“OK,” I whisper because that’s all I can get out past my lips. No booming voice, no authoritative barks or growls. This woman steals the noise and bluster and replaces it with calm. Awe. Love.
She washes me gently, reverently, moving to my front, her hands running over the coarse hair on my chest, my belly. She hesitates at my hard cock and I swallow, wanting to push an apology past my lips but my little mouse surprises me. Her hands run over my cock, drawing a hiss from me before they slide back up until they rest on my shoulders. She looks up at me, water hanging off her long, auburn lashes, her pulse making the thin skin of her pale throat flutter. My hands move to cup her face and her eyes close at the contact, her head dipping forward until her forehead rests on my pec and her lips press a butterfly kiss to my chest, right over my heart.
I can’t take anymore, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her into me tightly, curling around her as the dam breaks and tears roll down my cheeks. I could have lost my Prez tonight, my brother, my family. Joy soaks in all in, the pain, the fear, the relief, holding me until I feel clean.
“Joy, I know, shit, um, look. I know that you just got out of a shitty relationship and you’re growing and gaining your independence and you’re kicking Niko in the balls and doing all sorts of badass shit and the timing is terrible because you have a pedophile fucker trying to get to your daughter, but fuck. I don’t want you to think I’m rushing you, all I want is a little of your time. Just your time.” I take a deep breath as my voice breaks slightly. “I, shit, I- I like you. So much.” Well, there goes me playing it cool. Just being friends and waiting for her to be ready for me. Fuuuuck.
She tips her head back, blinking slowly, eyes fucking huge in her face. Once. Twice. Three times she blinks before a shy smile curls her lips up at the edges. “I like you too. So much.”
She steps out of the shower and yeah, I notice her body. She’s small, my woman, her curves slight, but she’s breathtakingly beautiful. Not because she has a beautiful face and body, which she does, but because she has a beautiful heart. There is no reason for her to trust a big, heaving ginger giant like myself after what she went through, but she does. She does and that makes me feel ten fucking feet tall.
She peeks up at me before wrapping me in a towel, thinking of me before she does the same. Wrapping her small body up in the fluffy white towels Mama Debs likes to keep stocked in the rooms. A small smile plays at her lips as she dries herself and tries to not let her eyes flick to me and my movements, but I catch her every time. I like this peekaboo game, and as much as I want it to continue, I’m fucking exhausted and I know that Joy will want to get to Kit. To hold her in her arms safe and sound after what happened here today.
“Get dressed babe, then we’ll go get our girl.”
Her auburn brows fly up her face, before she softens, leans toward me and presses another butterfly kiss to my bicep, resting her cheek against me for a split second.
“OK.”
Chapter 11
Joy
“Mommy, moooommy,” A little voice says in a voice just a little louder than a whisper. “Mommy.”
I groan a little, stretching out my legs and toes before turning toward Kit who is lying next to me with a huge grin on her face.
“Mr. Switch looked after us in the night Mommy so we didn’t have to be scared!” She says, then giggles into her hands, her bright blue eyes sparkling with excitement.
My brows pinch. I have no idea what she’s talking about. After I collected Kit last night, Switch kissed both our heads and swaggered off to check in with his brothers.
“I’m not sure -”
“He did! Look mommy!” Kit says pointing over my shoulder.
Snapping my head and rolling slightly, I see him. There, slumped in a chair far too small for his frame, is my slumbering giant. The morning light on him makes his hair almost rose gold in color, his beard glowing as his strong jaw rests on his shoulder. He’s beautiful. Breathtakingly beautiful. Willing my eyes to check the time on my phone I realize it’s too early to be up.
“It’s early, go back to sleep, baby,” I whisper to Kit, rolling her over in my arms until her little back is pressed against mine and her breaths even out.
I look over my shoulder again before slipping out of the bed and padding over to Switch.
“Switch,” I whisper low, placing a hand on his hard chest, his steady heart beat thumping a steady rhythm under my palm. “Switch, wake up, you can't sleep here all night.”
His eyes flutter open and my breath catches as I’m caught in his bright blue gaze. “What’s wrong?” he says in a panty melting voice, rough with sleep.
“You sleeping in a tiny chair is what’s wrong. You’ll hurt your neck.”
He searches my eyes before running a hand down his face. “I don’t feel right sleeping anywhere else. Not while there’s still danger out there. I need to be close,” he murmurs so low I almost struggle to hear him.
Standing, my hands start wringing and I know that I’m going to do something brave. Switch needs this, but so do I. I pad back to the bed, settling in behind Kit, and then hold the blankets open in invitation as I hold Switch’s gaze over my shoulder.
“Joy,” he whispers on an exhale. “It’s, shit, are you sure?” he asks, hesitating but his feet still carry him to the side of the bed where he looks down at me and Kit.
“In my world it takes more trust to lie next to someone, t - to sleep next to someone than it does to have sex with them.” I swallow thickly. “I trust you not to hurt me, Switch.”
“Reid,” he grunts out. “My name is Reid.”
We hold each other's gaze for what feels like a lifetime. “I trust you, Reid.”
