“Come on.” I hold my hand out to her as I pat the nest, and she climbs in.
Milton slides in beside her first, his arm resting along the pillows behind her. Korbin settles on the other side. I take my place at her back, drawing her back against my chest. Her leg brushes mine, her head against my shoulder, and the small point of contact sends a warm flicker through my stomach.
She shifts again, just slightly, like she’s testing how close she’s allowed to be. I lean a fraction closer, letting the reassurance come from my body instead of my words. Her breath catches softly, warming the air against my neck.
You comfortable?I sign, moving my hands in front of her body.
She nods without looking at me.A little nervous.
I smile and lift her just enough to settle her sideways on one of my thighs, close but not fully straddling me. It lets me lean around to catch her expression, and lets Korbin and Milton see her face too. “You don’t need to be nervous with us.”
Milton nudges her leg playfully. “Especially not when we’re behaving ourselves.”
She rolls her eyes and signs while she speaks.You’re never behaving.
Milton clutches his heart like she stabbed him. “That is slander.”
Her laugh is bright, her shoulders shaking against my chest. The sound does something to me, and I clamp down every instinct and thought to mark her right now.
Korbin finally speaks, eyes trained on her. “If you’re nervous, we can put more space between us.”
She looks at him, confused. “Why would I want that?”
He shrugs, mouth twitching. “You get… overwhelmed sometimes.”
Her expression softens. She adjusts her legs so one rests over his ankle and signs deliberately,This is good. I like this.
“She said,” I start to translate, but my brother cuts me off.
“I know what she said. I’ve been studying.” He looks away like he’s pretending that it’s not a big deal.
“You’re studying…for me?” Bayleigh asks.
Korbin nods once. “Yeah. I’m not as good as Lincoln is, but I will be. I want to be able to talk to you whether that’s in English, lip reading, ASL, or gibberish.”
She lunges from my lap and pounces on him smothering his face in kisses.
I swallow, my throat tight, overwhelmed that she makes my little brother happy and he, her. I tap her on the shoulder to get her attention. When she looks at me, I say. “You can lean on me.” I brush my thumb along her hip. “I’ve got you.”
Bayleigh sits up and faces the TV, cuddled between Korbin and me. The show plays, but she’s paying more attention to our hands than the screen. Korbin’s around her waist. Mine resting lightly on her arm. Milton’s against her calf.
Her scent lifts slowly, not heat yet but the beginning of something approaching. Milton notices first. His nostrils flare. His body goes still in that familiar, instinctive way predators freeze when something important is happening.
He glances at me.
I give a small shake of my head. She’s safe. She's just responding to touch.
Bayleigh looks between us and signs quickly,Am I doing something wrong?
“No,” I say immediately. “Everything you’re doing is right.”
She blushes again and leans closer. “I’m trying.”
“You don’t need to try,” I reply, cupping her jaw gently so she sees the truth in my face. “You just have to be here.”
She presses her lips together in a trembling smile, then nestles more firmly against my side. Her fingers slip under the edge of my shirt, resting shyly against my stomach. The touch is small, tentative, but it hits me square in my chest and my dick. Hard.
Milton clears his throat, attempting to be casual but failing miserably. “Want a blanket? You look cold.”
