“Come in,” I call out as I wiggle down further into the bed.
“Hey, Hurricane, I just wanted—what are you doing?”
“I’m snuggling. This bed is so comfortable and so many pillows. It’s like a nest.” I giggle.
He probably thinks I mean a bird’s nest, but that’s only because he’s never read an omegaverse novel. He jumps onto the end of the bed, and I squeal out in protest.
“No boys in the nest!” I yell from under my pillows.
“Not even if I do this!” he yells as he dives under the covers, lifting my shirt and blowing a raspberry on my belly button before capturing a nipple between his teeth.
“Ah, stop,” I tell him playfully. It tickles but also sends tingles from my ears to my toes. Suctioning his mouth around it, he pulls it deep and hard before letting go with apop, making me giggle more.
“I just wanted to say goodnight, but you’re so damn cute.” He climbs up my body until he’s beside me, wrapping his armsaround me. He turns me slightly, my back to his front, his hips pressed against me, his cock wedged between us.
He kisses my neck gently where his chain hangs. Capturing my wrist, he studies the bracelet before he kisses there too.
“Do you think this can work?” I ask him quietly as we cuddle in the dark.
“What, us? I hope so.”
“No, all of this. All of us.” I hide my head a little in the pillow, so my words are slightly muffled. “All three of us. I don’t want to choose. I can’t. It will destroy me.”
His arms tighten around my waist, holding me closer, while being mindful I’m still healing. “I suspect it would kill us too, baby. I can’t speak for Duke, though I have spoken to him quite a bit, and I don’t think either of us is interested in forcing your hand. We may be in a bubble right now, but no one has power over us, except us. Why don’t you talk to Duke about it? For me, I’m as content to share you with him as I can be. I just want you to be happy.”
“Goodnight, Cowboy.”
“Goodnight, Hurricane.”
I don’t feel him crawl out of my bed but when I wake up at one-thirty, Duke leans over me.
“Hey, Sunshine, I just got home, and I wanted a kiss goodnight. Sorry I woke you.”
I smile broadly at him. “I’m happy you came. Lay with me?”
He unbuckles his jeans and pulls them down his legs and pulls his shirt over his head, putting both on a nearby chair, laying his hat on top.
“Scooch,” he tells me, so I make room, and he climbs in, lying on his back. I cuddle into his side. With his long arm wrapped around me, he pulls the back of my shirt up, exposing my skin. We lay together in the quiet with only the bright lightof the moon illuminating us. He draws gentle circles on my flesh, soothing me to sleep.
It’s so opposite lying with Cash, who fidgets and snuggles. Cash is warm and all hard lines that surround me completely. Duke is a little softer but calmer too. He’s perfectly still except his hand on my back. I rest my arm on his abdomen, curling my fingers into the hair there, causing his muscles to bunch and release periodically. It makes me feel whole, complete, to have gotten both of my men in bed with me tonight.
Duke’s rubbing slows, and his breathing deepens. He’s falling asleep and my heart explodes with joy at having him here. Cash cuddling my back would make this better, perfect.
“I love you,” I whisper almost inaudibly into the dark.
He freezes for a minute before pulling me more on top of his body, kissing the top of my head. “I love you, Caroline,” he whispers back, just as quietly.
Again, the differences in our declarations of love are stark, but they feel right, for each man.
The rest of my forced rest week is much the same. Cash has to leave on Saturday morning for the rodeo and won’t be back until Sunday afternoon. I think he’s a little sad he will miss the end of my ‘rigorous activity’ restrictions, but nothing can be done, it’s his job.
We sit and have breakfast together, the three of us, on Saturday morning before Cash leaves. Gathered around the little table, with what seems like piles of dogs at our feet, we feel like the family we’re creating.
“So,” he drags the word out about twenty letters long and Duke rolls his eyes. “It’s been two weeks since you camehome.” The casual use ofhomeas it refers to all of us makes my heart sing. “How do you feel?”
“Perfect. Good as new. Well, almost. I’m not going riding anytime soon but for the most part, I feel so much better.” It’s been four weeks since the incident and my body has bounced back.
“Speaking of riding.” He side-eyes me. “While I’m riding bulls, you two kids have fun.” He grins, cheeky.
