27
THEA
I realize exactly how pathetic I look—I really do. My hair is thrown up in a messy bun, I’m damp from the knees down, and I’m cradling a trash bag of clothes. I hate the tears that are rolling down my face, yet I can’t help them—I’m so angry and embarrassed about everything.
Cole answers the door. “What the hell happened, love?” His voice draws the others.
“I’m sorry. I sent a message, but no one answered.”
“Tell me you didn’t walk here, Thea.” Sutton’s voice is strained.
I shake my head. “No, I got my truck back.” Cole’s head peers out of the doorway, surprised to see it in his driveway. “My apartment flooded. I would’ve gone to Cassie’s, but she’s out of town. I have nowhere to go.” I can feel my lip quiver and I bite down on it, not wanting to appear any more pitiful than I already do.
“Get in here, princess.” Damian motions for me to come in and Wesley pushes past Cole to take the trash bag from me.
Cole wipes the wetness from my cheeks, then wraps me in his arms. “I’m so sorry. We were having a meeting. No phone rule.” He glances over my shoulder at Damian. “That no longer applies,” he says sternly. I don’t hear Damian disagree.
“You’re staying here as long as you need,” Sutton states, taking my hand and kissing the back of it. Damian, Cole, and even Wesley all give their various forms of approval. Although, to be honest, it’s Wesley that I’m most worried about imposing on.
I give him a quick glance. He’s eyeing me carefully. “Are you sure? I can get a motel room, now that I have my truck.” I direct the question at him.
“Don’t start, blue eyes. You’re staying.”
I mutter a thank you. “You guys can get back to your meeting. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“I think we are about done. What do you need? Something to eat?” The growl in my stomach answers Cole before I can say yes. He takes me by the hand and leads me to the kitchen. Twisting unexpectedly, he puts his hands on my waist and lifts me onto the island before rummaging through the fridge.
Sutton hands me a glass of water. I down it. Then, Cole’s pushing a bowl into my hands, filled generously with ice cream. As I take it, he tops it with whipped cream. “Dessert before dinner tonight.” He gives me a warm smile. Those dimples ease the pain in my chest a little.
I dig in. Surprisingly, each bite makes me feel better.
I’m almost to the bottom of the bowl, when I ask, “What kind of meeting were you in?”
Damian tilts his head, watching as I push another bite into my mouth. “House meeting. We go over finances, any issues we’re having with each other, goals…that sort of thing.”
“So, kind of like a board meeting?”
Sutton chuckles and I look over at him, confused. “Sure, if board meetings included talking about the woman we’re dating.” I nearly choke on the ice cream sliding down my throat.
“Wh-What? Why would I come up in your meetings?”
Damian and Wesley shoot Sutton an annoyed glare. My eyes bore into Damian, waiting for an answer. “We simply talk about how we’re all feeling about the situation. It helps prevent or resolve any problems. If someone is feeling neglected, we work together to make sure that person gets some more time with you. When we told you we share everything, we meant it.”
My spoon clinks loudly against the bowl. “Shouldn’t I be a part of these meetings? Don’t I get a say?” It’s coming out harsh, but this feels wrong. We share everything. Fuck. “Tell me you don’t talk to each other about the things we’ve done.” I look between Cole and Sutton, who both glance in different directions. “You’re all perverts. Do you get off on hearing about me humping Sutton in his bookstore or riding Cole’s hand at my apartment? Because if that’s the case, I’ll just write it all down. I’ll keep a diary of everything each of you do. Although don’t be surprised if I make some notes on how you can improve.”
By the time I’m done, my chest is heaving.
“Princess, we haven’t gone into all of those details, but thank you for the visuals.” Damian smirks as he taunts me. “Like I said, we want to make sure that no one feels neglected.”
My mouth sets in a scowl. “You can’t move me around like a piece on a chessboard. Cole’s had enough of me, so give me to Sutton. Sutton’s bored, so shift me to Damian.” I’m glancing around at all of them, expecting defensiveness or remorse at the very least. Instead, they all look amused, even Wesley has, dare I say, a slight smirk tugging at this mouth. “What’s so entertaining?”
Damian steps towards me. I pull away as he reaches out. “Nothing, it’s just so damn cute watching you get all riled up over wanting to be included, princess.” He leans even closer and my breath catches. Damian doesn’t get this close to me with the other guys around usually. It surprises me.
His thumb swipes at the corner of my mouth, pulling away with a smear of whipped cream.
I stare at it. For a moment, I think about dragging my tongue over his skin, tasting that sweetness mixed with him. I imagine sucking his thumb into my mouth… Oh god.
I’m biting my bottom lip and my eyes flick up to his. He has more courage than me. He slips it between his lips, tasting that sweet cream that was on my mouth moments before.
The air between us is strung tight. I don’t care that there’s anyone else in the kitchen. I want to slide my hands under his shirt, feeling his skin under my palms as I wrap my legs around his waist. My heart and breath speed up. He notices and gives me a devilish grin.
Damian leans forward, pushing my thighs apart. He braces a hand on the island, his fingers brushing against my leg as he does. Dropping his mouth to my ear, he whispers, “Keep being a good girl, showing us how much you want this, and I’ll make sure to include you in future meetings. Sound good?”
That momentary desire for him flees. Keep being a good girl? Damian takes a step away, heading towards his room. My jaw tightens as I feel the words bubble up in my throat. I can get under his skin as much as he gets under mine.
Good girl… princess… I think it’s time to give him a taste of his own medicine. After all, Sutton said Damian likes a little push back.
I tilt my head, watching him walk away, but as his hand turns the doorknob, I call out, “Damian. Keep being a good boy, showing me how much control I have over you and I’ll keep showing you how much I want this. Sound good?” The last part I say with big doe eyes and a sweet smile.
“Oh fuck,” Sutton groans out. I think all of them are expecting Damian to lash out. He won’t.
See, I’ve figured it out. He craves control. However, without me, without his brothers, he would have none of that. We are all trusting him with it, but we can take it away at any moment. And that realization sends a rush of power to my head. He won’t disrupt the balance too much, it could cost him everything.
The kitchen has gone silent. While my gaze is locked on the back of Damian’s head, I can see the others looking between each other—tension weighing the air down.
Glancing over his shoulder, just slightly, he calmly replies. “You’re going to regret that, princess.” I’m almost terrified at the way he says it, then I catch that devious smile playing at his lips before he disappears into his room.
Fuck, I’m playing a dangerous game.
DAMIAN
Shutting the door behind me, I lean my back against it. I run my hand over my hard cock. Damn her, she knows exactly what to do to get me going. That bratty fucking attitude needs some adjusting, but I’m at a standstill until my brothers give her all they’ve got.
Until then, I have to put up with her wicked little mouth.
I breathe out. The more she pushes me, the more her punishment is going to hurt. I pull open the door to my right, stepping into my closet and turning on the light.
At first glance, there’s nothing special about it aside from the designer clothes and shoes neatly organized. At the center of the room is a large rectangular case, usually intended to hold jewelry, sunglasses, and other accessories. While I have those things in the top compartments, the lower ones hold something entirely different.
I pull open a drawer I haven’t touched in a long time. Inside there’s a row of my preferred impact tools. My fingers run over a paddle, then a braided flogger, and finally, a cane.
I smile, thinking about bending Thea over and taking that flogger to her ass. I picture her skin angry and red at my work. That will come in due time—hopefully. She has to get through Wes first and depending on his disposition with her, that might be enough to scare her away.
For her first punishment, I’ll start light. My hand will do. My fingers flex in impatience.
Thea will either learn to be my good girl—obedient and respectful. Or she can continue acting bratty and get punished for it. My actions depend on hers. I’ll enjoy fucking her either way.
Shutting the drawer, I glance at the closed door on the far side of my closet. Don’t get ahead of yourself. It’s too soon to let that kind of hope dig its claws in. I head into my room and sit at my computer.
The handful of unread emails draws my attention. I click open the one from my client—it’s probably the most important. Reading over it, I make a mental note of the issues they’re having with their software. Interface glitching. Database performance. Corrupted data. I rub my temples, trying to remind myself this is all for the greater good.
I flag it for later, then notice a familiar address that I haven’t seen in a while. A. Wells. I flag that one for later, too. There’s another email that’s more important.
This one’s from our accountant, asking once again if there’s been any clarification on the bakery’s financial report being off. That’s a whole other headache. Cole’s so distracted by Thea that he’s making payroll mistakes. I mean, I get it. Still, he needs to stay on top of his shit. I’ve got too much going on to add micromanaging his business to my plate. I’m already babysitting his relationship with her.
Admittedly, Cole moves a bit slower than the rest of us. Always has—he’s the sensitive one. But this takes the cake. He must think I’m stupid. I saw right through him this afternoon during our meeting. I didn’t buy his nonchalant attitude when he said he’d speed things up with Thea. Cole’s dragging this out on purpose—I just don’t know why. Maybe it’s Sutton.
He crossed a line, broke a rule. Although I can’t blame him. Sutton has a history with Thea that none of us can come close to matching. I should have expected that they’d get carried away. That’s on me. I know Sutton’s heart. He genuinely feels sorry for it and won’t let it happen again.
Then there’s Wes. He’s been increasingly distant since the carnival. Jesus, can’t my brothers be on the same page for once? Right now, they’re all in different fucking books. And I’m over here playing librarian—rearranging shelves to make everything fit perfectly.
Tomorrow, I’ll talk to Wesley. He needs to spend some time alone with Thea, really get to know her. I hate the reality of it, but if my brother decides that he can’t form a bond with her, we’ll have to let her go.
The thought of that makes my fists clench. I breathe out, willing calmness to settle over me. This will all work out. It has to.
THEA
I woke in Sutton’s bed, vaguely remembering myself wrapped around him at different points throughout the night. But his side is empty now. He didn’t protest when I asked if I could stay in his room for the evening.
It’s still sinking in that jealousy isn’t an issue between them. I half expected Cole to get upset, even if I’ve spent plenty of nights in his room. He wasn’t fazed at all.
Sutton stayed up late with me as I worked on editing. My bad fortune can’t affect Cassie’s clients. He had to coax me to close my laptop and go to sleep.
He kissed over my shoulder and up my neck while tracing his fingers over my torso. However, he never let it go any farther than that. Not that I didn’t try. I wiggled up against him a few times, knowing that my ass was rubbing against his cock. My efforts didn’t go unnoticed, yet Sutton only held me until we both fell asleep.
I don’t understand what the hesitation is with him and Cole. I’m giving them all the signals, but they seem content drawing this out. It’s getting on my nerves.
I’m taking my time heading up, returning to my room to get ready for the day. Between all of my issues and my pent up sexual frustration, I have a feeling I might be a little snippy today. I don’t want to take it out on them.
Ten minutes until I have to leave, just enough time to grab breakfast and say a quick good morning before slipping out the door.
I hear Damian’s voice before I’m halfway up the steps. It’s a reminder of the first time I listened in on a conversation between the guys. I’m too nosy not to listen in again.
“…not up for discussion. This cold shoulder shit is pissing me off. I see the way you look at her.” Damian sounds agitated.
“You’re only pissed because of your own fucked up rules, this stupid idea that we all have to go first before you can…” What the hell is Wesley talking about?
There’s a moment of silence before Damian replies. “This is how we do things. It hasn’t been a problem in the past, so what”s your issue? Is this because of Victoria? That was over two years ago.”
Victoria? Is that the woman they shared before me?
“God, you want her so fucking bad, that’s it, isn’t it? I’ve never seen you this impatient over a woman. That good boy comment last night has you squirming.” Wesley’s gruff laugh is unexpected against his brother’s tenseness.
A loud bang comes from above. Damian slamming something? “I’m impatient because at this rate, you’ll be kissing her sometime next year. You’re taking her on the hike, talk with her, get to know her. I’m not saying to fuck her today, but try to bond with her. If you come back and honestly say you can’t make it work, then we will break things off.”
I try to make sense of their conversation. Is Damian holding off from pursuing me because he wants Wesley to pursue me first? Why is he hellbent on controlling everything in our lives? These are questions that won’t get answered because I would have to admit I was eavesdropping.
I have a feeling that they aren’t comfortable sharing the private details of their pact yet—even if it involves me.
“Fine.” I hear Wesley say begrudgingly.
Seriously? Do I not get a say in any of this? It’s then I realize that I’ve been letting them do most of the work. They provide for me, bring me lunch at work, make the first move usually, and make all the decisions. And what have I done to be an active participant in these relationships?
I’m upset because Sutton and Cole haven’t acted on my signals. What if I stopped the subtly and made it loud and fucking clear? What if I take what I want? I feel powerful at the idea, yet it’s only momentary. The realization of why I haven’t pursued them hits hard.
With Gavin, I was rejected repeatedly. I put in all the effort at first—it was met with ungratefulness. Years of that taught me to be guarded. Allowing myself to be vulnerable and showing that I cared by going out of my way for someone are signs of weakness in my eyes. I was wrong. Those are strengths.
If I want this to work, if I want to show them I’m taking this seriously, then I have to put in some effort.
I head up, pretending to be none the wiser.
“Morning,” I mutter, not meeting anyone’s gaze in particular. “Busy day at the studio. I should be done by two. Anyone need anything while I’m out?”
I grab a breakfast bar from the cabinet and a bottle of water, practically running towards the door. Despite knowing that I need to start truly investing in these relationships, I want a few hours to get my head right after overhearing their conversation.
“Not so fast, love.” Cole grabs me by the waist. “No good morning kiss?” He feigns hurt, then leans down to capture my mouth. Slipping his tongue between my lips, I’m melting into him before I can stop myself.
The slightest touch from Cole or Sutton has me rabid these days—my body reacts accordingly. I run my hand through his curls, pulling on them.
Okay, maybe I can start a little now.
Cole groans against my mouth as I tug his hair. My other hand drifts down his torso and over the waistband of his pants. He tenses, unsure of what I’m doing. This isn’t like me. I push back the nervousness that’s rising at the thought of what I’m about to do in front of his brothers.
My fingers slide over him, feeling the slight bulge in his sweatpants. “Christ, love.” I ignore his surprise and stroke his growing erection.
All eyes are on me. I don’t need to have them open to know that, but keeping mine closed helps with the fear of being on display. “Sutton wouldn’t touch me last night,” I whisper against his mouth, just loud enough that all of them can hear me. Finally, I open my eyes and let my gaze slide to Sutton. “I thought we were going at my pace. Am I moving too fast for you boys?”
The words and the sultry voice are completely foreign. I want to cringe, yet I force confidence instead.
“Because, if I am, I can certainly slow down.” My fingers pull away from Cole. He tries to arch into my hand, but I put my palm to his chest, keeping the distance. I push up on my tiptoes, giving him a light peck on his parted lips.
I turn from him and find Damian’s eyes are wide, Wesley’s jaw is slack, and Sutton’s hands are tightly gripping the marble of the island.
While I can’t come out directly and say something about what I heard, I can allude to our conversation from yesterday. “So who’s feeling neglected? I had the entire night with Sutton. Cole got the goodbye of a lifetime. Who are you passing me off to, Damian? Wesley? Yourself? You know what, just let me know in the group chat. I’m running late.”
Damian levels his gaze at me, his eyes darkening with impatience. “Wesley’s offered to take you on a hike. This afternoon, after work, is that good for you?” I open the breakfast bar, tearing off a corner.
“So good,” I taunt seductively. I don’t miss the flex of Damian’s jaw at my words. Yesterday he said I would regret calling him a good boy. However, if he has some weird rule about the other guys pursuing me first, then I can draw this out some. Make him squirm, as Wesley said.
He needs to learn to let go of some of that control. He also needs to learn that I’m an important part of their group now, not some plaything. I think the only way he’s going to understand that is if I assert myself.
I take the long way to the door to avoid passing Damian. As I’m walking by Wesley, I decide to add a little extra flair to my performance.
Sutton’s advice comes to mind. “He loves the chase, but surprise him once in a while.”
Pausing, my gaze sweeps over him. He’s wearing black joggers and a matching hoodie. I’m not sure why, but how he looks today stirs something in me. “See you for our hike later.” I smile sweetly. Standing on my tiptoes, I pull his shoulder down so that I can plant a quick kiss on his clean shaven jaw. It’s entirely unexpected. Wesley goes rigid under my touch.
I practically skip out the front door, avoiding eye contact with Damian completely.