"Still sore?" he asked.
"I'm going to church in the morning," I said, avoiding his question. "And tomorrow, Luke is going to ask you to go riding. You'll go, you will have fun, and you'll spend some time with that cowboy."
Cy just walked over and grabbed the ankles of my jeans. "Ass up, pretty boy."
Obediently, I lifted my ass off the bed, refusing to wince as my ribs flexed. Cy pulled, sliding my pants down. Then he leaned in to hook my underwear. Those came off too, revealing my half-hard dick. The asshole had the nerve to lick his lips, and then he turned back for the door, clearly to lock it.
"You are not yet cleared for sex," he told me. "So get that ass in bed, otherwise I might make a bad decision."
I slid up toward the pillows. "I mean, I'm sure I could survive a blow job."
"Bed, Ash," Cy ordered, even as he pulled off his own shirt.
"Where the hell do you think I am?" I shot back. "This?" And I patted the mattress beside me. "It's clearly a bed, and you are losing clothes much too slowly."
Cy ducked his head and chuckled. "Luke got you going, huh? Expect me to do something about that?"
I reached behind me to move the blankets. "Actually, I told him to take you out." Then I worked myself under the covers.
Cy wrenched open his jeans and let them drop to the floor. The man was facing me, well aware that my eyes would drop. The smile I got for that, however, made it worth it. The view? Even better. He stood there without shame, his dick growing harder before my eyes even as he casually leaned against the footboard of the bed.
"I forgave him, you know. This morning, when he agreed not to do anything stupid." His eyes shifted to the far wall. "When he promised me I wouldn't be left here alone."
"You love him?" I asked.
Cy shook his head. "I'm not ready for that word."
"Close?"
"Yeah," he breathed.
"Good," I said, crooking a finger to call him closer. "Turn off the light and give me something to curl up against."
He flicked the switch and then claimed his spot, turning on his side to face me. "It was always supposed to be the two of you. Ash, I always knew that where Violet went, you'd follow, but that? When he said he'd stay here with me while you two did your dumb-ass shit?"
I rolled onto my bad side to face him. "We had to make sure Faith never had to worry about what could've happened. What she's been through is bad enough."
"I know," Cy breathed, reaching up to brush my hair back. "That's why I'm not pissed at you for it. But it only helps so much, Ash. I can't stop thinking that all it will take is one little thing and the two of you will be gone again. Luke?" His hand paused. "What if he stays?"
"Then you'll know that Violet will eventually come back, and I'll always follow her," I breathed.
"Yeah, kinda what I thought." And he leaned in to find my mouth. "He pulls her, she pulls you, you pull me. The only question is what pulls him?"
"Faith," I said. "That kid is running this show and has no idea. Cy, I adore her."
"She's not having an easy time of this," he admitted. "She feels dirty and she doesn't even know how to say it."
I nodded. "Go riding with Luke tomorrow. I'll have some clothes time with the kid."
"She doesn't want to go to school," he said.
I just palmed the side of his face. "You are going to be an amazing dad, you know that? She'll be fine, Cy. We'll make sure of it. The first step is convincing her that she'll look good. The second is teaching her how to rise above it. I happen to know two people who are damned good at it."
"You and Violet," he realized.
I just nodded. "Yeah. We accepted that Luke comes with the kid. The thing is, we also happen tolikethat kid."
"Can't we send her to a private school?" Cy asked.
