44. Maeve
MAEVE
I wake up exhausted and sore in the most incredible way the next morning.
The men are sprawled around me like protective shields, their strong limbs tangled together. I should feel trapped with all this masculine weight surrounding me, but instead I feel incredibly safe and cherished, like nothing in the world could touch me here.
I honestly have no idea what time it was when we finally collapsed from exhaustion last night, but it felt like we were all possessed.
The show we put on for Ford at the restaurant unleashed something primal in all four of us that I never knew existed.
I’ve never experienced this kind of insatiable craving for sex before—not even when I was a hormone-crazed teenager.
I prop myself up against the pillows and try to piece my scattered thoughts back together, but even that small movement must disturb Gabriel, because his eyes flutter open and focus on me immediately.
God, he’s stunning. All three of them are, even rumpled from sleep with their usually stern features relaxed, revealing glimpses of the softer men beneath their polished exteriors.
“Good morning,” Gabriel murmurs. “How are you feeling this morning?”
“Amazing,” I tell him, unable to keep the satisfied smile from spreading across my face.
He chuckles, the sound low and throaty. “That’s my petit oiseau doux through and through.”
“You’ll have to come up with a new nickname for me,” I tell him, cocking a brow. “After all, I’m not your little office helper anymore.”
Gabriel shifts to prop himself up on one elbow, studying my face with his mesmerizing amber eyes. “You know… that’s not what that phrase actually means.”
I stare at him in confusion. “What? Really?”
“Really.” He shakes his head. “You never bothered to look it up online?”
“It honestly never occurred to me,” I admit, feeling heat creep up my neck. “So, wait… what does it actually mean?”
“It means sweet little bird,” Gabriel says quietly. “You reminded me of a bird from the very first day you walked into our office. A bit nervous and skittish, clearly needing some care and protection, but also wild and untamed underneath. Independent and sweet at the same time.”
My breath catches in my throat at the unexpected tenderness in his voice. “I had no idea.”
He shrugs one shoulder with elegant nonchalance.
“I didn’t want you to know. I called you that the first time by accident—not accidental in that I didn’t mean it, but in that it just slipped out before I could stop myself.
Once I’d said it, I couldn’t take it back.
So I made up that ridiculous translation and kept using it to tease you. ”
“It would have been perfectly fine if you’d just told me the truth from the beginning,” I whisper. “I would have thought it was sweet.”
Gabriel shakes his head. “I couldn’t. It would’ve meant admitting that you affected me in ways I wasn’t ready to acknowledge. I couldn’t risk that.”
“Oh, come on,” I say with a playful grin. “You know I don’t bite. Unless that’s specifically what you’re into, of course.”
He laughs softly at my teasing. “Oh, I know that perfectly well. It wasn’t about you, little bird. It was entirely about me and my own issues.”
“What do you mean?” I glance over at Ford and Hayden, who are still asleep. I know by now that they both have very good reasons for being cautious about opening their hearts to people, and I remember Ford mentioning that Gabriel had his own complicated past.
“My parents weren’t exactly shining examples of what a healthy relationship should look like,” Gabriel says, his mouth twisting into a sardonic smile that doesn’t reach his eyes.
“Elaine and Charles certainly aren’t perfect—Ford definitely has his struggles with them.
But they genuinely love each other, and they showed Ford what a good marriage could be.
Hayden didn’t have any parents at all, which brought its own kind of pain.
For me… hell, sometimes I think I might have been better off in his situation. ”
“Things were that bad?” I whisper, my heart aching for him.
“I’m sure there are countless people who had it much worse than I did.
Your mother treated you terribly,” he says with a sharp edge to his voice, like he’d love nothing more than to track her down and make her pay for every moment of pain she caused me.
“But my parents were… unpleasant, to put it mildly. They weren’t good for each other, but rather than simply getting divorced and moving on with their lives, they seemed to genuinely enjoy the dysfunction. ”
I wince. “That sounds awful.”
“It was. They were both people who thrived on power games and manufactured drama, and they would use each other as emotional punching bags. There was always some sort of psychological manipulation happening. I often got caught in the crossfire, used as a pawn in their twisted games. They wielded love like a weapon, but I honestly don’t think either of them truly understood what real love actually was. ”
“I’m so sorry,” I whisper. “That sounds horrible to live through.”
“It was difficult,” he admits. “But not just because I was trapped in that environment. The worst part was what it taught me about relationships.”
“Bad habits?” I ask, tilting my head.
“No, thankfully. In another life, I might have ended up just like them. But instead, their toxicity taught me that romantic love was nothing more than a beautiful lie people tell themselves. Hayden and Ford came into my life and showed me that love between friends could be real and lasting, which was a revelation.”
“What about romantic love?” I dare to ask, my voice low.
Gabriel goes very still, staring at the wall across from us for a long moment. Then he turns that intense gaze back to me, his lips parting as he draws in a breath?—
“Fuck, what time is it?” Hayden’s voice makes me jump slightly as he stretches and groans.
That apparently disturbs Ford, who makes a low sound of protest. “Have you never heard of being quiet in the morning?”
“Gabriel and I just had an entire conversation, and we didn’t wake Ford up,” I point out to Hayden with amusement. “So I guess that makes you the loud one.”
“Hmm. Not so sure that title belongs to me,” Hayden counters, pressing a teasing kiss to the sensitive spot where my neck meets my shoulder. I automatically tip my head back, silently inviting him to continue. “You were loud as hell last night.”
“He makes a good point,” Ford says as he pushes himself up on one elbow. “You were insatiable, Spitfire. I should have seen that coming.”
“It’s pretty easy to be insatiable when I have three incredible men like you taking such good care of me,” I point out breathlessly.
Hayden chuckles and leans in to kiss me properly, his hand skimming up my side with possessive familiarity. It feels so perfectly right that I immediately sink into the kiss, feeling a familiar hunger and heat beginning to stir inside me again.
Someone’s hand—Ford’s, I think—slides up my thigh and between my legs, but when his fingers brush against my still-sensitive flesh, I hiss and instinctively pull back from Hayden’s mouth. The hand immediately stops moving.
“Are you okay?” Gabriel asks, concern clear in his voice.
“I’m fine,” I assure them quickly, seeing the worry that instantly appears on all their faces. “I’m just a little too sore right now. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t you dare apologize,” Hayden says immediately. “Not for that.”
“We definitely worked you pretty hard last night,” Ford adds with a wicked grin. “Multiple times.”
I wish desperately that I was still up for more sex. I definitely want it—my body is already responding to their nearness despite the soreness. But I know I need to listen to what those aches and pains are telling me. “Trust me, I wish I could keep going. I was begging for it last night.”
“Fuck yeah, you were. As long as you’re certain we didn’t hurt you,” Gabriel says, still looking concerned.
“I’m positive,” I promise. “I’m just a little sore. But I loved every single second of it.”
“Good.” Ford nods, relief in his expression. “Because we did too.”
“We should get you a heating pad,” Hayden suggests.
Ford shakes his head. “Even better, you should use Lydia’s bathroom. She had a tub with jets installed that’s basically like having a personal hot tub. That’ll help with the soreness for sure.”
“That sounds amazing,” I admit. I haven’t had access to a proper soaking tub in years before coming here, and the idea of jets and all the other luxuries sounds like bliss.
“I’ll go ask her right now,” Ford says, already getting up and reaching for some clothes.
I climb out of bed and pull on a robe, wincing a little as I walk.
Now that I’m moving around, I can really feel just how thoroughly they fucked me last night, but I wouldn’t trade this soreness for anything.
Last night was one of the best of my life, and I want to repeat it again as soon as humanly possible.
I share this sentiment with Hayden and Gabriel, and they both look like they’re physically restraining themselves from pulling me right back into bed this instant. The hungry way they’re looking at me sends an electric thrill through my entire system.
Ford returns a few minutes later, poking just his head through the door. “She says, no problem.”
I slip out into the hallway and immediately see why he was being so careful—Lydia is standing there in adorable pajamas covered in tiny snowflakes, her hair still messy from sleep.
“Hey there,” she says with a warm smile. “Ford mentioned you slipped on some ice last night?”
“Yeah, it was pretty embarrassing, actually,” I lie smoothly, the deception coming easier than I expected. “I even tore my dress, which is part of why I ended up wearing Gabriel’s jacket. That’s what I get for trying to look so dressed up in snowy weather.”
She waves a hand. “That’s ridiculous. You looked stunning. Come on, let me get you all set up.”