The drive was short, and she dozed against my shoulder the whole way, her breathing deep and even. When we arrived at the cabin, I carried her inside and straight upstairs to my bed.
We undressed her gently, Lex and I working in practiced coordination. I checked her skin one more time, noting the red marks from the floggers but no broken skin, no unexpected bruising.
“Perfect,” I murmured as I applied some Arnica gel to her skin. “You took it perfectly.”
We tucked her under the covers, but when I started to step back, her hand caught mine.
“Stay,” she mumbled, already half asleep. “Both of you. Please stay.”
“We’re not going anywhere,” Lex assured her.
We stripped down and climbed into bed on either side of her. She immediately curled into me, seeking warmth and contact. Lex pressed against her back, and we surrounded her completely.
“Love you,” she whispered, the words so soft I almost missed them.
My heart stopped. I looked over her head at Lex, saw the same shock and wonder in his eyes.
I tightened my arms around her. “We love you too, baby. So much.”
“So damn much,” Lex echoed.
She smiled, already asleep, completely trusting us to keep her safe.
I looked at Lex again. We’d known this was coming. But hearing her say it, knowing she felt the same way we did, made it real in a way nothing else could.
“She loves us,” I said quietly.
“She does. And we love her.”
“So what do we do now?”
“Now?” Lex smiled. “Now we keep building this. Keep showing her every day how much she means to us. Keep creating something beautiful together.”
I nodded, pressing a kiss to Cami’s hair. “I can do that.”
“So can I.”
We settled in to sleep, Cami safe between us. I stayed awake for a little bit thinking about what it would look like to live in the same space every day. Knowing that it wasn’t safe to try to bring my fantasies into the moment, I couldn’t wait. Eventually, I let the “what-ifs” take me into a wonderful dreamland. One that showed me that the future between the three of us was bright.
I curled into her, burying my face into her neck. This was where I was meant to be.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Cami
I was finishing my coffee when the knock came at the cabin door. Majesty answered it.
“Is Cami here?” a voice barely above a whisper asked.
“Of course. Come in.” Majesty stepped aside, then looked at me. “Baby, Iris is here to see you.”
I set down my mug and moved to greet her. “Hey. How are you doing?” Iris stood on the porch looking small and lost, her eyes red-rimmed from crying.
“Not great.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “Can we talk?”
Lex appeared from the bedroom, already dressed for the day. He took one look at Iris and then at his watch. “Majesty, we need to head out. Observation starts in thirty minutes.”
“I know.” Majesty looked at me. “Cami, stay here with Iris. Take your time. The truck keys are on the counter. Come over when you’re ready, okay?”
