Page 152 of His Boys to Protect

Skylar nodded. “Okay.”

“That's my good boy.” Ward bent and pressed a kiss to Skylar's forehead. “I'm gonna go preset the coffee.”

“Okay.”

Ward stepped around him and strode off. Skylar watched him go, feeling a greater chill run through his body once the man was out of his sight.

He dove for the closet and snatched up a pair of socks and Charlie's old hoodie. They'd have to come right back off in a few minutes, but Skylar couldn't wait that long. The shaking only got worse. It was all he could do to pull the socks on after dropping them twice. Then the hoodie got tangled and twisted as he tried to drag it down over his head.

Skylar just managed to finish right when the shower turned off. He let out a shuddering breath and waited, listening to the soft sounds of Charlie moving around inside the bathroom. It was only a few minutes before Charlie came out with a towel wrapped around his waist. Skylar watched in silence as Charlie grabbed his pajamas, got dressed and returned the towel to the bathroom so he could hang it up to dry. As soon as the bathroom was empty again, Skylar ran inside and shut the door.

Once he was in the shower, the hot water helped, but it didn't completely settle him. Something was wrong. He shouldhave been deliriously happy after what they'd just shared, but Skylar couldn't help thinking that some element was missing. Something important.

At least the heat of the shower made the shaking stop. Skylar finished washing, got out, and got dressed, vacating the bathroom so Ward could have his turn.

Afterwards, they all sat down to watch one more episode of a show before shutting off the lights and climbing into bed.

Skylar wound up in the middle. He closed his eyes and felt his body begin to relax. This was what he'd needed. More of this. He'd never get enough of having these two men beside him, surrounding him, shielding him. He was theirs now. Nobody else could ever touch him.

He'd just about gotten settled enough to drift off when Charlie started fidgeting.

Skylar turned onto his side, putting his back to Ward, and tried to curl up around Charlie.

The boy went still, only to pick up squirming a moment later. Charlie turned and shifted and kicked his legs, nailing Skylar right in the shin.

Skylar grunted. “Charlie.”

“Hhnn.” Charlie kicked his legs again.

“Okay,” Skylar grumbled. He reached across Charlie, flung the sheets back, and climbed over him, almost tumbling off the side of the bed. Skylar nudged Charlie to the middle, then climbed in after him, trapping him between himself and Ward. “Go to sleep.”

Charlie gave a little wiggle, then went still.

Skylar closed his eyes and started to sigh with relief, only for a car to go by right outside the bedroom window, coming to a stop with screeching, squealing brakes. The car took off again, leaving near silence in its wake. But the silence was torn afew minutes later when an emergency siren started up, growing louder as it drew nearer, then slowly faded again as it passed.

Charlie whined.

It was almost two more hours before Charlie finally fell asleep, allowing Skylar and Ward to do the same. Skylar drifted off immediately, his entire being utterly exhausted.

The night ended far too soon. Skylar woke to the sound of Charlie having a screaming fit.

“Fuck.” Skylar sat up in bed, all alone. He rubbed his eyes, then looked around. It was almost five in the morning, the bedroom still dark. Not pitch black, thanks to the streetlamps shining through the blinds—something else Charlie hated—but plenty dark enough that all Skylar wanted was to go back to sleep.

Charlie screamed again.

Skylar got up with a sigh and went to see what was going on.

He found Charlie on the kitchen floor, pinned under Ward. The big man was trying valiantly to get Charlie calmed down, but it seemed like the boy was having none of it.

“Charlie, please,” Ward begged, holding the boy tighter.

“What happened?”

Ward looked up at him and sighed. “I got the coffee ready last night, but I guess I forgot to actually set it to start, so it wasn't ready when Charlie got up. And the filter must have torn, because a bunch of grounds got into the carafe. It kind of all went even more downhill from there.”

Charlie struggled and squirmed and cried out again.

“Fuck.” Skylar scrubbed a hand over his face and stepped around them, cleaning up the mess and getting a fresh pot started. Once that was running, Skylar got down onto the floor with them and tried to help get Charlie calm.

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