Page 24 of How to Trust a Hellhound (Hellhounds of Paradise Falls #4)
Wilder
J osh was snoozing against me, and I reveled in his skin pressed against mine.
He was so beautiful.
I hadn’t meant to take things physical right away, but when I’d hugged him, I’d smelled his arousal, and I apparently didn’t have as much self-control as I’d thought.
Josh clearly wanted to please me, and I couldn’t say no.
I’d seen him relax and let go, and I wanted to keep him in that beautiful, carefree space he’d found.
Josh liked things a little rough, but he also adored praise—the combination had made his eyes glaze over even as his cock leaked precum.
I thought he would probably be uncomfortable being the center of my attention during sex—he’d worry about what I was getting out of it—but when I was telling him how much he pleased me, he seemed to lose his inhibitions.
I could imagine sliding into his ass, telling him how good he felt, and hitting his prostate over and over until he was spasming around me.
I wanted to taste him, and I wondered if he’d let me, or if he’d be too concerned with what I was getting out of it.
Perhaps if he were tied down he wouldn’t worry about that. Something to talk to him about.
He stirred against me, and I brushed my hand through his hair. “You were beautiful, Mei Ume.”
“What’s it mean?” he murmured, still half asleep.
“What does what mean?” I asked, confused.
“Mei Ume,” he murmured.
“Ahh. It means plum blossom. They’re a symbol of resilience and renewal, and the flowers smell both sweet and spicy,” I answered.
“The first building set you gave me,” he murmured, gently petting my chest with his hand.
“Yes. It reminded me of you. Strong and starting anew, and you’re certainly both sweet and spicy.” I ran my hand through his hair again.
“Mmm,” he murmured, obviously pleased.
I sighed as I heard voices in the distance. The light was fading and it was near dinner time, and I could sense Liam and Quinton both coming toward the cabin.
“Mei Ume, we’re going to have company,” I told him.
He sat up. “Shit! We aren’t dressed!” he hissed, getting up and grabbing our clothes, thrusting mine at me as he pulled on his own.
I smiled at his urgency, but I knew Liam would wait respectfully outside until we were ready.
“Get dressed!” he whisper-yelled at me.
I complied, amused to be ordered about. He saw my smile, and he paused, pants undone, to come over and give me a peck on the lips.
We finished dressing, and Josh straightened his hair before he turned his attention to me, brushing out some wrinkles on my shirt and running his hands through my hair.
“There. I don’t think we look like we had sex, right?” he asked.
Liam would be able to smell it on us, but I thought perhaps I shouldn’t mention that, so I simply nodded my head. He looked very put together.
Liam and Quinton were patiently waiting outside the door, and after Josh’s statement, Liam knocked on the door, calling out, “It’s Liam and Quinton,” for Josh’s benefit.
Josh breathed out, taking a moment to collect himself, then called, “Come in!”
They did, and Quinton’s smirk meant he was probably about to say something inappropriate, but Josh must have known him well enough, because he didn’t let him talk before he started.
“I’d like to rent the cabin, if it’s amenable to you guys.
I understand if it isn’t, but if it is, I’d like to know what you’d want for a security deposit, monthly rent, and what you’d like to do about utilities.
If you’d prefer to keep them in the family name, I’ll happily pay you the additional cost.” Josh sat on the couch as he spoke, and I slid down next to him.
Quinton and Liam just stood there, looking vaguely confused and off kilter.
“Rent the cabin?” Liam asked. “What for?”
“To live here,” Josh said, raising his eyebrows only slightly.
“But… you already live here. You don’t have to rent it.” Liam looked at me, as if for backup. I just smiled at him.
“Of course I have to pay you rent,” Josh answered. “And sign a lease. Unless you don’t want me staying longer than the month.”
“Don’t be an ass, Josh. Of course we want you staying,” Quinton said, finally chiming in.
Although Liam looked confused, Quinton was looking a little fiery. I sat back, eager to see the drama unfold. Somehow, I had no doubt that Josh would win this battle in some way.
Josh nodded. “Good. Then I’ll need the amounts. Of course, I understand if you need some time to discuss all the details with family. I’m sure your brothers will want to be consulted. ”
Liam looked even more confused. “Why would they want to be consulted? I don’t understand. You just said you’re staying.”
“How much to charge me for rent, Liam,” Josh stated slowly, as if he were talking to a child.
“We aren’t charging you rent, you dumbass,” Quinton cut in. “You’re, like, family and shit. Duh.”
“Of course you’re charging me rent. And being family is no excuse not to let me contribute. Families contribute, too,” Josh reasoned.
“Aiden and I don’t pay rent, so are you saying we’re slackers?” Quinton demanded.
Ah, point for Quinton.
“Of course not, Q. But you know perfectly well that your situation is far different from mine.” Quinton sputtered, but Josh just kept talking. “Besides, not all contributions are monetary. You both contribute in numerous other ways.”
I nodded. Definite point for Josh on that one. It was probably a two-pointer.
Quinton snorted. “What, is snark and assholery now a contribution? Never mind that we both work now, so implying that our tragic backstories would keep us from financially contributing to the pack is frankly insulting. So if you pay rent, then I guess Aiden and I need to pay rent, too, or get the fuck out.”
Hmm. Maybe two points to Quinton on that one, and he’d backed Josh into quite the corner.
Josh seemed entirely unruffled, however.
I knew Liam would never accept money from Aiden and Quinton, but he remained quiet.
He seemed to have given up his place in the fight, even though technically the property belonged to us.
His head just volleyed back and forth between the two mortals.
Josh held up his index finger. “First of all, you work with Liam doing all his computer stuff, so you contribute that way to his work. He doesn’t pay you, I’m sure, but he ought to be paying you.”
Liam looked pleased and opened his mouth, as if he was now going to insist on giving Quinton money for his help, but one glare from Quinton had him shutting it quickly before he could utter a word.
Another finger popped up on Josh’s hand. “Second of all, Aiden bakes for everyone . He cooks dinner, too. I know that you know how much those pastries sell for. We’re all eating your rent payments, and let me tell you, I’m sure that none of the Smith family is complaining about that trade.”
Quinton opened his mouth this time, but Josh wasn’t done, and a third finger popped up.
“Next, you haven’t mentioned Toby, who owns one of the houses in this family grouping.
So he obviously contributes quite a bit financially.
And it doesn’t matter that he owned his house first. Dexter lives there, and I’m sure he doesn’t pay rent, does he?
” Josh stared at Liam and Quinton, waiting for an answer.
Liam shook his head no, and Quinton shot him a dirty look. Three points for Josh then. I was losing track of the score, but it was still anyone’s guess who was gonna win this argument.
“Finally,” Josh added, putting his hand down, “you and Aiden moved into an existing structure on the land that the guys bought. This is a new structure, and Wilder said a road is being added, and that will be an additional expense. How could I justify them footing the bill for that without contributing anything?”
Quinton opened his mouth, but Josh added, “Never mind the fact that you, Toby, and Aiden are all in relationships with Smith brothers, so that alone gives you rights to live rent free. Plus, I know Aiden takes care of training the guard dog, and probably you both take care of a million other household activities for the Smiths.”
Huh. I turned and stared at Josh. He obviously didn’t realize that Atlas was the “guard dog,” and I supposed I hadn’t really mentioned that when I explained hellhounds. That was something I would need to rectify.
Liam obviously found that funny, because he laughed, adding, “ Getting Fluffy housebroken and friendly is something we couldn’t pay enough for.”
“Not helping our argument, Liam,” Quinton muttered.
Liam seemed to realize his mistake, because he added, “But if you use that argument, you’re in a relationship with Wilder, so that means you shouldn’t pay rent either.”
Josh and Quinton both stared at Liam, their mouths slightly agape, and they looked like a united front of outrage. Liam looked at me, but I just shrugged. He wasn’t wrong, so I had no idea why both humans seemed so shocked by his statement.
Quinton smacked Liam’s arm. “What the fuck, Sexy Stalker! I swear to god, if you put fucking cameras in here, I will be extremely pissed.”
Liam was shaking his head no to that, hands held up in supplication.
“Fine, but you’re still not off the hook, because you’re my boyfriend, and if there is fucking gossip to be shared, I am the first one who is supposed to hear it, so the fact that you knew this and didn’t tell me is a problem .”
“I just found out now, my hellcat,” Liam swore. “Of course I would tell you first. I forgot you couldn’t hear them.”
“Oh. My. God.” Josh enunciated. “You heard us? Liam, what the hell! And you can’t go making assumptions about people and then spewing them out for the whole world to hear!” Josh threw his arms out, like Liam had told the entire world, when really it was just the four of us in the cabin.
Quinton seemed to agree with him, however, because he was nodding his head. “You can’t just say shit like that to people. We don’t even know what their status is, and now you’ve gone and made it fucking awkward and shit.”