Chapter Six #2
“Now if that isn’t the question I ask myself all the damn time.” He laughs, but it sounds harsh. “I’m the team lead and in charge of this operation. There’s enough work here to last a lifetime, but if I’m reassigned…”
“You’ll have to go?”
“Even then, Tiger, I don’t think I could…this is home now. Dax is home.”
I let the conversation go and pick up the shower gel. I hand it to Aiden and smile. “I’d better put you to work. I wouldn’t want you slacking.”
He chuckles as I turn away again, and he gets busy scrubbing my back while I work on my front. We stay silent, and the task is all work without play. Aiden’s honesty gives us both a lot to think about.
*
“If I weren’t already dressed, I’d have joined you,” Dax’s voice grumbles from the open doorway.
In his hands are a mug of coffee and a bacon sandwich.
“You clearly don’t know how to make the best of that shower without me.
” He turns and strides back into the bedroom, giving me the chance to grab a towel and for Aiden to fix a sheepish look upon his face.
“Hey, I was all up for getting wet this morning,” he argues back, “but your girl went all guilty on me. What did you do to her last night to earn that kind of loyalty? Did your magic dick enchant her for that kind of favouritism?” Aiden jokes, sauntering into the room fully naked and grabbing half of Dax’s sandwich.
“Hey that’s for Jules!”
The sandwich is for me? “You made me breakfast?”
“Of course.” Dax shrugs, like it’s no big deal, like he’s not the first man ever to bring me food after sleeping with me.
“And you were bringing it up to me?”
“How else would it be breakfast in bed?”
“Huh.” He made me breakfast in bed. I have to physically hold myself steady and remember that bouncing around and squealing in front of these two would be a monumental mistake.
I am not a lovesick teen. I am a grown woman discussing a polyamorous relationship with two very handsome, very serious men.
Despite my warnings, I can’t seem to talk down the blush or the smirk ticking at the corner of my lips.
“Favouritism,” Aiden mumbles around half of my sandwich. “For the record, I can’t cook anything fancier than pasta, but I’m shit-hot with weapons and a grill.”
“At the same time?” I tease, grabbing the other half before Aiden can even think of eating that too.
“If you like.” He shrugs then turns back to Dax. “So how much did you hear and how much do we need to repeat for you?”
Dax hums. “That we’ll be working the feelings stuff out together or fuck it out if you get your way. Jules is in, which is great because I am all the way in too, sweetheart. Oh, and you think I’m home,” Dax teases in a high-pitched squeaky voice. “I love you too, dickface.”
“Fuck off, donkey balls.”
“Just because yours are saggy already, old man.”
“I’m only three years older than you, arsehole!”
So much for serious men.
“So, you were listening long enough for my coffee to go cold?” I cut over them both. Aiden bursts into laughter, and Dax wears a sheepish grin.
“Hey, I tried.”
I grin at the pair of them. “You did. Thank you. And you both have wonderfully impressive balls. Stop quibbling.”
If I’d known complimenting their balls would shut them both up, I’d have done it days ago. The pair of them stare at me, eyes wide, mouths open, and beautifully silent.
“What are the plans for today?” I ask, bringing us all back to earth with the threat of mundanity.
“Interrogation,” Aiden huffs, grabbing the cold coffee and downing it.
“I have a couple of meetings and a pile of paperwork, but I should be free by mid-afternoon, Dax offers.
“Sounds good. I’m hoping to get a start on my registration documents and sign-ups.
I was wondering if you had a laptop or something going spare?
I can do it on my phone, but it’d be nice to see it all rather than scroll through documents on a small screen.
If not, I can go to the library if you can spare someone to escort me. ”
“No, I’m not letting you off-site. Not today at any rate,” he amends, catching my death glare. “I’ll have someone bring a laptop to you. You can set up downstairs for today, and I’ll see about having a dedicated study space arranged for you.”
“Thank you. I appreciate it.” I head for the door and my room.
The chill on my exposed, damp skin is growing steadily unpleasant, and clothes seem like a good idea.
I turn back to Aiden. “You said interrogation, right?” He nods.
“Trainor?” I ask. He nods again. “I don’t suppose I can have a word with him? ”
Dax butts in before Aiden can answer. “No! Why would you even want to? Let Aiden and his team deal with him.”
“I just…I’d like to know why.”
“I’ll find out for you, Tiger. It’s one of the many questions I’ll be asking.”
“I want him to tell me to my face.” It’s stupid, but I don’t want him to feel sorry for himself, and he will.
He’ll have a group of big scary men breathing down his neck all day, and he’ll swim in self-pity and victimisation.
I want him to look me in the eye and acknowledge that he was planning on destroying a life.
That he would have been complicit in everything Franz planned to do to me.
Perhaps my naivety is coming into play again?
There’s always a chance he’ll not care a damn about it.
I suck in a heavy breath and sigh it all out. “It doesn’t matter. Forget I asked.”
The pair of them stare at each other for a moment, communicating silently. I wonder again just how close they became to do that so effortlessly, and then they turn back to me.
“Fine, but I’m coming with you both. The second you change your mind, we’re out of there, okay?” Dax insists. I’m shocked he’s even allowing it.
Aiden chimes in next. “We don’t consider him a major threat. That’s the only reason we’re letting you do this, okay? Don’t expect the same if it were Franz or Hanson in that room.”
“I’m not stupid enough to assume they have a drop of compassion or shame in them. There’d be no reasoning with entitled scum like that, anyway,” I acknowledge. Dax nods in resignation, and Aiden scrounges through Dax’s drawers for clothes to throw on.
His backside is so perfectly pert. I wonder what it’d feel like to…
SMACK.
I stare aghast at my hand, hovering, red-palmed, in front of my face. Well shit.
Dax’s bellowing laughter fills the room. “Holy fuck, she moved so damn fast…”
I don’t remember moving. I don’t remember spanking him, but my hand stings in the most delicious way…
“Tiger…” Aiden growls. When he eventually stands up and looks at me, the paint of a blush on this stoic man’s face is more than I can take.
I laugh out of pure nervous energy, squeal as he flinches in my direction and bomb it out of there straight to my room.
“I’ll get you back for that, Tiger. You mark my words; your arse is mine!” he shouts through the door.
“Downstairs in ten, little gem!” Dax adds, still laughing.
I have no idea what came over me or who this carefree, slightly crazy girl is, but I’m excited to meet her. I guess my grandmother was right after all. The moments that we make are everything, and I’m determined to make as many of them as I can in this moment of peace with Dax and Aiden.