Page 15

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

COLTON

I am so fucking confused right now. About all of it. First, Leena admits they’ve slept in a queen size bed, and considering how much Sebastian likes his space, it doesn’t make any sense. He can’t even be in a car with us for more than a few minutes without twitching.

And did he just make a fucking joke? Sebastian, Professor Hardass, making a joke about sleeping in the nude? Now, I have to share a room with the man wondering if he actually does.

I can’t exactly picture him in flannel pajamas, so I guess the nudity makes more sense.

And don’t get me started on Luke. Since the day they moved back here, he’s been prancing around like Leena is the love of his fucking life.

Is she? I suddenly wonder. That would explain why they don’t want to fool around with me. But if he’s so in love with her, and she’s the one he’s finally going to bring home to his family, then why is he sharing her with Sebastian?

In fact, I was starting to wonder if she was actually sleeping with both of them until I caught them in the van last night.

I assumed that what my friends have with Leena is just another kinky relationship, another contract, because that’s all I’ve ever seen them have. But they’ve never kept a submissive around for this long, and Leena doesn’t seem like a sub, or like she would even be into that sort of thing. Except for the fact that I found those handcuffs this morning. Police handcuffs.

Those are not toys.

I suddenly wonder what other “not toys” she lets them use on her.

My god.

“You okay, Colton?” Leena asks, no doubt noticing the crease in my forehead from the pain and torture that last thought just brought me. And my dick.

“Yup,” I state quickly, following her into our room for the night.

Our room. Fuck.

This is not good . I cannot be attracted to this woman. The guys clearly have something more complicated going with her, and have made it very clear they’re not sharing.

That doesn’t stop this constant fucking need to be near her. The aching in my chest whenever I’m not.

And another thing I don’t fucking understand, is that neither Sebastian nor Luke are into guys. So how is it that two straight men are sleeping, possibly nude, in the same bed every night? Kink is one thing. Crossing swords when you’re in a scene is another, but this?

It sorta goes past roommates and best friends when you’re sharing a queen sized bed. Lots of times, as Leena so kindly pointed out.

“Cheer up, buddy.” Luke pats me on the back, picking up on my mood.

I stare at him questioningly. He’s a smart guy, there’s no way in hell he hasn’t picked up on my utter disbelief over their entire relationship, and he hasn’t done anything to enlighten me on it.

It’s kinda starting to piss me off.

They’ve never been ones to keep secrets from me, and now I feel like I’m in the fucking dark.

I just need to get through this night. Tomorrow, we’ll be back home. I will run back to The Club and go back to constantly denying that my two best friends are sharing a bed with the most beautiful woman on the planet.

Perfect. Good plan.

Then Leena takes off her jacket. It’s cold out and the fact that she never wears a bra is staring me straight in the face.

I should see if Ryan has a face mask. The tech nerd probably sleeps in one.

Or maybe I’ll just stab my eyes out.

Or sleep in the van?

So many options…

“Colton!” Sebastian says, loudly. He’s always too loud when he’s not mumbling.

“Yeah?” I ask, looking up at him.

“We’ve been in this room three minutes and you haven’t made a single sexual pass at our woman. You having a stroke or somethin’?” he asks and Luke puts the back of his hand to my forehead, checking for a fever.

“Stop that, I’m fine.” I slap it away. “You guys don’t snore, do you?” I look between them, horrified. Sebastian shoves me a little and I laugh, relieved to have escaped further questioning.

Joke’s on them though.

I definitely snore.

I set my bag down and look around our room for the evening. It’s nice, but it’s small.

Way too fucking small.

Sebastian must be thinking the same thing. “Come on, let’s go get food,” he says to me, heading straight back out the door. “Lock this when we leave.”

I don’t even look toward where Luke has Leena pinned to the bed before I follow after him.

—

“What in the fuck?” Sebastian grumbles when we return. I nearly snort with laughter at the sight, which earns me a sideways glare.

“Oh shit, Mom’s back!” I hear a whisper-shout from Jace who is, apparently, in our room.

Along with the rest of the team, from what I can hear.

In the short time that Sebastian and I were gone, they managed to dismantle both beds, rearranging them into some sort of janky blanket fort large enough for all of them to fit on the floor underneath it.

And they are all high as fuck.

I have to admit, building this expansive of a fort, and getting as stoned as the giggling suggests, takes talent.

I’m impressed.

Sebastian is not, which makes this even funnier.

“It was Leena’s idea!” Luke adds, then snickers, which is… weird. I’ve seen the man plastered, but never high.

I wonder if we could get Sebastian high.

I smile, because that just became my new life goal.

“I know it was Leena’s idea, but what I don’t know is where you got the Mary Jane?” he says, bending at the waist to look into their hideaway.

They all scream. Then laugh.

I stare at Sebastian. Is getting high and making blanket forts something Leena does often? Or does he just know her well enough to figure that’s something she would talk the rest of them into doing.

I have so many fucking questions.

“It’s mine,” Ava finally admits, giggling. “And I grow it myself, so it’s good shit.”

“Alright,” he says, pulling his food from the bag before handing the rest of it down into the fort.

“And I’d never smoke on the clock, I swear! We just figured… we’re kinda stuck here?” she says, seemingly confused why they thought it was a good idea.

Makes sense to me.

“I know, Ava. You’re good,” he says, making his way over to crack open the window, then glares at the only mattress left in its frame, clearly frustrated by the lack of pillows.

Apparently, they’re all in the fort.

“Oh come on Seb, you’re not going to join us?” Leena says, and she and Ava laugh.

“No,” he states, sitting on the mattress and opening his food.

“But Ryan helped us build it! Did you know he’s a genius?” Ava says and the awe in her tone surprises me. I guess the nerd has an admirer.

“That’s why we hired him. My answer is still no,” Sebastian repeats.

“It’s only basic engineering. And I didn’t have a lot to work with,” Ryan explains.

“Nerd,” Jace chokes out, and I hear an oof! Probably from Ryan hitting him. “Ow!” Jace feigns injury.

I take off my jacket and shoes, then look at Sebastian, who’s still looking strictly unamused.

“Well, they have my food.” I shrug before getting on all fours and crawling inside.

—

I’m high. But not as high as Leena, or Luke. Relaxed, is what I am.

It’s just the three of us in the blanket fort now. Ava, Jace and Ryan returned to their room… who knows how long ago now.

Does time really even exist?

Not in the blanket fort, it doesn’t.

It’s surprisingly roomy down here now that the rest of the team is gone.

I’m lying next to Luke, Leena is on the other side of him, and the three of us are enjoying how comfortable the pillows are beneath us. We lay here, watching the shadows from the picture on the television dance across the blanket ceiling above us. It’s like watching TV, except you have to figure out what the images are based on the colors.

“Seb,” I call out. “Get down here! There’s finally enough room for your ass, if that’s possible!” I chuckle, finding my joke hilarious.

Leena finds it funny too. She laughs, smiling up at the vibrant sky above us.

Fuck, she’s gorgeous. Maybe that’s just the weed talking. Nah, she’s always gorgeous.

Does she have to try to be this pretty? Nope. I’ve seen her straight out of bed, and she still looks like this.

I chuckle at my own internal conversation.

“No,” Sebastian answers for the ten-bajillionth time.

Leena rolls her head to the side to look at Luke, resting her cheek on his bare, muscled shoulder and they exchange a look that is clearly some sort of silent conversation. It must be nice to know someone well enough that you can do that. Without breaking eye contact with her, Luke acts on whatever they just decided.

“Sebastian,” he says the word slowly, and I hear a lot of grumbling coming from the bed above us. Just when I give up on that actually working, I hear the bed frame creak and my eyes snap to the people next to me in shock.

“What the fuck,” I mouth to them. Leena smiles, like she knows some secret I don’t. It’s a little infuriating. So is the way she’s biting at her lip. I can’t take my eyes off it.

Add that to the ten-millionth reason the two of them are so stuck on this girl.

When Sebastian makes his way into our fort, glaring at all of us, none of us can help our chuckles. Luke and Leena move closer to me so he can lay down on the other side of them, then we all stare up at the ceiling.

It’s quiet for a long moment.

“So hear me out,” I start, and all of us burst out laughing, even Sebastian. Even if he wasn’t smoking, there’s no way he managed to avoid the contact high completely. I have to assume that’s why he’s suddenly more relaxed. Or maybe it’s just Leena. She does seem to calm him somehow.

Once we settle down, Leena turns toward Sebastian, resting her hand on his thick chest as she looks up at him. “Seb? Can we sleep down here tonight? There’s more room than the bed,” she asks him in a tone so soft, it’s a wonder she’s still awake at all. He looks over at our situation, still a little annoyed, then he looks back down at her.

And the expression on his face changes completely.

I’ve never seen him look at anyone like that before, not a sub, not any of the women I’ve known he’s liked.

This is something different. Softer, somehow.

“Yeah, sugar. We can sleep down here,” he whispers back, pulling her into his chest so she can snuggle into his large arms. Then I watch as Luke tucks a piece of her hair behind her ear, running his knuckles down her cheek. She reaches up, intertwining their fingers together and pulling his arm around her. He smiles, then buries his nose into her hair and closes his eyes.

“Goodnight, baby girl,” Luke says softly. Leena hums a response.

And my heart drops out of my fucking chest.

I honestly can’t believe it’s taken me this long to see it. Maybe I just didn’t want to.

But now there’s absolutely no denying the truth.

They’re in love with her.