It somehow seemed right to hold it in his hand while lamenting about Park—someone else who clearly knew nothing about him. Apparently by choice. Gift spun the toy in his hand, twirling it behind his back, letting it go before catching it in his other palm, then repeating the motion. It was a good toy for fidgeting. And right now, Gift was having a hard time standing still.
“It was a rookie mistake,” Dove said around a sigh.
“But he kissed you, so there’s that,” Morgan added with a shrug.
Dove nodded, sitting cross-legged on Gift’s bed, weaving sections of Morgan’s hair into a complicated braid that made the already intimidating girl look like some kind of female warrior.
The kiss. Gift’s fingers clenched around the handle of the toy at the thought of it. Park had been so soft with him, his warm lips sliding over Gift’s. Kissing him had felt like all his atoms had rearranged themselves to fit with Park’s. His tongue had been so soft yet so demanding.
But then it changed.
Then Park was gripping him hard enough to bruise, teeth biting down on his plump lower lip, their breaths so loud in the quiet of the room. That kiss—that moment—had been something else altogether. Something…evolutionary. Animalistic almost. Like Park had wanted to claim him.
Gift’s free hand rose to his lips then fell when Drake snickered at him. “Damn, what did that man do to you in the common room?”
Gift spared him a glance, rolling his eyes when he noted Drake was shirtless. He really was an attention whore.
Finally, his attention fell to Payton, who lay reclined on his bed, phone in hand, playing a game. “Aren’t you going to say anything?” Gift asked, his voice one decibel short of a whine.
Payton flicked his gaze towards him then sighed, setting his phone on the side table. “What is there to say? You’ve already got him on the ropes and it’s only day two. Seems like he’s just been looking for an excuse to get you naked. At this rate, you could have him punching your v-card by the weekend.”
Gift’s hand stuttered at the thought, almost dropping the heavy toy clenched in his fingers. The idea of Park inside him was almost too delicious to bear in mixed company. He’d spent so many nights fantasizing about what that would be like that having it within reach made him dizzy.
“If you’re gonna do that, doll face, can you at least turn the light off? I’m starting to feel like I’m at a rave,” Dove asked, pointing to the lightsaber in his hand.
Gift looked at it like he’d never seen it before, then sighed, switching it off and returning it to the closet, before crawling into bed with Payton, assuming the little spoon position. He needed to be squeezed, just a little bit. Knowing that him being in bed with Payton would likely give Park an aneurysm was just a bonus.
“You don’t think I ruined everything?” Gift asked.
“Are you kidding?” Payton asked, the humor in his voice obvious. “He said he’d give you a single kiss and then mauled you. Have you seen the hickeys on your neck? You still have the upper hand here.”
“Yeah,” Morgan said. “Some guys like crazy.”
Drake snorted, reaching for his phone when it vibrated. “You’d know.”
She gave him a hard once-over, turning up her nose. “You wish,” she said dismissively.
Drake fixed her with a flat stare. “No, I don’t. I like my conquests less crazy and more…” He trailed off, as if searching for the right word.
“Docile?” Gift supplied.
Dove nodded. “Gullible?”
“Willing to take scraps?” Payton asked.
“You guys are all just haters,” Drake said, stretching his big body until his feet hung off the edge of the bed, eyes returning to his phone screen.
Dove frowned. “Speaking of gullible whipping boys, where’s Remi tonight? Doing your homework? Baking you brownies? Flogging himself in adulation?”
Morgan frowned. “Yeah, usually, he’s your shadow. Did he finally come to his senses and realize he’s way too good for the likes of you?”
Drake snorted. “Nobody is too good for me.” When they all just continued to stare, he rolled his eyes, exasperated. “I gave him the night off. He went out with the other handlers.”
“Oh, interesting,” Payton said, tone implying he had dirt.
Gift let his eyes close, his body absorbing Payton’s warmth like he was lying in the sun. “Why’s that?” he asked, never wanting to miss an opportunity to mess with Drake.
Payton chuckled just behind Gift’s ear, sending little shivers along his skin. Park’s lips had been there just a few minutes ago. Gift’s lower body stirred, and he was grateful he was the little spoon so Payton couldn’t see how embarrassingly hard he got with even the slightest thought of Park.
