Page 16 of Room for Three

She’d come downstairs, clearly lighter from her talk with Cole, using my blanket as a cape, wrapped around her shoulders. It gave the illusion that she was naked beneath. When she sat down right next to me on the couch, I had to subtly pull a pillow into my lap to keep her from noticing her effect on me.

I’m not the only one whose blood sizzles when she’s nearby. Cole is fighting an inner demon that wants to see Savvy as more than our friend’s daughter. I think he’s losing the battle.

“What movie do you want to watch?” Savvy asks as she fiddles with the remote. “Cole said he needed to change clothes first. I don’t know what’s taking him so long.”

If I know my friend, and I do, he’s doing more than changing his clothes. He’s releasing some pent-up sexual tension. Lucky for him. I’m shacked up in our living room with virtually no privacy.

Maybe she could watch…

The thought assaults me out of nowhere. I steal a glance at her legs and push the pillow against my throbbing cock.Down, boy.

She finds a newer movie on Netflix and then sets the remote down. Cole is still missing. Her top teeth tug at her lower lip as though she’s mulling something over in her head.

Poor girl is probably mentally struggling, and me and my horn dog roomie can’t stop thinking about her naked. We’re pathetic. I should really check my dating app. It’s been a while and maybe I just need to get laid.

“Everything okay?” I ask, gently nudging her with my knee. “Something’s bothering you.”

She shrugs. “Just feels weird. The night before last I was sharing a room with Addison and wondering where my life was headed. Now I have you guys, a new school, and my job at Smoke & Sugar.”

“It’s weird? I thought that’s what you wanted,” I say softly. “Freedom.”

“Oh, I do,” she rushes out quickly. “I just…I don’t know. I expected the loneliness to go away too.” Her eyes water and she blinks away the tears. “I miss them.”

“Hey.” I wrap my arms around her and pull her into my side. “You’re not alone. You have us. We’re not the best roommates, but we’re trying. I know I speak for Cole too when I say we want the absolute best for you. You can talk to us about anything.”

She doesn’t speak for a beat and then murmurs, “I hated it at the Monahans.”

I run my fingers through the ends of her silky hair, hoping to encourage her to keep going.

“Don’t get me wrong,” she continues. “Addison was great. They never touched me or abused me or were cruel to me. Something was just seriously messed up about most of the members of that family.”

“Messed up how?”

“Her brothers were always staring at me. It was creepy. The oldest, Rhett, is an angry guy. He would do stupid things like ‘accidentally’ knock my drink over, spilling it everywhere, and then stare at me to see what my reaction was.”

I try to imagine some little shit messing with our girl. I’ll admit, it pisses me off. A lot. I’m half tempted to pay that twerp a visit.

“The younger brother, Cason, would film me with his phone.” She shudders as if this disturbs her. “I told him a million times to knock it off, but his parents would always laugh off my concerns. I’m not sure why he needed so many videos of me.”

I’m pretty sure that kid was using it for spank bank material, but I refrain from telling her.

“They sound like spectacular humans,” I deadpan.

She laughs, soft and breathy. It makes my dick fucking tingle.

“Leah always acted as if I was a nuisance. Even though they were loaded, she would complain about the cost of groceries and all the mouths she had to feed. Or, if I went clothes shopping with them, she would huff and sigh at the checkout. I felt like a bother to her.” She shifts her hand to the pillow that rests on my crotch and absently rubs the material as though to soothe herself, not realizing she’s driving me insane with the movements. “I guess it makes sense why she was so ready to get me off her phone plan. Let’s hope they don’t take in any other foster kids.”

I continue to twist her silky hair around my fingertips to distract myself from the location of her hand, a mere few inches of pillow separating it from my rock-hard cock.

“Travis?”

“Hmm?”

“Can I tell you something and, like, you won’t tell Cole? I don’t want anything done about it. I just, I don’t know, want to get it off my chest.”

I tense, unsure what she’s about to tell me. “Of course, little S. What’s on your mind?”

She’s quiet for another beat.

---