“You feel really… confusing. In the bond, I mean.”
My body hums with happiness when she admits to checking on me through our connection, which is both soothingandhypes me up simultaneously. Dolly Drew is sharp as a tack because she nailed the competing dichotomy inside of me with just a few words. “I’m having trouble with balancing my need to behave like Felix said and the crawling bugs in my veins and brain saying we should do the opposite. You know, because it’s fun and you’re hot AF all the time.”
Her smirk makes my stress worse, but I will not tell her that. “Aw, Fitzy. You’re so adorable when you pout; if I wasn’t trying like hell to rein in my anxiety, I’d be feeling the same way. This is all new for me, and being naked with you guys distracts me perfectly.”
Count backwards in Khan…. imagine gross things… bite my cheek… something has to help soon.
“Baby Girl, that was evil,” I grumble as my fingers thread with hers. “You know I want to jump your bones any chance I get. This damn room is one of the places I can’t, according to my twin, and my boner is grumpy about it.”
“Fitz…”
I whip my head around to look at my twin with a challenging glare, and Felix rolls his eyes to the ceiling in supplication. “Shut it, bro. This is painfully boring, and I don’t think we’re going to learn a damn thing. How long do we have to wait again?”
“Thirty minutes—which is five minutes shorter than thelast timeyou asked,” Aubrey mutters from behind his newspaper. “Get a grip.”
“I would if she could help,” I shoot back as I slump in my chair. “Or even Chessie, but noooo. I have tobehave.”
Dolly covers her mouth to prevent them from hearing the giggles that bubble up at my snooty, mocking tone on the last word. She knows I’mtryingnot to be a jerk, but I’m definitely trapped in a version of Hell. The broody gargoyle wanted us to be, among other preds, to make certain we don’t get in trouble, but he didn’t mention how insufferable this area would be. It’s clearly only for the very wealthy, and the atmosphere is stiff and quiet. It’s notmy vibe, and that’s making everything worse.
Maybe I could convince my bro to take Baby Girl on a little walkabout with us? Thirty minutes is plenty.
“Don’t even think about it,” Chessie whispers to me. “I know what that look means, baby.”
“Damn it,” I swear as I sink further into my chair. “I’m a big boy; I could take care of myself, you know. Everyone acting like I won’t gut a motherfucker for looking at me wrong….”
My beautiful bunny snuggles into my side, putting her chin on my shoulder as she looks at me. “We should get my Kindle out and go sit in a corner so we can read. You like when we read together, and it calms you down.”
Wrinkling my nose, I suck a deep breath in through my nose as I drown in her blue eyes. It barely takes a moment before the love reflecting at me melts the frustration away. My prior statement about being a ‘big boy’ feels a bit silly since I’m struggling not to be inappropriate in public while my fierce,youngermate is calmly offering to help me wrangle my errant brain. I let the breath out slowly, then smile at her.
“Yes, Baby Girl, I would like that, if you’re willing to baby-sit your fucked up mate when he’s spiraling.”
She frowns, giving me a pissy expression. “Don’t youdaresuggest there’s anything wrong with youoraccepting my help, Fitz Khan, or you’re going on the ‘no-fly zone’ list for a week!”
Swallowing hard, I raise my hands in supplication. “I won’t; I won’t! I’m not missing train sex or any other freaky-fun nookie because I was being a mopey Mo. You made your point and I am one thousand percent on board with whatever you want, Baby Girl.”
Aubrey makes a soft sound like a whip cracking and whirls to glare at the dragon. “Don’t be mad, lunchable. It’s just a novelty watching playboy Fitz turn into a squishy ball of jelly for you. His twin thinks it’s funny, too, and so do the others, but I’m the only one with stones to admit it.”
“Men are fuckingridiculous,” Dolly grumbles as she rises to her feet and holds her hand out to me. “Some days, I want to kiss you breathless and others, I’d be happy to sell you to a damn circus. Come on, Fitzy.”
“I believe they call that ‘love’,ma petite,” Rennie says as he sips his wine and peeks out from behind his book. “Or so the songs say…”
“No.No.No!” Aubrey growls as his paper folds down again so he can make sure we know how annoyed he is. “Donotlet him start the ‘many-splendored thing’Moulin Rougerefrain. I know you just mated, but for all our sakes, walk away to read your dirty books with the hyper tiger.”
“But Flames, youloveme, too,” the gargoyle coos as he bats his lashes.
I’d love to get in on aggravating him, but I’m worried that his assessment of the moody stone man turning into a poetry spouting tenor is probably accurate.
“Zip it—all of you.” Felix stabs a finger at me and our bunny, his expression serious. “The dragon is right; go occupy my brother while we keep the Frenchman from devolving into whatever flowery shit he thinks of next.”
“Sir, yes,Sir!” My mate salutes my twin, and he looks like he wants to paddle the shit out of her for the sass, but he goes back to his phone without another word. She leans in, whispering in my ear. “I can’t help myself, you know. I adore making him grumpy and growly as much as I enjoy getting you riled up.”
If she thinks we don’t know that, she’s out of her adorable, whip-smart little mind.
Time goes quicklyas Dolly and I curl up behind a large chair, away from prying eyes. I like switching off back and forth as we read through the racy books she and the gargoyle love so much. I doubt she could read them as much when she lived with her shithead parents, but between the broody Frenchman and the book-loving librarian, she’s really tearing through shit now. I have to go back and review stuff occasionally because she’s gotten ahead of where we were, but that’s okay. I think it’s a healthy way for her to explore things we might try in real life and not feel embarrassed about her inexperience.
Plus, she smellsdelightfulwhen we read the steamy scenes and even though I can’t do anything now, it’s fucking baller to enjoy.
“Fitzy…”