by Coralee June
“I love you, Maverick,” I whispered, not really knowing what else to say. It seemed love was enough just then.
“I love you too, Ash.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
I had to take a moment to center myself when I walked through the front door of Stonewell Manor. In all my years of living there, I’d never seen it so alive and happy. Maverick had his hand at my lower back when we walked in, and everyone whooped and cheered the second they saw us. Huxley was in the formal sitting room with his feet propped up on the table. I knew that if Mistress Stonewell were here, she’d have a fit and give him a lecture about table manners.
Cyler was scrolling through his tablet when he looked up to stare at me. And Jacob was rounding the corner wearing my old apron and licking a chocolate covered spoon. He paused mid-step, and his mindspeak broke out, “Do you think they’ll notice that I’ve been eating the batter?” He then cursed and waltzed up to me. “Happy we’re all together. Tonight we’re celebrating,” his mindspeak said before he tapped the chocolate covered spoon on my nose. I used my finger to wipe it off, and Maverick grabbed my hand. Within an instant, he was licking the batter from my fingertip, swirling his velvet tongue around it to get every decadent drop.
“Hey, there are children here,” Patrick scolded, and I drew my attention to the corner of the room where they were playing cards. The moment I saw Payne, my entire body seemed to light up. He still looked pale and thin, but he jumped off the table and eagerly ran to me. I wrapped my arms around him as a sob shook in my chest.
“I was so worried about you,” I said before crouching down to meet him eye to eye.
“Mistress Stonewell was really nice, Ash. She even gave me chocolate from her purse. Pa-Patrick told me what happened. I’m going to miss her,” he stuttered while hot tears welled up in his eyes. I felt so sorry for him. The poor boy had experienced so much loss. We all had.
“She cared for you a ton.” I ruffled his hair and made a mental note to give him the violin once things had calmed down.
“And I know about my momma,” he added in a darker tone. I was then brought back to the memory of me promising to bring Dominique back to him. Would he hate me for not fulfilling my promise? “Mistress Stonewell said she died to keep me safe,” he choked out. The room had gone completely still, and I silently thanked Linda for that private mercy. I wasn’t sure Payne was old enough to comprehend exactly who his mother was and what her involvement in Influenza X was. Payne was safe because he had the cure running through his veins, but that didn’t necessarily mean that extremists wouldn’t want revenge. For now, we’d keep the explanation to a minimum then give him the entire story once things had settled.
“I’m sure you’re feeling a lot of things, Payne. And if you want to talk about it, we’re all here for you. We’re your family now, and I promise you aren’t alone. You’ll never be alone,” I said in a steel voice as he wrapped his arms back around me and held me close. After a few more moments, he guided me over to the table where he was playing cards with Patrick and then sat in my lap while playing. It felt so good to see him giggling with my friend, and for the first time in ages, I felt at home. I’d come full circle.
I shoveled more food into my mouth while laughing at Jacob’s mindspeak commentary regarding my moans. We would really need to get his mindspeak filter adapted since Payne was going to be a permanent fixture in our lives. I hadn’t precisely asked my men if they were okay with adopting the boy, but watching us all interact like a family was making my heart swell. It just felt right. Some things were predestined and some things you couldn’t ignore. Payne was family.
“So how quickly can we get this to the masses?” Kemper asked. He’d been working on mechanical design for mass producing the cure. It would take a few days to get it built and running, but pretty soon, we’d have enough medicine for everyone.
“I figure if we get out a signal telling everyone to go to Galla for the cure, they will come in waves,” Cyler said.
I chewed on the end of my fork while contemplating it. “What if we included the instructions and gene sequence for the cure in the signal? Some people can’t walk here in less than seven days. Most places have clinics of their own and could start manufacturing the cure there. And I like the idea of setting a precedence that the cure is for all. No more class systems.”
Cyler beamed at me, and I found myself nearly laughing at the idea of me talking about eradicating the class system while eating dinner Jacob made at Stonewell Manor. We were all sitting around the table as Payne shoveled mouthfuls of potatoes into his mouth.
“Excellent idea, Babe,” Cyler said with a grin.
“And we need to send volunteer scouts out to the Deadlands,” I added. People with the cure. Most of them don’t have tablets or reception. We want to get the word and resources out,” I added.
Kemper grinned while flipping to the next page and making a checklist of items. “Anything else, Ash?” he asked. It felt so good to feel a part of their group. They were proficient leaders, and I was now a part of that.
“Can we also say that there will be a meeting at the end of two months to discuss government? All leaders or people interested in rebuilding the empire are invited to attend,” I said. This was a slightly trickier aspect of rebuilding things.
Cyler turned to the others while gauging their reaction. “Do you think we should try to have a summit? Start nominations for leadership and go from there?”
“We’re going to have to rebuild. And we’ll need some guidance. I think it’ll be a good idea, but we should make it for three months. Just to make sure everyone has enough time to recover and get the word out there. It’ll also give us time to get some voting systems in place. We want this to be a democracy, right? No more elitist birthrights or vaccine-related segregation,” Kemper said while writing down more items on his list.
“Okay. Let's do it,” Cyler said before reaching across the table to grab my hand. He squeezed it, and I looked around at my men, feeling a thankfulness seep into my bones. This was it. We’d finally done it. We’d survived.
“Anything else?” Maverick asked while playing with the food on his plate.
Patrick stood up and placed his hands over Payne’s ears. “Well, I for one am exhausted and would love to rest. With Ash. But not really rest. I know the concept of taking turns is a bit juvenile, but I’d say it’s my turn with our fiance, wouldn't you say?” He blushed while giving me a sheepish grin.
I blanched. “Fiance, huh?” I asked while standing to put my hands on my hips. “Last I checked, none of you have asked me to get married.”
“We haven’t? I could have sworn one of us took care of that,” Kemper replied with a chuckle.
“Somewhere between the torture and kidnapping and almost dying, right?” I asked.
Jacob’s mindspeak started blurting out insults, and Patrick cupped Payne’s ears tighter. “What have I told all of you about the art of wooing a woman! You can’t just joke around. We have to each get down on one knee while wearing suits. And we need to release doves or some shit. Are ring stores even open during the end of the empire?” I could see the anxiety of a perfect proposal crossing his features, and I nearly laughed.
“Yes,” I said, even though there hadn’t been a question. “When I first left Stonewell Manor, I never imagined I’d fall in love with myself, let alone, six other men. I love all of you. I want to get married—once things settle down, of course.”
Kemper switched over to the next sheet of paper and started scribbling more notes. “So in like a week? I think we could get a ceremony set up by then. Mia might not be well enough to travel, though.”
I cracked up while Huxley stared at me. His hungry gaze made every cell in my body snap to attention. “Oh no, no, no,” Patrick said before removing his hands from a confused Payne and speed walking over to me. “Don’t be giving her bedroom eyes. I know you want to name it and claim it, but it’s my turn, Huxley.”
I laughed. Maybe
some would feel like a passed around doll, but I just felt incredibly lucky. Huxley growled at his twin, and I wrapped my hand around Patrick’s bicep. “Guess I’m going to bed,” I said with a giggle.
“Have fun!” Jacob’s mindspeak said. “Our boy is growing up. Should we take a commemorative photo?”
Huxley slapped Jacob upside the head, and the last thing I heard was them bickering as I fast walked upstairs.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“So uh, where were we?” Patrick asked while leaning against the open bedroom door. The weight of his body made it shut, and he nearly fell to the ground before trying to open it again. Then, once he realized we were both inside the room, he closed it.
I watched in amusement, and though I tried to make each experience unique with my men, I couldn’t help but giggle about my first time with Hux, where he almost set the entire building on fire, literally and figuratively. Patrick’s face went stark white when I giggled at the memory, and I watched as his anxiety peaked. “I know this was presumptuous of me. You’ve had a hard few days—hell—a hard few months. If you just want to cuddle in bed and kiss some, I will completely respect that. I love you, there's no time frame we have to work on…”
He was rambling, and I loved him more for it. I took a step closer, a wry grin on my face as I tilted my head to the side. I observed the thudding pulse in his neck while wondering what his skin tasted like. “Remember a while ago? You told me that this”—I gestured between us—“didn’t feel wrong?”
I closed my eyes and sighed at the memory of him testing all my boundaries back in Black Manor. Patrick was the least sexually experienced out of the group, but he was one of the first ones to challenge that there was more between us than we originally intended. “Yeah,” he said while swallowing.
I slowly lifted my hand up to undo the top button of my shirt. And then the second. And then the third. I kept walking until the shirt was shed from my shoulders. I wasn’t wearing a bra. Mine had been too destroyed from all the gore, which meant I was nothing but pebbled peaks waiting for him. “So tell me, Patrick. How does this feel?” I’d never in my life felt so wanton. I reached for his hand then guided it to my breasts. Encouraging him to squeeze with my own grip, I sighed when he took heavy handfuls and kneaded them.
“This feels so perfect,” he murmured in a reverent tone. Like he couldn’t believe he was really here, really touching me.
I brought my hands down to my stretchy pants and pulled them down to my ankles and stepped out of each leg, one by one. Once the material was discarded, I parted my legs then reached for Patrick's hand to guide him there. “How about this, Patrick? How does this feel?” I asked just as he slipped a finger inside of me.
“You’re so wet for me. It’s…” He grunted when I shivered against his palm. “It’s right. It’s so, so right.” He pulled out and started stroking my clit, moving with frantic friction as he slid up and down. I grinded against his finger while whimpering. Yeah, this felt damn right.
I quickly moved to pull his shirt off before lifting up on my toes to kiss him. The second our lips collided, he pulled his dancing finger from my slick heat and quickly removed his pants. I could feel him smiling against my lips, in true Patrick fashion. He was always playful, always fun and making sure the burdens were less for everyone else. I had a feeling that sex with him would ultimately reflect his personality, and after the heaviness of the last few months, I was looking forward to having fun and laughing with him.
The moment he was naked, I tried to pull away to get a look at the thickness I could feel pressing against my stomach. But he pulled my attention away. “Ashleigh,” he began in mock shock. “Were you just trying to take a look at my dick?” He started laughing then hoisted me up bridal style before tossing me on the bed with an oomph.
A giggle escaped my lips, and I watched as Patrick sauntered back to the door, his plump ass the only thing I could see. And I’d like to add, it was an incredibly fine one. In an instant, he spun around and faced me, dancing to music that wasn’t playing while making this rippling move with his body. His dancing put every muscle in his torso on display, and I wanted nothing more than to drag my tongue up and down each dip and groove. “If you wanted to see it, you just had to ask, Ash,” he added before lunging for the guest bed I was on and bouncing beside me. I couldn’t help but laugh as he pinned me down and started tickling my ribs. I was stuck between his muscular thighs, writhing against him during his relentless attack.
“Am I seducing you yet?” he asked in a teasing tone before leaning forward to kiss my neck.
“Definitely,” I chuckled. I arched my back to brush my breasts against his chest before maneuvering a leg over him to knock him off of me. His back hit the mattress with a thud, and I watched in awe at the way his teeth sunk into his bottom lip at the sight of me. His breathing was labored. His hand moved lower to stroke his…
Oh God, his cock was huge. I was too busy watching his muscular body dancing to notice before, but now that I was staring right at it, I couldn’t stop. I didn’t want to get a measuring tape out and compare my men against one another, but I found myself gaping at him in shock. “Are you sure that’s going to fit?” I asked with a swallow.
His initial reaction was to look concerned. “I’ll make sure you’re plenty ready for me,” he whispered. I let out a sigh of relief, and his chest bloomed with pride. Men. I might not have much experience with them, but the rumors about being proud of their dicks were definitely proving to be true.
I took over, pumping his hardness with an eager up and down movement while licking my lips. He felt so thick. I could feel his pulse through the bulging veins trailing up and down it. He jolted up when I brushed along the head, rubbing along the underside of it with the tip of my thumb. “Shit, I’m not going to last very long if you keep doing that,” Patrick replied while squeezing his eyes shut.
I wanted to keep stroking him but also didn’t want this to be over before we could start. So instead, I lay down on my back and beckoned him closer. He looked at me for a moment before dipping between my thighs for a taste. “Already so wet,” he said in awe before licking up and down my slit with fervor. I could feel his delight in the grumbles he pressed against me, each vibration sent me soaring higher and higher until I was nothing more than a melted bundle of sensations at the mercy of his mouth.
I cried out, worried that the others would hear, but not really caring. “Can I do this again? How is it that you taste better than chocolate cake?” Patrick asked before wiping his mouth off on the sheets and climbing up towards me. He sunk between my parted thighs, and I took a moment just to appreciate his charming smile and bright teeth. His green eyes appraised me with equal enthusiasm, and I felt my heart warm with happiness. I wanted this all. I wanted him more than anything.
Patrick eased inside of me slowly, and I felt myself stretch at his invasion. I surged with electric awareness, but it didn’t hurt. My body accommodated his size like we were made for one another. “This feels so damn good,” he whispered over my skin. He was holding his breath, like the air in his chest was too much.
“Breathe,” I chided before pushing closer to take him deeper. “So, so good,” I writhed before grabbing his hips and pushing up and down, showing him the motion I wanted. He took the cue with ease and started following my lead, rocking into me as he hissed out in pleasure.
He moved slowly at first, then faster. Then he was pounding into me so hard that the bed shook, and all I could feel was him bumping that sweet spot deep within me, calling forward another orgasm.
And then we were falling apart, splitting at the seams. Crashing and climbing then crashing again with his name on my lips and a satisfied sigh escaping his chest. “How’d that feel, Patrick?” I asked while squeezing him tighter for one last jolt of pleasure.
“Damn perfect, Mrs. Black.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Five months later
The leveled ground where the new Black Manor
was soon to be built didn’t seem like an appropriate wedding venue for the newly elected president of the empire, but it’s what I wanted. So, Cyler told every newly elected official to trek to the outer corner of the empire for our outdoor wedding in a long forgotten town. Dormas was just as ruined as before. Ironically, we’d been living at Stonewell Manor, now called Black Manor. But I had hoped to rebuild this place and relocate. Cyler promised me that, at the very least, he’d build a beautiful retreat here for us to go to.
“Will you stay still? I don’t know why you wouldn’t let me put more straightening serum in your hair. How do you even deal with these curls?” Jules asked in exasperation before twisting my crazy mane into an intricate updo with spirals cascading in waves down by my face.
“The guys like it curly,” I replied with a shrug. Jules looked beautiful; she wore all white, which was customary for the family of the wedding party. Beside her, Mia was chomping on her lip and tugging at her stark white skirt I managed to get her into. I spent more time doing her hair than I did worrying about my own mostly because, after months of searching, Cyler finally found a clue that led to her man.
A knock on the door drew my attention, and I tried to keep a calm face when I asked Mia to answer it. She rolled her eyes while twirling her knife before opening the door with a casual, “What do you want?”
“You.”
I spun around, not really caring that it was intrusive or presumptuous of me to watch. As expected, Mia did the unexpected. She slapped the poor man as hard as she could.
“Atta girl,” Jules whispered.
