Chapter 29 Katarina
I think I fell asleep in the bathtub. Again. There was noise coming from my bedroom, and it was dark outside. When Roman left, the sun was shining brightly through the window, and I’d been alone.
“Shit,” I muttered, looking around at the now clear water in the tub. All bubbles were gone, and the temperature had cooled enough that I was surprised I’d been able to fall asleep in it. I liked hot water. I didn’t do cold very well.
Muffled voices echoed from beyond the door, and I smiled as I heard Dorian shout.
I didn’t know what he’d said, but it was good just to hear his voice.
There was also a delicious smell wafting in, and I got super excited that they might have brought dinner to my room.
I was starving, especially after spending time with Roman.
Sigh. Roman.
Such a strong and stoic man who’d felt comfortable enough with me to mourn his lost love.
Another pang of guilt twisted in my stomach as I stepped out of the tub and wrapped myself in the oversized, fluffy towel.
Pasha was dead because of me, regardless of what Roman thought.
I would find a way to make that up to him.
I had no idea how, but I owed him at least that much.
As I stepped up to the large vanity, I realized that my ankles didn’t hurt anymore. My collarbone didn’t ache, and when I leaned forward to look in the mirror, all of the bruises on my face were gone. Even that nasty bump had disappeared, making me look like I hadn’t just survived a kidnapping.
“Huh,” I mused. “That stuff really does work.”
A light knock on my door startled me, and I jumped. My body might be healed, but I guessed my soul needed a little more time.
“Katarina?” Aiden asked. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. I’ll be right there.”
With a smile plastered on my face, I looked around to find something to wear.
I really didn’t feel like digging around in the closet, so I grabbed the pink terrycloth robe hanging on the back of the door and wrapped my naked body inside.
It felt like a cloud and made me want to crawl into bed and snuggle with everyone.
I could probably actually do that, but first, I needed to eat.
I opened the double doors leading into the bedroom and laughed at the scene.
Grim was lying right next to the doors waiting for me like he always did.
Dorian and Aiden were lighting candles around the room, and Blaise was setting a round table that hadn’t been there when I got home.
Roman had a carving knife in his hand and was expertly carving the ham that someone had mysteriously made in the few hours since we’d returned.
Aiden whipped his head around when he saw me and a second later, he was standing by my side. “Kitty Cat,” he breathed through his beautiful smile.
“Hi, Aiden,” I said as I ran my fingers down his face.
His wispy blonde hair hung across his forehead and he smelled like a fresh ocean breeze.
He’d changed into a pair of jeans and a black tee shirt, and I wondered if Roman had given him some blood as well, as his cheeks were now flushed with color and he radiated happiness.
He beamed at me and then bent forward and took my lips in his. I missed kissing Aiden. Melting into his arms, I let him whisk me away with unspoken promises. Soon we would be together again.
Dorian cleared his throat. He was patiently waiting on my other side while giving Aiden a few glares.
Laughing, I pulled him to me and kissed him.
It started off slow and innocent, but in no time at all, he had my libido on full alert, and I pressed my tongue inside looking for a response.
Dorian grabbed my waist, pulled me closer, and spun me around.
Giggling through the kiss, I sucked in a deep breath to remember how much I loved his scent.
Both of the men. And now Roman. They all had a distinctive characteristic that filled my heart, and I realized how much I was falling in love with all three.
Grim groaned on the floor and I laughed as Dorian set me down. “I love you too, Big Guy,” I said as I rubbed his belly. Grim was the original man in my life. He always would be.
“Hungry?” Roman asked from across the room, grinning wide and eyeing up the robe.
I looked down to notice that Dorian, the little sneak had untied the belt and my breasts were almost falling out. The men laughed when I shook my head at Dorian and readjusted. Not that I didn’t want them to see my boobs, but food was the priority at the moment.
Across the room, near the built-in desk and bookshelves, Blaise stood silently. Watching me with his intense gaze, I decided to make the first move. Not a sexual move, as I wasn’t convinced that was something he would want. But a peace offering of sorts instead.
I sauntered over to him, smiling at the way he froze as he took in my every movement.
“Hi Blaise,” I said with a smile. “Thank you for coming to find me.” Before he could react, I stepped close enough to wrap my arms around his large frame.
My hands didn’t even touch as I gave him a hug.
I didn’t miss the way he grunted when I nestled into him.
“You’re going to give him a heart attack, Kitty Cat,” Aiden teased.
Blaise’s chest rumbled beneath me. When I looked up, he was glaring at everyone, which made me laugh.
“Good to see you, too.” I didn’t want them fighting, so I tried to lighten the mood.
Reaching for Blaise’s hand, I led him to a seat at the table and sat next to him.
Dorian and Aiden fought to be on the other side of me, but when Roman cleared his throat and set the plate of meat down in front of us, they begrudgingly let him take that spot.
“Let’s eat,” he said as he kissed me on top of the head. I grinned up at him like a puppy dog in love. Boy was I in trouble.
“Wine?” Dorian asked me and I nodded. He’d shaved since we returned and had also tied his thick hair back into a low bun.
His tattoos were on full display underneath the tight tee, which made me squeeze my legs together tighter.
Maybe it was the blood, but I was having a hard time waiting to spend some more private time with these men.
Dorian’s nostrils flared and he winked at me. Slightly embarrassed, I bit my lips together and gave Roman my plate that he’d been reaching for. “When did you have time to cook?” I asked, stomach growling at the amazing aroma.
“He didn’t cook,” Aiden scoffed.
“It’s called Door Dash,” Dorian confirmed.
Biting down my laugh, I placed my hand on top of Roman’s thigh. “It’s perfect.”
He gave the fae and the wolf a pointed look, but the vibe in the room was light. “Maybe if one of these assholes would learn to cook, I wouldn’t have to order out so much.”
“I can cook,” Dorian claimed.
“Microwave meals don’t count,” Blaise added, and I laughed loudly.
“Good one,” I said as I nudged his shoulder. That almost got me a smile. Almost.
Everyone had a pile of food on their plates, Dorian even making one for Grim before I had the chance to ask. When he sat down after feeding my dog, I mouthed my thanks to him. “So, a round table?” I asked after a few minutes of shoving food down my throat. “What happened to the big long one?”
The four men shared a knowing look. “It was time that we made our family dinners a little more intimate,” Roman said, his tone letting everyone else know that nothing more needed to be said.
And considering the way these last few days had gone, I was perfectly fine with keeping things light and easy.
“Well, I think it’s a great idea,” I added. “I’ve never really had family dinners before.”
My intent wasn’t to bring the mood down, it was to convey my gratitude. But four solemn faces stared back at me. “Guys, don’t look at me like that. Tonight is a happy night. Do not feel sorry for me.”
“I never really had family dinners either,” Aiden said.
“That’s because you got kicked out of your realm.” Blaise spilled the truth with a bit of a laugh hidden underneath.
“You did?” I asked, shoving a whole forkful of mashed potatoes in my mouth.
“You never told me that.” My words were muffled because my mouth was full, and the guys chuckled.
But I didn’t care. If I could make them laugh and lighten up a little bit, then I would make a fool out of myself a hundred times over. “What did you do?”
Aiden shook his head. “Nothing we want to talk about tonight,” he said with a wink. “However, did you hear that Grim and Dorian got into a dog fight today?”
Dorian elbowed Aiden and Grim let out a low growl. I giggled at the timing, even though I should have been more concerned about the two of them fighting.
“We weren’t fighting,” Dorian argued. “We were communicating.”
“Communicating my ass,” Blaise grumbled, and I found myself smiling up at him again. Blaise had a sense of humor. It was buried underneath a thousand layers of broodiness, but it was there. “Hey Katarina,” Blaise continued. “Why did the wolf cross the road?”
I almost spit out my food. Was the scary, broody Blaise the half-dragon shifter telling a joke? “I don’t know.”
“Because he was chasing the chicken.”
Roman, Aiden, and I laughed at the stupid joke made funnier because it came from Blaise’s mouth. Dorian hadn’t cracked a smile.
“Hey Katarina?”
“Yes, Dorian.”
“How can you tell a boy dragon from a girl dragon?”
Through my laughter, I shrugged.
“Fireballs,” Dorian said with a satisfied smirk a second before Aiden hit him in the back of the head.
“Thank you, Aiden,” Blaise nodded across the table.
“Sure thing half-breed.”
Dorian glowered at his friends. “Hey Katarina?”
“Yes?”
“Why do vampires chew gum?”
“I don’t know, Dorian. Why do they?”
“Because they have bat breath.”
I almost dropped my wine. These jokes were so terrible that they cracked me up.
Roman was chuckling beside me. It melted my heart to see him smile. “Hey Katarina,” he started in on the game.
“Yes, Roman.”
“What happened when the wolf swallowed a watch?”
Grinning from ear to ear, I shook my head. “I don’t know.”
“It got ticks.”
Blaise sucked in a laugh so fast he almost choked on his food. It was really great to see him letting go a bit too. “You guys are going to make Blaise burst,” I pushed out through my giggles.
“Nah,” Aiden said with all seriousness. “A dragon would never explode.” He paused for dramatic effect and then added. “But a dino might.”
“Oh my god,” I tossed a green bean at him. “That was terrible.”
We all laughed and ate and drank our wine as the men continued trying to one-up each other with bad dad jokes.
I had to wipe the tears from my eyes a few times because I was so overwhelmed with emotion.
Happiness. Sadness. A little bit of anger that I hadn’t found this family sooner.
With a few glances at Grim and his dead-to-the-world sleep, I felt like we’d finally found our place in the world. Was it perfect? Probably not.
But who wanted perfection all the time?
After we finished dinner and a key lime pie for dessert, the guys cleaned up and forced me to crawl into bed.
Okay, forced was a strong word. I could barely keep my eyes open, and they’d noticed.
With Roman’s vampire speed, Aiden’s teleporting ability, and Dorian and Blaise’s strength, they had the room cleared out in less than ten minutes.
I slipped under the covers while they were working, tossing the robe on the desk and letting the soft sheets caress my naked body.
My eyelids grew heavy as I watched them work and when Dorian stripped down to his boxers and crept into the bed beside me, I instantly snuggled up against his warm chest. Another tight, warm, and very naked body brushed up against my back, and I grabbed Aiden’s hand as he wrapped it across my hips.
When the bed moved again, I looked up in surprise. Roman had removed his clothes, leaving on just his boxer briefs and he looked like he was waiting for something. I smiled at him and patted my legs. “Come on in.”
Everyone made room as Roman maneuvered himself between the sheets and behind my back like we’d been in the tub. Only this time, I was fighting with sleep and didn’t have the brain power to take advantage of the giant snuggle pile going on right now.
“Blaise?” Roman asked as the giant man stood in the doorway.
He paused, and when I lifted my head to look at him, he quickly dropped his gaze. Without saying another word, Blaise closed the double doors and left. My heart clenched a little at the disappointment. But Blaise was a standoffish one, and I doubted he would ever enjoy any kind of snuggle party.
Roman kissed the top of my head while Aiden gave me a quick kiss on the neck and Dorian found my mouth. “Goodnight, Kitty Cat,” Dorian whispered.
“Night, boys.” I barely got the words out of my mouth before my eyes drooped shut and I slipped into the best sleep of my life.