24. Dax
DAX
Holy fuck, did my body ache when I attempted to roll over the next morning and couldn’t. I found myself wedged between Picasso and Cognac with Eagle wrapped around my leg, using my thighs as his pillow. When I moved, he growled and nuzzled his stubbly face into my skin.
When the fuck did these men get so adorable?
I reached down and brushed a hand through his hair. This seemed to wake him up, and he cracked an eye open to look up at me. “No,” he grumbled, then buried his head on my thigh.
“Eagle, I’ve got to pee,” I said in a soft voice, trying not to wake the other two.
A leg shot out from somewhere, hitting Eagle in the hip. “You heard little demon, she’s got to pee.”
Covering my mouth, I tried not to laugh at Void’s solution to the problem.
Sitting up, I saw him on the other side of Cognac with an arm over his eyes.
As if he could feel me looking at him, he shifted his arms and pinned me with those icy-blue eyes.
I gave him a wink, and he smiled before getting up and walking over to Eagle.
He grabbed his president’s legs and dragged him down the mattress.
Not wanting to take me with him, Eagle let go as he fought and swore at Void. “Get off me, you bastard. I’d have moved on my own.”
“No, pres, you wouldn’t have. I know I wouldn’t,” Void challenged him and jerked his head at me. “Better get to it before the other two trap you.”
Needing no further encouragement, I climbed over Picasso, who swore under his breath as I might have accidentally kicked him in the gut. “Dammit, spitfire, just wake me up or shove me out of the way next time.”
Standing on my own two feet, I turned to face my sleepy men who were watching me with a mixture of heat and irritation. “If you didn’t wake up from Eagle getting hauled out of the bed, how was I supposed to do it?” I asked, crossing my arms.
All eyes went right to my chest, and I realized the dress I was still wearing was showing off my little peaches. Bending over, I gave them a little shimmy only to let out a yelp as a hand swatted my ass.
“Fuck,” I gasped, whipping around to find Wes coming out of the bathroom.
He grinned from ear to ear at my reaction. “Yeah, I think you’re gonna need a day off from fucking with how absolutely drained you were last night. Cam tucked you into bed, and you didn’t wake once until now.”
My body shivered with delight as I remembered everything that happened last night. God, that had been amazing and something I had no idea I needed. Even though my body was sore as fuck, I’d never felt more relaxed. “I don’t know… when it comes to the seven of you, I don’t ever seem to get enough.”
Wes’s gaze softened as he cupped my cheek and kissed me sweetly on the lips. “I’m sure I can speak for the others that we feel the same about you, shortcake. Now go pee and get dressed, we have company coming over soon.”
“Do we think this place will do laundry for us? I’m running out of clean underwear,” I asked as I dashed into the bathroom.
“I vote you go commando,” Cognac called from the bed.
I rolled my eyes. Of course, he’d think that was a great idea.
Finished, I looked up and caught a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror.
Wincing at the sight of it, I let my fingers ghost over the marks left behind from last night.
Some of them stung a little, but really, it was a matter of looking worse than it was.
How had the guys not lost their shit over this?
Then I remembered Cam saying he’d told them where we were going and what we were doing.
Still, these were not the type of men to merely accept that.
Could they have had a conversation last night?
Picasso entered the bathroom and walked up to put his arms around my waist, kissing a mark on my shoulder. “You feeling alright this morning?”
“Little sore,” I admitted, wanting to be honest with him. “Kind of feels like when you’ve changed up your workout routine, and you’re all of a sudden using new muscles. You feel stiff, but you know once you get moving, you’ll be fine.”
He held my gaze in the mirror as if he was trying to read the truth of my words.
Twisting in his hold, I cupped his face in my hands.
“Hey, I swear to you I’m fine, and everything that happened I gave my full consent to.
Cam ensured we had a long conversation before anything started.
I know it looks rough, but I need you to trust me when I tell you I needed that last night. ”
“You needed to get tied up and hit?” Picasso asked, his brows knitted together.
Shaking my head, I gave him a small smile.
“No, I needed to be forced to give up control. For those few hours, my only job was to follow orders and answer yes or no questions. I wasn’t allowed to make choices, come up with plans, worry about other people, fear I’d made a mistake somewhere along the way, none of that. It wasn’t my job, it was Cam’s.”
That seemed to set him at ease a little, but I could tell he didn’t get it.
That’s fine, he didn’t need to get it as long as he respected my choice.
Not all of us would like everyone’s hobbies or how they choose to spend their free time.
All I’d ask is that they respect the choice and keep their opinions to themselves.
“Are you happy?” Picasso asked.
“In general? Right now? You’re going to need to narrow that one down for me just a bit,” I teased, squishing his cheeks together before I dropped my hands to his chest.
He smirked at my antics. “With us, are you happy with us? As your husbands, are we giving you what you need?”
Ah, now I see part of his problem.
“You all make me the happiest I’ve ever been,” I answered. “I’m going to give you an honest and sappy answer that will last all of five seconds, so pay attention,” I warned, giving him a look, and he nodded.
“I didn’t think I’d ever have the chance to be this happy.
Nothing in my life was easy, and I lost everything I thought was important to me, so I pushed everyone away.
Hard to get hurt if you’re on your own. Weston ignored that first, followed by Harper.
I thought my life was content with just them since they knew me before Two Tricks.
Then you all tumbled into my life and refused to let me be, always poking and prodding at my emotions, wanting to dig deeper, calling me on my shit,” I grumble, poking him.
“If you guys hadn’t fought to stay by my side, I don’t think I’d still be alive today.
Without people to reel me back in and give me a reason to keep living, Marco would have taken me out far sooner.
So yes, each of you makes me happy and gives me something different I need.
None of you could be replaced because you each feed your individuality into my soul.
Does that answer your question?” I asked.
Deciding words weren’t going to be enough, Picasso pulled me up in his arms to set me on the counter as he devoured me.
My hands wrapped around the back of his head, holding him to me as I tilted to deepen the kiss even more.
He needed my reassurance, and I was more than willing to give it to him.
In the same way they gave me what I was lacking, I could do the same for them.
Breaking apart, both breathing heavily, Picasso smiled at me. “God, I love you.”
“I love you too,” I answered, giving him another peck on the lips. “We okay?”
He nodded and rested his forehead against mine. “Yeah, we’re good.”
With one more searing kiss, he padded off to the toilet, and I hopped off the counter to find clothes to wear. When I exited the bathroom, I found Cam leaning near the bathroom door, arms crossed with a soft smile on his lips.
“You heard,” I stated, knowing he had.
He nodded and followed me to where my suitcase was sitting on the floor. “Just wanted to make sure he was going to behave. Out of everyone, he didn’t take it well. We talked it out, and the others got it, but not Picasso. He couldn’t wrap his head around the concept.”
“He doesn’t have to,” I pointed out. “As long as he doesn’t get his panties in a bunch about it with you or me, that’s what matters.”
Cam dropped a kiss on my head as he walked past me. “When did you get so wise, beautiful? Seems getting wifed-up did you some good.”
Grabbing a dirty rolled-up sock, I chucked it at him, and he just caught it midair with a wink and took my ammo with him downstairs. “Asshole.”
By the time I was dressed, ready for the day, and made it down to the first floor, everyone else was already there.
Harper was chatting with Dante. They’d met a few times in college when I was dating Cam.
Ghost and Void were looking over something on a tablet while Magnus and Sprocket were pointing at various spots on the map of Mexico.
Cam was huddled with Jaxson and Cognac going over some list, leaving Picasso and Eagle in the kitchen dishing up plates of food from what looked like buffet trays of breakfast food.
“Ah, there are you, little hellcat,” Eagle greeted, dropping a kiss on my lips. “Coffee is over there. Then you can grab a plate and tell the others they can eat now.”
“Wait, was I holding up the food?” I asked, knowing it hadn’t taken me that long to get ready.
“No, love, it just arrived, and I wanted to make sure you and Harper got plates before the heathens got to the food,” Eagle assured me, handing me a plate piled with food.
“Um… did you just call me love?” I asked, grinning like an idiot.
“Yup,” was all he had to say on the matter.
Taking my coffee and food out of his domain, I set the plate down on a side table, slipped my fingers between my lips, and whistled. Instantly, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at me.
“Breakfast is served,” I announced, then held up a hand when the guys started to move. “Hold up, Harper gets to go before all of you, then you can demolish what’s left.”