Page 56 of Under Their Protection

Theo pulls me up against his chest with his arms wrapped around my waist as he quickens his pace. His breathing is becoming labored and as we starts to fall, he moans my name.

God, the way these men moan my name is utterly amazing.

He moves me to lie on the couch on my back to catch my breath. He disappears for a few moments before sitting on the couch at my head, clothed. He pulls me up so that my head is lying in his lap and gently strokes my hair as Rowan sits on the ottoman in front of me.

Max takes to cleaning me up. When he is finished, he sits me up for just long enough to help me back into my dress before laying me back down. I lie there in a daze as they talk. I hear more voices, so I know the girls are back.

“Did you kill her?” Annie asks as she sits on the couch and pulls my legs into her lap.

“Your guess is as good as mine. She hasn’t said a word in thirty minutes or more,” Theo laughs.

“Are you dead, Ani?” Mia asks as she kneels beside me and brushes a stray hair out of my face. I turn and look at her and she grins. “You look fucking exhausted.”

“I’m pretty sure those three are fully capable of killing me with their dicks,” I say, and everyone laughs.

“Oh, but what a glorious way it would be to go,” she says with a bright smile.

I sit up and rest my face in my hands. Max moves to sit beside me and rubs my back. When his hand runs over one of the marks I wince.

“I forgot about those,” I say.

“I hate to do this to you but I need you to pull your dress down so I can put the salve on your back,” Theo says. I groan dramatically and he chuckles. Max helps me pull the dress down to my hips before Rowan has me lay forward across my lap. “You did good, Anika.”

“Thank you,” I say. “Thank you for not breaking me.”

Annie laughs heartily at my words. “I told you. Rough and unforgiving,” she says.

“That’s the truest statement I have heard all day,” I say. I wince again when Theo rubs Salve over a spot.

“This one is pretty intense,” he says vaguely.

“Be more specific,” I say.

“It’s likely going to bruise,” he says. More words are about to follow, and I can only assume an apology, but I cut him off before he can say it.

“I bruise like a banana. It’s not a big deal,” I say.

“She does. She ran into the corner of my desk at work and her hip was black and blue for more than a week,” Mia says.

“You handled that very well, Anika,” Theo says as he helps me pull my dress back up.

“Y’all’s attempted murder by dick or the whip?” I ask.

“Both, but more specifically the whip. I expected some sort of reaction, but you were distracted by Max’s punishment.”

“The combination was phenomenal,” I admit.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone come like that while being whipped,” Rowan says.

“Neither have I,” Theo agrees.

“What did you guys do to her?” Mia asks.

“That evil toy,” I roll my eyes.

“I restrained her knees and ankles so it would stay put,” Max laughs.

“Oh, that’s evil, Max,” Emma scolds her brother.

---