Page 175 of Plaything

There was a thick truth in his words, one that I understood myself, but his empatheticness made me believe that somehow he also had monsters. I shifted on my feet, moving closer to him as I leaned my hip against the counter. “You know the feeling?” I prompted. I hoped he didn’t, but a part of me already knew from how he answered.

He shook his head in denial. “No. Not anymore,” he answered casually. “I won’t burden your mind with my deplorable upbringing, and for both of our sake, I likely never will,” he added. “For years, every time I heard a box spring—or metal creaking,” he quickly covered up. Box spring? As in a mattress? I didn’t understand, but he didn’t want me to know this. I had no choice but to respect that. “I panicked, just like what happened to you in the car,” he comforted.

Curiosity weighed heavily, but I’d never push it. It was a miracle he was sharing the little detail he was now. I didn’t want anyone to know about my monsters either, and I respected his decision to keep his to himself. With no words, I wrapped my arms around his middle, closing my eyes as I hugged him.

His hands ran down my clothed back. “Ready to get some sleep, Darling?” He asked.

I nodded, my brain ready to shut off. I was very tender between my legs, and they were beginning to shake again from standing for so long. “Am I sleeping with you?” I asked as he led me out of the bathroom.

He chuckled when we entered my bedroom, seeing Niko, Wyatt, and Aiden already in the room. Wyatt and Aiden were lying in my bed, far away from each other, leaving a spot in the middle. Niko was sitting at the end of it with a bottle of water and fruit snacks. They were all having tired conversations until they noticed us.

My stomach fluttered, and I laughed at the sight of three huge men in a queen bed. “Are we having a sleepover?” I grinned.

“Mhm,” Wyatt hummed. “None of us were willing to compromise on who gets you,” he explained.

“I hope you enjoy being squished,” Aiden added.

I hopped into bed, finding my spot in the middle. I felt giddy as I slid under the covers between the two. “I’m not claustrophobic,” I gushed, letting my excitement show. Maybe I was tired and delirious, but I was so happy they were all staying with me.

Niko forgot about the water and snack as he lay down on top of the comforter, his weight on my legs, his head on my belly. “It’s late, and I’m tired, so everyone be quiet,” he ordered, half joking.

Dominic turned the light off, darkening the room before he went to leave. “You’re not staying?” I pouted.

He sent me a barely visible smile. “I’ll come back; I’ve got papers to grade,” he explained in a hushed tone.

“Promise?”

“I promise. Now go to sleep before Niko has a fit,” Dominic said, earning a grouchy groan from Niko.

Settling into bed, Wyatt’s arm snaked up my t-shirt, his hand resting against one of my breasts as he got comfortable. I smiled and rolled my eyes but didn’t comment on his preferred sleeping position.

Aiden also got comfortable, his leg tangled in mine, his hand resting low on my waist. His fingers twitched when he realized I wasn’t wearing any panties, and he lifted his head ever so slightly. I barely saw the smirk in the nonexistent light before he laid back down, his hand on my inner thigh.

My hands played with Niko’s soft locks, running them through his hair until I felt myself begin to drift off into a peaceful sleep. The last thing I remember was seeing Dominic placing himself, a mug, and his dimmed laptop on the sofa in the corner of the room.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Odette

A keyboard gently clicking woke me. My body was pinned down by three large men, so I propped my head up the best I could to inspect the sound. Dominic was mid-sip—probably on his fourth cup—typing away at his computer. It was still dark, and I had no idea what time it was. “Do you ever sleep?” I whispered into the quiet room.

I used to think I never slept because I rarely got a good night’s sleep before I met my professors. Dominic had my old sleep habits beat by a long shot. He was always awake.

Dominic glanced up, his face dimly lit by his screen. He looked so comfortable on the sofa. Somehow, my three teddy bears ended up on the cushion next to him, probably when Aiden, Niko, and Wyatt kicked them out of bed to make room for themselves. Seeing such a large, intimidating man surrounded by teddy bears was cute.

“Did I wake you?” He whispered.

“You type loud,” I answered. “Sleep, Dominic, for me,” I requested, laying my head back down on the pillow, ready for sleep to take me again.

Unfortunately, my movements and our whispers woke the three light sleepers around me. Aiden shifted beside me, pulling me closer to him by my thigh. Doing so disturbed Wyatt, making him tighten his hold and try to pull me into his chest. All the movement woke Niko as well, and he groaned, giving each of their legs a shove. “I’m calling in,” he decided.

“Wyatt, if you don’t stop pulling her away from me, I’ll kick your ass like I used to in middle school,” Aiden rasped.

“I’m bigger than you, dick,” Wyatt shot back. Even half asleep, he sounded confident. I’d never heard him use such unfriendly language outside of sex.

“Only by an inch in height,” Aiden shot back.

I sighed, feeling both of them pull me away from the other, making my body stretch uncomfortably. “What time is it?” I asked Dominic.

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