Page 93 of Deviant Obsession

Rhea giggles at my brother’s classic awkwardness over sharing his feelings. Reaching out to grab his hand, she rises on her tiptoes and presses her lips against mine in a kiss so earnest it almost knocks me back. “I love you too,” she sighs into my mouth.

When she finally pulls back, I have to force myself to let her go, to share the moment. She turns to Ethan, kissing him with the same intensity, and something in my chest loosens at the sight. It’s not the worst thing in the world to see her love him as much as I do.

"I love you," Rhea whispers against Ethan's lips before drawing back to look at both of us. Her eyes shine with tearsand something that looks a lot like wonder. “I guess we’re really doing this.”

Fuck yeah, we are. I’m not losing her again.

Chapter 34

Ethan

A long yawnescapes Rhea as she curls deeper under Dean’s arm where they both lounge on our couch. From where I sit at my end, cradling her feet in my hands, I catch Dean's eye over Rhea’s head. I know the same thought occurs to the both of us—neither of us wants her to leave. Maybe ever, if we can help it.

"Stay here tonight," Dean urges softly. "It's late."

Rhea blinks up at us, another yawn threatening to escape. "You don’t have to ask me twice.”

"My room," I offer. "The bed's big enough for all of us."

Dean's eyebrows lift slightly at my suggestion, but I ignore him. I’m not about to start this second chance by standing aside and pretending I don’t crave the tender moments too. Now that I know what it’s like to spend a night with Rhea sleeping in my arms, I’ll chase the opportunity a thousand times over. Even if that means letting Dean in my bed too.

I lift her from the couch and stride towards my room, waiting for Dean to rummage through the drawers for something she can sleep in. The sight of her drowning in my old T-shirt shouldn't affect me the way it does. I’ve seen her in every state of undress imaginable, but this one might just be my new favorite.

She looks content as a spoiled house cat as she crawls between us, her leisurely movements already heavy with impending sleep. Her head finds my shoulder while her fingers tangle with Dean's, and something clicks into place—a perfect alignment I never knew I was missing.

I've had countless women in this bed. Played out scenes that would make most people blush. But watching Rhea's eyes flutter closed as she nestles closer, feeling her warmth against my side, I realize this is different. This isn't about dominance or control or getting off. This is about giving her somewhere to belong…

And giving myself someone to belong to.

Her breathing deepens as she drifts off between us, that worried little crease finally fading from between her brows. I study her features in the dim light filtering through my curtains, cataloging every detail I thought I might never see again.

I swallow yet more bitter regret as I remember her tears earlier, and those from the week before—how close we came to destroying this fragile thing we've built. Not realizing our mistakes sooner is a guilt I’ll carry with me for a long time to come.

Dean's hand rises in the darkness, brushing a stray curl from Rhea’s cheek. She stirs slightly at his touch but doesn't wake, just burrows deeper into the space between us like she's found sanctuary there. I watch my brother's face as he gazes down at her, seeing my own relief mirrored in his expression. The possessive fury that burned in his eyes when he first learned about Dad has faded to something softer, more accepting. Though I wasn’t sure at first that he could do it, we've both had to learn to let go of our need to control everything about this dynamic.

Rhea mumbles something unintelligible in her sleep, her fingers tightening in the fabric of my shirt. Even unconscious, she holds onto us both, refusing to choose. Maybe she knewbetter than we did all along—that this was never about competition or ownership. It was about finding balance, about creating something greater than the sum of its parts.

"You really okay with all this?" I whisper to my brother over our girl's steady breathing.

He doesn’t answer right away. A quick glance in his direction shows me he’s staring at the ceiling, clutching Rhea’s hand to his chest like it’s a precious jewel. For a moment, I think he'll deflect with his usual bravado, but something raw crosses his features instead. "I’m okay with anything that will make her stay.” When he looks over at me, I’m convinced I must be seeing things. His eyes are shining in the pale light, as if he’s holding back tears of his own. “I fucked up, E. Got so caught up in wanting her that I forgot to actually take care of her."

“We both did," I counter, needing him to know he's not alone in this guilt. “We should have seen what we were doing to her sooner.”

Dean shifts carefully, making sure not to disturb Rhea as she sleeps between us. "Dad saw it right away. Saw exactly what she needed. What he needed to be for her."

"He always does." I think about all the times Dad guided us through our own struggles since we were kids, how he seemed to understand our needs before we did. "Remember when he first caught us sneaking in through the club's back entrance?"

"Of course, I do. A couple of cocksure eighteen-year-olds determined to have our share of the fun. And instead of punishing us, he sat us down and explained everything." Dean's chuckled rendition of the memory carries a note of wonder, like he's just now realizing how much wisdom was in that approach.

"And we still managed to forget the most important lesson." My fingers find Rhea's pulse point, drawing comfort from its steady rhythm. "That true dominance isn't about taking. It's about giving what's needed."

"We were kids playing at being doms. Thinking we knew everything."

"And now?"

"Now we learn. We do better. Forher." In hearing Dean’s conviction, I catch a glimpse of the man Dad always believed he could become—all that bravado falling away to reveal the human underneath who cares more deeply than he can bear to admit sometimes.

"I've been thinking about the high protocol training," I venture, steering the conversation away from our past mistakes. "Maybe we could learn from him too. Not just about managing Rhea's schedule, but...everything."

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