Chapter 17
Rory
Even though I didn’t bring any extra clothes, the guys convince me to stay the night after our fun in the bedroom. They loan me an extra T-shirt and I do a secret happy dance that theirs are big enough for me. I’m tall, and I’m not skinny, so I don’t always feel dainty. I definitely feel it in this shirt, though. We spend the rest of the evening enjoying each other’s touches and sharing parts of our lives. It’s peaceful and I savor every moment.
When I wake the next morning, I’m alone in the bed. Part of me feels a little abandoned, but I stop myself from going down that path. This is their home. They wouldn’t leave me here alone. They’re probably already up and about. Stretching, I decide to see if I can track them down. When I reach the kitchen, I see Kyle at the stove cooking and Wes leaning in the doorway, watching him. I lean against him, watching as well, and Wes winds his arm around me with a kiss on my head.
“Good morning.”
“Good morning.” I smile up at him.
“Did you sleep well?”
“I did! You?”
“Of course I did.” He smirks. “I had two amazing people in my bed with me. How could I not?”
I smile up at him again, and he drops another kiss to my head.
“Looks good, doesn’t he?” Wes comments, nodding at Kyle.
“Yeah, he does. Do you see that ass? You can bounce a quarter off that thing.”
“You can, I’ve done it.”
I bust out laughing and Kyle turns to us, spatula raised in the air. “Are you two talking about me?” he asks, eyebrow raised.
“Yeah,” Wes responds, a grin on his face.
“Well, come talk about me over here,” Kyle says, beckoning us over with a tilt of his head.
Wes and I each take a stool at the breakfast bar area of the kitchen and get comfortable. I look around for coffee, and sure enough, it’s right there, mugs, cream, sugar and all. I mix up a mug for myself while Wes makes his own.
“So you really bounced a quarter off his ass?” I ask Wes.
“You bet your sweet self I did!”
Kyle chuckles. “It wasn’t as spectacular as he was hoping, but I think you got one good bounce out of it, right?”
“It got pretty good height with that single bounce. I was not disappointed, that’s for sure.”
I laugh and take a sip of the hot coffee, humming in pleasure as it slides down my throat.
“Didn’t she make that same noise last night?” Kyle asks.
“Yeah she did,” Wes says with a wicked gleam in his eye.
Kyle saunters over with two plates full of food, setting one in front of each of us. Instead of grabbing his own, though, he leans on the counter and keeps his eyes on me.
“What?” I ask, looking between the food and each of the guys.
“I want to see if you make the noise again,” Kyle says with a smirk.
I shake my head at him and grab a piece of bacon. Eyeing it first, I decide it’s been appropriately cooked and take a tentative bite. Flavor explodes on my tastebuds, and I have no idea what he did to make this bacon taste so good, but it’s probably the best bacon I’ve ever had. As Kyle hoped, a pleased groan escapes me as I chew and swallow.
“There it is,” he says, fully self-satisfied.
Kyle finally grabs his own plate, and we sit to eat in comfortable silence mixed with a little chatter. Once we’re done, I insist on helping clean up the dishes, especially since the overnight was not originally planned. Once the kitchen is cleaned, I dig my phone out of my purse to check the time and make sure I didn’t miss any calls. There’s one message, and it makes my blood run cold.
N: I know you changed numbers on me, but don’t worry, I figured out the new one. I’ll always be watching you.
Panic overwhelms me and I quickly turn off the screen then jam the phone back down into my purse, trying to put it out of my mind. Turning, I start back to the bedroom to grab my leggings from yesterday and slip them back on. Kyle is standing right behind me, so when I turn, I smack right into him. He steadies me with his hands on my arms.
“Shit! Sorry!” I exclaim.
“Hey, it’s fine.” He laughs, but sobers after looking at my face. “You okay?”
“Fine, yeah, just worn out from last night,” I say and force a smile.
Kyle raises an eyebrow, clearly not quite sure if he believes me, but he does let go and steps back. Before I pass, I give him a quick kiss on the cheek, and I can see his grin forming as I turn away. Once I’ve collected my things, I make it back to the living room, where Kyle and Wes are standing and talking in low tones.
“What are you guys whispering about?” I tease.
“You,” Wes says with a wink.
Shaking my head at his antics, I walk fully into the room and head toward them. Wes puts an arm around me, and Kyle brushes a piece of hair out of my face. He leans down and brushes his lips against mine before backing up a bit so Wes can do the same.
“Do you have to go?” Wes whines.
Last night this man was dominating my body, and today he’s whining like a teenager. Unable to help it, I laugh.
“Unfortunately,” I tell him, “I do have to work later, so I should get showered and find some new clothes to work in.”
“You sure you’re okay? You seem a little off. Did we do anything to set you off on accident?” Kyle asks again, concern radiating from him.
“I’m fine, I promise. I’ll tell you if I’m not, and you two were nothing but wonderful.”
Liar, liar, pants on fire, you’re not okay.
“Okay, sweetheart, but please call us or text us if you need something. Even if it’s just one of us and not both.”
“I will,” I assure him.
“Especially if you need hands, tongue, or cock. We absolutely want to help with that,” Wes adds in with a wink.
Not caring about Wes’ proximity, Kyle holds my face in his hands and takes my mouth in a sweet kiss. Our tongues tease a little, but it’s more of a comfort and a grounding than anything else. He’s not trying to get me worked up, just showing his feelings, and I try to reciprocate, to let him know how much I appreciate him without words. Wes takes his turn next, and while he holds his tongue back, he still pours his heart into the action. My heart is swelling as I return the fervor, and I feel like I’m on cloud nine.
I look at them both, and I’m sure my eyes are full of stars, a dopey smile on my face. “You guys are amazing.”
“So are you,” Kyle says firmly.
“Text us later, precious. We want to hear from you,” Wes insists.
“Deal.”
I reluctantly leave, and once I’m back at my apartment, I lock the doors behind me and pull my phone out. My fingers shake, but I force a deep breath before typing.
Me: Fuck off and leave me alone.
The shower is calling me, so I toss my phone on the couch and head for the bathroom. I get my body and hair fully clean, noting that I need to clean my bathroom as I do. Can’t invite the guys over anytime soon with it looking unkempt. I don’t think they would mind either way, but I don’t want them to see my place less than immaculate. I’m not sure I’m ready to let them see how bad it gets on the really bad brain days.
Once I get dressed, I check the time and I have a couple hours until I need to head to work, so I flop on the couch and flip the TV on. I try to lose myself in the TV and gather some energy for the rest of the day. The guys wore me out in the best way possible, and I actually feel really good today, but I know things can change easily. In an effort to keep things positive, I’m keeping calm with some TV. My phone buzzes next to me, so I pick it up to see a string of texts waiting. Shit. This is what I get for talking back. I should have just left it alone.
N: I can’t do that, you know this. You need me.
N: E, you need to respond to me. I know you don’t really want to be left alone. I know how you need to be loved.
N: Seriously you better text me back or I’m gonna get pissed. You can’t just say something and then go silent.
N: Swear to god you better fuckin message me back or I’m going to remind you how to respect men. I know you work tonight.
My body freezes, and my brain stops working temporarily. I don’t want to respond to him, but will he keep escalating?
Maybe I should call the guys. No, I don’t need to call them. I don’t want to burden them with this, and I can handle it.
He’s mostly harmless and he can’t get me at work, as long as someone else is there. I just need to make sure I’m not alone. I can do that. If I respond, I know he’s just going to keep going, so I decide to ignore them.
Decision made, my body starts to feel heavy and I’m sure I’m coming down from my happy high from the last day with the guys. Fuck, this is exactly what I was trying to avoid. This calls for some serious TV therapy. I need to unplug my brain for a while before going to work.
I set an alarm on my phone, put on an old movie, lie down, and zone out. The movie playing in the background provides some comfort; it’s something I’ve seen a million times, like an old friend. I can let myself go without worrying that I’ll miss something or that I’ll be startled by whatever happens in the movie.
I know he’ll be there when I get to work, he always is, but maybe if I unplug for a bit, I’ll feel more capable of dealing with him. With that thought, I fully let my mind go, letting it wander wherever it wants and letting my gaze fix on a point on the TV. Happy memories from the guys start to filter in and somewhere in the back of my mind, I hope those are the only thoughts that stay.