Right as Mack grabbed for Liam’s shirt, Liam jumped back and heard the sound of the front door slamming below.
“Calla,” he and Mack said at the same time, their gazes locking. Good. Time to put this back on familiar fecking territory. With Calla firmly between them.
They both went for the door at the same time. Mack got there first, the wanker. He met Calla halfway down the stairs.
“You okay, honey? You’re late. We were worried.”
Liam rolled his eyes. What a crock of shite.
He ignored Mack and joined them.
“Did you have any trouble on the road? Are you hungry? We kept a plate of food for you in the fridge.”
“For Christ’s sake, she just walked in the door.” Mack shoved Liam to the side so he could pass by with Calla on his arm. “Let her breathe before firing twenty fucking questions.”
Liam would have tried to batter the bastard, but Calla was leaning on him like she was glad for the support.
Shite. Something was wrong. Liam knew it. She hadn’t been acting herself all week. Something was off.
“I ate on the road.” Calla’s voice was little more than a whisper and it sounded scratchy. Like she’d been crying. Liam’s head jerked up to Mack and he nodded. He heard it too. “I’m just tired.”
Why wasn’t she confiding in them?
Mack didn’t lead Calla to her room. Instead, he took her straight to Liam’s. The rest of the guys were downstairs watching a game and at this point, Liam didn’t care if anyone saw them. Calla needed them and it wasn’t like the twins or Nicholas were gossips.
Liam suspected Xavier knew something of what was going on, but if he did, he wasn’t saying anything about it either.
Mack led her to Liam’s bed and sat her down while Liam shut the door behind them. He hurried over to Calla and sat beside her on the bed, grabbing her hand in his. It was ice cold. He rubbed it between his palms.
“Baby, what’s going on? Talk to us.”
“Nothing,” she answered, too quickly.
“You’re a bad liar,” Mack said gently, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear. She wore it down more and more often.
Calla’s hazel eyes flashed up to them before dropping back down to her lap. She bit her bottom lip and her throat moved as she swallowed hard. “It’s my dad… he’s… really sick.” She covered her face with her hands and her back started shaking. “I don’t think he even recognized me.”
“Shh, come here.” Mack pulled her into his chest. Liam moved up close against her back. Jaysus, she felt so fragile between them. Her body shook like a leaf as she sobbed.
Liam shared another worried glance with Mack and then wrapped his arms around her so that she was enclosed all the way around by them.
Finally she pulled back from Mack’s chest, tear tracks fresh on her cheeks. She looked first at Mack, then at Liam.
“I just want to forget. Please. Can you help me forget for tonight?”
“Baby,” Liam said, rubbing a comforting hand down her spine. “are you sure you don’t want to—”
Calla turned in their arms and cut Liam off with a kiss. She wasn’t shy about it either. The more nights they all spent together, the bolder she’d grown. More and more she told them exactly where and how she wanted to be touched. What made her feel good. Watching her come to life sexually had been one of the most fecking amazing things Liam had ever witnessed.
So Liam trusted her to know what she needed right now and he kissed her back. Her hands immediately started scrabbling at the bottom of his shirt. He obliged by pulling it off over his head. Her hands roamed up his chest. And then down, her deft little fingers tugging at his button.
“Jaysus, woman,” Liam groaned into her hot little mouth.
Mack nestled his nose into her neck from behind. “Christ you smell good,” he murmured. “Like some kind of flower.”
Calla laughed a little, hiccupping as tears still fell and she turned around to kiss Mack. Liam followed and kissed the salty tears from her cheeks.
“Beautiful Calla,” he whispered. “Goddess Calla.”
“Come here,” Mack murmured, taking her hand and tugging her in the direction of the bed. She followed, arms around his neck. She kept kissing him while they moved. Liam stayed with her too, nuzzling his nose into the back of her neck.
Mack tugged her t-shirt off over her head and Liam undid the bra clasp at her back, sliding it down her shoulders. Next Mack worked on the button of her jeans before tugging them down, too. Between them, they had her undressed in under a minute.
Mack was gentle as he pushed her back on the bed. She arched up so she could keep kissing him. It was like she couldn’t bear to lose contact for even a second. She reached out for Liam the next moment, moving from Mack’s lips to his.