between the torture and kidnapping and almost dying, right?” I asked.
Jacob’s mindspeak started blurting out insults, and Patrick cupped Payne’s ears tighter. “What have I told all of you about the art of wooing a woman! You can’t just joke around. We have to each get down on one knee while wearing suits. And we need to release doves or some shit. Are ring stores even open during the end of the empire?” I could see the anxiety of a perfect proposal crossing his features, and I nearly laughed.
“Yes,” I said, even though there hadn’t been a question. “When I first left Stonewell Manor, I never imagined I’d fall in love with myself, let alone, six other men. I love all of you. I want to get married—once things settle down, of course.”
Kemper switched over to the next sheet of paper and started scribbling more notes. “So in like a week? I think we could get a ceremony set up by then. Mia might not be well enough to travel, though.”
I cracked up while Huxley stared at me. His hungry gaze made every cell in my body snap to attention. “Oh no, no, no,” Patrick said before removing his hands from a confused Payne and speed walking over to me. “Don’t be giving her bedroom eyes. I know you want to name it and claim it, but it’s my turn, Huxley.”
I laughed. Maybe some would feel like a passed around doll, but I just felt incredibly lucky. Huxley growled at his twin, and I wrapped my hand around Patrick’s bicep. “Guess I’m going to bed,” I said with a giggle.
“Have fun!” Jacob’s mindspeak said. “Our boy is growing up. Should we take a commemorative photo?”
Huxley slapped Jacob upside the head, and the last thing I heard was them bickering as I fast walked upstairs.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“So uh, where were we?” Patrick asked while leaning against the open bedroom door. The weight of his body made it shut, and he nearly fell to the ground before trying to open it again. Then, once he realized we were both inside the room, he closed it.
I watched in amusement, and though I tried to make each experience unique with my men, I couldn’t help but giggle about my first time with Hux, where he almost set the entire building on fire, literally and figuratively. Patrick’s face went stark white when I giggled at the memory, and I watched as his anxiety peaked. “I know this was presumptuous of me. You’ve had a hard few days—hell—a hard few months. If you just want to cuddle in bed and kiss some, I will completely respect that. I love you, there's no time frame we have to work on…”
He was rambling, and I loved him more for it. I took a step closer, a wry grin on my face as I tilted my head to the side. I observed the thudding pulse in his neck while wondering what his skin tasted like. “Remember a while ago? You told me that this”—I gestured between us—“didn’t feel wrong?”
I closed my eyes and sighed at the memory of him testing all my boundaries back in Black Manor. Patrick was the least sexually experienced out of the group, but he was one of the first ones to challenge that there was more between us than we originally intended. “Yeah,” he said while swallowing.
I slowly lifted my hand up to undo the top button of my shirt. And then the second. And then the third. I kept walking until the shirt was shed from my shoulders. I wasn’t wearing a bra. Mine had been too destroyed from all the gore, which meant I was nothing but pebbled peaks waiting for him. “So tell me, Patrick. How does this feel?” I’d never in my life felt so wanton. I reached for his hand then guided it to my breasts. Encouraging him to squeeze with my own grip, I sighed when he took heavy handfuls and kneaded them.
“This feels so perfect,” he murmured in a reverent tone. Like he couldn’t believe he was really here, really touching me.
I brought my hands down to my stretchy pants and pulled them down to my ankles and stepped out of each leg, one by one. Once the material was discarded, I parted my legs then reached for Patrick's hand to guide him there. “How about this, Patrick? How does this feel?” I asked just as he slipped a finger inside of me.
“You’re so wet for me. It’s…”