Page 28 of Caged for Them

“No, it’s a surprise,” I said, in a slightly deeper voice. “And you’ll love it. I hope. I think?”

Mari reached over and rubbed my thigh. “I’m sure we’ll love anything that makes you this happy, sweetheart.”

“Is it a hike?” Henry asked, as turned through the traffic circle that led out of town and wound up a narrow valley that led to some of our favorite hiking spots.

“It’s a surprise!” I growled. “No guessing.”

“He’s serious about his surprises,” Mari whispered.

“Huh. Meadow Creek… What’s up Meadow Creek?” Henry pondered.

“No GUESSING!” I yelled.

“Fine, I’ll guess silently,” he muttered. “And spank you later for that sass.”

I squirmed in my seat because we were headed to the perfect place for a spanking, and I needed one. His mark on me from the last flogging he’d given me was fading. I flipped on the left turn signal and crossed a bridge, driving up a steep drive and stopping my truck in the driveway.

“Okay, we’re here!”

Henry and Mari both looked around, clearly confused. “Where?”

“The surprise!” I stepped out of the car and waved my hands towards the house I’d completely fallen in love with. It was a gorgeous combination of rustic and modern, with big windows and lots of wood, and it was built into the side of the mountain, right at the edge of the valley.

“Is this like a staycation or something?” Mari asked, slowly turning and looking around. “Wow, it’s beautiful here. What a treat! Look, they even put a bow on the door.” She tugged at the red ribbon I’d tied to the door, grinning.

Well, I hadn’t considered that they might think that. “No. What? That was me, the ribbon.”

“As part of the surprise?” Henry asked, walking over and touching the bow.

“No, because the house is the surprise. I bought it. Surprise!” They didn’t look as excited as I would have expected.

“You bought a house?” Henry’s frown deepened. “I thought you were moving in with us. We want you to move in with us.”

“Seriously,” Mari said. “It’s incredible, but you’ll be a ten-minute drive away. What if we need you?”

I went to speak, to explain it to them, but Henry interrupted me. “You can’t buy a house. I want you in our bed. You know I sleep better with you in our bed. Don’t make me get my flogger.” The stern note in his voice made my cock twitch even as my frustration with my idiot boyfriend grew.

“More like he wants to dick you the minute he wakes up,” Mari added, shaking her head. “Even so, I agree.”

“Guys!” I yelled as their worries escalated. “Stop. I bought the house for us. For all of us. So we can all stop renting, and so we can have enough space. Because I love you both so damn much. And you are terrible with surprises!”

I stomped off into the house, feeling cranky, leaving Henry and Mari behind. Maybe this was the real reason Gabi hadn’t agreed to marry me. I always failed at big gestures. Of course, I knew they might be unsure about moving in with me so soon, but I’d expected them to like the idea.

Chapter 19

Henry

“He bought us ahouse?” I asked, staring after Jason and the big door he’d just closed. It looked hand-crafted and expensive, like the rest of the house.

Mari’s eyes widened. “An incredible house. Just how big is his trust fund?”

“Big,” I said, shaking my head. “And we need to chase him. He’s freaking out.” I took her hand and led her inside, where we found Jason staring out the living room windows at an incredible, sweeping view of the mountain valley. He was so fucking beautiful, with his broad shoulders and narrow waist, the sun through the windows shining off the gold in his hair.

“Baby,” Mari whispered, and he spun around, looking a little sheepish.

“I’m sorry I stomped off. You like it?” he asked.

“It’s the most beautiful house we’ve ever seen,” I said, and Jason’s smile widened, a flush rising to his cheeks. “Show us around?” He nodded, the eagerness he’d shown in the car returning. He’d been so adorably excited in the car that I felt like an asshole for ruining it.

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