by Heather Long
The green was a cocktail dress, and it had these sweet little lace inlets. The red was a lot dressier and even had a sparkle encrusted waistline. I knew which one was Archie’s favorite. “I want to wear the red to prom,” I told him, and his eyes lit up. I swore they practically gleamed.
“Done and done. I think they included shoes for this.”
“No heels,” I called.
“Heels are fine, we’re all going to be there.” His voice faded on his answer as he moved farther away.
“Don’t worry, Baby Girl,” Jake said, sticking his head in and giving me a sweeping once over. “We won’t let you fall. And you look fantastic in heels.”
“She looks fantastic in everything,” Archie said as he passed behind him.
“And nothing,” Coop yelled from somewhere, and I stared up at the ceiling before ducking back under the water. It was a little nuts to be having this conversation like this.
When I shut off the water, I found Ian waiting for me with an oversized towel. I stepped right into it, and he wrapped it around me.
“I’m okay, you know,” I told him, and he pressed a kiss to the tip of my nose.
“I still want to look after you, you know.” He tugged me into a full hug and didn’t seem to care that I was still soaking wet.
Eyes closed, I leaned into the contact. They’d all been cuddling close all day. While not quite hovering, one of them was either holding my hand or had an arm around me or one hand on my knee. I had no idea how they were working out the transitions from one to the other, but they’d all been handing me off so smoothly, it seemed coordinated.
Ian brushed a kiss to each of my closed eyelids as he wrapped the towel a little tighter and tucked a corner between my breasts. He nudged me toward the toilet, and I sat on the closed lid as he worked a towel gently against my wet hair.
I glanced up to find Coop watching us with an indulgent smile, and he winked. “Want something to drink? We were debating coffee.”
“Hmm…” I was tired and we were apparently getting dressed up to go out, so… “Coffee, please.”
“On it.”
Ian chuckled and then took his time toweling me off and being very thorough to the point he left me panting a little. When I squirmed, he slid his fingers right down the seam of my labia and raised his brows. “Hurting, Angel?”
“Wanting,” I said, through little gasps. “But I can be good.”
His sudden smile warmed me, and then he slid two fingers into me and curved them, even as he pressed his thumb down. I hadn’t even realized how on edge I was until I came, and I clung to him as he pulled a second orgasm out of me right on the heels of the first.
Lips against my ear, he whispered, “Told you I liked taking care of you.”
Laughter swelled out of me as he pressed a kiss behind my ear.
“Now finish drying your hair and get dressed. We have plans.”
Before I could prompt him for more, he surrendered his spot to Jake, who came bearing coffee and a wide grin. I should probably be blushing from my head to my toes, but the flush of warmth cascading through me had everything to do with being loved.
After a very thorough kiss—payment for my coffee apparently—Jake passed over my cup and then settled in while I dried my hair.
“Up or down?” I asked him.
“Down,” came three answers from beyond the bathroom.
“Thank you, Jake,” Jake answered them. “I’m so glad you could answer my question without the peanut gallery.”
“You’re standing in here with her naked and you want her hair up?” Archie asked from the doorway, even as I laughed.
“Well,” Jake mused, “she would raise her arms—can you show him for me, Baby Girl?” There was no mistaking that twinkle in his eyes as I gathered up my hair and lifted it with both hands. “Right there,” he said as I had my arms up and my chest forward.
“I see what you mean,” Archie said slowly, and I snorted.
“And it’s staying down,” I said, dropping it and shaking the length out. “Especially since you’re not telling me where we’re going.”
“We’re going to have fun.” Archie hooked an arm around me and dragged me forward for a kiss. “Trust me?” he murmured against my lips. “Trust us?”
How did one argue against that?
I’d never been so grateful for the earlier orgasms Ian had given me, because Jake and Archie were both very helpful as I headed for the bedroom. “I can get dressed on my own. I’m sure you’ve picked out the panties and everything. Now shoo.”
“Aww.” Archie mock pouted at me, but Jake just laughed as I shut the bedroom door. I turned and collided with Coop, who pinned me to the door, one thigh right between my legs as his mouth locked over mine, and I forgot how to breathe or even think.
The sweep of his tongue went on and on as he cupped my face in one hand and my hip in the other. Even the coolness of the door against my back couldn’t temper the heat he aroused. A low groan escaped me, and then there was a hard knock on the door.
“Let her get dressed, Coop. No cheating.” Jake sounded like he was having way too good a time.
“No cheating,” he murmured against my lips before lifting his head to say, “Fuck off. Bubba already cheated.”
I leaned against the door and stared up at him. My nipples were so tight that even the softness of his shirt left me tingling. Running my thumb over his lower lip, I said, “We keep this up and we’re never going anywhere, because I’m going to end up shoving one of you down and climbing on.”
“I volunteer as tribute,” Jake said through the door, and Coop threw his head back and laughed.
A giggle escaped me as he gave me another quick kiss. “Trust me,” he said, “if we weren’t excited about this surprise, I’d totally drop my pants and let you ride whatever you wanted.”
“That would be me,” Jake contributed from the other side of the door, and Coop slammed his hand against the wood. There was a muttered, “Ow,” from our audience, and my giggles just increased. Coop’s eyes warmed and his smile grew when I slid my hands up under his shirt to teased across his abdomen.
“When do we have to leave?” I hooked my fingers in the waistband of his jeans, and it was Coop’s turn to groan.
“Not enough time to do all the things I want, beautiful.”
“Fine,” I said with a long-suffering sigh, and he chuckled. “Then stop teasing me.” I gave his dick a good squeeze through his jeans, and his breath stuttered. “Not so funny when you’re the one getting riled up, is it?”
Jake’s barely muffled laughter carried through, and Coop raised his hands in surrender as he fell back to lie on the bed. I opened the door so Jake could join us, and Archie was right behind him. I’d never had almost—wait, there was Ian—so all of them watch me get dressed before since the day we left for Colorado.
Panties pulled on, I paused and looked at them. “We’re not going on another sudden trip, right?”
“Nope,” Archie answered, but despite all of them shaking their heads, they all wore shit-eating grins. And they all looked really nice too. I skipped the bra because I didn’t want to wear the strapless one—it bunched—and the dress didn’t need it. It had cups sewn into the bodice, and sometimes, not having big boobs paid off.
Coop and Jake were in jeans, but Archie and Ian both sported slacks. Archie had rolled up the sleeves of his black button-down shirt, revealing his forearms. Ian had on a white one, also rolled up. But Coop and Jake were both in a black T-shirt and white T-shirt respectively. I swore they’d coordinated.
I glanced at my dress and then at them. “I’m going to be overdressed.”
“Yes,” Jake said solemnly. “You’re going to have clothes on.”
And on that note, I gave up. No fishing for me. When they decided to plot together, it was better to just hang on for the ride. I pulled the dress on, and Ian made it to me first to zip it up in the back as I pulled my hair out of the way. Then I was sliding my ring on,
but my bracelet wasn’t on the dresser where I left it.
Archie held it up by two fingers, and they were all grinning again.
“Couldn’t really find something that said ‘emancipated,’” he explained as he turned the bracelet to show me the newest charm added to it—a gavel. “But I thought this would work.”
Oh man, I was going to cry.
“Congratulations, babe. We’re still celebrating your big one eight next month, but as of today, you are officially free and clear.” He slipped the bracelet on and clipped it into place, and when I wrapped my arms around him, he hugged me tight. Coop locked his arms around me from the back, then Jake came at us from the side, and finally Ian.
“Group hug,” I said, almost breathlessly as they caged me in.
“Huddle,” Jake corrected with a chuckle. “But group hug works too.”
I didn’t cry.
But it was a damn close thing.
As it was, I was reluctant to let go, but as we pulled apart, I caught Archie’s gaze and smiled. This was our family. I swore he must have been thinking the same thing, ’cause he winked.
Even with all their “help,” it still took another fifteen minutes for me to finish being ready, and yes, I was in the damn heels. I was also wearing a buttery soft leather coat that was way too expensive and did not belong in my closet. I knew better than to leave Archie alone in a store, especially after I’d admired the coat for all of about fifteen seconds.
Still…it was really soft, and the smile he wore when I ran my fingers over it shut up my objections before I could even make them.
Finally, we were all out in the car—Jake’s as usual when it was all of us—with the music cranked and singing along. The cats were probably glad to be rid of us. The guys had taken care of making sure they had food and water, and I’d even noticed the new cat tree in the living room. Not to mention the whole apartment had been a lot neater.
Jeremy had really done way too much.
But I put that away. I put it all away. Tonight, we were celebrating.
And apparently, we were going to the Liquid Lounge. A squeak escaped me.
“We didn’t make it on Valentine’s,” Ian told me. I was sandwiched between him and Archie in the back. “So tonight, we’re going to make up for that and celebrate your freedom.”
“And that whole ‘we’re not siblings’ thing,” Archie said. “’Cause while I didn’t care…”
“It’s still good news,” I agreed with him in a rush. Because to be honest, I hadn’t cared either. But neither of us wanted that out there. “No more bad meatloaf.”
“Yes!” Jake yelled from the front as he pulled up to the curb with the valet. “Fuck off, bad meatloaf.”
The whooping increased until I was smiling so hard, my face hurt. There was a cover charge to get in, and we all had to get stamps on our left hands—no alcohol because we were under age—but I didn’t care. Inside, there were singers on the stage already doing “Summer Nights” from Grease. Archie had made reservations, so we were shown right to a table.
I danced along to the music as I followed Archie and the hostess. Jake’s hands were on my hips as he followed. The interior of the club was gorgeous. It was all art deco and dark colors, save for the splashes of neon. It was so outrageously over the top that I loved it. We got a round of drinks ordered, and I settled in the center of the booth with the guys sliding in on the edges.
Coop was the last one to the table, but he wore a grin. We toasted my ‘freedom,’ and then Ian pulled over the music catalog and pushed it to me. “Pick one,” he said.
And I grinned at him. I’d asked for this date, and not only was I getting it, I got it with all of them. There was a steady stream of performers, some awesome, some terrible, and a lot in between. But they were all having fun. When one group got up to do “Bohemian Rhapsody,” we were all singing along.
I’d picked a song, and when I showed Ian, he grinned wider and gave me a thumbs up before he slid out of the booth to go and sign us up. When he came back, he winked, then finished his drink before he lifted his chin toward Archie. He nodded, and there was that silent communication thing the boys all did as they exchanged looks.
As the last group finished and left the stage, they all slid out, but not before Archie pressed a kiss to my lips and said, “This is for you, babe. Happy Valentine’s—you know what, fuck it. Happy every day.”
I grinned as the four of them streamed up on the stage. What were they going to…
Then the music started, and I swore my face caught on fire as all the blood rushed to my cheeks. The fact that Ian started it off had me grinning from ear to ear. Then the guys backed him up, and I died laughing as they even added the moves to “The Best Song Ever.” I would kill Coop later for betraying my One Direction fascination.
It had been a year-long obsession that I outgrew, but I had to admit, this was one of my favorite songs. Jake took the next stanza, but the fact they nailed the chorus had me laughing, crying, and dancing in my seat.
When Archie sang about having a dirty mouth, I lost it as I clapped along. I wasn’t the only one. They’d captivated the whole damn club, and they were all focused on me as they sang. I raised my arms and kept dancing in my seat, even as tears blurred my eyes and my face hurt.
And our night was really only getting started. When they finished, everyone applauded, and I whooped, whistled, and fangirl-screamed, just for them.
By the end of the night, Ian and I had done “Under Pressure,” “Shallow,” and I let Jake talk me into doing “Cool Rider” from the second Grease movie.
Best.
Night.
Ever.
We closed the bar down and totally blew off school the next day.
Yeah, we were rebels.
But we were celebrating freedom, right?
Freedom and family.
Chapter Seventeen
Good Vibrations
The Queen Isabella Causeway was stunning to look at as we made the two-and-a-half-mile drive across the connection between the mainland and South Padre Island. Archie and Jake had talked about the steel cantilever beams and main span of it when we’d stopped for lunch, and I could totally appreciate the engineering.
Even more, I loved the feel of the sun on my back as I pressed against Ian. When we set out earlier that morning, the guys had surprised me with the fact Ian was bringing his bike, and I’d alternated on breaks between the SUV with the boys and the bike with Ian. I wondered if he’d be too exhausted by riding all the way, but even if my ass and legs vibrated, I love that we were on his bike.
Jake was directly behind us. Even when I was in the SUV with them, he didn’t let anyone get between his car and Ian’s bike. Despite a few breaks and the stops for lunch, and the dog museum in Waco, we’d reach the house Archie rented for our three days in Padre before sunset. Crazy museum date was officially checked off our list. The fact they remembered delighted me on every level.
I should have known they were up to something when Rachel took me swimsuit shopping. Course, she made no pretenses when she said the more scandalous the better. The bandage style bathing suit I’d picked out was probably going to get me in trouble. I couldn’t wait. While the ride had begun somewhat cooler, it was in the upper seventies, low eighties this far south, and the breeze coming off the ocean teased me.
Honestly, I couldn’t wait to hit the beach. Jeremy had the cats again and had already provided two shots of them setting up in the sunroom at Archie’s house and sprawling over the elaborate cat tree he’d set up for them. They were in heaven.
I resisted the urge to stretch my arms out and ride like I was flying. I’d done that earlier, and Jake nearly had an aneurism, even if Ian had laughed. I didn’t want to scare anyone, so I settled for squeezing Ian and just savoring the closeness as he followed the streets to the gated community where the rental house awaited us. The place was gorgeous, unsurprisingly, and Archie gave it an assessing once over as I stretched.
&n
bsp; The guys were laughing and shoving at each other as they grabbed our bags and carried them in. The house had five bedrooms, four bathrooms, a huge heated swimming pool, and a series of terraces off the house, with the back of it facing what was ostensibly a private beach meant for the homes in this little community.
“Get changed,” Archie called. “We can get some beach time in and then grill some food. The house should be stocked.”
There were shouts from Coop and Jake, but I walked out onto the deck that a big pair of French doors in my room opened onto. The view was…amazing. The ocean rolled in—well the gulf, but it smelled like sand and salt and warmth.
The last ten days or so since the emancipation hearing and facing off with Maddy and Edward had been surreal in some ways. The guys stayed close, and no matter who I went to bed with, I always woke up with one extra in the morning. Ian and Archie had been having these intense, quiet conversations that they thought I wasn’t paying attention to, but like the secret project Archie worked on with Jake, I let them have it.
Did I want to know? Sure. But something in me settled over the last few months. I trusted them. I had private time with each of them, time when we talked about everything and nothing. Those moments belonged to us, and the guys deserved the same courtesy and respect.
Besides, the shifting we’d all been doing since Colorado seemed even more comfortable now.
“Hey,” Coop said from behind me, and I turned to find him standing in between the open doors dressed in a pair of swim trunks and nothing else. The sun gleamed off his skin and seemed to highlight his fading tan and sinewy muscle. He’d added a little bulk and tone.
The running Ian had dragged us out on had actually begun to grow on me, much to Coop’s chagrin, so we joined the guys two of three mornings, but I made sure to stay in bed with him at least a couple of times a week.