Page 20 of This Reckless Home

“Has it ever…” she trails off, and I push up, just enough so I can look into those beautiful hazel eyes of hers but leaving the rest of our bodies touching. “Has it ever felt like that before? Sex I mean.”

I don’t miss the vulnerability in her gaze, and lean on one elbow so I can brush some of her hair off her sweat slicked skin.

“No, Flower. It’s never felt like that before. Like I will die if I never get to be inside you again. Like I can breathe for the first time in my miserable life with you in my arms.”

Her kiss swollen lips part, her eyes misting at my words. But they’re the truth, and I’m done hiding from anything good in my life because I’m scared it’ll be taken away. I hold my breath, not moving a muscle while I wait for her to gather her thoughts and respond.

A small smile plays on her lips, some of the tension seeping out of my muscles. “With you holding me like this, it’s like for the first time in my life I’m safe. Like nothing or no one can hurt me ever again, as long as I’m in your arms.” Her confession has a lump forming in my throat. I’ve never been anyone’s rock, something they can rely on because no one has ever needed me like that.

“I’ll always keep you safe,” I promise her, giving no fucks that it’s been a little over seven days since we met each other. With the kind of childhood I had, you learn pretty fucking fast that you grab hold of the good things, and kill anyone who tries to take them. “I’m not going anywhere.”

My chest tightens a fraction, realizing what I just promised when the guys and I have spoken about using this time to get on our feet then taking Jus away to a place of our own. Only, thing is, it doesn’t feel like such a great option anymore.

She gives me a smile that damn near steals the heart right from my scarred chest, then her nose scrunches.

“It’s also never been quite so… wet before.” I can’t help the deep, satisfied laugh that tumbles from my lips. Though I suppose I should be a gentleman and let her out of the no doubt large damp patch she’s currently lying in.

“Let’s get you cleaned up and then I’ll change the sheets,” I offer, giving her lips one last lingering kiss before pulling out and off of her.

The little gasp she makes when I leave her body has me wanting to puff my chest out in pride. As does the huge wet patch on the bed.

“Thank goodness for the waterproof sheets on the bed,” she sighs, scooting over and getting up. Her legs wobble, and I’m there, helping to hold her up as she stabilises. “I have them on all the beds in case of accidents with the kids. Sometimes the younger ones want to sleep in with me if they have a particularly bad dream.”

Marvelling at how selfless this incredible woman is, I look over her body and want to preen again. She’s covered in bite marks and bruises, vivid against her pale skin, signs of what we did and I fucking love it. She follows my gaze, her eyes widening as they snap up to me.

“Oh my god! Steele! Your chest.” Her cheeks go bright red and I look down to see not only the crescents of her nails with drops of blood dripping down them, but several deep scratch marks raised against my dark skin like brands.

“Best scars I’ll ever have,” I tell her honestly, running my fingers over the raised welts. I can feel every mark she left on me, even if they'll fade to darker lines against my skin eventually. Grabbing her arm, I pull her into my body. Fuck, I love the feel of her skin on mine. “Next time go deeper so they really will last.”

I capture her lips in mine, loving the way she melts into me. It’s not only her that feels being in my arms is right. Having her here, with me, is like a dream I never want to wake up from. She’s home now, just as much as the guys are. And fuck anyone who says otherwise.

“DESERT ROSE” BY LOLO ZOUAÏ

BLOSSOM

After a long hot shower where Steele washes every inch of me, I watch as he makes my bed, not letting me help at all. So I steal his t-shirt, he’s wrecked mine anyway so I say it’s my right. He just gives me that devastating smirk of his when he looks up, then pulls me down into bed with him, nestling me against his side, my head on his chest and the blankets tucked in around us.

His fingers trace one of the bite marks on my neck, making me shiver.

“You really want all three of us?”

His question stalls my breath for a moment, but I’m not as scared to admit it now as I was before.

I bite my lip. “Is that… is that terrible?”

“No.” His answer is immediate, certainty ringing out in his tone. “It’s perfect.”

My brows dip, and I shift to look up at him, seeing a smile on his lips that still look kiss swollen.

“Perfect?”

He traces a pattern on my skin, which is making it a little tricky to focus on the conversation to be honest. “We’ve always shared everything, from the day we met in the group home. We made a pact to never let anything come between us, and as we grew older, that included women.” His dark eyes lift from his fingers on my skin, meeting mine. “But what if we all shared you? Together and separately?”

My breath hitches. “You’d be okay with that?”

A small smile plays around the edges of his lips. “More than okay.” He slides his hand possessively over my hip. “Watching Anatole kiss you. Watching Nox touch you. All three of us looking after you, protecting you. Loving you.” My breath stalls entirely. “Knowing at the end of the day you come home to all of us. That we come home to you. That you’re ours and we’re yours.”

My pulse rushes in my ears. “That sounds…” I can’t even find the words for how amazing that sounds. It feels like it’s too good to be true.