Page 15 of Desire

“No need. I’ll let them fight for the bucket and wait until they return.”

I fetched the comb and sat in the chair near the fire to wait.

“Did it upset you? What Eadric did?” Garron asked

“No. But it should have, and I think that upsets me the most. That none of the playful demands you and your brothers put on me has truly upset me. Have I been startled? Yes. Confused or unsure? Yes. But not upset. And any fear I’ve felt has been out of concern for all of you.

“Reading has helped with some of that. I understand how to heat water now. I suppose I could have offered that for their baths.”

A small smile tugged at Garron’s mouth. “You can heat mine for me.”

I nodded my agreement and watched Darian race around the house, wearing a clean set of clothes.

“Where would you like me?” he asked, stopping in front of me.

When I said I had no preference, he sat at the table, facing outward, leaving me to stand between his splayed legs. He used my nearness to tease me with a few words or a wink as he subtly petted my hip.

His frigid hair was in an exceptional tangle and took a bit of time to work through. But he didn’t seem to mind.

When I finished, I cupped his face and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips, careful of his nose.

“Thank you for protecting me and for bathing.”

“My turn,” Daemon said, sitting beside Darian.

“Little remains to comb,” I said.

Regardless, I repeated the process, withholding my amusement over how Daemon’s hand skimmed from my hip to my waist. Each time his fingertips brushed bare skin, he would watch me closely. I gave nothing away, though, not even at the end when I kissed him as I had Darian.

“I will bathe daily for this,” Daemon said.

“Move aside,” Liam said, nudging his brother though there was plenty of space on the bench.

Daemon gave up his spot, and I took my time combing through Liam’s hair. Like his brothers, he held onto my waist. However, he didn’t try to steal more. When I finished, I kissed his mouth lightly, then his swollen eye, before thanking him.

Edmund took his spot, and I eyed his short, wet hair.

“You combed Daemon’s,” he said with a slight scowl. I reached up and ran my fingers through his wet hair. “Is it the comb you want or what comes next?”

He gripped my hips and hauled me closer until my front touched his.

“I want everything you are willing to give.”

I stroked a finger between his brows, easing the tension there before I set my lips to his. He moved, nipping my bottom lip. I gasped, and he deepened the kiss. Caged by his legs and held in place by the hand on the back of my head, I braced my hands on his shoulders as his tongue stroked against mine.

Edmund demanded my attention with an aggression none of the others had. It almost felt like a test to see how much I would willingly give.

Everything. Anything to get the help I needed, and I proved it by straddling his lap.

He tore his mouth from mine and looked up at me. I kissed the corner of his mouth, which was pulled down in a frown, then the place between his brows.

“Are you finished?” I asked.

His fingers twitched on my hips.

“He is,” Brandle said from beside us.

I could see the flare of anger in Edmund’s gaze and wanted to scowl at Brandle as well. Instead, I ignored him as I pressed another kiss to Edmund’s frowning mouth.

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