Page 23 of Room Twenty-Seven: Theirs to Punish

“Come on,” Bane urges. “We won't bite. Hard.”

She rolls her eyes—but jumps in. We're all applauding when she surfaces, and she splashes us in response. Soon, we’re all splashing each other, and I can't help but think this is the happiest I've been in as long as I can remember.

It's like we're kids again, playing Marco Polo while she tries to find us with her eyes closed. “Who was that?” she calls out, laughing, when I grab her tits before swimming away.

“No cheating!” Nik warns her. I'm not the only one who feels younger and happier today. I don't think I've ever seen him this lighthearted in all the time we've known each other. Like an invisible weight has lifted off his shoulders. I wonder if he even knew he was carrying it.

Just like I didn't know what I was missing out on until now. Until she miraculously stepped into my life, into all of our lives. I know if I told her what a difference she's already made, she would never believe me. She's not that kind of girl. A long time ago, somebody must have told her she wasn't worth much. Come to think of it, from what I know about her mother, I can easily believe that. She was only as good as what she could do for that woman. How much money she could help her scam. Nobody ever told her that she’s perfect the way she is. That she is beautiful and funny and sweet. She's brave, too, and tough. She was willing to do whatever it took to survive. I have to respect that. And knowing she fought so hard for so long makes the time we spend together that much better. If I had it my way, she would never have to fight again. She would never be alone.

Pump the brakes.I met this girl two days ago, and I'm practically planning our future.

“Hello?” She waves a hand in front of my face, pulling me out of my thoughts. “I caught you.”

“You did. Guess I spaced out for a minute.” She pushes away from my body before I can grab her, backstroking effortlessly. Fuck, she is exquisite, and for a while, it's enough for the three of us to simply watch her body cut through the water. The sight of her perky tits and the rosy nipples that tip them makes my mouth dry and my heart thud. I can't pull my eyes away from her, and before I know it, I've taken hold of my dick underwater.

All of a sudden, I want very much to get her wet, but it has nothing to do with the pool.

A loud, jangling noise breaks the spell, and the three of us look around until I realize it's my phone, ringing in the pocket of my sweats. “Fuck me,” I groan as I swim to the edge and hoist myself out of the water. I should have known better than to think I could forget the world for a day.

“Yeah?” I bark into the phone while the splashing and playing continue behind me.

“Luke?” Right away, I recognize the voice of Patricia, my assistant. “Where are you? We have a big problem.”

Her voice is shaking, and she's breathless, and I turn my back on the pool to focus on her. “What's wrong?”

“We've got major glitches with the new stock forecast software.” She sniffles. “I'm sorry, but I just got seriously bitched out by one of the guys over there. I don't know what the hell to do.”

Fuck. I designed the software, and it’s glitching in the first week of use. This is what I get for tuning out for a day. “Call them back, tell them I'm on it. I'll be there as soon as I can. Just stay calm.”

“Please, hurry,” she pleads before I end the call. I have half a mind to tell them not to verbally abuse my assistant. I don't give a shit if they're a big client or not. A bunch of hotshot, silver-spoon broker bros.

“Everything okay?” Bane calls out while I pull my clothes on.

“I need to go into the office for a little bit.”

“Oh, really?” Lilly’s disappointment makes me grind my molars because I'm disappointed, too, but I can’t ignore this.

“I'll be back as soon as I can.” It doesn't feel like enough; I shouldn't leave without kissing her. But that's ridiculous since I hardly know her.

I hardly recognize myself anymore. Maybe it's for the best that I leave now and get my mind off her for a bit.

Something tells me that no matter what happens, she'll always be there in the background, making me wish I could turn away from my responsibilities and focus on her.

11

Lilly

“I feel bad.Luke will probably be hungry when he gets home.”

“I'm hungry now,” Nik points out, and Bane nods in agreement. I'm hungry, too, but it feels wrong to cook dinner together when he's still at work dealing with whatever problem took him away so suddenly. It's been an amazing day, a day I hope never ends, but I've missed his presence. How could I miss his presence when I barely know him? It hardly seems right.

But that's my brain telling me those things. My brain wants me to be smart and make the right decisions without letting myself get too wrapped up in these guys. And it makes sense, of course. They have amazing and interesting and busy lives of their own—at least, they would be busy if it wasn't for me today. Maybe they needed the time off after working so hard, I don't know. I only know it couldn't always be like this.

I can't afford to get caught up in the fantasy. Not long term. People leave, people move on, that's just the way life is. I would only be setting myself up for pain if I thought there could be more than a few fun, memorable experiences.

I need to learn to appreciate the way things are here and now, so I force myself to stop thinking about tomorrow or even later tonight in favor of finishing the salad I'm putting together while the chicken roasts in the oven along with a tray of potatoes and vegetables. The heavenly aroma of lemon and garlic fills the air until my mouth waters.

“Would you like some wine?” Bane reaches into the wine fridge built into the island in the center of the kitchen. The apartment is laid out exactly like Nik’s, but the difference in their personalities shines through. Nik’s apartment is sleek, with modern furniture and very little clutter, if any. Bane, on the other hand, has a lot of things. Books, mostly, mementos, and an impressive collection of wines. I nod eagerly at the thought of a crisp Chardonnay to go along with the roasted chicken.

---