Page 6 of Treasured By 3

“You’re not working?” I ask.

“I’m training only now. I’m no longer security,” he says.

I squeal and jump into his arms, hugging him tight. I breathe him in and sigh. “That means so much to me, Lief. It does.”

He rubs my back and kisses my temple. “I’m glad. I’m being safe for you.”

“He says until someone touches my ass,” I tease.

“Who touched your ass?” Lief growls. “I’ll ...”

“Hunter already broke their hand. I pulled a knife on the other one. You sharpened it well. It cut right through his jeans.”

Lief radiates pride as we get back on the dance floor. I dance with him, then Chase picks me up and spins me. He kisses me and I pull him close. “I’ve missed you, baby boy. Stop working so much.”

“I know. I have all of tomorrow off ... mostly. I’m excited to defile the venues with you, do some cake tasting, and make sure this wedding happens in a few months,” Chase says against my mouth.

I kiss him again. My guys and I party like we’re all twenty-one. We drink too much, get far too handsy for public, dance and enjoy the club until it closes.

THREE

Chase

I rubmy forehead in the morning. I’m not twenty anymore. Not even close. I smell bacon and roll, expecting to have Valerie and Hunter in bed. Nope. I’ve been cuddling Lief instead of Valerie.

He’s so dead to the world that he’s snoring. Hunter groans, curses about it being too light, then jerks the curtains closed.

I try to massage the pounding in my head away. “Fuck, how late?”

“Three a.m. ... no. We got some kind of drive through on the way home. My car is still at the club,” Hunter groans. “Four ... that’s when we got in bed.”

I lift the sheet to make sure I still have boxers on. Boxers and my pants ... well, one leg of my pants. Lief’s dressed, but is missing a shoe. Hunter’s got boxers on. I get up, wave through the nausea, and shake my head.

“Don’t get up, loves,” Valerie says. “I’m bringing breakfast in bed.”

“You’re a saint. Saint Valerie,” Hunter groans. “But turn down the smile. You’re too perky.”

“Of course I’m perky, we’re going to the venues today and doing cake-tasting!” She almost cheers.

Lief is still completely out. I pick at the toast, take the meds she offers, and the coffee. The more I eat, the better I feel. I can see Hunter feels the same. Then I realize why. There’s Irish cream in our coffee.

Hunter sighs. “She is a saint.”

I chuckle. Valerie returns with food and coffee for Lief and sighs. “Sleeping beauty.”

“You’re the one who has to kiss him,” I say, edging away from the giant.

Valerie takes that spot and brushes Lief’s hair back from his face. She kisses the corner of his mouth, but he doesn’t wake. His head turns slightly to the side, and he rubs the spot she kissed. She narrows her eyes.

“Lief, intruder alert!” She yells.

He starts, jumps up, and looks around. He groans and stretches. “Where?”

“You’re the intruder. You swatted at my kiss,” she says with a pout.

He rubs her cheek. “You don’t deserve my morning breath.”

She hands him his coffee, and he sighs. “Thank you. That’s the best sleep I’ve had in so long.”

---