Page 84 of Burn Bright (Cobalt Empire #1)

HARRIET FISHER

I freeze. Beckett’s intense gaze drops to me, like he’s gauging my reaction. Is he concerned I might be a cheater? Face on fire, I can’t look at him. It’s much easier to turn to Charlie. “Yeah, to your brother. Ben. You want to know if I made him come, too?”

Charlie just arches a brow at Beckett, who asks me calmly, “Does your college provide counseling?”

I tense, not expecting that question at all. “Yeah, but it’s not free.”

“You don’t have health insurance?” Charlie probes now.

“Through MVU, but it’s basic. Therapy isn’t covered. It’s way out of my budget.”

“Your boyfriend can pay for it. Oh wait.” Charlie lifts his brows. “He’s broke.”

I glower, not loving his sarcasm when the salty shots are aimed at Ben.

Beckett grabs his phone off his desk. “I can transfer you some cash?—”

“No,” I interject, wide-eyed.

Charlie rubs his temple with two fingers. “You don’t think you have an issue?”

“I’m not denying that I’m fucked up like you said.”

Beckett cuts Charlie a piercing look. “You need to be careful what you say to his girlfriend.” It still floats my body every time I hear them refer to me as Ben’s girlfriend, even if it might not be entirely accurate. I’m pretending it is. “He will lay you out on the floor.”

“You and Eliot should just let him.”

“No,” Beckett says firmly. He must know Ben hates violence, and to inflict pain upon his older brother would hurt him beyond measure.

I shift my weight, the urge to pee escalating.

“I can’t accept your money,” I tell Beckett.

“I’m not sure I’m ready for counseling.” I’m barely used to one person being up in my business.

Just having them be overly involved in my life is bewildering, but the pushy, forceful care seems to be what they extend to each other.

I’m in more disbelief it’s being given to me. “But I would like some TP.”

He grants me my wish. Thank God.

On Friday, I spend the night again, and I learn that Ben is strong .

Made evident by the steamy minutes in the bathroom where he bounces me on his dick.

While standing. A climax ripples through my whole body.

I see stars. And I discover that our first time wasn’t a fluke.

Sex with Ben is an emotional, physical, mental exhilaration I can’t fathom might end.

I stop believing it will.

On Saturday, I’m seriously buzzing when he invites me to his place again .

Even after our long shift at the End of the World, I want nothing more than to curl into Ben’s embrace.

I’ve noticed his brothers are big night owls.

Charlie, Beckett, and Tom are up and wired at 3 a.m. while I’m about to pass out.

So I vaguely listen to their conversation while I lie against Ben, his hand stroking my hair. That coupled with the lights they dimmed in the living room are lulling me to sleep. They’ve congregated around the pull-out, nursing waters since they all drank tonight except Ben.

Beckett and Charlie are on the swivel chairs. And Tom—he’s lying on the bottom of the mattress like he’s about to be fed grapes. Thankfully I’m short enough that he’s not fucking with my feet. I’m pretty sure I hear Ben warn him not to mess with me.

They’re discussing what to get for their niece’s first birthday.

“I vote we let Beckett Joyce pick out the gifts,” Tom says.

It’s the last thing I hear before I doze off. Then I’m startled awake to a heavy slam. I jolt against Ben. He holds me tighter, his hand cupping my head.

“It’s okay,” he murmurs against my ear. “You’re okay. Eliot just came home.”

I swallow the brief surge of alarm, but I don’t untense. Ben’s muscles contract in taut bands. As I register my surroundings, I realize Charlie and Beckett are still awake.

They’re on their feet when Eliot stumbles into the apartment, his arm slung around a gorgeous brunette. “Brooothers!” Eliot grins a magnetic, wily grin.

“Baby,” the girl coos to him. “I want to see your room.”

He pays less attention to her as he walks farther inside. His playful behavior contains extra flair as he bops Charlie and Beckett on the nose back and forth. “Fancy. Seeing. You. Here.” Charlie smacks his hand away.

“You smell like a distillery,” Beckett says.

“The distillery smells like me,” Eliot bops him again.

He’s not slurring, but by Beckett and Charlie’s unamused demeanor, this must be Eliot very, very drunk. Even Ben shifts to an upright sitting position.

“We’re just going to bed,” the girl says, maintaining effortless balance in her four-inch heels. “We’ll be out of your way. Come on, baby.” She tugs him in the wrong direction of his room. Which means she’s never been here before.

My sleepy haze totally wears off when Beckett says, “He’s going to bed alone. We’ll call you a cab?—”

“Uh, no, no. Baby.” She squeezes Eliot’s hand. He’s gripping onto the kitchen island like he might keel over without the support. “I’ll put him to bed.”

“You’re not staying,” Charlie sneers, taking a much meaner approach. “Leave.”

She scoffs. “You have to be joking.” Her gaze roams the apartment and lands on…me? “Oh so she can stay but I can’t?”

I recoil with a glare. Leave me out of this. A weird feeling tosses my stomach until Ben tucks me closer to his chest.

“There are things called boundaries. And doors.” Charlie points to the exit. “Do yourself a favor and walk out of it.”

“Really?”

“No, I’m joking,” he says irritably. “This is so much fun for me.” He points again. “ Go . And no, I will not call you a cab. Get one yourself.”

“What’s wrong with you?”

“Right now, you .”

“Eliot,” Beckett calls out.

“ Brooother ,” Eliot grins again, wrapping his arms around his older brother in a bear-hug and abandoning the girl. It allows Beckett to start guiding him to bed.

“Ben,” Beckett asks for his help as he reaches the pull-out.

Ben checks on me first, sending a fucking flutter to my chest before he leaps over the couch. Eliot bops his head and ruffles his hair. “MY brOTHERS!” he bellows, curving his arms around them. But really, they’re basically carting his full weight into the bedroom.

Charlie blocks the girl from following.

She gives him a lengthy once-over, her arms crossing. “Charlie Cobalt, right? You think you’re a god . I bet you’re a knockoff version of your dad. I bet you aren’t even half his size.” Her gaze is firmly on his dick.

I’m on my knees, about to climb off the mattress, like maybe he needs some assistance. But what the hell am I going to do? I grab a pillow. Great, Harriet, let’s have a fucking pillow fight.

Charlie wears a lethal expression. He walks forward, forcing her to take a couple steps backward toward the door. She’s cackling like it’s a game. He looms over her, and when he yanks the door open behind her, she grabs a fistful of his crotch.

“Hey!” I shout, springing off the bed.

Charlie shoots me a scathing look. “ Do not come over here.”

I go still in confusion.

She’s laughing, and he dips his head down to hers. Whatever he snarls into her ear, her laughter decays into brutal silence. Then she slaps him across the face.

“Fuck you .” Her voice shakes as her tears leak, then she rushes out. He slams the door shut. I expect him to completely ignore me.

Instead, he returns to the living room, slouches on the swivel chair, lights a cigarette, and blows smoke up at the ceiling. Like nothing just happened.

I sink down on the pull-out. “Are you….?”

“Am I okay?” he asks dryly, sucking on the cigarette. “What do you think, Harriet?” He tilts his head with mocking interest.

“By your lovely attitude, I’d say you’re fine, Boy Genius.”

He kicks up his feet on the mattress.

Maybe he is fine. Maybe he’s desensitized. Maybe meeting covetous, unconsented hands are just an ordinary night for Charlie.

He puts out the cigarette in an ashtray. Unsurprisingly. If any of them smoke indoors, they don’t do it for long. They’ll take a few drags, then snuff it out, so the stench hasn’t lingered.

Beckett and Ben appear from the bedroom, and Beckett confirms, “Eliot is passed out.”

Damn…I honestly didn’t think he was blackout wasted.

I hug the pillow. What if his brothers hadn’t been here to kick the girl out?

Would she still have slept with Eliot when he was too inebriated to properly consent?

My body chills. I’ve thought of Eliot as the greatest defender of his brothers, but it’s comforting knowing they’re looking out for him too.

Beckett watches Ben for a long beat, but he’s just combing his hands through his hair and sliding back into bed with me. Ben immediately reaches for me, and when his brothers leave, I hug him and feel the pound, pound, pound of his heart against my ear.

“Ben?”

“Yeah?” he whispers, taking a deeper breath.

“Do you need water? Are you okay?”

“I’m okay.” He nestles a kiss in my hair. “I’m okay.” With each word, his pulse begins to slow, and I ease with the sound.

In the morning, Eliot has no recollection of what happened. He jokes it away, says he must’ve drank more than he realized, and Tom is upset no one woke him.

“Don’t sleep with music blaring. Problem solved,” Charlie retorts.

“Harry will wake me up next time,” Tom notes.

“Don’t press your luck, Tommy .”

I am secretly over-enthused at being considered for a tomorrow before tomorrow even arrives. And tomorrow does come.

On Sunday, I string together beads on Ben’s couch. I make a choker necklace for Son of Ben with block letters that spell out Cobalt Empire. The stuffed lion cub has to rock the family name.

Ben angles his laptop toward me while we watch Jawbreaker. My rec.

Charlie is on his way out the door when he says, “If you didn’t dump all your cash into the mysterious land of Oz, maybe you could’ve taken your girlfriend on an actual date.”

Ben glares.

“Don’t listen to him,” I say as Charlie exits. “I just like being deep under the iceberg with you, Friend.”

His smile slowly crawls over his face. “Feeling hypothermic yet?” he teases.