Me, on the other hand, I was too excited to sleep.
I toyed with the black hair falling over his bunched brows as I began to sing softly to him. Rosalie was the only one I’d ever done it for whenever she used to have trouble sleeping. It didn’t seem to be working on Jericho, though, as the troubled dip between his brows grew deeper. I knew each time he clenched his teeth as if he were restraining or frustrated with himself as the muscle in his pale cheek ticked.
Whatever had been keeping him awake most nights and moody during the day these past three weeks had not gone away.
In the morning, I vowed to get to the bottom of it, and I wouldn’t take no for an answer. They couldn’t expect me to bear my demons while they kept their own hidden under lock and key.
As I silently brooded, Jericho’s eyes started to drift shut again when Houston walked into the room.
Eyeing him over my shoulder with the side of my face in my palm, I watched as he pulled his shirt over his head and admired his abs flex as he did it. I liked that none of them were overly muscular. What they did possess made it more than clear that they were strong and able men.
After tossing his shirt on the floor, he made his way over to the bed, his amused gaze shifting from me to Jericho and back again.
“You’re not going to let the man sleep?” he teased.
“It’s not me. It’s him,” I told Houston as he towered over me while I stared down at Jericho. “I tried singing, but he’s stubborn.”
I felt the bed dip under Houston’s weight as he braced his knee on the mattress next to me, and then he was pulling my head back using my hair as his personal reins and kissing my lips.
“So wake him up.”
As if his tone hadn’t made it clear it wasn’t a suggestion, Houston lifted me off Jericho and the bed until I was standing in front of him with my back to his chest. His hands then gripped the hem of the distressed, black cotton dress I’d worn to our show tonight over my head.
I immediately shivered as the cool air brushed my skin, and I stood there in only my panties, garter, and stockings.
I hadn’t bothered with a bra tonight.
Houston made quick work of my garter and panties but left my black thigh-high stockings on my legs. The three of them seemed to like whenever I wore them because they always took off everything except them, so I made a mental note to buy and wear them more often.
I tilted my head back, resting on Houston’s shoulder when his hands cupped my breasts from behind, and he began kissing my neck. His chest was hard and warm against my back, and the comforting aroma of vanilla gave me no choice but to lean against him.
I always felt like I could rule the world when I was in Houston Morrow’s arms.
His fingers slowly drifted down my stomach, making the muscles quiver in anticipation, and he didn’t stop until he was possessively palming the smooth, bare skin of my pussy in a show of ownership.
“Yours,” I gasped around the cherries drenching my tongue. I knew what he wanted to hear.
Moving my hair over my shoulder, Houston kissed my nape in response.
He didn’t make me beg before he moved to my clit, teasing and circling until my back arched and then tunneling two of his fingers inside of me. He groaned the moment he was knuckle-deep and discovered how wet he’d gotten me.
Suddenly, I felt like I’d been caught red-handed.
I knew just by the sound that poured deep from his chest that I had a long night ahead of me.
“Houston—”
“Sit on his face.”
My lips parted, but I couldn’t respond.
Houston was still fucking me with his fingers when my gaze shot to Jericho, who watched us through half-lidded eyes.
He was no longer fighting sleep.
By the second, Rich was becoming more and more alert.
A shiver shook my body, but I was quickly distracted from my unease when Houston nipped my shoulder harshly and without warning. I had no doubt he’d left a mark. Letting my skin go, he placed his lips near my ear.
“I don’t want to ask again.”
As soon as I took a trembling step forward, Houston let me go. I missed his fingers inside of me even as I felt his eyes watching to make sure I obeyed.
I climbed onto the bed that, until now, I hadn’t realized was pretty high, and crawled my way up Jericho’s body. As soon as our lips were lined, we met each other halfway for a kiss that rattled my soul.
I loved Jericho’s kisses.
They were soft and sweet and slow.
And they smelled like freshly bloomed berries.