Page 38 of Stroke of Luck

“It might help to give me something to do… then I won’t need to cause so much trouble to stay entertained,” I suggest.

“That is a problem we can deal with tomorrow. Now go to sleep,” Othello orders.

Not feeling all that tired, I decide to try and stir up some trouble, but Remo comes back to bed and twists me around to face him. “Coniglietto, be good.”

Their plan to get me to comply is to snuggle me to death, trapping my arms and legs with their bodies. As much as I hate to admit it, it’s totally working, and I fall asleep quickly.

* * *

When I roll over, I snuggle into a warm body, refusing to admit that it’s morning. Fingers massage my scalp, making it even easier to dismiss the need to move from where I am.

“Stellina, I think it’s about time you wake up. It’s almost ten o’clock, and the others are getting restless in their hunger,” Giorgi coaxes, getting me to open one eye to look at him.

He looks adorable as ever with mussed hair, no shirt, and wearing sexy as fuck grey sweatpants. “No, I am a creature of the night. Mornings are not my friend,” I growl at him.

Giorgi chuckles as he pulls me out from under the covers to sit in his lap. “Enzo warned us that you’re not a morning person, I just didn’t believe him that it was this bad. How have you survived life all these years?”

“Never committing to doing anything before noon,” I grumble, tucking myself against him.

“Oh no, I’m not going to let you fall back asleep just because you’re incredibly cute and snuggly right now. Everyone refuses to have breakfast without you, and I think they might die if they have to wait any longer,” Giorgi scolds, standing and pulling me out of bed to set me on my own feet. “Everything you need is put away in the closet, if you didn’t see it last night.”

I let out a whine and stomp my feet like a two year old, making sure he knows how upset I am about not being able to stay in bed longer. When I don’t get moving, he gives me a swat on my bare ass, making me yelp. “What the hell, man?!”

“Othello and Remo might have let it slip how well you respond to that particular form of motivation.” Giorgi grins.

Tossing my hair over one shoulder, I glare at him, marching off to get dressed. It isn’t until I stand there looking at my clothes that I realize that I’ve done what he said after he spanked me.

“Let’s wait and see how they like it when I return the favor,” I mutter, grabbing clothes at random, not caring what I put on.

When I catch a glimpse of myself in the large full-length mirror, I smirk at how cute I look. Loose black and white striped joggers, a cropped Lincoln Park t-shirt, and an oversized grey patchwork sweater that goes to the floor. I see a pair of slippers that I know are Othello’s, but I figure at this point I can start considering things as “ours” and slip them on.

“Damn, stellina. I think you could put on anything and look hot.” Giorgi smiles as he leans down to give me a kiss, but I block him.

“We are so not at the point to suck face without me brushing my teeth first.” I laugh as he pouts, reluctantly letting me head off to the bathroom to take care of the basics of life.

Minutes later, we wander into the kitchen hand in hand, only to be greeted by my other four men, not looking as pleased to see me. “What did I do now? I just woke up!”

“That, baby girl, is exactly the problem,” Othello informs me, setting down his coffee cup with a clunk.

Oh hell no, he’s not putting this on me.

Hands on my hips, I square off to the others, who nod in agreement. “Nope, nah, you don’t get to be upset with me—especially not you, Enzie. You know full well that I fucking hate mornings, and you let them believe we could have breakfast together?”

“Why am I the one you’re getting mad at when it was Paolo’s idea?”

“Babe!” Paolo gasps, turning on Enzo. “Did you just open the bus door, kick me out, and then run me over? What the actual fuck?!”

Remo stands up, walking up to me and causing everyone to stop what they’re doing to watch what’ll happen next. He reaches out and cups my cheek before giving me a chaste kiss on the forehead, then the lips. “Good morning, coniglietto. How are you feeling after everything last night?”

All the tension from feeling like the guys are ganging up on me drains away, and I give him a blinding smile. “I feel just fine. Nothing to worry about. If anything, I feel even more relaxed than I have in ages after a workout like that.”

“Wait, did you take her to the playroom last night? Is that why you guys left without us?” Paolo demands.

“Remo and I waited for all of you to have time with her, and then we decided that the wait was over. Skyler was given all the rules and was an incredibly willing partner in all activities,” Othello justifies.

Letting out a heavy sigh, I walk around Remo to face the others once again. “Is this what we’re going to do now? Fight over who gets to do what, when, and how with me? Last I checked, I am very capable of telling people what I do and don’t want. And I’ll tell you right now that I don’t want shit like this to happen.” I glare at them all, making sure I have their full attention. “Now this relationship is new to you guys—sharing one girl among the five of you. The sharing part isn’t new to me, but you all being in the same house and sharing lives already, that I have to learn. What I’m hearing is that you guys are morning people and would like to have me join you for breakfast. Could one of you tell me why this is?”

“We never know if everyone will be here for dinner, but all of us tend to be here in the morning. Our businesses tend to open later in the day, and it makes it more challenging to gather all at once,” Enzo says, fidgeting with his coffee cup.