I kiss the back of her head, not caring about the conditioner on my lips. “No apologies. Just hold still for us. We’ll get you cleaned up.”
Eli is a tense, distracted mess as he washes the conditioner out of her hair. I can only imagine the memories this kicks up for him. Knox’s hands shake as he washes between her thighs, her glistening slick shimmering as it rushes down the shower drain.
I lean my head back against the stone wall behind me, my hand mindlessly massaging her hips, trying to keep them busy. Trying to do anything but pin her down and claim her as mine.
“Haven’t had a cramp since getting into the shower,” Lia whispers.
“Good,” I rumble, my own voice sounding foreign to my ears, “that’s good. Means the tea’s finally kicking in.”
“Here,” Knox says, his voice choked off, “take another sip.”
He pauses his cleaning efforts to hold the covered cup up to her lips. She takes a few sips before her head falls back against my chest.
While the other guys are working to get her clean, I do the only thing I can with my instincts on full display like this.
I let my scent loose.
“Easy,” I murmur into her ear. “We’ve got you. Just relax. You’re safe with us.”
“Ooooh,” she groans as the smell of warm earth and aging wine wraps around all of us, “I love the way you smell.”
My cock kicks at her words. “You want theirs, too, beautiful?”
“Yes,” she whimpers. “Please.”
Within moments, Eli’s scent of citrus and honey and Knox’s scent of rain and mocha fills the space along with my own. It should be an odd mixture, and yet it brings a sense of calm to me.
Loneliness has hung over me for almost two decades. Our scents, intermingled with hers, chase it all away in seconds.
I close my eyes and relish it.
By the time we get her rinsed off and wrapped into one of my towels, her demeanor has improved. She still hasn’t complained of a cramp and the flushed color of her skin is receding back to the milky glow of her natural hue.
I lift her up, not caring about the water the three of us are dripping all over my floors as we head to the back deck.
I turn on fans as we go.
Water dries. It’s not that big of a deal.
“Ready for a hot soak?” Eli asks as he gets in first.
“Oh, I can feel it already,” Lia moans as I pass her off to Eli.
Knox leans in and murmurs. “Should I go get that third cup? Just in case?”
I watch Eli get her settled into the steam, and Lia’s sigh makes me smile.
“We can get it if she needs it, but she seems steady right now,” I say as I usher my hand toward the hot tub. “In you go.”
With a nod, Knox climbs up and in. The jets are bubbling, roiling the water as steam curls into the tempered privacy panels.
The warm white light casts a soft glow over the water, and I press a button, changing the hot tub’s light from that same warm white to a soothing blue.
“Your place is fancy,” Lia mutters.
I chuckle as I get myself into the hot tub. “I do enjoy the finer things, yes.”
I hate that I even have to keep my cell phone close. I slide it into a waterproofed cover I keep stored along the edge of the hot tub.
