by Logan Fox
They stared at each other, Cora with a hopeful smile, him with what he assumed was resignation.
The dream was always the same. She came to him. Whispered loving words in his ear. And was torn away seconds later by soot covered hands.
Like always, he couldn’t look away. He was forced to watch her step tentatively closer.
He tentatively lifted his hand. Fingers touched uneven flesh on his jaw, his neck. He’d thought it was just his blurry vision, but now he knew he was covered in burn marks.
Confusion and wonderment warred in Cora’s golden eyes the closer she came.
And no wonder; he truly was a beast now.
“You’re awake.”
Her voice was as he remembered. Perhaps a little huskier, as if she was fighting back emotion.
It could only be disgust.
He turned away, pressing his eyes closed in an effort to make the nightmare end, to suffocate it with his despair.
When cool fingertips touched the back of his hand, Finn flinched. His eyes flew open, darting to Cora where she stood by his side.
“Lars wants to see you,” Cora murmured, tears brimming in her eyes. “Can I send for him?”
This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. Cora was meant to kiss him, whisper something sweet in his ear, give him hope before being torn away by an anonymous evil.
But the touch to his hand was real.
The love in her eyes was real.
She caressed the bridge of his nose with a fingertip, her eyes darting over his face. “You’re magnificent, you know that?”
“I shot you,” he murmured, voice hoarse from disuse.
“You saved me. You saved all of us.” She straightened, blinking hurriedly, and then turned away to wipe her face. “I’m fetching Lars.”
“No—” he tried to grab her wrist, but she was too nimble. Darting back, she gave him a girlish smile and hurried from the room, closing the door behind her.
He wore only loose boxers, which made it easy to tally up his wounds.
That fire had chewed him up and spat out what was left. It had ruined his body. He got his legs back up and just tugged a sheet over the lower half of his body before Lars barged through the door.
The man was at his side an instant later, crowding against Finn’s legs as he tried to find room to perch beside him.
“Je-sus!” Lars crooned, his eyes taking in Finn with a greedy sweep. “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?”
Heat touched Finn’s face. He’d never in his life felt embarrassed by his appearance, but this wasn’t his body anymore. It was a desolate husk.
“My fuck, am I making you blush?” Lars asked, cocking his head to the side. His hair was shorter, too. It made him look younger where Cora’s shorter hair made her look older.
Lars ran a self-conscious hand over his head. “Yeah, thought it was about time I stopped looking like a hippy.” His green eyes glimmered with mischief as he reached over and tweaked Finn’s nipple. “Doc says you’ll be on solids later this week. Exciting stuff, right?” Lars leaned closer still, his mischievous expression filling Finn’s world. “Says you might even be able to get rid of your blue balls before the end of the month. Believe me, I’m counting the hours.”
Finn shifted, dropping his eyes. “Where are we?”
“You don’t recognize this place?” Lars sat back, frowning at Finn. “Should I get someone in here to check if you lost any ducks in the fire?”
“Lars—”
“Cora’s place. Swan Manor. Oh, right…” Lars pointed a finger at him. “You’d only ever been in her bedroom, not the master.”
He waved a hand at the vaulted ceiling. “This is daddy Swan’s. Or, was. It’s hers now. Ours, I guess.” Lars looked around, pouting a little. “Well, soon as you’re off the drip, anyway. We’ve all had to try and fit into Cora’s little bed. It lost its appeal pretty fucking quickly.”
“Zachary?” Finn asked through a cough.
Lars brought a glass of water closer, manouvering its straw between Finn’s lips.
“He reincarnated into a plate of crispy duck. Except, less edible.”
Finn sagged back against his pillows, letting out a long sigh.
“I know, right? Cockroaches and all that? But he’s definitely kicked the bucket. I saw what was left. It wasn’t pretty.”
“Island?”
“Aren’t we a chatty Cathy today?” Lars said, taking back the water glass and having a sip himself. “Luckily for us, Zachary had a spare phone. ‘Cos, the other one got fried, just like him.” Lars let out a short laugh and then sobered immediately. “Believe it or not, 911 can’t reliably trace satellite phones if they’re not actually in America. Go figure, right?” Lars shrugged, and began toying with the edge of one of Finn’s bandages.
“Luckily, Kane managed to convince the last guy Zachary phoned that he did in fact want a supply run. We were ready to overpower the fuckers when they landed, and made them take us all back to Mexico.”
Lars tapped Finn’s arm. “Fun fact: getting over the border is so much easier when you have a tunnel going under it.”
Finn laughed, but it came out more like a croak.
“Kane?”
Lars let out a long sigh. “There we got us a buy-one-get-one-free deal. Kinda cool, actually. See, Ana—real stand-up chick, that one—she managed to keep her cool until we got back to Z’s farm.”
He gave Finn a quick, interrogatory glance. “Z is for Zachary.”
Finn rolled his eyes.
“Just checking we’re still on the same page, big guy. No offense, but you took quite a pounding recently. And then there was that fire and everything.”
Lars’s wicked grin faded away, the man sobering as he carried on speaking.
“Kane was willing to take Neo off our hands. I had to convince Cora not to skin him though. She takes after you a little,” Lars said, giving him a playful tap on one pec. “Fiesty, violent little thing. Anyway, he said he would hand Neo over to the DEA’s office and, in trade, he’d say we all just disappeared into smoke.”
Lars let out a dry laugh. “You see what I did there?”
Finn smiled at him, and Lars pressed his hand against Finn’s cheek as he leaned in close. “None of us thought you were gonna make it. I’ll be the first to admit that I made a call to find out how much life insurance cover you had.”
Finn let out another croak as Lars patted his chest.
“Seriously, Milo, you gotta get some life insurance, okay? We would have had to borrow money from Cora to put you in the fucking ground.”
“I want to be cremated,” Finn said.
Lars stared at him.
They both burst out laughing, Finn cutting off a second later at the pain.
54
Someone to warm her bed
Seven Weeks Later
Cora set down the last gift box, smoothing one of the silver ribbons binding it. When she looked up, the Christmas tree blurred for a moment before she could blink away potential tears.
Footsteps sounded behind her, near silent on the carpet. She saw Lady’s ears prick up, the dog watching whoever it was coming up behind her. By the time they’d reached Cora, the dog’s tail was swishing wildly from side to side.
A hand caressed the top of her head. “You coming to bed?”
“In a bit,” she murmured.
“I think there’re enough presents, Cora.” Finn’s voice was a quiet rumble in the sleepy hush that filled Swan Manor.
“Never,” she said, but under her breath. She rose, giving Finn a warm smile over her shoulder. “Want a last glass of eggnog?”
“You’re addicted,” he said, slipping his arm around her waist. “I’m going to have to cut you off.”
“Come on, Finn, just one—”
“You know,” came a voice from the landing, “if I had three gorgeous hunks waiting in my bed, I wouldn’t be fucking around with Christmas presents.”
Cora leaned past Finn, shooting Lars a g
lare. “I said I’ll be up—”
“Yeah, and we’re already down again, you’ve taken so long.” Lars waved at her, heading back to the master bedroom. “Tell you what, we’ll get started without you. If there’s no more lovin’ left for you by the time you’ve finished your eggnog, you’ll only have yourself to blame.”
The master bedroom’s door closed with a resounding crash.
Cora peered up at Finn, and he brushed her cheek with his thumb as he gave her a fond smile.
His wounds had all healed, but an expanse of skin all the way from his lower jaw to his hip bore testament to the fire that had engulfed them all.
She’d gotten away with nothing more than a bad haircut, some minor burns, and a bullet wound; Zachary had unwittingly shielded her and Lady from the worst of the blast.
Lars had a few burn marks of his own, but he flouted them like badges of honor.
Finn wore polo neck sweaters and owned no short-sleeved shirts anymore. Although he’d regained his muscle mass a few weeks after he’d been back on solid food, the fire had permanently disfigured one pectoral muscle.
She’d stopped telling him it didn’t matter, because it obviously mattered to him. She thought it was because those scars were a constant reminder of how he’d failed her.
It made her livid, him thinking that, but she’d have a much easier time trying to change Earth’s orbit than convince him otherwise.
“So, about that egg—” she began, but Finn scooped her off her feet before she could complete her sentence, and threw her over his shoulder. She struggled, shrieking at him to let her go before giggles overwhelmed her.
Lady’s nose pressed against her ankle, the dog sensing a game in the air and eager to play. Lady was lucky to be alive, never mind walking—the veterinarian Lars had taken her to had said she had a twenty percent chance of surviving her injuries.
Luckily, a few thousand dollars bought a lot of luck.
When Lady had pulled through just fine, Cora couldn’t stand the thought of the dog having to find a new owner, so she’d insisted on adopting it.
Finn had rejected the idea—it turned out, he wasn’t a dog lover—but Lady had grown on him like she’d grown on everyone else.
Now she was as much a part of the family as Finn, or Lars, or Bailey.
Finn took the steps two at a time, and had her through the bedroom door a few seconds later.
But, by then, he was already kissing the breath out of her. She clung to him, losing herself to his powerful lips and tongue as they ravaged her mouth and made her insides squirm in hedonistic anticipation.
Hands grabbed her legs, her arms, peeling her off Finn and laying her down on the bed. They’d dimmed the lights so everyone was just a silhouette—another thing that changed since the fire.
But it didn’t matter. She knew her men so intimately that she never had to guess who was touching her, kissing her, fucking her.
Bailey caught her ear with his teeth, sighing deeply as he ran a hand over her breast.
From the other side, she heard ropes whisking against each other.
They’d taken a liking to tying her up of late, having her wholly at their mercy.
She loved it, but…
“Lars?”
All three the men froze, Finn with a hand up her skirt and Bailey still squeezing her breast.
“Not tonight,” she said, feeling in the darkness for his hand and giving him a squeeze.
“Is everything okay?” Bailey asked, his voice a low murmur by her ear. “You feeling all right?”
“I’m fine,” she said, pecking his cheek.
“So, really no ropes?” Lars asked, sounding dumbfounded.
“What happens when you start ordering us around?” Finn asked, his hand creeping between her legs. He stroked her through her underwear, long and hard, making her moan and arch her back. “Can we punish you?”
“No,” she said. “And I won’t. I’ll be good. I promise.”
“We don’t like it when you’re good,” Lars said, easing himself down beside her. He trailed fingertips over one breast, then the other. She turned her head, found his mouth, and kissed him. He made a surprised sound, and softly caressed her breast as their kiss deepened even more.
Finn began stroking her again, sliding his body between her legs and easing them open. Bailey pulled down first one strap of her dress, then the other, and shimmied the fabric down to her belly. She hoisted up her hips, and the dress disappeared down her legs, Finn twisting away before his warmth encapsulated her again.
“I thought you liked being bad,” Lars said, sounding sulky.
Finn caught the hem of her underwear with his teeth, pulling it away before letting it snap back over her skin. She moaned, squirming, and tried to turn her attention back to Lars.
“I do,” she said, a touch anxiously as Bailey rained kisses down her collarbone. “But…I want tonight to be special. It’s Christmas Eve.”
“You want me to put on reindeer horns? What about a Santa hat?” Lars nibbled at her shoulder as he began kneading her breast with his long, agile fingers. “Ho, ho, ho.”
“Lars!” Cora said, trying to pinch him. He ducked his arm away, trapped her fingers, and guided them down to his cock.
He was hard for her.
They all were.
Bailey’s erection pressed against her thigh as he moved closer to catch a nipple in his mouth. Finn lifted his hips, dragging his cock over her underwear. They were all already naked; except for that triangle of fabric that kept her shielded.
“I mean, I’ll be the first to admit it’s a little weird you have this strange reindeer fetish all of a sudden, but I guess it might be kinky. Should I wear a tail, too? I think they make butt plugs like that these days. Could be kinda freaky, don’t you—?”
She kissed him again, if only so she’d stop laughing. Lars responded by grinding his mouth against hers, and urging her hand harder around his cock. She began stroking him just how he liked it, and he groaned against her mouth.
Bailey’s mouth worked its way down to her belly button, then her pubic bone. He grabbed the edge of her underwear and tugged it down, trying to reach her already wet entrance with his fingers.
Finn made an irritated sound, grabbed the thin piece of fabric in both hands, and tore it off her.
She shuddered. “Fuck, I love it when you do that,” she murmured.
“Good thing you can afford new underwear,” Lars murmured, and she stroked him extra hard for the comment.
He muttered, “Fuck,” and burrowed his head in her hair as he moved his hips in rythym with her strokes.
Bailey’s mouth left a cooling trail down her hip. Her back bowed when he touched the tip of his tongue to her clit. Finn stroked her entrance, dragging his fingertips through her folds as if testing to see if she was ready for him.
Dios mio, she couldn’t have been more ready. Her body pulsed with eagerness to have him inside her, to have him filling her. And then Lars, and then Bailey. Or whatever order they chose tonight.
She didn’t care, as long as she pleased every single one in return.
Her breath whispered out in a sigh as Finn dug the first inch of himself inside her.
“You want it slow, don’t you?” he rumbled in the dark. “Slow, and gentle.”
“Yes,” she hissed, her hips bucking to urge him deeper inside.
On cue, Lars and Bailey pushed her down on the bed. She struggled, panting at the urgency she felt for Finn to thrust into her.
But Finn went slow, just like she wanted. She stretched around him, lusciously tight, letting out a long moan the deeper he forced his way inside her.
“Jesus, that sound,” Lars murmured, turning her head so he could kiss her.
Bailey’s tongue flicked against her clit. Where the hell had he been? But the thought evaporated under a spear of intense pleasure as Bailey’s tongue massaged against her. Then he moved down, licking each side of her entrance as Finn unhurriedly thrust deeper
inside her.
A climax already beaconed, her body tightening around Finn as she gasped into Lars’s mouth.
“Already?” Finn said, sounding surprised.
“I can’t…it’s too—”
Bailey sucked her clit hard, flicking the tip of his tongue against her as he did. She came with a violent shudder, wrapping her legs around Finn’s waist and tilting her hips up.
He slammed the last inch of his cock inside her, jarring her entire body as she let out a breathless cry.
Lars tweaked a nipple, trailing his fingers over her body as she shook in the aftermath of her first orgasm.
As soon as her hips sank down again, Finn began leisurely thrusting into her. His hand went around her throat, keeping her pinned as he worked his cock in and out of her. Friction built an agonizing heat inside her, her arousal coating him every time he plunged deeper.
He thrust slower, harder, jarring her a little every time. Then his face was right above her, a tiny glint in each eye as he filled her.
“Too hard?” he asked softly, thrusting into her again.
“No,” she managed, the word escaping with a gasp. “Perfect. You’re perfect.”
He smiled at her. Kissed her. Thrust into her again. His groan trembled against her lips as he came, his forehead pressing to hers as he broke away for air.
Lars stroked her clit, making her clench around Finn’s cock and urge a shiver from his massive body.
He pulled back, running his hands down her hips before unhurriedly drawing out. His warmth had barely flickered away before Bailey’s warm body sank down on top of her. But, before he thrust into her, he dragged his tongue through her folds, teasing her so close to a climax she begged him to fuck her.
And he did, just as softly, and with just as much determination as Finn had.
They came together moments later, Lars working an orgasm from her clit while he kissed the living shit out of her. That he stuck his tongue in her mouth as she came, made her come even harder.
Bailey moaned as he came, grinding against her as if determined to reach the very end of her. She left nail marks on his arm as she rode out her own orgasm, but he didn’t complain.