"Deal."
"Turn around."
Reese obeyed, smirking when he turned to face the mirror, giving him a perfect view of her.
She glared at him in the reflection. "I'm not a complete idiot. Close your eyes."
"You're no fun." He pouted.
"On the contrary. I am nothing but fun."
"You know I'm going to have to see everything anyway to treat your wounds." He closed his eyes.
"Were you under the impression you hurt my nipples or kicked me in the vag? I certainly don't remember literally kicking you in the ass or your little misters."
He chuckled. "My little misters? Nothing about me is little, sweetheart."
"Sure."
"Do I need to prove it to you? This little robe of yours doesn't cover much. All it would take was one slip." He could hear her removing her clothes and he shouldn’t have found it as hot as he did.
The shower turned on and she raised her voice to be heard above the water. "I think you need to keep that robe. It suits you."
"Everything suits me."
Ridley snorted. "True."
Reese grinned. "Was that a compliment?"
"Nope."
"Bullshit. You think I'm pretty."
"Meh. You're all right." Her teasing words broke on a gasp.
Concern tightened Reese's hands into fists and he squeezed his eyes tighter to stop himself from opening them. "You okay?"
"Yeah. I'm getting out, so look away."
"My eyes are still closed. Your virtue is safe."
The rings holding up the curtain raked across the rod and her scent of coconut and cherries strengthened, making Reese fight an erection. Her damn scent was imprinted on him now that he'd used her body wash. It drove him crazy. He wanted to lick every inch of her.
"All right. I'm as modest as I'm going to get since you stole my only robe."
"I'll buy you three more since I'm keeping this one." Reese almost groaned when he opened his eyes to see her wrapped in a small red towel.
"Sit on the toilet and show me what needs to be bandaged." Ridley opened her medicine cabinet and pulled out a bottle of pain reliever, tossing it to him. "Here. Take two."
Reese shook out a couple and handed them to her. "You first."
Ridley rolled her eyes, but accepted them. "I'm not bleeding anymore. Are you?"
Reese opened the top of the robe, showing off his chest. "Nope. Just bruising left. Cormac got to that asshole before we could do as much damage as we were capable of." He took two of the pills, not wanting her to fuss and needing them.
"Can we just get some rest? I'd rather you didn't poke and prod me when Beckett will be here in a couple hours."
"Didn't you insist on disinfecting Beth's wounds?"
Ridley adjusted the towel and Reese tried not to look. "It was more to feel like I was helping and getting her settled than any real need."
"You just don't want me leering at your gorgeous body."
Ridley sniffed. "Actually, I just don't want to see yours."
"Worried you won't be able to resist me?"
"Something like that. Come on. You can take a nap in my bed."
He opened the door, shivering as the air chilled from the AC hit his warm skin. "As long as you're sleeping with me. I'm not taking your bed while you sleep on the floor or on the horrible chair in your living room."
"Of course, I'm not letting you have my entire bed. We'll pile up a bunch of pillows in the middle."
"You don't trust me to keep my hands to myself?"
"Nope."
She wasn't wrong. Reese wasn't sure he could keep his hands to himself. The only thing stopping him were their injuries. Especially the way she was favoring her left arm. He followed her into her bedroom after she checked on Beth, who was already passed out.
Chapter 25
Ridley
RIDLEY DISAPPEARED into her closet and reemerged dressed in nothing but a large T-shirt. She threw a pair of basketball shorts at him. "These might be a little tight, but more comfortable than a robe getting all twisted around you while you sleep."
With a wink and a grin, Reese slid off the robe, letting it pool at his feet. Ridley's eyes widened as they roved down his body, getting stuck on his cock that twitched at her perusal. It was half-hard and aimed right at her.
She cleared her throat. "You have a lot of bruising."
"I'm assuming you probably look the same." He pulled the shorts on, wincing at the tight waistband.
"I do." Ridley shrugged as she pulled the red comforter back on her bed, adjusting pillows to build a wall in the center of the bed.
"I thought you were joking about that."
"I wasn't. You and your little mister stay on the right side of the wall. I sleep on the left." She wasn’t sure how to act with him now that he was treating her like he used to.
Reese grinned. "That's perfect for me, but you and Cormac are going to have problems when you share a bed. He prefers the left too. Maybe you can sleep right on top of him."
She shook off the picture his words brought up in her mind. "I have no plans to share a bed with Cormac, so that won't be a problem."
"It's only a matter of time." Reese shot her a wink.
He was going to develop a twitch if he didn’t stop winking at everyone.
She forced a glare onto her face. "It would be in your best interest to shut the hell up or you'll be sleeping on the floor. Get in bed and try not to snore."
"Don't worry. My snores are adorable. I have it on good authority."
"Cormac's?"
"Of course."
"I can't imagine him calling anything adorable." He preferred insults.
"He was pretty drunk when he admitted it."
"That makes more sense." Ridley punched at her pillow for a moment before stilling. "What is the deal with the two of you?"
"We're friends. And occasional lovers. You already know this."
"I've never believed the friends with benefits thing actually works." And she was pretty sure there was more to the two of them than that.
"It does for us."
"You love him, don't you?" She couldn't stop the question. She blamed the pain.
The entire bed shook from Reese’s surprise. "What? Why would you say that?"
"I've seen the way you look at him when he isn't paying attention."
"You are impossible." Reese huffed.
"Why?" She was tempted to peek at him over the pillow wall, but stayed still.
"You see too much."
Maybe she did. "Am I wrong?"
"No." Reese’s voice sounded muffled, like his face was buried in a pillow.
"Then why aren't you together for real?" It made no sense. They were teammates and cared about each other. What was holding them back?
"It's not that simple."
"Why?" If they loved each other and were team mates who did everything together, what was stopping them?
"Cormac doesn't feel the same way."
Bullshit. "I wouldn't be too sure of that. He's different with you than he is with the others."
"Maybe, but he doesn't do relationships. Not normal ones."
Something ugly twisted inside her. "Then what the hell are the two of you doing with me? If you're in love with him and he doesn't do relationships."
She had no plans on getting in the middle of what they were doing and she didn’t want to be the one left out in the cold when they finally figured it out.
"You can love more than one person. It's what we're hoping you will eventually come to do. Why can't it be the same for me or Cormac.? And with him, well, he thinks he doesn't have enough to offer on his own. He'll have to be the one to tell you why he's like that, it's not my story to tell. But basically, if he was able to share the burden of a relationship with the rest of us, he might actually feel like he was enough."
"Well, that's depressing. Also, a burden?" A mildly offensive term.
"You know what I mean. Don't be cute."
She rolled her eyes. "Right. Only you are allowed to be cute."
"Exactly."
"If I decided to jump in with you shitheads, what would it mean for you and Cormac? The last thing I'd ever want is to come between you or cause problems."
"Ridley. Honestly, sweetheart you might be the way I can have everything I want."
Her heart pounded so hard she could hear it in her ears. "And what do you want?"
"Both of you."
She almost melted back into the mattress, wishing she could disappear from this conversation. "Do you just want me because it'll get you closer to Cormac?"
"Do you really think I'm that much of an asshole?" Reese sounded pissed at her again.
She didn’t. "No."
"I want you for you, Ridley. We all do. But you have to decide if you want all of us too. It won't work unless we're all in this together."
"I don't know what I want."
"I think you do. I think you're just scared to admit it, much less try it."
"We barely know each other. A couple weeks working together isn't enough time to tell if it could possibly work. This isn't meeting someone, feeling a connection, and dating to see if it can be something more. If I start something with all of you, it's automatically a lot more serious. And a lot more work to juggle four relationships." Just talking about it as a hypothetical sent panic racing through her.
Reese reached across the pillow wall to squeeze her shoulder. "Most of the time it won't be four relationships. We already do everything else together, hardly spending any time apart. And you wouldn't be the only one putting in the work and effort. We would too. And I think we've all decided to give up on asking you to move it with us. For now."
"So, what? We work together on investigations and try to date in between them?"
"Why not? We can take it slow. We just don't want you to disappear on us again. And we have never expected you to give up helping women or your garage for us."
"Good. Because I won't." Could she really have it all? Was it possible? Was she crazy for even considering it?
"We just want you to let us help you. I know you don't need saving. But have you considered that maybe we do?"
Chapter 26
Ridley
A CLEARED THROAT WOKE Ridley a few hours later. Her eyes popped open and she jerked out of Reese's arms. Or, tried to. He was wrapped around her like a damn squid. A handsome one, but a squid nonetheless. When she tried to pull herself out, he only scooted closer and held her tighter. Where the hell did the pillow wall go?
"He's a ridiculous cuddler. You're going to have to wake him up." A familiar British voice sounded behind her.
Ridley jumped and turned her head towards Cormac. "Cormac? What are you doing here? How did you get in? What time is it?"
His blank expression didn’t change, but his eyes burned with heat and want and surprise. "Your new friend let me in. And I came to check on the invalids. Beckett will be here within the hour. It’s almost two in the afternoon."
"Right. Care to roll him off me? I set up a pillow wall, but apparently he knocked it down."
Cormac pointed at the floor next to his feet. "It looks like you did. All the pillows are on the floor on your side of the bed."
He was right. Shit. "He probably threw them."
"Right."
She glared at him. "Are you going to help me or not?"
Cormac grabbed Reese's shoulders and pulled at him. Instead of rolling off of Ridley, Reese's hand darted out and grabbed Cormac, yanking him onto the bed with them.
Ridley let out an oomph as half of Cormac landed on top of her.
"Well, this is awkward." Ridley sighed, completely tangled up with both men. "Why isn't he waking up?"
"He's a deep sleeper." Cormac's voice was muffled as he fought against Reese's grip, ending up on Reese’s other side.
The bed started shaking and Cormac and Ridley shared a grumpy scowl across Reese’s laughing body.
"You shithead. Let us go." Ridley shoved him.
"Why would I when I finally have you both in one bed?"
Ridley snorted and poked the bruise on his ribs, making him yelp. "Next time, I'll punch it. Let me go. I need to check on Beth. She shouldn't be alone."
Reese finally released her and she wriggled from the bed, trying to ignore the way he and Cormac stared at her legs and how hot they looked in bed together. Cormac, with his dark gray slacks and white button up shirt and slick hair. Reese, with his bare chest, messy hair, and too tight shorts doing nothing to hide his arousal.
She was tempted to rejoin them. Too tempted. Thankfully, Beth was there to keep her from committing to something she wasn't ready for.
"You two have fun."
"You might want pants."
"Right. Pants." She grabbed a pair of leggings from her dresser and opened the door.
"Did you happen to bring me a change of clothes?" Reese asked Cormac.
"I did."
Reese didn’t miss the smirk on Cormac’s lips. "Am I going to like what you chose?"
"Not even a little."
"Why do you insist on trying to change me? I make the disheveled look look good." Reese rubbed at his hair, making it stand up even more.
Cormac sniffed. "Disheveled is a very politic way to describe it."
"How would you describe it?"
"Homeless."
Reese flicked Cormac’s nipple through his shirt. "Why are you being mean to me in front of Ridley?"
"You act like I treat you differently when we're alone."
"You're never going to convince her into your bed if you're always a prick."
"She likes it. It's a turn on for her just like it is for you."
Ridley fought the blush trying to climb her cheeks. "I can't have this conversation before I've had coffee. In fact, I'm going to pretend I dreamed the entire thing. Including you dismantling the pillow wall."
"You started having a nightmare and threw them off the bed. When I scooted closer, you settled back down."
"Oh." She looked down at the floor.
"Was it about the mind controller?" Reese asked.
"No."
Cormac sat up and speared her with his steely gaze. "Is that what's been going on with you? The same nightmares you had when you were wounded?"
"What do you mean?" She swallowed past her dry throat.
"Something's been bothering you,” Reese explained. “We've noticed you aren't quite the same as you were before. Like you haven't been eating or sleeping."
Ridley shrugged and shifted from foot to foot. "It's just nightmares. They've been like this before. It'll pass."
Reese seemed to notice her discomfort, so he broke up the tension. "I guess you need to start sleeping with one of us if you want a good night sleep."
"Not gonna happen."
"I brought coffee and Loco Moco,” Cormac said. “Beth is already eating."
"Thanks." Ridley scurried out, not wanting to continue the conversation. She and Reese said enough before their nap.
She said way more than she meant to, and learned way more than she wanted to. It only made her more confused and torn. She ached for Reese, feeling like he was in love alone, accepting whatever scraps Cormac felt was all he had to give. Hell, she ached for both of them. And herself. They were all such a damn mess.
Their whole situation made her sad. But she couldn't fix it for them. And her entering into a relationship wasn't the answer either. No matter what Reese said about her saving them. They'd still have to work it out between themselves.
But it was getting more and more difficult to deny what every part of her craved. And she craved them. All four of the shitheads. And that nap was the best sleep she'd gotten in two months. Maybe it was time for her to stop being so careful and worried about what might happen and try living for a change.
After using the bathroom to freshen up and pull on the leggings, Ridley went to check on Beth.
"Beth? How are you feeling?" She focused
on the girl in front of her finishing up her box of food.
Beth looked up from her spot at the table. "A little sore, but better after a nap. And that other guy brought food."
"Did you get enough to eat?" Ridley checked the clock on her microwave. She and Reese had only slept for two hours. It was only two in the afternoon.
"I did. I love Loco Moco."
"It's one of my favorites too." Ridley grabbed her own container and dug in, almost moaning as the flavors of the gravy and beef exploded in her mouth.
The container was empty by the time Reese and Cormac emerged from her bedroom, Reese finally dressed. In a pair of jeans with no holes and a button up shirt similar to Cormac's but blue. The same blue as his ocean eyes. He looked gorgeous. The two of them were so pretty it was almost painful to look at them, so she refocused her attention to the food.
Cormac stepped towards her and peeked into her container. "You almost finished it" He looked pleased.
"I did."
He stepped closer to give them an illusion of privacy. "First, you slept well and now you're eating. Maybe we're good for you, pet."
Maybe they were.
But still. She changed the subject. "Did Beckett or Maddox give you any info about what they learned at the prison?"
"Not much. They were more focused on you and Reese. Beckett said they'd tell us when they get here. You might want to call Malia and get her here to watch over your new friend."
Ridley nodded and looked around. "Where is my phone?"
"It's over here." Reese held it up. "You left it on the counter." He tossed it to her.
She caught it. "Thanks." She texted Malia, explaining the situation and she replied with more apologies and a promise to head there now. "She's on her way."
"Who is?" Beth asked.
"My partner I told you about. Malia. After our healer friend gets here and sorts us all out, the four of us have some business to handle about another investigation, so Malia is going to hang out with you. I thought she could show you around the garage, see if you're still interested in working with us."
Boom (Aces and Knaves, #2) Page 11