Page 135 of Starborn Husbands

“Atlanta—oow!”

He unleashes holy wrath on my ass, and it’s not long before I’m screaming and begging him to fucking let up already. I don’t move, though. He’d start again.

At long last the paddle clatters to the ground. “Have I made myself clear?”

“Yes, sir. I’ll be less of a chaos starter as soon as all this chaos is over. Jeez.”

“And?”

“Can’t we talk about Merrick, Atlanta?”

“No.”

In a human family, I could say something like ‘you’re not my dad’ but that doesn’t apply here. Atlanta isn’t my dad, but he’s the eldest, and in the Orion family that means he gets to make family rules. I could go to Father about it and there’s the remote possibility he’d overrule Atlanta, but it’s not likely. Atlanta doesn’t just have his position by default, he’s earned the authority he has. Father’s reluctant to rescind an Atlanta decree. It’s usually the other way around, and he would see the sense in Atlanta’s dictatorship.

I need to get Atlanta to change his mind.

I mean, I’m not sure I want to go down the Merrick path again anyway, but I was looking forward to some super-hot jealous rivalry between my two men. Because they’re both mine, even if Merrick’s a dick.

“That’s going to be hard. Merrick’s been decreed my heavenly babysitter, and once his father calms down, I’m sure he’ll be sent to do his job.”

Atlanta seethes but thankfully doesn’t pick up the paddle again. “Fine, but you don’t have to fuck him. Keep your dick in your pants.”

Ugh, what am I supposed to say to that? But Atlanta’s right. I make bad decisions that affect everyone. Maybe with this rule in place, I’ll stay away from Merrick’s dick. Maybe.

Ugh, but probably not. Merrick has a magic dick. Literally and figuratively.

“I’ll keep it professional, sir.”

“Good. At ease, soldier.”

I pull my pants over my throbbing behind and beeline for Zhang, who’s responsible for kissing my ass better. “You didn’t do a thing to help me,” I pout.

“That was hot,” he whispers into my ear.

“He’s my brother,” I hiss.

“He’s not my brother,” Zhang says.

I get it, though. It’s not about the “who”, it’s about the “what”, and watching someone get their comeuppance in such a humiliating fashion is supreme spanking spank-bank material. Who am I to deprive him of that?

“If you rub nice aloe into my ass later, I could be convinced to tell you about the time Father punished me for an innocent—very innocent—explosion that happened at the house one day when I was in charge.”

Atlanta clears his throat. “We have shit to figure out. Gem, you’re wrong, they’re way more disgusting than we are.”

Gemini is dressed, but still barefoot, which is a bad idea. I’m surprised Atlanta’s allowing it, but then Atlanta nods to the discarded boots I missed while distracted with my own Centaurus.

“Boots, Gem.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Gem collects them but Atlanta’s quick to scoop his redheaded princess up, making sure that Gem’s in his lap when he sits co-pilot. Gem hands him a boot, and Atlanta kisses Gem’s tender sole before he slides it on.

No way, they’re definitely more disgusting.

“I don’t think we should go home,” Gem says. “We narrowly escaped Heaven?—”

“Nah. Wouldn’t worry about that. It’s just some overprotective dad thing. He’ll calm down. It’ll be fine.”