“Speak for yourself, physician,” Maddox mumbled into his pillow. “Perhaps then I’d get a decent night of sleep.”
Rowan rolled his eyes.
“What else happened?” I grabbed his hand. “Did the captain give you your first mission? Something super mysterious and sneaky?”
“Your excitement is too damn precious.” He toyed with my hair again. “I’m meeting Draven tomorrow. He’ll show me the ropes and then set me loose, letting me do what I do best.”
“And what would that be?” Maddox asked. “Annoying everyone with that mouth of yours?”
“Oh, Captain,” Rowan said, using the honeyed tone he knew pissed Maddox off. “I reserve that only for you.”
I fought a grin. Smiling would only encourage him. He was such a butt sometimes. Both of them were.
Lake smacked Rowan’s leg with his poofy tail.
“Why do you abuse me like this, pup? You should be hitting him. He started it.”
“Don’t make me finish it,” Maddox said.
“I could take you down with ease. You’re big but slow.”
Another light whack of Lake’s tail.
“Ow,” Rowan muttered. “Your men are so mean to me, little treasure.”
A rough sound rumbled in Lake’s chest. His unique laugh.
“As obnoxious as I may find it, you’re one of his men too, thief,” Maddox said. “And you’re part of our family. Never think otherwise.”
His words proved he actually did care about Rowan despite earlier remarks suggesting the opposite.
“Aw, Captain.” Rowan rested his chin on his hand, still kneeling by the bed. “Those are the sweetest words you’ve ever said to me. My black heart is all aflutter.”
Maddox found my hand beneath the pillow, weaving our fingers together. I smiled. He was my big and grumpy muffin-loving knight. One I’d be lost without.
With my free hand, I poked Rowan’s nose. “This calls for a celebration. Name anything you want for breakfast, and it’s yours.”
“Anything?” He grabbed me by the nape and brought our faces closer. “Making food for me is fine and all, but I can think of one thing you can do now that’ll be even better.” His raspy voice was like a sensuous whisper across my skin. “Unless you’re too tired.”
“Tired? Never heard of it.”
He laughed and crawled into bed, gliding his hand up my stomach.
It was the first time we’d all been in bed together. Rowan might’ve popped in for a few minutes some nights, but he never joined us during sex. How long it would last, I wasn’t sure, but when his lips claimed mine, I moaned and surrendered to him.
To all of them.
Chapter Nine
A Smutty Interlude (With a Sprinkle of Plot)
The best way to celebrate was with a bang.
Maddox’s fingertips dug into my hips as he fucked me from behind, grazing his teeth down my neck. I straddled Briar, and he lifted his hips in sync with Maddox’s thrusts, both of them moving inside of me.
The handsome physician may have been sleepy earlier, but he was awake and at full attention now.
Lake stood on his knees beside me, shirtless but still wearing his trousers. He feathered kisses along my collar bone and trailed his hand down my belly, taking hold of my bobbing erection.
