Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
ULY
I peered at the clock on the nightstand.
Four in the morning. It took me several moments to wake up.
I was warm, comfortable, and being held down by big arms that were wrapped around me.
My head was on the best pillow in the world; Brent’s chest, his rhythmic breathing doing its best to drag me back to sleep, and I wanted to surrender to it.
Just as I was drifting off again, the air was shattered by the scream of a high pitched voice calling ‘Momma!’.
I jumped off the bed, Brent right behind me. We threw on the clothes we’d worn yesterday and rushed to the door, fumbling with the lock before yanking it open. At the end of the hall, Eddie stood, his head snapping left and right, and sobbing out Momma. He looked utterly bereft.
“Eddie? Honey?”
He turned and his eyes widened when he saw me. His little feet sounded like thunder strikes on the floor as he charged me. When he got to me he clutched my waist, his fingers digging into my shirt and skin.
“Where were you? You said you wouldn’t leave and you were gone,” he wailed.
I bent over and hefted him into my arms. “I’m right here, sweetheart. I didn’t go anywhere.”
“I went to your room so I could sleep with you again, and you weren’t there.”
His hands were twisted in the fabric of my clothes as he tried to get closer to me. I hadn’t even considered he’d go to my room looking for me.
“I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t leave. I was in your daddy’s room.”
He sniffled, then stared me in the eyes. “You were with Daddy?”
“I was. I swore I wouldn’t leave, and I didn’t.”
He gave a tremulous smile. “You were sleeping with Daddy?”
Sleep only came after the fourth round. The man was insatiable.
When he was horny again, he wrapped an arm around me and slid back in, using his cum as lube.
My ass was so freaking sore I wanted to go soak in the tub, but I needed to take care of Eddie, calm him.
Brent stood behind him, stroking a hand over his back.
“I’m sorry, Eddie. It’s my fault. I asked Uly to come with me last night and he did. We would have told you, but you were already asleep.”
When I shifted my gaze to him, he had a smirk on his face and I knew when he said I’d come with him he was being a filthy bastard. And yet, knowing this, my cock twitched.
“I’m sorry if I scared you,” I said softly.
“You were with Daddy,” he said, his eyes shiny. “I know he’ll protect you so nothing happens.”
“I will,” Brent promised. “Uly won’t be in his room anymore. He’ll be in the bed with me from now on.”
I would? I didn’t recall agreeing to that.
Then he slid a hand over my ass, giving it a pat, and I was all in.
Overnight he’d turned me from a blushing near virgin into a sex addict.
I couldn’t get enough of his cock, his kisses, his nibbling on my hole, him sucking me until I shot in his mouth.
I noticed that he stopped wondering if I was okay.
He must have realized I was open for his use now.
And Benjy hadn’t been wrong. The sex got progressively rougher, and I had a tapestry of purple on my neck and chest. Arms. Legs.
Ass cheeks. Anywhere his mouth could reach, he marked me.
And I loved it.
Eddie finally sniffled and relaxed against my chest. I kissed the top of his head. “Are you feeling better?” I asked.
“Mhm.” He leaned back and put his hands on my face, staring into my eyes. “Momma, I’m hungry.”
I chuckled. “Then we should see about getting you something to eat. You’re a growing boy, after all.”
He lay his head on my shoulder as we headed for the kitchen. As soon as we passed the boy’s room, Jack poked his head out.
“What are we doing?” he asked.
“Momma was sleeping with Daddy,” Eddie said, a huge smile instead of the tears of moments ago. “Now we’re going to get something to eat.”
“I want pancakes!” Jack called as he returned to his room, probably to get dressed.
After taking my meds, I headed for the kitchen.
As I stood at the stove, making stacks of pancakes for my hungry boys, I realized that I felt so at home here.
Not just in the mansion, but in the town.
There were no loud parties, no neighbors screaming to shut the fuck up, no mysterious gunshots in the middle of the night shattering the relative, but always short-lived, peace.
This place? It gave me quiet to think. To learn. To grow, at least a little. To be part of a new family, one I am building, and that loves me unconditionally. Oh, and a man that is strong enough to hold me against the wall as he pounds my ass. That’s pretty cool too.
Only one real problem cropped up, and that was about a month later.
Jamie called to update me on how Deb was doing, now that she was nearing seven months pregnant.
The doctor was pleased with how everything was going.
She was strong, healthy, and the baby—a boy—was going to be a little bruiser.
What was wrong was Jamie wanted me to fly out to see them.
He told me he’d book me a ticket, but Brent said absolutely not, I would be taking his jet.
“Why?”
“Because it’s your goddamn jet too!” he growled. “You’re my mate, and I’m going to take care of you. That means you use what we have available.”
“You do enough for me already. You set up a craft room for me, filled it with a bajillion types of yarn, hooks for knitting, crocheting, and things I never heard of before just because I wondered what it would be like to create something. You bought me a state of the art computer to watch training tutorials. Then, when I said I wasn’t sure if I wanted to, you put it all in storage and asked what I’d like to try. ”
“Yes, because you’re my mate and I’m going to take care of you. Listen to the words this time, Uly. I will repeat them as often as necessary.”
“Sweetie, I appreciate it all. I really do. But I’m not sure what I want. It’s a waste of money to buy all this stuff and for me to turn around and not use it.”
“No, it isn’t,” he insisted. “The yarn and other things went to the rec center. We have classes there on Friday for our older residents to teach our younger ones. Or to be taught themselves. Whatever you decide, if you don’t like it, nothing will go to waste, I promise.”
I sighed. I loved this stubborn bastard so much. Nothing compared to climbing into bed with him, being fucked a couple of times, and then going to sleep. At least unless he woke up horny. Then all bets were off.
“I’m not a billionaire.”
“Neither am I. Remember, the sleuth has the money. I’m basically the steward of it.”
“But they expect you to use it.”
He tapped my temple, then rubbed the spot gently.
“Do me a favor and think back, okay? When we had that meeting where I introduced you to the sleuth, did any of them say anything about you not using it too? You’re my mate, they’re aware of that.
They celebrated with us. They expect you to have the same rights and privileges as me, and that includes making use of the stuff we have.
They also were overjoyed that mates were a real thing, because they had a chance to find theirs now. ”
Which had me concerned. “What about people who are already married? Will that lead to divorce?”
He sighed. “I wish I had an answer. Humans can stay together for a lifetime. Bears are, by and large, not really monogamous, so maybe they’ll form a triad.
Maybe they’ll separate. There’s no way of knowing what will happen, but we will deal with it as a sleuth, and that means your input will be necessary. ”
“But I—”
“You are part of this group, the people said so. Suck it up, buttercup.”
I smiled at him, because I loved him so damn much. “Okay.”
“No, you will—wait. Did you say okay?”
“I did. I’ll take the jet, but only this one time.”
“You will take the jet anytime you go somewhere. Non-negotiable.”
“What makes you think I’ll listen to you?”
He put his hands under my armpits and lifted me off the floor.
I loved the strength he possesses. Sometimes I wonder if he’s aware of it himself.
“Once again, you are my mate! I can’t say it any other way.
I will take care of you, no matter how you argue.
If you refuse to let me, I’ll have Cullin grab the ropes.
” He leaned in and kissed me. “Life as you knew it has changed. Time to travel with the sleuth now.”
I sighed. What could I say? Who says no to a billionaire? “Fine.”
He smirked. “Now you’re getting it.” He gave me a noogie. “No one says we need to go hog wild. I try to keep spending to a minimum because, again, the money is the sleuths. My father kept them poor, and I won’t compound his mistake.”
“I don’t think I like your dad too much.”
A snort. “I doubt you’ll find many who did. He’s gone now, so we’re good. All right, get a bag packed so you can go see my brother-in-law. Bring back cake!”
This man.
Cullin drove me to the airstrip the next day and we headed out. That was when the real problem began.
Jamie and Deb picked me up from the airport. I grabbed my bag and went to the doors to meet them. Deb was radiant, although she waddled like a duck.
“Say one word, mister, and you’ll go back without your balls.”
I leaned in and hugged her. “You’re beautiful,” I whispered in her ear.
“I know,” she replied, then stuck her tongue out at me.
We weren’t even to the car when my phone rang. I glanced at the caller ID and saw it was Amelia.
“Can you give me a sec?” I asked. “I need to take this call.”
“Sure, go for it. I want ice cream,” Deb said. Jamie was already heading for the kiosk. “Man, I have him well trained.”
Then we both snickered. I retreated to a quiet corner and answered the call.
“Amelia? Is everything okay?”
“The boys are fine. They’re a little grumpy because you’re not home, but you did explain it, so it wasn’t a surprise.”
“Then what’s wrong?”
“It’s Mr. Lockhart.”
It felt as though the blood froze in my veins.