Chapter 10 #2
“When you’ve got that many kids, you find ways to make them useful,” Troy shrugged. “Marcus got dishes duty. I got laundry and beds.”
Rhett returned with Olive, the gray tabby looking regal in his massive hands. “Here’s the princess. She’s more particular than her brother, but she’ll warm up to you.”
As if to prove him wrong, Olive immediately leapt from his hands onto the freshly made bed and curled into a tiny ball in the center of the pillow.
“Betrayed by my own cat,” Rhett gasped, clutching his chest dramatically.
Troy finished with the bed and stepped back to admire his work. “Perfect. Now for the final touch.” He grabbed the comforter and held it open. “In you go, princess.”
I raised an eyebrow but climbed onto the bed, careful not to disturb Olive. Troy immediately wrapped the comforter around me, tucking it under my sides and feet until I was completely immobilized.
“Troy, what the hell—”
“It’s the burrito treatment,” he said proudly. “Guaranteed to ward off nightmares and snake thoughts.”
“I can’t move my arms,” I pointed out.
“That’s the point. Maximum security.”
Rhett sat on the edge of the bed, depositing Cheeto on my blanket-covered stomach. “You can have the kittens until their dinnertime,” he said. “They’ll protect you.”
“From what? Bad dreams?” I asked as Cheeto immediately started climbing the burrito mountain that was me.
“From anything,” Rhett said with surprising seriousness. “They’re fierce hunters.” He paused, then added, “Though I’m pretty sure they’d run from snakes. Smart kitties.”
“You two are ridiculous,” I said, but there was no heat in it. Just gratitude and something deeper, warmer, that I wasn’t ready to examine too closely.
“Get some rest,” Troy said, his hand lingering on my shoulder. “We’ll be right out there if you need anything.”
“Anything at all,” Rhett agreed, and the intensity in his eyes made my breath catch.
They left, closing the door until it was open just a crack—probably for the kittens, but it made me feel safer knowing I could hear them moving around in the main room.
Cheeto had already curled up next to his sister, both kittens purring softly.
The sound was soothing, like a tiny engine running in neutral.
I closed my eyes, trying to relax into the unfamiliar bed that smelled like Troy—clean laundry and that spicy cologne he wore.
But the moment darkness descended behind my eyelids, I saw them again: sleek, sinuous bodies sliding across my floor, tongues flicking, eyes like glinting beads.
I moaned and punched my pillow, sending the kittens skittering off to a safer cuddle spot.
“Shit. I’m sorry, kittens!” But they were already gone, and I could hear the clatter of cat food being poured into a bowl and Rhett chatting with the little furballs about spending the night in their kennel as he prepared them for bed, lecturing Cheeto on his tendency to chew on electrical cords when unsupervised.
I forced myself to breathe slowly. What would podcast Aimee tell me to do? Then it struck me: it never worked to tell yourself not to think about something scary. That just made you think about it more. Instead, I had to think about something else, fill my mind with a positive thought to focus on.
A booming laugh sounded from the other room, and suddenly I knew exactly what to think about.
I closed my eyes, listening to the reassuring sounds of Rhett and Troy in the other room—cupboards opening and closing, the clatter of dishes, the low rumble of their voices.
Their presence was like a security blanket, wrapping me in a sense of protection that even the burrito comforter couldn’t match.
I couldn’t make out what they were saying until Rhett’s voice suddenly rose, clear and distinct, telling Troy he wanted to fuck.
I grabbed a pillow and pressed it over my face, torn between embarrassment and a sudden, fierce heat that pooled low in my belly.
The image that flashed through my mind was vivid and unexpected: Troy behind Rhett, both of them naked and glistening with sweat, muscles rippling as they moved together.
What would my life be like if I just… let them? If I let them fix my plumbing and stop by at all hours with food and pull me into the bed between them. Would it really be so bad?
Why was I so determined to push them away? They were here, willing to drop everything at a moment’s notice every single time there was even a hint that I might need them.
What was I afraid of, really? Through all their irritating hijinks, these men had never been anything but a safe space for me. And maybe I was finally safe enough to want something more.
I closed my eyes and imagined walking into Rhett’s bedroom, imagined Troy’s dark eyes filling with want and Rhett’s wicked grin inviting me in.
I let my hands wander over my body, cupping my breasts as I imagined Rhett’s big, calloused hands on me, pinching my nipples, making me moan.
What would it be like to have both their mouths on me, sucking hungrily on my tits as their hands wandered lower?
One hand slipped between my legs, all thoughts of my stalker and the snakes fading into the background as I pictured every filthy thing I’d heard them say through the wall. I pressed my face into Troy’s pillow, breathing in the spicy scent of his cologne as I rocked against my own hand.
My fingers moved faster on my clit, pleasure coursing through me as the sound of their laughter, rich and warm, vibrated through my body, making me shudder. I bit back a moan, sure they’d come rushing in to check on me if they heard any kind of sound.
Would that be embarrassing, or would they crawl into bed and help me come?