Be With Me(31)

Sawyer snickered. “Maybe you don’t have them twisted around your little finger as much as you thought, baby dol .”

She glared at him. “You act as though I manipulate them.”

Sawyer regarded her solemnly. “Manipulate? No, that isn’t your style. But you have to admit, you’re not used to them standing up to you and tel ing you no.

You know and I know they’d damn wel cut off their right arms for you.”

She leaned into his chest and closed her eyes.

“Why did things have to change, Sawyer?” she whispered. “I don’t like what’s happened to us.” His arms came around her, hugging her tight against him.

“Nothing ever stays the same, honey. And here’s something to consider. What you view as changing everything, something you regret, is something that me and Cam and Sawyer have looked forward to.

Longed for. Wanted for a damn long time.” She drew away and stared into his eyes. He looked so serious. So somber. “How long?” she asked softly.

He touched her cheek then cupped the back of her neck and pulled her down to meet his lips. There was an urgency to his kiss. His mouth worked hot over hers, molding her to him.

“Forever?” he rasped. “It sure seems like it. If you want a specific date, I’m afraid I can’t give that to you. But in a lot of ways, you’ve been ours since the day you blacked mine and Cam’s eyes when we teased Hutch about him having a friend who was a girl.”

Her chest tingled, and she felt curiously lightheaded. Ours. Just the way he said it sent a ridiculous thril through her system. Belonging to someone, being loved by someone, was scary enough, but needed and wanted by three men?

It felt edgy, exciting and terrifying al in one fel swoop.

“Okay baby, open up,” Hutch said.

She looked up to see him and Cam standing by the couch in front of Sawyer. Hutch was holding a glass of water in one hand and a pil in the other while Cam held a smal Ziploc bag of ice.

Sawyer eased her from his lap to sit beside him.

Cam sat down on the other side of her and picked up her wrist. He careful y strapped the brace back on and then placed the bag of ice over it.

Hutch dropped the pil into her free hand and waited as she put it into her mouth. Then he handed her the glass, and she gulped down the pil in one swal ow.

“You’re starting to scare me with al this compliance,” Hutch said with a grin.

She shot him a nasty look and his grin got bigger.

“Don’t smile at me,” she muttered.

He laughed. “So I can’t kiss you or touch you and now I can’t smile at you either?”

“No.”

“We’l see about that,” he said with a smirk.

Regina sighed. Incorrigible. She leaned against Sawyer’s side as weariness assailed her. His hand tangled in her hair as he massaged her scalp.

“Mmmm, that feels real y good.”

When she opened her eyes again, Cam was checking his watch. Sawyer continued to stroke her hair in gentle up-and-down motions as Cam held the ice pack on her wrist.

“You’ve got two minutes, Reggie darling. And then I’m taking you up to bed.”

“Bossy,” she muttered. “It doesn’t look good on you.”

Cam smiled. “You look good on me, though.” Her eyes widened. “Cam!”

Hutch chuckled then leaned over the couch to kiss her forehead. “I’l take my good-night kiss now,” he murmured.

He touched her cheek as he drew away.

“Be a good girl and stay out of trouble, and I’l cook you breakfast in the morning.”

“Ham and pancakes?” she asked hopeful y.

He smiled. “Whatever you want, baby.” Sawyer buried his face in her hair and kissed the back of her head. “Sleep tight, honey.”

“I’m beginning to get a complex,” she complained.

“You guys keep trying to get rid of me.” Cam reached down and scooped her up. He frowned and glanced over at Hutch. “Better double up on the pancakes. I swear she’s gotten lighter, and she could already be blown over by a stiff wind.”

“You’d rather I weigh a ton?” she asked. “At least then you couldn’t haul me around like a sack of potatoes.”

“Hush,” he said. “I just worry about you. You’ve lost weight.”

“I can stil kick your ass,” she muttered.

He laughed as he started up the stairs. “I don’t doubt it, but I’d prefer you wait until you’re a hundred percent before you try it.”

“You know this is ridiculous, don’t you,” she said as he entered her room. “I’m perfectly capable of getting myself to bed.”

“Aren’t there laws about navigating stairs under the influence?”

She rol ed her eyes as he placed her on the bed.

He proceeded to pul the covers back then moved her up onto the pil ows so he could tuck her in. He arranged the ice pack back over her wrist, angled it a few times, and then, apparently satisfied that it would stay in place, he left it alone.

“Good night,” he said. He dropped a kiss on her forehead, and she was vaguely disappointed that he hadn’t kissed her lips.

She was hungry for him.

“Good night,” she whispered.