by SM Olivier
I smiled over at Jace as I squeezed Jaxson’s knee. I was glad that Jace finally trusted his brother with the truth. “Okay, what else did I miss while I was in cryo?”
Noah, Troy, and Jaxson groaned simultaneously. “No more sci-fi flicks for you. Who even let her watch them?” Troy asked in exasperation.
I laughed. “You know Drake is a closet sci-fi geek.”
“You didn’t miss much else. Training has been reduced until upstairs is complete and that’s about it.” Jace stated.
“Who’s stuck with me this afternoon?” I asked.
“Are you not feeling one hundred percent?” Remy asked in concern.
“Not one hundred,” I stated truthfully. “Maybe eighty percent.”
“I have my tablet in my bag if you want to lay down for a little while longer and watch some movies,” Troy informed me.
“Thanks,” I smiled. “I think I’m going to do a little bit of school work first. So, who’s stuck with me?” I repeated.
“Me again,” Lincoln stated with a mocking smile.
I barely refrained from groaning and rolling my eyes. “Yay me!” I said sarcastically.
“It’s the way it needs to be,” Troy said quietly. “Drake’s in the clinic. The healer can’t even heal him. He went down shortly after you did and hasn’t woken since.”
“What?” I asked standing up abruptly. “When I said to tell me ‘anything important’, that would have been good to know right away!”
“Where are you going?” Noah asked as he stood up with me.
“To the clinic,” I stated, looking at him like he was dense.
“Finish your food first,” Remy bade me gently.
“I can’t,” I said angst filling me.
“You need to,” Jace cajoled me. “You need to build up your strength. Being on an IV drip isn’t the same as real sustenance.”
I reluctantly sat back down and continued to eat my food in silence.
“Jemmy and Gavin had a long talk,” Jaxson informed me. I know it was his attempt to get my mind off things.
“And…” I looked at him expectantly.
“And she’s agreed to go to therapy,” Jaxson continued. “She was too scared to see Drake the way he is. She has yet to see anyone but you in that state. I think it shook her.”
“Good,” I nodded mechanically. I wish I could be more enthusiastic for her and Gavin, but my mind was too clouded with fear.
I looked over at Lincoln and saw his piercing gaze on me. I didn’t know what to do. I still couldn’t imagine being intimate with him, but I wanted us all to get our gifts back. I wanted all of us to be healthy once more.
I felt tears flood my eyes as I looked at Drake lying there so still. He looked so much smaller, even in the small bed he was lying in. He was hooked up to an IV, and his face looked pale and wane. I traced his hands lovingly.
“You need to wake up,” I murmured in his ear. “I need you. We need you.”
I looked over at Lincoln. He was the only one who accompanied me. I knew the other guys were trying to give us more time together. Even Remy seemed shaken up enough to let it happen.
Lincoln reached into his back pocket and handed me a folded piece of paper.
I looked at him in bewilderment, but I took it from him. I unfolded the paper and looked at it in confusion for a moment. As I read further my eyes widened.
“You had a test done?” I asked in shock.
He nodded. “I know you were concerned if I was clean. I am.”
I shook my head in disbelief. It was dated five days ago. Before he came here. We hadn’t even talked about his sexual history at that point. It surprised me that he would get the test done without my request.
I nodded and put the paper in my pocket. I didn’t know what to do with this information. I couldn’t deny that there was some chemistry there, but I didn’t know what I should do. At what point did my gifts—our gifts—get tired of waiting? Would we all suffer because of my misgivings?
“Are you even attracted to me?” I asked bluntly.
He chuckled in that sardonic way of his, and immediately I felt my usual ire with him rise again. “I think that kiss earlier proved to you that there’s something there.”
“You’re an actor,” I reminded him like he was a dense child. “You get paid to act. You kiss several women on screen and off screen.”
He chuckled once more, infuriating me further. He wasn’t supposed to find me amusing, he should be offended by my not so subtle dig. “True. It’s a hard life, that’s for sure.”
I sighed and glared up at him. “I’m sure it is. Just like entertaining Eva and her blonde friend must have been torture,” I blurted out but quickly covered my mouth when I realized I let him know that I had jumped him.
He laughed once more and this time huskier. He lowered his head down to my ear. “I was wondering when you would admit to being a voyeur. That was a…fun romp. I’ve never had anyone jump me before. Did you like what you saw? Did you imagine you were Eva going down on me, or were you Gretchen riding my face?”
I felt my face heat up. I couldn’t admit to him that I had been slightly turned on and that Troy and I had taken advantage of my heightened state of arousal. “You’re a pig,” I bit out at him.
“What happens if I tell you−” he lowered his voice. “−that I jumped Jace before. Do you remember him being particularly…demanding of you one day, almost a month ago? He flipped you on all fours and drove into over and over again. He made you come, but you weren’t done, were you? You pushed him down and rode him until you came again, making him come.”
I had to resist the urge to slap him. I remembered that night clearly. I was getting ready to go help Drake in the kitchens, and he came into the room, locked the door, and commanded me to undress while he did the same. His forcefulness had turned me on, and I had been more than sated by the time I went down to the kitchens.
“You had no right spying on us! Why the hell would you have jumped him?” I seethed with clenched fists.
“I learned a lot that day,” he explained. “Like I know you melt when you’re kissed here.” He lowered his head and kissed the skin below my ear. “Or how you shiver slightly when you're nibbled on here.” He nibbled on my ear, causing me to shudder. “Or how you tense up but in a good way when you're lightly stroked here.” He then proceeded to run his fingertips lightly against my abdomen.
My stomach clenched, and my toes curled. I was in a state of shock that he was even talking to me or touching me so knowingly. My brain wanted me to lash out at him and tell him to go to Hades. My body had a mind of its own.
I barely resisted when he pulled me over to a supply closet. As soon as the door was closed, his hungry mouth was on my own. His hands were diving below my shirt and palming my breast.
“I don’t know you,” I feebly tried to push him away.
“Doesn’t matter,” he muttered as his warm lips found my throat. “Our bodies want this.”
“We can’t be ruled by our bodies. I love my men,” I insisted as I balled his shirt into my hands.
I felt him stiffen slightly before he was pulling my shirt over my head. “That’s why we should do this. A, it’s going to feel amazing, and B, we need our gifts back.”
I was angry at him for reminding me of that, and I was seething about the whole situation. I pulled his shirt up over his head as he lifted me up with both of his hands on my rear. He pushed me against the wall, and I wrapped my legs around his waist. He pushed my bra up and lifted me slightly higher so his lips could capture my breast. He nipped at me to the point of pain, and when I hissed, he pulled my nipples into his mouth, soothing them.
I ran my hands across his broad shoulder, his skin was like molten lava beneath my fingertips. I didn’t want to like the feel of his skin against my hand. I dug my hands into his hair. It was cut too short for me to tug at it. I dug my nails into his head instead.
He chuckled softly before he lowered me back down. “S
uch a wild vixen,” he ran his lips down my chest and to my stomach; licking, sucking, and nibbling along the way.
I protested briefly when his hands found the top of my cargo pants. He nipped my hip when I pushed against him, stilling me effectively. He pulled my pants and underwear down in one fell swoop. I watched him kiss the crease between my thighs and pubic bone.
I bit my lip to prevent a sound from escaping my throat. I closed my eyes and threw my head back as his mouth found my warmth. His tongue licked me with expertise.
“Open your eyes,” he gently commanded me in between my lips. “Watch me.”
I closed my eyes tighter and felt his lips and mouth leave me.
“Watch me or I’ll stop. I don’t want you to mistake who is between your thighs,” he said with steel in his tone.
I wanted to tell him to eff off, but my body was traitorous. It wanted to feel what he could do to me.
I reluctantly opened my eyes and looked down. He chuckled mockingly before he placed his mouth back over my core. It was erotic to watch him and to see the singlemindedness and seemingly satisfaction he got doing the act. Soon I felt the rise of my desire climbing up. The climb reminded me of a roller coaster before it gets to a steep hill, the tension had my body strung tight. Then when I thought I could no longer stand the anticipation any longer, I was speeding down the hill and crying out as the passion unfurled.
The residual languidness wasn’t even gone before he was standing once more, lifting me and placing me on one of the plastic carts used to push supplies around. He drove into me without me even realizing that he had dropped his pants and boxers.
I bit his shoulder, angry at him. Mad at myself. It shouldn’t feel this good. I shouldn’t like what he was doing to me. He was my connection, but I didn’t want him in my life. He took a fistful of my hair and yanked my head back.
“You're so damn tight,” he groaned out. “Hate me all you want, but your body can’t deny me. Your body loves feeling me doesn’t it?” he asked huskily in my ear.
I made a sound of denial in my throat as he continued to drive in and out of me with the intent to punish me most deliciously.
“Liar,” he hissed. “Tell me your body wants me.”
“No,” I denied even as my hands grabbed his shoulders and my legs wrapped around his rear, pulling him closer and trying to anchor myself from sliding across the cart.
“Little liar,” he nipped the skin between my shoulders and neck.
I cried out as his movements intensified. I was surprised to find my body responding to him once more. I barely had time to brace myself as I fell apart around him, crying out into his shoulder. He groaned above me, and I could feel him come undone as well. Bright, painful lights exploded behind my eyes, and I cried out, grasping my head. Tremors coursed through me and I felt an uncontrollable shaking take ahold of me.
He muttered a curse as he fell to his knees. “What is going on?” he hissed out between clenched teeth.
I couldn’t even answer him as I felt darkness shroud over me.
Chapter 20
Waking up disoriented was really getting old. I rolled over and noticed my own bedding immediately as my eyes traveled upwards, and I saw Drake lying beside me reading a book.
I made a noise of happiness, and he looked over at me with a gentle smile. “Hey there,” he said with a kiss to my nose.
I sat up and threw myself at him. “How are you feeling?” I asked him as I wrapped my arms around his neck.
He chuckled as he pulled me in close. “Amazing, actually,” he murmured in my ear as he rubbed my back.
“Is everything cleaned up? Why are we back in the apartment?” I asked excitedly.
“Not everything is ready for inhabitation again.” Drake chuckled. “This floor and the floors below us are good to go, but the same can’t be said about the top four floors,” Drake added with a grimace. “Pops gave us the all clear to come back up here.”
I nodded in relief. Sleeping in my own bed had its merits.
“Did I…do we?” I asked hesitantly looking around the room.
“You did, and we do,” he answered as he kissed the top of my head.
“What happened?” I asked with a sigh of relief, followed closely by uncertainty. We made our connection and our gifts were back but at what cost?
“When you guys made the connection, I woke up immediately. The guys felt it and waited for you to find them. I wasn’t aware of the fact that they didn’t know where you were, and Dr. Wyatt refused to release me until he did more test on me. When they realized you were still missing by dinner time, they went in search for you. They found you both in the closet.” Drake explained quietly.
I groaned. Kill me now. I thought. The idea of them finding me in the buff was embarrassing.
“It’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” he reassured me as if he could read my thoughts. “You did what you had to do. We all have our gifts back, and we feel like our old selves again.”
“Where is everyone?” I asked after a few moments of me processing it all.
“Sleeping,” he informed me. “They had a long day, and I told them I wasn’t tired and would watch over you.”
“Was I out for that long?” I asked aghast.
Drake continued to rub my back, neck, and shoulders. “It’s almost midnight.” He informed me.
“Ugh,” I groaned once more. Losing all these days sucked, and I had never passed out for that long after a connection.
My mind was whirling with everything, but my stomach growled loudly in protest.
“Let’s go eat.” Drake held out his hand.
I nodded and let him lead me out of bed. “I’m not going to able to sleep anytime soon,” I grumbled as he led me out of the room.
“Me either. We can make some food and watch movies in bed.”
I smiled. “Sounds good to me.”
As he led me down the hall, I was relieved to realize my body felt good, considering I slept most of the day away… again. We went into the kitchen, and he immediately started to pull out food from the refrigerator.
“How does a cheesesteak quesadilla sound?” Drake asked holding out a box of Steak-umms.
“Do we have sour cream and jalapenos?” I asked hopefully.
He grinned at me before kissing me on my lips. “We do.”
“You really scared me today,” I admitted to him quietly.
“I know it’s not a competition,” Drake said with a teasing smile. “But I’ve felt my heart stop on numerous occasions with you.”
“Urgh!” I mock growled at him. “Your right, it’s not a competition.”
He laughed once more and started to dice up some onions.
“How’s Lincoln?” I finally asked. “Where is he?”
“He’s good. At least he said he was. He’s in my room. We offered him his own apartment, but I think you’ve already enchanted him,” Drake informed me.
I snorted. “I doubt it. He already asked if he could leave once the connection was made. I don’t think he’ll be here for much longer.”
“I think,” Drake said with a slight pause, “he’ll be sticking around for a little while. He doesn’t have another movie to film for some time, and he only has a few photoshoots to go to for that car line, in New York City. He actually seems pretty interested in our program here and finding out more about himself as Lincoln Hudgens the gifted, not just the actor.”
I stood up to grab a drink from the refrigerator. I didn’t know how I felt about that. I would be lying to myself if I didn’t admit that a small part of me enjoyed our copulation but the other part of me still felt like I was betraying the guys and the love I had for them.
“Is that what he’s saying?” I asked as I pulled out two cans of Dr. Pepper out for us. The fridge was very bare. “We’re going to have to go shopping soon.” I sat back down on my stool and watched as he continued to make our meal.
“Yes, to both.” Drake chuckled. “Remy still can’t stand him, b
ut I think Troy, Noah, and Jaxson have warmed up to him. When Lincoln brought you back here, we had a discussion, and I think he understands how serious our connections are.”
“And you and Jace?” I asked taking a tentative sip of my pop.
“I think we’re…indifferent,” Drake stated honestly. “He seems like a good guy, and we realize he’s needed, but we understand how important he is for you, for us. We’re just reserving our opinion of him until we get to know him better.”
I nodded, withdrawing into my thoughts once more. I really didn’t need my life to get more complicated than it already was, and I already felt stretched thin between them all. I knew it was imperative that I show them how important they were to me, and adding another one wasn’t going to be easy. Not that Lincoln seemed to want my attention.
“So about my dad,” Drake cleared his throat.
I was wondering when this conversation was going to occur, but honestly, I didn’t care that he hadn’t told me about it. Death could be a personal thing, and suicide seemed to leave a lot more scars to the ones that were left behind. At least in my opinion.
“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” I told him quietly as I leaned into his chest.
We had eaten and then cuddled up on my bed to watch movies. Wrapped in his arms, I felt safe, secure, and loved. His warm bare chest felt like home against my cheek. It was in these quiet moments I was reminded why I loved him so much.
“I want to,” he admitted gruffly before linking his fingers with my own and placing it back on his chest. “The reason I never told you about his apparent suicide is that I don’t think it was a suicide. I’ve looked at the police reports, and I've seen the pictures. I know why they might believe it, but I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that he didn’t kill himself. I don’t know why or who did, but he didn’t.”
I nodded. “What happened?”
“Dad was supposed to pick us up from school, and that day he didn’t. I went back inside the school to call him, but he didn’t answer his phone. He always answered his phone,” he explained quietly. “When mom came and got us, we went straight home. We could hear his car in the garage when we got out of my mom's car. We opened the garage door up, we found him dead in his car. He died of carbon monoxide poisoning.