by K. A Knight
“Well bugger. We’ll have to change that. I’ll show you all the best bits, the tree, the presents, everything. Well... if I get out.” He ends his promise on a laugh. Like promising to share something so precious with someone is nothing to him, and maybe it’s not, but to me it’s everything.
“Why do you love it?” Leaning back again, I rest my hands behind me, trying to get comfy on the cold, hard floor.
“The presents, of course.”
I gaze at him. He’s not being wholly truthful, and I refuse to allow it when he knows more about me than even Lane.
He swallows hard. “My family, well, they aren’t family by blood. But in every way that counts they are.”
“How did you meet them?” I’m more curious than ever.
“When we were little, we were all orphans in one way or another. We’ve been together ever since. The bond we share, it’s hard to describe. No matter what, they will always be there supporting me. No matter where we are in the world, what we are doing, we would drop it in a heartbeat for each other. I guess that’s why I love Christmas. We are together with no worries for once. Just talking, drinking, and eating. It’s like when we were kids.” His confession warms something in me, making me long for what he describes. A family.
“Must be nice.”
He nods and winces when it pulls on his arms. Fresh blood runs from his wrists, and anger flares through me.
“Why won’t you let me save you or let me get them to save you?” I snap.
He stares at me for a long time, so long I don’t think he will answer. I stand up, suddenly ready to leave.
“Because I don’t want you to get hurt. Or them. I got myself into this mess for a reason. I will get myself out, but I refuse to bring you or them into this world of pain.” Fierce determination sets in his gaze; he means it.
“So, what if I come one night and you’re dead! Huh? What do you expect me to do then!” I throw my hands in the air as I pace.
How can I find him? He could be anywhere in the world, for fucks sake.
“Then, you move on. Look, I don’t understand why or how you’re here, but I’m not complaining. Can’t we just carry on like before?” His words only infuriate me.
“I’m not sure I can sit here night after night watching you grow weaker and knowing that, when I leave, you’re facing a nightmare. I just can’t.” With the last word escaping my choked throat, I manage to drag myself back into my body and wake up.
Drained and helpless, I allow myself to cry for a man I’ve never met in person. The darkness in me takes advantage of my weakness and surges up. Closing my eyes and concentrating, I push it down as far as I can. When I reopen them, I’m exhausted from the power struggle and my nightly dream transporting.
15
- AURORA -
The next morning, I decide to stop moping around feeling sorry for myself. I get dressed and ready for work even though I’m not due in for the next two days. As I head out the front door, a black Range Rover pulls up behind my car, and the engine switches off. I hesitate; no one gets lost down here. I squint against the sun to try to see who it is. Placing my back against the front door, I wait.
Jason’s red hair bobs as he steps out of the front driver’s seat. He smiles awkwardly at me as he heads up the drive. A plastic bag is clutched tightly in his hand, making me more confused, although a voice inside is happy to see him. Traitor. His blue jeans are tucked into black boots, and he wears a black T-shirt. The tight shirt stretches across his muscles as he walks. Yum.
“Hey, erm, I realise I didn’t call. I guess I should have. I thought you could do with some dinner. But I see you’re going somewhere, although Tom said you weren’t at work. Okay, this was a bad idea.” His awkward ramblings are adorable, and I grin properly for the first time in days.
“You brought me food, huh?” I lean back against the door, and he fidgets under my scrutiny.
“Yes, well, actually Tom was going to, but I called in to grab dinner. He mentioned it, so I offered to...” He manages to stop his rambling, but his cheeks heat up.
I take pity on him. Moving away from the door, I wave at him to follow and head inside.
“Thanks, I was heading out. I’m bored out of my mind,” I say over my shoulder as I head into the living room. He trails behind me, his shoes thumping as he walks. I slouch into the corner seat of the sofa as he peers around.
“Where’s Neville?” He looks everywhere but at me.
I watch him with a frown. “Out, bloody dog likes to wander in the woods.”
He nods but makes no move to sit.
“So, dinner?” I hope to break his shyness. His eyes meet mine, and he blushes harder.
“Oh, erm... yes, sorry, here!” He thrusts the bag at me. I grab it, brushing his fingers as I go. Peering inside, I discover Tom sent enough food for two people. Bloody manipulative bear.
“So, you were bored?” His voice breaks my plot to get back at Tom, which involves a dildo and squirty cheese.
“Out of my mind,” I say with a groan.
He smiles at me, and my breath catches. Damn, even with his red cheeks, there’s no denying he’s attractive.
“Me too.” His eyes sparkle at his confession.
I can’t help but smile back; his happiness is infectious. Knowing I’m going to regret it, I open my mouth.
“There’s plenty of food here, want to join me?” His lips part for a second in shock before the biggest grin I’ve ever seen crosses his face. Dude looks like I just offered him my first born.
“Sure.” He fidgets awkwardly for a second before deciding to sit down a seat away from me. Not commenting on the distance, I share out the food onto the cushion between us.
An hour and a half later, I laugh hysterically at a story Jason tells me about Ezra and Ben. He gestures wildly as he tells me how Ben chased Ezra around with a paintball gun. After the first couple of conversations, he became more at ease with me and stopped being shy. Watching him now, I don’t know how I ever thought him awkward. We demolished the food in record time, and I find myself having more fun than I have had in a long time. A knock at the back door stops Jason mid-sentence, and before I can move, he’s on his feet in front of me, trying to protect me. Cute.
I stand up and walk around him. He grabs my arm and halts me.
“Let me.” He doesn’t bother glancing at me, so with a small smile, I pat his hand on my arm.
“Look, cutie, I’ve been on my own for a while. I can protect myself. Plus, I don’t think anyone who wants to hurt me would knock first.” At his sheepish nod, I head towards the door. He keeps pace and stands at my back. His heat seeps into me, and I nearly lean back against him. I straighten up before I make this awkward and open the door.
Ezra stands on the other side with a blank face as a happy Nev with his tongue lolling out to one side stands next to him.
“So, there you are,” I say. Bloody dog is hard to keep track of. Nev pounces happily towards me and licks my hand. With a shake of my head, I tilt my head back to Ezra who basically fills the whole doorway.
“I found him wandering around our garden. I thought I better bring him back.” His voice rumbles out, and I realise I missed him. Idiot. Ezra glances behind me at Jason and stares. I decide to check him out while he’s distracted. Tight, black jeans encase his thick thighs. His grey T-shirt stretches at the arms from his muscles, and he sports some awesome, kick-ass leather boots. I wonder if they come in my size.
“Hey, man,” Jason greets him cheerfully. Ezra’s lips quirk, and I’m glad to see it’s not only me affected by Jason’s happy attitude.
“What are you doing here?” Ezra leans against the door frame, watching us. Anyone else would probably falter at his sharp question, but I can tell Jason is used to it.
“Tom asked me to bring Aurora some food, and we got to talking.”
Ezra’s eyebrow goes up. “Sure.” He steps into me until I’m a sandwich between them both. He stares down at me with a small s
mirk.
“You going to let me in, Half-pint?” Realising I’m in his way, I move to the side to let him come in and shut the door behind him. Nev runs out to do god knows what and leaves me alone with two men. Some guard dog he is.
Ezra heads to the sofa and flops down where I sat. He cranes his neck back to Jason.
“Any food left? I’m starving,” he grouches.
“Nope, I can see what Aurora has, though.” Before I can even protest, he heads into my kitchen to search.
Ezra switches his gaze to me. Giving me that private smile again, he pats the cushion next to him. With the other alternative to stand awkwardly like Jason was earlier, I head his way and drop down next to him. His big body takes up half of my cushion, but I don’t move away, loving the warmth next to me. Jason hums to himself in the kitchen, and a sense of belonging hits me from nowhere. Deep in thought, I don’t notice Ezra’s stare until he grasps my cheek gently and turns my head towards him. With him slouched and leaning back on the cushion, my head and his lay centimetres away from each other. I feel strangely vulnerable.
“You okay, Half-pint?” His voice is quiet, still it’s usually gravelly timbre, but it creates this private bubble around us. The antsy, useless feeling I’ve had since my dream dissipates, and I find myself nodding.
“Jason keeping you company?”
I grin at him in happiness. “Yup, he told me all your sacred secrets,” I lie, and he grins back at me.
“Sure he was, sweetheart, he wouldn’t dare.” I stare at his face, trying to ignore the sweetheart comment. “Mind if I stay and keep you company, too?” He hesitates when asking, and I’m shocked he’s nervous.
Without even second guessing myself, I nod. That private smile I’ve come to love lights up his face again. His big hand reaches across his body and stokes a curl which falls in my face. He pushes the strand behind my ear but keeps his hand on my face. I close my eyes from the warmth.
“Is pasta okay?” Jason’s shout breaks the moment, and my eyes snap open.
He doesn’t look away or move his hand as he responds, “Sure.” He raises his voice. “Bring some cookies in for Aurora as well.” With a wink, he drops his hand.
Two hours later we lay, sprawled on the same sofa. Ezra on my left and Jason on my right. Both of their legs prop on the coffee table, and I touch them from shoulder to hip. A horror film Jason picked, who knew it, plays on the big TV. I snuggle down into the sofa, accidently leaning into Ezra. Without looking, he grabs my hand and holds it, stroking his thumb across my fingers.
Trying not to let him affect me, I stare at the telly as a blond bimbo gets chased by zombies. More relaxed than I care to admit my eyes droop.
I wake up groggily, my head cushioned on something soft and my feet toasty. I start to drift off again, snuggling into my pillow. It moves beneath me, and I freeze in confusion. I pop one eye open and find a chest covered in a tight shirt. I lift my head up slowly until I spot Ezra. He’s asleep with his mouth slightly open. I blink and peer at my feet. Snoring softly with his head leaned back against the sofa is Jason, his hands wrapped around my feet where they rest in his lap. Shit, I’m lying across them both on the sofa.
Trying to move without disturbing them, I inch off Ezra’s chest only to stop when his hand stills me by pushing my head back down. With a grumble, he leaves it there. Their warmth cocoons me, and even as I try to fight it, I fall back to sleep between two witches. Sounds like the start of a bad porno or the end of one at least.
A throat clearing jars me awake some time later. I can’t move as Ezra’s hand rests on my head and Jason’s hands wrap around my feet.
I glance up at Alexander, standing above us with his arms crossed, his hair in its usual perfect style. I drop my eyes and see he wears jeans today. Huh? Must be casual day. I guiltily smile at him, but I panic inside. How the hell did he sneak up on me? I’m a light sleeper and usually wake from the littlest noise.
“Don’t wake her,” Ezra whispers to him.
Alexander doesn’t look away from me. “Okay, how come I’m looking for you two, and I find you curled up here?” he asks Ezra, his voice soft to not wake Jason.
“She was tired, so we decided to keep her company.” Ezra’s chest moves as he speaks.
“You didn’t even hear me come in.” Alexander frowns at me in disapproval.
Ezra snorts, then waits to see if he woke me up.
“I did, I heard your bloody car. I would have moved if I didn’t know it was you.” He strokes my hair as he speaks, and warmth spreads through my stomach.
With a nod at Ezra, Alexander kneels down to me. “These two annoying you?”
I’m shocked by his question and try to defend them, but only a squeak comes out. I clear my throat to try again when he laughs.
He reaches forward and pushes some hair off my face. “Kitten indeed.”
“Shut up,” comes the groan from the bottom of the couch. Jason moves, grabbing onto my feet harder, and I can’t help but laugh.
Alexander shakes his head and stands again. “C’mon, Ben is moaning that he’s hungry, and I volunteered to go get food and try to find you two.”
Alex’s command cuts through the room, and they both groan again.
Sadness rolls in that they’re leaving. It’s strange how I was so worried about being near them, and now, I don’t want to be away from them.
Ezra shifts, lifting me as he goes. I flop back down, not willing to look at them in case they recognise the loneliness in my eyes. Jason lifts my feet and stands. He reaches his arms above him in a stretch, and his shirt rides up, revealing taut muscle. I manage to pull my eyes away and stare at the ceiling in defiance.
With a very attractive squeal, Ezra hoists me up and over his shoulder with my face and upper body dangling down his back. I smack his back in shock. That noise has never come out of my mouth before; I sounded like a stuck pig.
“Ezra, put me down!” I shout.
He ignores me and walks towards the door. I crane my head up and look at Jason and Alex for help only to find them both smiling at me. Ugh.
I smack Ezra’s ass and try to wiggle down. I stop when he smacks mine back.
“Stop wiggling, will ya?” he grumbles.
“Wh-what are you doing?” My voice is a very unattractive high-pitched whine.
“Walking.”
A snort comes from one of the guys. Leaning forward, I use my weight and gravity to tumble off his shoulder before he can grab me. Rolling to avoid the impact of the hard floor, I jump up and glare at him.
Ezra stares back at me, the shock evident on his face. My hands prop on my hips.
“I’m not a child or a sack of potatoes you can just throw over your shoulder!” I say, not really angry but needing to make my point.
He steps closer to me until his chest touches mine and continues to stare at me.
Unwilling to lose whatever this is, I stare right back. I also have the strangest urge to tickle him.
“I think what Ezra was trying to say is, will you come for tea?” Alexander’s voice breaks our stare off, and I turn to face him.
“Oh really, is that why I was getting kidnapped?” I grumble.
Ezra’s front meets my back, and his giant arms wrap around my middle.
“My way was easier, and we would be home to the angry hungry toddler by now.” Ezra’s voice rumbles.
“True, but she’s right. You needed to ask her.” Alexander‘s calm voice dissipates some of my irritation, so I lean back against Ezra. His arms tighten around me even more.
“Fine, are you coming with us, short stuff?” He bends until his mouth meets my ear, and holy shit, I was right. His voice whispering in my ear is hot as hell. I swallow and meet Alexander’s eyes expecting a reaction. He just waits for my answer, not even bothered that he found both Jason and Ezra all over me, and now, Ezra is wrapped around me again. Huh?
“Fine,” I grumble, trying not to let anyone know how much Ezra’s voice affected me. He could
be a phone sex worker... now, I imagine him saying dirty things. Okay, try to think of something else, like ponies. Wait... I wonder if he’s hung like a stallion. O.M.G.
“Good,” he whispers back, and it takes my dirty mind a minute to catch up. He steps away, and his arms fall. I still stare at Alex as Jason trots past, shouting for Nev as he goes. I turn to follow them.
“You can’t hide it from me, Kitten.”
The whisper comes from behind me, and I choose to ignore it, following the other two guys, who flipped my world upside down in a matter of days, out of my house.
16
- AURORA -
“Oh, my God, I would have your babies,” I mutter to the double bacon cheeseburger I devour, and I moan again. Noticing the silence, I glance up, and every eye is on me.
Ben wiggles his eyebrows at me. “Burger babies, huh?”
Keeping eye contact, I take a huge mouthful and close my eyes in bliss around a moan. In my cheese happy place, I ignore the resulting shuffles and a cough.
“So, does all food turn you on?” Ben sounds amused, and I flip him off without looking. He laughs, so I open my eyes and glare at him. His shoulder-length hair is pulled back into a sexy as hell man bun, and he wears a flannel shirt unbuttoned showing a white T-shirt underneath. He looks like a dirty version of a woodcutter, or maybe that’s just my imagination.
Ezra sits next to me, silently devouring three burgers, Jason is next to him and opposite me, and Ben and Alexander watch me rip into my second burger.
“I’m more curious about where all this food goes.” Jason’s soft voice floats to me, but I can’t see him around Ezra.
“She’s a black hole,” Ezra declares as he tears into his food.
“Hey, I have limits.” I poke his side, and I’m rewarded with a dirty glare before he goes back to eating.
