Page 56 of Petals & Promises

“Ah.” Vili nodded, then pulled me up into a sitting position. “Arms up.”

Fearing they would extend my punishment, I did as I was asked. Swiftly, Vili removed my shirt and bra then slipped my silk nightie over my head so it fell into place. With a playful shove, I was once more lying on the bed as Vili tugged off my pants, quickly following up with removing my socks. The bed shifted, and Yun-Sun pulled me into his lap so we were nose to nose.

“Sweetheart, there is no reason to pout. Sex isn’t the only way to show love and to receive comfort from your pack,” Yun commented, brushing his nose along mine before kissing me in an unhurried fashion as if he was savoring every second. “You are looking for the easy way out, knowing if you get us all riled up, we’ll fuck you till you pass out, and you won’t have to fear your sleep.”

I jerked back, looking at him. “How…”

“Omae, you are not one to be a brat for no reason,” Yun countered. “Lysse is the one you know the best, so it was easy to find the buttons to push. However, you forgot he knows you just as well, and instead of him playing into your trap, he turned the tables.”

Sighing, I touched Yun-Sun’s chest and admitted the truth. “I didn’t even realize I was purposefully doing that until you came out and said it. What if my nightmares come back? I’ve been doing so well since we left for this trip.”

“If they do, we will be right here with you,” he whispered, leaning his forehead against mine. “It was hard for us all when we couldn’t hold you in our arms to keep the nightmares at bay. Now, nothing is preventing your Alphas from coming to your rescue.”

There was a bark from Nugget, who’d joined us on the bed, his fluffy tail wagging. Grinning at him, I held out a hand—all the encouragement he needed to leap into my arms. “Nugget will be there too, just in case you need backup, right?”

He let out another bark before attacking my face with kisses, which had me laughing. Waffles, feeling like he was being left out of the recognition, added his two cents with a deep woof. Nugget wriggled out of my arms and bounced across the large bed to where Waffles rested his head. It was adorable to see the two of them interact as polar opposites as possible.

I shivered as Yun kissed his mark on my neck. Through our bond, I could tell he wasn’t trying to start anything—he just loved seeing his claim on my body. “I love you too,” I whispered.

“Does that mean you’re not upset with us anymore?” Yun asked, a smirk tugging at his lips.

Letting out a dramatic sigh, I pressed my hand to my forehead like I was going to faint. “I might waste away with a serious case of bluevaries, but I’ll soldier on.”

“How brave of you, Care Bear,” Warrick teased as he walked over to the bed, then tackled me out of Yun’s lap to tickle me. “I’m not sure I would be as forgiving if you left me with blue balls. It just shows how magnanimous you really are.”

Refusing to surrender, I waited to call ‘uncle’ until I was crying and out of breath. “Uncle, uncle, uncle… I give up.”

Instantly, Warrick stopped his assault on my ribs and flipped us over so I was sprawled against his chest. I could hear his heart beating almost as fast as mine was as we gasped for breath. “That was just mean, Warrick,” I managed to say, poking him in the side.

The strangled cry and convulsion that came as a response to that had me sitting up. “Oh my God, you’re super sensitive to tickling too, aren’t you?”

“I don’t know what you mean?” Warrick countered, trying to play off his reaction.

Before I could test out my theory, a hand grabbed me and pulled me off my potential victim. “Baby girl, this is the opposite of getting ready for bed,” Gareth pointed out.

“He started it,” I argued.

Gareth just gave me a look, telling me he wasn’t falling for the bait. Instead, he grabbed the covers and pulled them back before plopping me down. Then he slid under the covers, got comfortable, and tugged me onto his chest. As if to ensure I wasn’t going anywhere, he wrapped his arms around me and closed his eyes, letting out a contented sigh. “This is perfect.”

“You sure about that?” I questioned. “It can’t be comfortable having me lay on you like this.”

“Oh, it’s fantastic having you sprawled out on my chest,” Gareth countered. “Plus, if you have a nightmare, I’ll know right away so I can wake you up.”

Clearly, I wasn’t going to win this fight, so I did the next best thing—I wriggled up his body so I could get to my mark on his neck and let my teeth scrape over it nice and slow. Before my mind could register the sound, the sting on my ass told me I’d just been spanked.

“Try that again, Bailey-Rose, and I promise your night won’t end as you think it will,” Gareth warned, pinning me with his gray-blue eyes.

Biting my lip, I nodded and slid back down so I could rest my head on his chest. Instantly, he started to purr and combed his fingers through my hair, rewarding me for my choice. Damn them for always knowing what I really needed, even if I didn’t. Unable to fight against the skills of an Alpha, I drifted off to sleep.

Thankfully, I slept soundly without any nightmares and woke up to the sight of all my guys clumped together on the bed. It was more than a tight fit, but they’d made it work so they could all be there for me. These men never ceased to amaze me with the lengths they would go to ensure I was safe and happy.

Deanna had already eaten breakfast but left us a note saying she was out working in her garden. The house staff got us settled at the table and brought out a feast of breakfast foods. Many of the things were not on the heart-healthy diet, but I decided that since this was vacation, it wouldn’t hurt to indulge.

“Gareth, did your mom make all of this, or do you have a cook?” Ulysses asked, shoving his face with a second helping of biscuits and gravy.

Lysse had caught Gareth just as he’d taken a bite and hurried to swallow, using his coffee to help wash it down. “We have a cook that Mom will call in if we need help for a party or something. Otherwise, you’re eating the real deal, all home-cooked by the master chef herself.”

“Seriously, this is the best food I’ve ever eaten,” Warrick mumbled, his mouth full of eggs.