Putting the phone down, I saw a face peeking around the corner at me.
“I am so stupid, little man,” I told Phillip.
“No you’re not. Lizzie in my class, she’s stupid. She eats her boogers. You don’t do that. I’ve been watching.”
I grunted and gestured for him. He ran and leaped and scrambled up on the bed by me, and together we crawled to the end of the bed and looked at the TV.
“You wanna get the remote?” I asked him, pointing at it maybe four feet away.
“Nope. You wanna get it?”
“Nope.” I yawned.
“Call Micah.”
Such good ideas he had. I yelled for Micah, and he was there seconds later. We both pointed at the remote, and he grabbed it and then got on Cy’s enormous California King with us. Tristan joined us soon after, his Nintendo DS in hand, using the stylus as he lay beside Micah.
“What’re your Mom and Uncle Cy doin’?” I asked him.
“Drinking tea and talking,” he told me.
I made a noise of disgust, and Tristan nodded.
“I know, talking… bleh.”
When I smiled he smiled back, and then I turned on the TV. It was on ESPN, and before I could hear the complaints. I changed it. I flipped channels until I got to Animal Planet and River Monsters was on. Tristan said it was good, so we all gave it our attention.
First I was leaning my cheek on my closed fist, and then my head was on my folded arms. Once Phillip—Pip—climbed on my back and put his head down on my shoulder, I started to fade. Tristan moved so he was leaning on my right side, and Micah was on the left, tucked in tighter. They were all keeping me warm, and I was a goner.
I woke up what felt like minutes later and realized that the TV was off, as were all the lights but for one. The boys were gone, and instead there were lips kissing slowly up my spine. I made a noise of appreciation, feeling the T-shirt pushed up between my shoulder blades.
“Carolyn took the boys home—after much protesting, I might add. They all wanted to stay and sleep with you, but I explained that I had first dibs.”
I grunted. “How long was I asleep?”
“Couple of hours.”
Rolling over on my back, I looked up at him in the low light.
“You should get under the covers and go to sleep. You’re exhausted.”
When I lifted my hands to his face, he turned his head and kissed my palm. “Thank you for asking your sister to take pity on me.”
“I didn’t, you know I didn’t. She decided all on her own that you were to be trusted.”
“You’re mad.”
“Of course I’m mad. Because you won’t just stay with me and let me take care of you.” He squinted down at me.
“Nope,” I agreed.
He moved to pull away, but I held him tight, our eyes locked together.
“Let go.”
I shook my head and eased him down slowly until our foreheads were pressed together, the two of us now with closed eyes, just quietly breathing.
When I lifted toward him, his lips slanted down over mine, and I let everything fall away as I kissed him. Really, if I had anything to offer at all, I would lay claim to him, and no one but me would ever have him ever again. But as it was, all I could be was a diversion until he realized he could do so much better. He was a neurosurgeon. I was a homeless drifter, and this wasn’t a fairytale.
“Weber,” he gasped, parting our lips. “Stop.”
But this was what I had to offer, all that I was good for. “Doc,” I growled, tugging at his clothes. “Take these off.”
“No!” he yelled at me, yanking away, pointing toward the pillows. “Get under the damn covers so I can hold you while you sleep.”
I looked at him and was surprised to find no desire there at all, no lust riding him, simply furrowed brows and dark, flashing golden-brown eyes.
Moving fast, I got under the covers as the light was turned off and the room was plunged into semi-darkness.
“Come here, ass.” I laughed at him.
He was tangled around me in seconds, and as I tucked his head under my chin and held him tight, I felt him tremble.
“No one but you ever holds me like this.”
“Dumb fuckers,” I assured him. “They’re missin’ out on somethin’ great.”
“You’re the only one who knows I love it, because you’re the only one who ever made me do it.”
The man was a natural snuggler, loved to be cuddled and nestled in beside me. I had been surprised the first time when he had tried to squirm away. But as I held him pressed to my heart, I had felt him surrender, felt him clutch me back, tremble in my arms, and whimper softly.
“You’re the only one who had the balls to try and make me submit.”
“That’s right.” I smiled in the dark, rubbing my cheek in the silky waves. “You didn’t want to do this at all the first time, did ya?”
“No—” He sucked in his breath. “—because I was the dumb fucker back then.”
I chuckled, and he pressed tighter.
“Thank you for wanting to hold me, Weber.”
“Thank you for lettin’ me, Cyrus.”
His sigh of pleasure made me smile as my eyes drifted closed.
Chapter Three
I WASsurprised in the morning when ice cubes were put on my stomach. When I yelled and the squeals of delight filled the room, the giggling and little arms wrapped around my neck, I realized that it wasn’t ice, but feet. Micah and Pip were both
