by C. L. Stone
“No.” Once he’d cooled off, he understood why she was fighting them on quitting the study. She wanted her degree, and to be self-sufficient. “I get it. I just don’t like it.”
Holding her hand over the icepack on her side, she sat awkwardly on the bed. She seemed unsure he wanted her next to him. He couldn’t stand to see her that way. Putting his hand over hers and his arm around her shoulders, he eased her back on the bed so she was lodged firmly in the crook of his arm.
“There,” he whispered, burying his face in her hair. “That’s better.”
Snuggling into his side, she made a small noise of agreement. “I’m quitting,” she said suddenly.
“What?” He lifted his head.”Why?”
Her fingers played on his chest. “It’s not fair. You guys are so worried. I’m being selfish. And stupid. I’ll get out of the contract and find a job. Save up. I’ll eventually get a degree.” She yawned hugely. “It’ll happen.”
The tension in her body grew as she spoke. No matter what she was telling him, she really did want to go on with the study. He knew she had reservations, but to her, they didn’t outweigh the benefits of going to school.
“You’ll stay here.” It wasn’t a question.
“That’s what Ryan and Cai said, too.”
“And Seok?”
“And Seok,” she confirmed. “Seok said it first.”
“God, baby,” he breathed. “I can’t tell you how relieved I feel right now.”
Pushing herself up a little, she kissed his chin. “I know. I’m sorry I stressed you out so much.”
He shifted onto his side, propping his head on his hand. He pushed her golden brown hair away from her face to kiss the end of her nose. Her lids lowered over her brown eyes, giving her a drowsy look. “Sleepy?” he husked.
She shook her head, her curly hair spreading over his pillow. Leaning down again, he kissed her nose. Her hand held his face, and when he lightly licked her lips, she opened them, touching her tongue to his.
He ran his palm along her skin, loving the way goosebumps erupted under his hand. She gave a shiver and he was lost, puffed up with pride that he made her feel these things.
It popped into his mind for a moment that his best friends had seen her in similar positions, but then he pushed it away. He didn’t want to feel anything but Nora right now. He’d need to deal with his jealousy later. If this was happening, a relationship between her and the five of them, jealousy would be inevitable.
A tiny breathy moan escaped her, and he shoved every thought except her lips, her skin, her sounds, out of his head. He pulled his mouth away from hers, wanting to feel more skin under his lips.
Tentatively, he trailed his hand to her stomach. She answered the question in his eyes and nodded quickly. “Please,” she whispered.
The skin of her stomach was smooth and hot. His darker skin contrasted with her lighter brown, and he loved it. Unable to stop himself, he replaced his hand with his lips.
She smelled different here. He imagined this was a purely Nora smell. There wasn’t the lingering trace of his body wash or shampoo on her skin. Though he had to admit, when he first buried his face in her neck and smelled his scent, he’d struggled not to rip her clothes off and bury himself inside her to the hilt. Every movement he made he had to temper, and gentle.
Her weight and size was negligible in his arms, but she never made him feel unwieldy or clumsy. He wasn’t a bull in a china shop; she didn’t flinch or look at his size in ways that made him worry. She met each touch with equal pressure, every press of skin with kisses or sighs. Every second with her made him feel more comfortable in his own skin than he could ever remember feeling before.
She sucked in a breath as his lips skimmed the edge of her pants and he smiled. She giggled in response, like she could feel his smile against her skin. He pushed her shirt further up her body and stopped. A dark bruise began at her collarbone. A little lower and toward the center of her chest was another round bruise, and then on and near her healing bullet graze, and finally, another at her waist.
He closed his eyes, trying to reduce his rage to a simmer. “I know quitting isn’t what you want, not really.” He opened his eyes, meeting her worried gaze. “But I am fucking relieved as hell you’re not going to do that study. Look at you, baby.”
Lifting her head, her eyes zoomed in on the newly bruised skin. “Mood killer, isn’t it?” she said, trying for lightness and dropping her head to the pillow.
“Hardly,” he growled. He glided his lips along the bruises, starting at her waist and trailing along her skin to her collarbone. His lips barely touched her, but she arched her back, moaning.
“You can touch me,” she said, holding onto his shoulders. “Please.”
“Lift your arms,” he whispered in response.
Slowly, she lifted them. He helped her, worried she’d hurt herself, until she was clad in her nude bra.
“You’re so beautiful.” His lips pressed the top of each breast, nuzzling the skin and sucking it lightly. He pulled the bra cup down, exposing her nipple to the air. It pebbled, the skin a dark, flushed purple. Her eyes shut tight, chin tilting toward the ceiling while she writhed on the bed.
He smiled, amazed and humbled he could get her to this point. With the tip of his tongue he touched her nipple lightly.
Gripping his head, she held his mouth to her. He was happy to stay right where he was, but from the way she moved on the bed, she needed more.
His fingers fumbled with the button on her jeans, and he had to stop kissing her for a moment. Breathe. He needed to believe she was really about to let him touch her; it wasn’t a dream.
“Are you sure?” His voice shook, and he cleared his throat before asking again, trying to keep his voice even. “Are you sure?”
Lifting her head and propping herself on her elbows, Nora giggled. “Yes.” She waggled her eyebrows at him. “Very.” She used a low sexy voice and rolled her r’s, making him chuckle.
Suddenly, his nervousness was gone. He unbuttoned her jeans, and slid them down her hips and thighs, dragging her underwear along with them until she was laid out before him. She squeezed her legs together, but he dragged his hand along her knee to her inner thigh. He took her lips with his, kissing her deeply, slipping his tongue into her mouth and slowly stroking her skin with his hand.
Eventually, her knees fell open, and his fingers danced along the folds of her soft core. Wet and velvety smooth, he drew his finger through her dampness, rubbing light, tight circles over her clit until she gasped and groaned.
Hand reaching for his, she stilled him. Her hair lay in damp tendrils across her forehead and along the sides of her face.
With their fingers entwined, he continued to circle her, dipping into her core to collect more wetness and glide his fingers along her skin.
Her fingers squeezed his. “Stop,” she panted. “Wait.”
Afraid he hurt her, he stopped immediately. She peeled her fingers from his and unbuttoned his jeans, reaching inside so she could grasp his length with her small hand. Her fingers were wet from her arousal, and for some reason, it turned him on even more.
Her hands pumped against his base and then circled his tip before repeating the motion. He closed his eyes, leaning his head against her shoulder. He couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe with her hand on him. He thrust his hips a little, her hand tightening deliciously. He did it again, and again, letting out a deep groan.
Her face lifted to his, and she licked her way into his mouth. Trailing his fingers back to her center, he slowly pushed one thick finger inside her. Her inner muscles clenched down on him, while her hand circled his length.
Bit by bit, he inserted a second finger along with the first, withdrawing and then thrusting back inside her. Nora’s hips began to move in time with his hand. Soon they were both pushing against each other’s bodies, their breath coming faster and faster.
“Nora.” He sucked in a breath. "Baby, I’m close.”
<
br /> She nodded against his lips, inhaling quickly. Her muscles clenched down on him, pulsing and throbbing as she let out a small, quiet moan. He came seconds later, jetting across her hand and stomach. When he lifted his head and opened his eyes, hers were still closed, but a small satisfied smile played on her lips.
He kissed each edge.
“I love you, Apollo.” She opened her eyes, and they blazed at him fiercely, daring him to disagree with her.
He wouldn’t. He needed her love. Craved it. He wanted to horde it and keep it close to him forever.
“I love you,” he whispered, kissing her one more time before reaching for the tissues next to the bed and cleaning her hand and stomach. He wrapped his arms around her. “I need a nap.”
“Another one?”
“Yes.” He kissed the top of her head. “Stop arguing. Sleep.”
Nora sighed, and relaxed into his shoulder. “Okay. I can’t argue with naps.”
Apollo didn’t know how long he stayed there, listening to her breathing, but eventually he fell asleep, too, as happy and as fulfilled as he’d ever been in his whole life.
8
Getting Out
“Are you sure I can’t come with you?”
Nora dug through the bag Detective Vance gave her, looking for her wallet and I.D. “No. I’m stopping at the grocery store for my first interview and then I have a second one at the bookstore. I applied online last night.”
“That’s great,” Apollo enthused.
A job was a job, and she wanted to start working her plan. Last night she used Matisse’s computer to fill-out applications. If she was healed enough to get herself from place to place, it was time for her to support herself. As soon as she submitted the applications, she received an auto-response giving her a time for an interview.
She did one other thing last night, but she wasn’t going to tell any of the guys about it. She filled out the questionnaire Dr. Murray gave her, and she printed it out. She didn’t do it for him; he wouldn’t need it after they met today and she resigned, but she found herself wanting to answer the questions.
Once she started the introspection, she couldn’t stop. She’d written page after page of responses digging deep, deeper than she’d ever gone.
Are you in a relationship? How do you see your relationship developing? How do you want it to develop?
The last two questions seemed to ask the same thing, but as she thought about it, she realized the first asked about reality, and the second asked about fantasy.
How did she see her relationship with the guys developing? Physically, they were moving fast. Emotionally, they were moving even faster. She’d fallen for them after no time, and now she was in love with them. All five of them. Solidly.
But how could a relationship between five guys and one girl possibly work?
She turned it over and over in her head. If she was one of five girls in love with Ryan, or Seok, how would she feel? Everything in her body and heart rebelled at the idea. The image of someone else touching them, kissing them, hearing them say they loved her… it made her heart crack open.
So what would it do to the guys? She didn’t love one more than the other, and she couldn’t imagine giving one of them up. The crack which appeared in her heart when she considered them with someone else? It widened when she thought of living without them.
The reality of this relationship was she had absolutely no idea how it would develop. And if it didn’t, and she had to leave them, it would gut her.
Nora wanted it to work. Maybe it was a fantasy. She wanted to support them the way they supported her, and she wanted to see their dreams come true. She wanted to marry them, and eat dinner with them, and go to bed with them every night, and someday, she wanted children with them.
It seemed completely out of the realm of possibility. Answering the questions led her to more questions. Vermont might be a liberal state, but it didn’t allow for a person to be married to five men. And what would her children face in school when the six of them showed up at kindergarten orientation?
With the question answered as best she could, she stopped, printing out what she had, and ignoring how her answers could be construed as relating to a two-person relationship. Only someone looking closely would realize she was talking about all six of them. Folding the papers in half, she stuffed them into her bag. She went to bed not long afterward, her heart hurting.
Things didn’t look as bad in the morning, especially when she woke up with Matisse’s arms wrapped around her and his lips on her neck. Cradled against him, she was safe.
She pushed away her worry for now, and got on with her morning. The guys were excited about her interviews. They seemed relieved she moved on, no longer demanding to participate in Dr. Murray’s study.
“I’m going to my interviews first, and then I’m going to meet Dr. Murray at his lab.” She met Ryan’s gaze. “I think he knows I’m going to quit.”
“Probably,” he agreed. “I was pretty clear with him yesterday. Can I meet you there?”
“I think I should do it on my own.”
The guys argued, and she shook her head. “This isn’t me being stupid, or stubborn, or taking a stand because I think I need to. Dr. Murray needs to see I’m quitting because it’s my decision and mine alone.”
Ryan shook his head, and each of them looked unhappy.
“Do you all want to meet me there? Wait for me?”
That they could agree to. Ryan and Apollo could go to the library, do their homework and wait. Seok, Matisse, and Cai would stay home, finishing the things they needed to do, and join the other two later.
While Ryan went to collect his books, Apollo leaned over to whisper to her, “I can wait for you in the car.”
“Go to the library with Ryan and get your things done.” She kissed him. “I’ve distracted you from your work for three days. You’ll have uninterrupted hours of study.”
Tilting his head, he kissed her a little deeper, and a little more forcefully. “That doesn’t have the appeal you think it does.”
She smiled against his lips and drew away, straightening her posture and smoothing her shirt. “How do I look?”
“Hot,” Matisse said as he walked by, stopping to kiss her cheek.
Nora blushed. “But do I look employable?” she called after him,
His response was a noise that could have meant anything, and she rolled her eyes.
“You look beautiful,” Apollo whispered.
Separating her hair into three sections, she braided it quickly down her back, securing the end with an elastic. She made sure her wallet was in the front pouch along with her bus pass and reached for her jacket. Her stomach was in knots. “I’m ready.”
Peering at her closely, he reached for her hand. “I’ll walk you out.”
He squeezed her hand and she squeezed his back, leaning into his shoulder. As they headed through the house, she opened the door to the basement. “Seok! I’m leaving!”
Something dropped onto his workbench before he appeared, taking the stairs two at a time. He leaned forward, holding the door jam with both hands and kissed her lips. “I’ll see you there. Three?”
“Three.” She nodded.
He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again. “Three.”
Apollo tugged her away, causing her to glance at him questioningly. His face was tight, and she realized what she’d done.
“Oh, Apollo. I’m sorry. I’ll… I’ll say goodbye on my own. I’ll be right back.”
“No.” He tugged her when she tried to extricate herself. “I’m dealing with it, Nora. It’s hard, but not unmanageable. I can’t help but want you all to myself.”
She reached for him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him in close. “It’s not fair.”
His warm breath tickled her neck. “I choose this, Nora. Don’t think for a moment I’m a victim, or I don’t want this. These guys are my best friends. They are, truly, my family. I’m okay.”
They found Matisse in the living room, typing on his laptop while Cai sat next to him, typing away at his.
“I’m going to my interview.”
Matisse tossed his laptop onto the couch, and she winced, but he brushed aside her reaction. “It’s fine. They make them to be dropped.”
“I don’t think they do—” she began, cutting off when he grabbed her from Apollo and kissed her deeply. His tongue scraped against hers before he pecked her chin and blew a raspberry near her shoulder.
“Good luck,” he said, smiling and sitting down again.
Cai shook his head, scoffing at his friend. Leaning over, she kissed him on the cheek. “See you later.”
“Good luck, Nora.” He returned her chaste kiss, but followed it with another, longer kiss, next to her lips.
Footsteps came down the steps, and she straightened.
“Headed out?”
She nodded at Ryan, letting Apollo take her hand again. He waited for her at the front door. “I’ll meet you at Converse,” he said, as they got closer.
Nausea built as she thought about going back to the building. “Okay.” She started out the door, but he stopped her.
“Thank you,” he whispered, kissing her.
Understanding he meant more than meeting after her appointment with Dr. Murray, she nodded. “I’ll end up working longer before I can start college, but it's okay."
Together, they walked outside. Her nervousness continued to grow so much she barely realized she'd hugged them and waved goodbye before they drove off.
It was time for her to get moving. The bus stop was a couple of blocks down the street. Taking a deep breath, she held the cold, fall air in her lungs.
There were only a few other people waiting for the bus. Each of them had their ear buds in their ears and seemed happy blocking out the world. It worked for her. Turning her back on the other riders, she watched down the road. It was Sunday, which meant longer gaps between bus runs. She still didn't have a watch, but she knew she left the house with plenty of time to get to her interviews on the hour.
