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S he shook her head. “No, you need your rest.”

“We’ll watch over her,” Jack said.

“The two of you need to go home and get some proper sleep.”

“She’s our charge,” Ian argued.

“You don’t trust me to watch over her?” Jameson challenged.

She didn’t understand why he wanted to stay, but she was too tired to try and work it out.

“I won’t let her out of my sight. You’re doing yourselves no favors by running yourselves ragged. How do you expect to care for her if you’re worn out? Besides, I think the hospital will feel better about how many people are sleeping in this room if one of them is my charming self.”

Ian snorted. “Right.”

“Honestly, I want to check that Maggie gets enough sleep. And if she doesn’t, then we’ll be having a chat about admitting and sedating her.”

Uh-oh.

That was something she didn’t want.

“Hey, I’m right here. You shouldn’t talk over me,” she grumbled.

“I will if I think you’re not making good choices about your own health,” Jameson said sternly.

Yikes. Was it wrong to be turned on right now?

It really, really is.

Jameson grasped hold of her chin, tilting her face back. “Understand?”

“Yes, Sir. I mean, yes, Jameson.”

Something filled his face. Something hot and hungry.

“You seem to have things well under control,” Jack said with a smirk.

As soon as Jack spoke, it seemed to break the spell between them and Jameson stepped back, looking shocked.

“I’m going to go get my stuff. I keep a spare bag in the doctor’s lounge. Be back in a minute.”

With a nod, he left.

She chewed her lip.

“Are you all right with this, Little girl?” Ian asked, squeezing her arm lightly.

“Yeah, I’m good. Have the three of you known each other a long time?” she asked.

“We’ve been friends since we were kids,” Ian told her.

“Oh? Did you all go to school together?”

Ian nodded. “Actually, we did. Jack and I grew up in a poor area of London. We didn’t have much, but my parents did what they could to put food on the table.”

“While my ma worked her ass off and my da spent it all at the race track,” Jack said lightly. “Or the pokies. Or the lottery. Whatever he could find to gamble on, he did.”

“Oh no. I’m sorry.”

Jack shrugged. “It was my life and I was used to it. Luckily, I didn’t have siblings to worry about like Ian. We went to the same school and quickly became friends. Well, I wanted to be his friend because he was the biggest kid in the class and I was the scrawniest.”

“So, did Jameson go to that school too?”

Ian snorted. “No. I doubt he ever went into our area of town. Nah, we met Jameson at a very prestigious boarding school that we all went to.”

“Oh.” She was confused. “You went to a boarding school?”

“When I was eleven, my parents died in a car crash,” Ian told her. “My grandparents took me and my younger brothers in. They didn’t want us to attend the same school we had been going to. It wasn’t the right image. They cut my mum off when she married my dad. Said she married beneath her or some shit. I didn’t want to go with them. Or to boarding school. I kept running away and going to Jack’s place.”

“By this time, my old man had been arrested,” Jack added. “And Ma was in a pretty good place without that bastard. Ian needed me, so I decided to try that fancy school with him.”

“You just . . . decided to try it?” How did that work?

“What Jack isn’t saying is that he’s smart as hell. The boarding school had a number of scholarships and Jack was able to win one. Of course, by the time he got into school, I’d been there a year. And I was pretty much hated by everyone. But most especially by the king of the school. Jameson.”

“Jameson hated you?” She gaped at Ian.

“Might have had something to do with the jello you put in his shoes? Or the frog in his bed?” Jack suggested.

“I was so juvenile back then.” Ian shook his head.

“That’s why you needed me. To teach that little shit a lesson. My pranks were far more fun.” Jack smiled.

“So you all hated each other?”

“It was basically Jack and I against the rest of the school. My younger brothers were at a different school,” Ian explained. “But, yeah. We hated each other until the holiday break, when we all ended up at school. That’s when we met Jameson’s family.”

Jack scowled. “Pieces of fucking work.”

“We shouldn’t say anymore. Not without Jameson here,” Ian said quickly. “But after that break, we became friends.”

“Wow,” she said.

“After school, we joined the military and he went into medicine. But we tried to see each other whenever we could,” Ian said. “And that’s it. Our story.”

Except for how they all ended up here.

The door opened after a knock and she looked over as an orderly brought in a bed on wheels. She rubbed at her forehead. She didn’t know how much sleep she was going to get.

But she guessed she had to try.

Ian got into his truck and sat there for a moment, looking up at the hospital. When Jameson had returned to the room, they’d left. But it felt wrong to leave her behind.

It felt wrong not having her with him all the time.

“Are you worried about leaving her? Jameson will take care of her. We can trust him.”

Ian shot his gaze to Jack, his eyebrows rising. “I know that. I trust Jameson. It’s just . . . he doesn’t trust his own judgment anymore. He thinks he might get hurt again, so he’s protecting himself.”

“Idiot,” Jack replied.

“She told me that she’s a Little,” Ian blurted out.

Jack just nodded.

“You knew?” Ian asked.

“I guessed.”

“I kissed her,” Ian said.

Okay. He hadn’t actually meant to blurt that out.

Jack pierced him with his gaze. Ian braced himself, wondering what the other man would say.

“So you’re finally admitting that you want her?” Jack asked.

Ian let out a deep breath. “You’re not angry?”

“Why would I be?”

“I just wouldn’t want anything to come between us.”

“Like it could, idiot. Jesus. Since when did we have conversations like this?”

“I don’t know. But it’s giving me indigestion.” Ian rubbed his stomach.

Jack grinned. “Good. You deserve it.”

Asshole.

“I wasn’t sure if you’d be angry at me for kissing her when you asked her out.”

“She’s ours, isn’t she?”

Ian let out a relieved breath. “She’s ours. You think she’ll be open to us sharing her?”

“Why wouldn’t she be?” Jack asked, looking bewildered. “Why settle for one when you can have two?”

It wasn’t that simple and Jack knew it. But for the first time in a long time, Ian felt hopeful.

“Just two.” It wasn’t a question so much as a statement.

“You know she’s not Jameson’s type,” Jack said. “Even though he looks like he wants to eat her . . . we both know he’ll starve himself first. Stubborn fucker.”

“He’d be an idiot not to want her,” Ian said. “She’s everything. Beautiful, smart, submissive.”

“And ours,” Jack added.

And theirs.

With or without Jameson.

Damn, this was awkward.

Just one unconscious man, a nervous Little, and a sexy doctor. That could be the start of a really bad joke.

She snorted.

“Something funny?” Jameson asked, setting down his phone.

“Oh no, just, um . . . this is a bit, um . . .”

“Weird? Awkward?” he asked dryly.

“No,” she said quickly. The lie died on her lips as he raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, kinda.”

“Do you want me to call Ian and Jack back?”

“No! Like you said, they need their sleep.”

“So do you, sweetheart,” he murmured. “I’m worried about you.”

Those words melted her insides.

“You are?” she asked.

He tilted his head to the side. “That surprises you?”

“I guess I’m not used to people worrying about me.”

He gave her a surprised look.

“Before I came here, I mean. I have Uncle Willy and my best friend, Indie. They’re really the only people who would worry if I was tired or hungry or anything.”

“Not your family?” he asked gently.

“Not really. Mum never really fussed over us. She was more about hardening us up than coddling us. And Dad, well, I don’t know. Half the time he seems to clock out. My brother and sister . . . well, sometimes I don’t think they like me too much.”

“I’m sorry. I know what it’s like to be at odds with your family.”

There was such sadness in his voice that she felt it deep inside her. She wondered what pain he held inside him? On the outside, he seemed to have it all-together. He was gorgeous, intelligent, charismatic.

But she knew better than anyone how easy it was to hide your pain behind a smile.

“Do you have siblings?” she asked.

“No. I don’t.”

“At least you didn’t have to share your toys, huh? My sister hated sharing with me.”

A contemplative look filled his face. “I don’t mind sharing.”

Holy monkeyballs.

Need filled her and she licked her lips. A small smirk crossed his lips as though he knew how his words affected her.

Something crackled between them. Hot and electric.

Was it wrong to feel this way? She knew that around here people accepted that to be involved with more than one man was not only possible but natural. But those men usually formed a harem . . . from what she knew they wanted to share.

But what about Jameson? She remembered Ian telling her that he and Jack would share a woman. And hopefully Jameson too. But that he didn’t think he wanted that anymore.

“You need to get some sleep, Shortcake,” Jameson said gently, breaking the spell that had developed between them.

“Oh, right.” She glanced over at Uncle Willy. “He really will be all right, won’t he?”

“He’s doing a lot better,” Jameson said.

That didn’t really answer her question. She took in a deep breath.

“You care about him a great deal,” Jameson said.

It wasn’t a question, but she nodded. “I love him. He’s one of my favorite people in the world.” She blinked rapidly, trying to keep her tears at bay.

“We’re taking excellent care of him.”

“I k-know.” Her voice wobbled and she sucked in another breath. She stood. She needed a moment. No way was she breaking down in front of Jameson.

“Come here,” he said quietly as she tried to walk past him to the bathroom.

She shook her head. “I just . . . I just need a minute.”

“Sweetheart. Here.”

Unable to help herself, she glanced up at him and it was like something was pulling her toward him. She stepped closer to where he sat on a chair in the corner. As soon as she was close enough, he drew her down onto his lap.

Any pretense of fighting this pull disappeared and she sunk into him, tears slipping from her eyes.

“That’s it, let it all out. It’s not good to keep it in.”

She wanted to ask him if he ever let all his pain out. But she wasn’t that brave. Maybe she wasn’t a very good friend.

“Sorry.” She drew back, wiping at her cheeks.

“Why are you sorry?”

“Um, crying all over you? Falling apart?”

“You are always welcome to cry all over me,” he told her with a smile.

She snorted. “You might regret saying that.” She sniffled. Crap. she must look like a fright. “I need the bathroom.” This time, he let her go, helping her off his lap.

For some reason, she suddenly felt bereft. As though in his arms was the place she was meant to be.

Bloody hell.

He hadn’t meant to do any of that. Jameson sighed and looked over at William, who was still sleeping soundly.

What would he think if he’d woken up to Jameson cuddling his niece in the same room as him?

Not very professional. Even though he wasn’t on the clock, he was still a doctor in this hospital.

But he found it hard to hold back with Maggie. There was something about her that drew him in. That made him want to take care of her.

He could tell she was barely holding herself together. That she’d needed a safe space to let go.

Maybe he shouldn’t have offered to stay tonight. But it had been out before he could stop himself.

And while he could tell himself that he was doing it for Ian and Jack because they’d looked tired, but that wasn’t the entire truth.

He’d seen how exhausted Maggie looked, how on edge, and instinct had kicked in.

Daddy Dom instincts he’d long since thought that he’d suppressed were now screaming at him.

Care. Protect. Cherish.

He moved around, picking things up and tiding. He grabbed her boots and placed them under her bed. He noticed how worn and rough they were. And it looked like the sole was about to come loose on one of them.

None of your business.

Although surely her own uncle paid her enough to buy some new shoes?

The bathroom door opened and she stepped out, looking sleepy in a pair of pajamas. The bottoms were red and black tartan, while the top had a picture of a zebra on it.

She looked adorable. Especially as she was rubbing at her eyes.

She’s not yours.

You can’t bundle her up and demand that she sleep with you.

“Come on, sweetheart. Sleep time,” he said firmly. He drew back the sheets on the bed.

“Oh, I thought you could sleep there. I’ll just sleep on the chair.”

He stared at her for a moment. “On the chair?” Why would she want to sleep in the chair? He’d had the bed brought in for her.

“Um, yeah. Because I’m so much shorter and smaller than you. I can curl up in the chair. You take the bed. I won’t sleep much anyway.”

Was it really possible for someone to be this sweet? Was she really like this all the time?

As far as he could tell, it wasn’t an act. And, although he didn’t always trust his own judgment, he could also see that Ian and Jack liked her.

A lot.

And they weren’t easily fooled.

“Sweetheart, I had this bed brought in for you.”

“I know. And that was really thoughtful. But I’ll be fine on the chair. I slept there last night.”

Right. And she looked like she’d barely slept at all.

“No. You’re sleeping in here. You’re exhausted, and if you don’t get some sleep, then you’ll end up in that bed.” He pointed at William.

“In bed with Uncle Willy? That seems a tad weird and gross. Plus, there isn’t really room.”

“I didn’t mean that you’d . . .” he trailed off as he saw her hide her grin. “Are you teasing me, brat?”

“Maybe just a little? Am I in trouble?” She grinned as she held up her thumb and forefinger an inch apart.

“Big trouble,” he warned her.

“Ooh, I’m scared. What are you going to do?”

“Hmm, I’m going to have to think about that. But right now, what you’re going to do is get in this bed and stop giving me lip.”

“But—”

“No more arguments. Bed. Now.”

She practically raced over to him. Then she gave him an awed look. “It’s like you have a superpower. You can get people to do whatever you want.”

“I wish that was the case. In you get, Shortcake.”

After she was in, he tucked the blankets around her and she sighed happily. “I like being tucked in. Oh no, Ziggy!”

“Where is he?”

“In my handbag.”

He found him and handed him to her. She tucked him in under the covers. “I don’t want the nurses to see him if they come in. They might think I’m weird.”

Anger filled him at the idea of anyone looking down on this girl.

“They won’t care. Besides, I wouldn’t allow anyone to upset you,” he told her arrogantly.

He did see the irony since he’d spent most of his life caring what others thought. Mostly his parents. And their friends.

But he couldn’t let that happen to this girl.

She smiled up at him. “Thanks, Jameson.”

“You’re welcome, sweetheart. Oh, when I put your boots under the bed, I noticed that one of the soles looks like it’s going to start tearing away.”

“Hmm. I’ll glue it back together.”

“Glue it?” She wouldn’t just buy another pair?

“Hmm,” she said sleepily, her eyes closed. “They’re my best secondhand store score ever.”

She bought them from a secondhand store? How bad were her finances? What did she spend her money on?

Did she need help?

Not your business.

Not your girl.