her waist, and Zain before her.
“Thanks for staying,” she mumbled through a yawn, and Zain nodded. Then, she felt a kiss. From behind or in front of her? She’d never know. Her eyes had closed already.