Page 25 of Theirs

Chapter 8

Lunch is easy. Ben ordered us pre-made lunch and dinners from his personal chef. All we have to do is follow the heating instructions on the tin pans. This one appears to be some brisket for us to heat up, with some BBQ sauce and buns to go with. I get the oven set up to pre-heat, while Mac fixes a salad for all of us. We’re quiet as we work around each other in the kitchen, but I smile when he comes up behind me and runs a finger down my spine.

“Are you sore?” MacKenna whispers against my ear.

I smile and shake my head. “Not really. It’s... a pleasant ache.”

He places a kiss on my cheek. “Good.”

We put the brisket in the oven, and Mac sets a timer on his fancy smartwatch for us, before we head upstairs to sit with the guys. All eyes are on me when we come upstairs.

Mac wraps an arm around my shoulder. “I believe you owe Benjamin an apology,” he tells me. “Go say you’re sorry and then sit on his lap.”

“What?” I ask, almost appalled.

Mac doesn’t say a word, he doesn’t have to. The stern look on his face says there’s no room for negotiation. He takes his aviators from where they’re perched on the top of my head, and covers his eyes with them.

I walk over to Ben, like a dog with their tail between their legs. I didn’t realize how my earlier actions might have hurt him. I was being a brat, and I think Mac knows just how to deal with little brats like me.

I clear my throat. “Benjamin, I apologize for acting like a brat earlier and disrespecting you. I appreciate you bringing us out on your yacht for the weekend. I let my own insecurities get the best of me. I shouldn’t have yelled at you.”

When I turn around to Mac to make sure I followed his orders, he gives me a nod of approval.

Ben spreads his legs, so I can sit down on his lap. “I accept your apology, baby.”

I lean against him, resting my head in the crook of his neck. “I don’t want you guys to think that I’m some girl who wants you for what you can give me. I don’t care if you have a yacht, five cars, vacation homes... I care about how you make me feel. That you respect me as a woman, as a human.”

“How do we make you feel?” Ben asks, pressing a kiss to my cheek.

“Absolutely insane,” I let out a soft chuckle. “But in the best way. I crave you, Benjamin. I crave getting texts from you during the week, my heart races thinking about bumping into you on the street. You have no idea how many times I’ve wanted to invite you over.”

A shadow comes over us, and I expect to see Mac standing there, ready to give me more directions. Instead, it’s Alex. Colin lingers behind him beside the stairs that go into the cabin. Always watching.

“I should probably apologize to you, Teagan,” he says, running a hand over his hair. “I was out of line for what I said in the kitchen. I shouldn’t have assumed that just because I saw and heard you guys, that you would—it was stupid. I should have kept my mouth shut. I truly am a spoiled asshole who let someone from his past put a sour taste for women in my mouth. My ex-wife did a real number on me.”

“Not all women are gold diggers, Alexander,” I tell him. “I grew up in a family with just as much money as you probably have, and I left that lifestyle because I would rather be poor and know my worth, than be a trophy for someone.”

He nods in understanding. “I get that now.”

“Well, now that we’ve all made up,” Mac says, sitting down next to us. “Let’s try not to kill each other the rest of the weekend, and enjoy this little break from our jobs.”

“Colin, why don’t you and I go set the table,” Alex says. “We’ll handle the rest of lunch.”

Mac gives him a nod, like he somehow gets to decide everyone’s roles after he punished me in front of them earlier. I wonder if he’s like this in every aspect of his life. Probably. I hate that he thinks he can control everything, but I also love that he’s taking charge and making all of us work out our differences.

Alex and Colin head down below, and Mac gives me a soft smile. Ben hasn’t taken his eyes or hands off of me. As upset as I was from what Alex said, I don’t think I wanted to actually let go of what I feel for Ben... what I now feel for Colin and Mac. But they’re all friends, Alex is going to have to set aside his hate for women if he wants his friends to be happy.

“Have you ever been punished?” Mac asks, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I shake my head. “Not like that. Not sexually.”

He reaches over and smoothes my hair back, like he’s petting me. “Did you like it?”

“Surprisingly, yes,” I admit. “I liked how you took care of me after too.”

He nods, and leans in, kissing me deep, right in front of Ben, while I’m still on Ben’s lap.

I gasp against his mouth, but when he pulls away, I crave him. Ben turns my chin to look at him, and he kisses me as well. Ben’s kiss lasts so much longer, that I twist in his lap and straddle him. I feel the bulge below his trunks, and I can’t help but grind against it, earning a groan from Ben. I can’t feel as much as I want with clothes between us, but I can tell Ben is pretty endowed.

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