Chapter 264

By the time Beau finally comes, we’ve gone through five or six different positions. My body has bent in ways I didn’t know possible. My nightgown has been torn and twisted. I wore pieces of it for a while, but most of it is somewhere on the floor now.

Now, as I’m in bed with Beau wrapped around me like an octopus, my aches and pains are reminding me that I really need to start yoga or something, if I want to keep this up long term.

Beau is sweaty and sated as he holds onto me. I have no idea how a man could go on that long. I wouldn’t have thought it possible if I haven’t now experienced it. I wonder if Beau’s healing abilities worked in ways much different than the typical.

Or maybe he just liked to draw out his own pleasure as much as he did giving to his partner. Beau does seem like the type who would want to torture himself in that way.

Beau hums as he kisses my shoulder and my arm. Anywhere he can reach, really.

“Well,” he says, his voice light and teasing. “Now that you’ve had the best the Hayes name has to offer, I expect you’ll be spending every night in my bed.”

I roll my eyes. First Neil and now Beau? Do they all tell the same jokes or are they just possessive assholes?

Gods, it’s probably both.

“I’ll be staying in my own room for now.”

Beau tilts his head to look up into my face. “Maybe you need more convincing,” he says and rolls on top of me.

Hours later, it’s morning and my body has become actual goo. I have no bones anymore, I believe. I’ll probably be dead soon. It’s a wonderful death though. I feel so fucking good.

Beau really knows what he’s doing.

Since my nightgown is destroyed, he gives me a button-up shirt and a too-big pair of shorts to wear. I mean to go to my room to change, but Beau promises me breakfast, which has my feet veering toward the kitchen instead.

Beau keeps his arm around me. His expression has reached a brand new level of smug. Ultra-smug, maybe. It would be disgusting if he didn’t have such cause to be.

With how good I feel right now, he can give whatever the hell look he wants.

That’s what I think anyway.

And I think that right up until we walk into the living room where Archer is sitting.

Archer takes one look at me, at Beau, and jumps up from the couch. The book he’d been reading gets tossed to the side.

“What the fuck?” he growls. He grabs Beau by the front of his shirt and yanks him away from me. Beau yelps as he’s dragged away. “What the actual fuck?!”

Beau makes a show of rolling his eyes. “Oh, whatever, Archie. You can’t possibly be mad. You got your turn first.”

“This isn’t about turns,” Archer growls. “You brought her out her to parade her in front of me. You think I can’t smell you on her? You think I need the visual?”

Beau narrows his eyes. “Maybe I wanted you to know how it feels for a change.”

“For a change? You fucking –”

“Wait,” I snap. I look from Archer to Beau. Beau looks a little guilty now, gaze sliding away from me. “This isn’t about breakfast.”

“I am going to get you breakfast,” Beau says. He glances at me, sees my fury, then looks away again. “But I suppose you could say that this isn’t just about breakfast.”

“Beau!”

He knew Archer would get jealous and angry to see me as I am, dressed in Beau’s clothes, reeking of him.

“No wonder you didn’t want me to go to my room to change first!” I say.

What a creep. What a positively disgusting cad.

I’m so over this game these brothers are playing, trying to outdo each other. I am an actual, living, breathing person, and they are treating me like some kind of chip in a poker game.

“I’m over this!” I throw my hands up. “You want to fight? Go for it. But leave me out of it.” I turn to go back down the hallway we came from.

“Nanny! Don’t be like that!” Beau calls after me.

“Fuck off, Beau!”

Archer pushes Beau away.

“Aren’t we going to fight?” Beau asks.

Archer huffs a breath and shakes his head. “You’re too busy fucking yourself over, you don’t need my help.”

I rush from the room, not wanting to deal with either of them. I don’t stop walking until I reach the safety of my old room. I turn the lock behind me. Then I head straight for the bathroom.

Fortunately, in addition to refilling my underwear drawer, the brothers have also restocked all my toiletries and towels. I would be impressed with how well they remembered the brands and smells that I like, except I’m too busy being pissed at them.

I kick Beau’s borrowed clothes as far as I can into the corner before I enter the shower.

Once I’m clean, I go into my closet. The closet isn’t totally restocked but there are several options to choose from. Most of which are lavish items that maybe they want me to wear that I never would. As if the brothers guessed that, there are also a few more casual options that more accurately reflect my style.

When I’m dressed and ready, I walk into the main room.

I feel better clean with fresh clothes. But as I look around, I realize the room feels more like a hotel room than the room I’ve come to know.

Likely because all of my personal items – my photos and jewelry, and everything else – are still back in the penthouse.

What’s also there? My books.

Maybe I could put off having my personal items for a few days or weeks, but if I don’t want to drop out of school, I’m going to need my books and notebooks.

I also wouldn’t mind having a picture of mom and me. As well as my dagger. Somehow it too got left behind in my rush to protect Mia.

Some warrior I am, leaving my weapon behind.

I have to go back for it, and for my books. But I know the brothers will never let me go alone.

The last thing I want to do is start another pissing contest between them by being alone with one over the others.

My only truly safe option is Steven.

So I put on my shoes and grab my purse. I head out into the hallway, aiming myself for Neil’s room.

Unfortunately, Archer is already in the hallway, and because he’s so tall and muscly, he’s taking up most of it.

I go up to him and move to step around him.

He glances down at me, then at my purse, and my shoes. He grabs me by the elbow with one hand.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“To see Steven,” I say.

Archer narrows my eyes. He must have some kind of bullshit detector because he has a knack for seeing right through me.

“The truth, Chloe.”

I sigh. “You aren’t going to like this.”