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I try to pull my hand away from his clutches, feeling oddly vulnerable like I need to curl in on myself and hide. Gage doesn’t let me retreat though. Instead, he surprises me by bringing our joined hands up to his lips and kissing my knuckles. The gesture is unexpected and ridiculously sweet. He holds our hands there, his lips fused to my skin, igniting my body in a way that’s probably inappropriate for the intensity of the moment.
“You’re adorable when you’re nervous, Cariño,” he mumbles against my hand. “You ramble and your cheeks get pink. You always bite your nails, or your perfect lip winds up in your mouth. It’s fucking cute.” I blush at his words, tucking my chin down. It’s unnerving to have someone observe you to the point of memorizing your behaviors. “Like that. You’re getting redder by the second.”
I whip my face in his direction, sending a glare up at his beautiful, smug face. He laughs in response and I’m finally able to tear my hand from his. I huff and cross my arms even though I’m fighting a laugh as well.
“Okay, okay, calm down. Put your claws away kitten.” Gage shakes his head, a smile still firmly planted on his face. “Let’s just both accept that we are happy where we are and without sounding repetitive, let’s take this day by day. If it gets to be too much for any of us, we’ll talk about it. If you want to go back home, we will figure it out. You’re our woman, not our prisoner. I know this started off as a way to keep you safe, but we like having you with us. The way things were around the condo,” he pauses and grits his teeth as he thinks about what to say. I cut in, reminding him it’s a mansion, not a condo, causing his jaw to unclench. His lips tip up in a half-grin before he continues. “You’ve made our house a home. I know that’s cliché but it’s true. So remember that the next time you decide to spout shit about being a burden or us not wanting you, yeah?”
His words cause me to exhale a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding.Fuck.This may be new but we’re in this. At least Gage, Maddox, and I are. I can’t even begin to process the bomb they dropped back atThe Denabout Stone and maybe, maybe not, Nyx. That’s information I need my best friend in order to process.
I nod and smile before reaching out to reclaim his hand. I give a tight squeeze, enjoying the way we feel together as I settle our combined hands on my lap.
We’re relaxing in comfortable silence when my phone vibrates. Hunter responds asking me to come over and a pang hits my chest. I’ve been a shitty friend. I’ve been so wrapped up in my life that I’ve basically abandoned him.
“Can you drop me off at Hunters for a while? He said he’ll bring me home after.”
Without even responding, Gage flips the blinker, turning us away from the direction of their house and toward Hunters. I want to askhow he knows where Hunter lives but it’s pointless. Now that I know how brilliant and gifted Stone is at hacking and finding shit out, I’m sure they have dug up information on me and all of my friends.
My heart rate increases at the realization. I really hope they don’t dig that deeply into my past. I’m sure they have their ways but it’s not a conversation I want to have with them. Ever.
“On one condition,” Gage murmurs, his face taking on a serious expression. “Scratch that. Two conditions. The first is, you stay in his house the entire time and don’t go anywhere unless you call one of us to go with you. Got it?” I swallow deeply, a sudden bout of nerves over my safety and the fact that Drew is still MIA coming to the forefront. I nod and force those thoughts away before I freak out again. “Two, you’re home by dinner.”
Okay,that’sannoying. “Excuse me?” I ask, my brow arched in irritation. Who the hell does this guy think he is? My father?Ew. No.
“Yes or no, Cariño. It’s not too late for me to head back toward the house.”
“Do I have a damn curfew now?” I snap. Gage’s grin turns feral as he eyes me, taking me in. His eyes heat up in a way that has me clenching my thighs.
“Fuck. I forgot how much I love when you get all sassy and angry like this,” he mumbles, dragging his gaze down my body appreciatively. “I know we haven’t had time to play since I got back from my trip, but don’t think I’ve forgotten your punishments. Pretty sure we were at 5 by the time I got home. I think this makes it 6. Now answer me. Dinner time, you’ll be home, yeah?”
I choke out a “yes” because I am so fucking utterly distracted by everything else that he’s said. Honestly, I don’t know if I could be okay with him spanking me but the visual crossing my mind is hot as hell. Maybe I could try?
Gage nods in a way that makes me feel like he just patted my head and called me a ‘good dog'. It’s condescending and I fight the need to punch him in his dick.
“Keep looking at me like that baby and we’ll start before I even drop you off,” Gage murmurs as he licks his lips. I’m pretty sure the idea of spanking me is more for him than it is for any type of behavior correction, to be honest. I huff out an exasperated breath and turn my body away from his, giving him my back like a petulant child.
Fuck. Maybe I do need some behavior adjustments.
“Shit, he really did move out, didn’t he?” Standing in the middle of Hunter’s living room, I turn in a circle, taking in the bare walls, minimal decor, and furnishings. It’s basically empty and it makes me want to beat Dillon’s ass.
“Did you think I was joking when I told you he was leaving and we were over?” Hunter sarcastically drawls from his position on the couch, one of the only pieces of furniture his long-term boyfriend, now ex, left him.
Shaking my head, I bite my tongue to stave off the irritated retort I want to let out. Hunter has been short and rude since I walked in the door. As much as it irritates me, I’ve been ignoring it. I know it’s not directed at me but I’m the one that’s here and I’m a person he feels comfortable enough with to lash out, releasing some of his hurt. He knows I’ll take it and be here for him when he’s ready to really talk.
Doesn’t mean I like being a verbal punching bag though.
Sighing, I cross the space and plop down next to him on the couch. As a peace offering, I lay my hand on the threadbare material between us, palm facing up. Hunter looks down at the proffered hand and wastes no time dropping his on top and lacing our fingers together. We sit in silence for a long time, both of us lost in our thoughts.
I feel so fucking bad. It’s not that I didn’t believe Hunter when he told me about what was going on with Dillon, but we left things in a weird place the day after he spilled his guts. He once again closed down on me and even though we’ve been texting or talking on the phone since then, things have been odd. Hunter’s been keeping to surface-level conversations and topics which is so unlike us. Every time I’ve asked about his life and relationship, he’s changed the subject.
I should have known better. Correction. I did know better. I’ve just been so caught up in my own bullshit that I didn’t push for more information. I didn’t bulldoze myself into his life the way I should have. The way he’s always done for me.
I swallow deeply and look down at our hands. His hand is bigger than mine, his long, thin fingers made for his guitar and tattooing. My mind briefly wonders if that’s why he has a natural affinity to both arts. Maybe. But I also know it’s his soul. Hunter’s depth, his dark spirit, his intensity. When combined, they make for a hell of an artist. I think he could excel at anything he puts his mind to but there is no doubt he’s a brilliant artist, in all ways.
My eyes flit back to his hand covering mine and a reminder of Gage holding my hand just a while ago in the car takes over. His hand is huge. So is Maddox’s. They dwarf me in all ways, making my already small body feel tiny in comparison. All of my men are much bigger than I am, especially Nyx.
What the fuck?
My head shoots up as soon as that thought passes through me. Where did that come from? When did I start calling themmymen and why is Nyx included in that? Holy shit. I really do need some damn space from them. They are taking me over and deluding my brain, especially in light of the conversation earlier today. I keep trying to put it out of my mind but like a disease, it’s taking over every square inch of me.
