He doesn’t say anything as he settles into his chair again. He also doesn’t look at any of us. Once he’s still, he stares at nothing for a minute. Then he reaches to the table in front of him, and we hear a quietclink. When he pulls his hand away, the engagement ring he gave Jeannette is sitting on the table, glinting in the light from the chandeliers overhead.
Oh no.
I feel like I need to say something, but as I watch Dad, I’m not sure what to say. He doesn’t look at anyone at first, but then he raises his eyes and takes us all in with a small, half smile. His eyes land on Levis’ empty chair for a minute before he goes back to his plate.
He doesn’t eat. No one does as we trynotto stare anymore. Like me, I think everyone is watching Dad from the corner of their eyes. Unsure what to do. Or say. Or think. I refuse to ask what happened. If Dad wants to talk about it, he will. I think dropping the engagement ring on the table is announcement enough.
After a moment, he pushes his chair back. “Excuse me,” he says. “Please eat.” We watch as he secures a button on his suit jacket and leaves the room.
Even after he’s been gone for a minute, we stare after him. Emerson points at Dad’s chair and looks up at his parents.
Uncle Noaz shakes their head. “Granddad needs a minute,” they say. “Eat, okay?”
Emerson may only be a year old, but he knows something’s up. Probably because the twenty adults surrounding him aren’t making any sounds. Neither are the seven wolf dogs gathered around the table.
“You think Dad needs something?” Ellory asks quietly.
No one answers for a moment.
“I think we need to let him deal with it on his own for tonight, at least,” Myro says. “I don’t think anyone wants to be bombarded right after…” He looks at the ring Dad left on the table.
Right after a breakup. Because he has the ring back, does that mean that she broke it off? Isn’t that how it works? Depending on who breaks it off determines who gets the ring, right?
I rest my hand on Brek’s leg under the table. It’s not a good feeling to think that Dad is upset. He wasn’t in love with Jeannette. We know that. He said as much. To me, to my brothers, this engagement sounded more like a business merger.
But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t something more. It doesn’t mean that he didn’t care about her. He very well could be upset. Which means I feel a little guilty for wanting her out of the picture. Dad deserves love, and no one could convince me that he loved her.
Maybe I was wrong, though. Maybe he did love her. Clearly, he’s upset.
20
BREK
My moans soundloud in my ears. Heat like I’ve never known before makes me burn from the inside. Every limb shakes. The shaking becomes almost violent every time Voss sucks, especially when he curls his fingers too.
I love this feeling. Even though my mind swims with nothing but hot, consuming arousal, a quiet voice in my head says,This is the best feeling in the world. It’s my libido that’s only ever awake when Voss is around. Not every time he’s around, but never when he’snot. It’s like the finger analogy—all thumbs are fingers, but not all fingers are thumbs.
Fingers seem an appropriate thing to liken this to since three of Voss’ are deep in my ass and tormenting my prostate. I think it’s only his fingers inside me that have me still standing upright. I’m propped against the shower wall, but my legs tremble so harshly that I should be on the ground. They can’t possibly be holding my weight.
Between my cock in Voss’ mouth, his fingers shoved in my ass, and his other hand resting along my torso, it’s definitely him keeping me upright. Him alone.
My eyes roll back as he sucks hard. My knees buckle, and I make a choking sound. Maybe because my head is slung back and the shower water is going to drown me. I might be choking on that.
I’m nearly there. So close to coming. So damn close to losing my mind.
When he sucks me like a vacuum, I determine that it’s his intent to get me off right now, so I let it happen. I come with a strangled cry.
My load emptying in Voss’ mouth doesn’t slow him down. His mouth tightens as he swallows, and I shudder. He continues to milk me, sucking every drop until there’s nothing left and I’m whimpering. I don’t know whether it’s his fingers rubbing incessantly against the goods or his mouth earning a damn medal, but it’s good. So, so good.
As soon as he lets me go, I slide down the cold tile wall into a puddle. Voss chuckles. “You’re good for the ego.”
The sound that comes out of my mouth isn’t human. Some weird combination of syllables. He chuckles again as he gently pets my face.
“Feel good, Brek? You like that?”
I nod, still feeling like I’m in a daze. Yeah. Feels good.
“You’re so hot when I’ve turned you to mush.”
