“Have you got everything, baby?” Derek asks as I wheel Oakley’s little suitcase toward the kitchen.
He is waiting for me by the couch and takes the handle as I pause in front of him. There are a million emotions on his face, some indecipherable. All I know is, I’m fucking floating. They picked me. Me. Sad, little orphan me.
And even though I need to go home now, they have promised me at least two dates between now and next weekend. Giddy—that’s what I’m feeling right now. My heart is suspended so high above me, I feel like it’s attached to a million balloons and is drifting off into the clouds.
“I think so, Daddy,” I reply, smiling so wide my cheeks hurt. I step into him and wrap my arms around his middle, pressing my ear to his chest and listening to his heartbeat.
Derek automatically wraps his free arm around me, and all I want to do is burrow into him until I can wear him back to my dorm room. He rubs my lower back, and I breathe in his musky cologne.
“I don’t want to leave,” I murmur, not caring how clingy that makes me sound. No one has ever wanted to keep me before, and now that they do, they are just going to have to deal with my previously hidden stage-five clinger personality.
I didn’t even know I was this clingy. Seeing other people like this is usually a massive ick for me, but now that I have someone—several someones—to be this gross around, you bet your ass I’m going to be as disgusting as possible.
Hell, besides one sketchbook of drawings that I have sticky-taped together, prior to this weekend, there wasn’t a single thing, let alone person, in this world that I was overly protective of.
“I don’t want you to leave, either,” he replies with a kiss to the top of my head. “But we need to get a few things sorted out on our end. Xavier has already programed all our numbers into your phone and yours into ours. I’m sure there is even a group chat already started between the five of us.”
A giggle escapes, and the noise still shocks me. What have these men done to me? “Yeah, there is. Daddy Darcy has been sending me gift ideas already.”
“That is not surprising. We’ve been looking for you for a long time. Did we tell you that the invitation you responded to was going to be the last one? It was our last attempt at finding a baby girl for us to share.”
I snap my head back to look at him, mouth hanging open. “Really?”
He smiles, his dark brown eyes scanning my face. “Really. On Thursday nights, we all get together to play poker at my place, and we were discussing changing the ad. I wanted to take it down altogether. But it’s like the kink gods were listening and sent you to us.”
I snicker. “Kink gods? I don’t think that’s a thing.”
Derek smirks. “Wait until we take you to Obsession. You’ll be praying for mercy.”
My thighs clench and my cheeks burn as my stomach heats, and I let out a huffed breath. “Daddy.”
“Come on, let’s get you on your way home before someone decides they aren’t going to let you go and your roommate gets worried.”
Unhelpfully, pings of hope explode inside of me at his words. I would not hate being trapped here forever.
But I know I need to go. Orientation is tomorrow, and I promised Oakley I would be home tonight.
My grin returns when I think about telling her everything that has happened this weekend. She is going to shit her pants when I tell her this thing has been extended until next year.
Derek takes my hand and leads me toward the others, who are all waiting by the kitchen. At some point, a baby-blue duffel bag with a stitched floral print appeared in the apartment today. It is currently sitting on the counter, next to my equally full backpack, both of which are stuffed with all the clothing, art supplies, and gifts they have showered me with this weekend.
I came with borrowed luggage, clothes, and handbag, and now I am going home with my own wardrobe, two new bags, art supplies, a new phone, and a contract that says I am theirs for the next six months.
What more could a girl ask for?
As we approach the kitchen, Darcy and Hudson stop their conversation mid-laugh. It’s a little odd to see them both so carefree and not completely… I don’t know. Dominant. In control. Daddy-ish.
They‘ve taken two of the stools under the kitchen island, leaving Xavier to sit at the dining table, where he is playing on his phone. I slip free of Derek’s hand and go get my hugs from the two of them first.
I go to Hudson, my eyes sliding closed as his arms encircle me. He rests his cheek on the top of my head, and I let myself relax into his hug.
“Thank you,” he whispers.
My throat aches with sudden tightness, and all I can do is nod. I want to tell him thank you, but there is no way my voice is going to work. His heart beats solidly beneath my ear, and it hurts to not let the tears fall.
“I’ve put something in your backpack for the nights you are away from us. No peeking until you get home.”
The words are only loud enough for me to hear. I peer up at him, not bothering to hide my curiosity. He smiles and then boops my nose. “You’ll like it, I promise. No peeking.”
I resist the urge to roll my eyes. I can’t check my ass cheek until I get home, and now I can’t check my bag. So many rules.
Instead, like the good girl I have been for them all weekend, I nod and start to pull away, but Hudson leans down and captures my mouth in a kiss. His fingers flex against my lower back as I part my lips and our tongues slide along each other’s. The kiss doesn’t last long, but my chest aches as we pull apart. One final look into those pale blue eyes, and I have to turn away before tears roll down my cheeks in a super unsexy way.
With a sniff, I move on to Darcy. My face is buried in his chest before anyone can see all these stupid emotions. I don’t even really understand why I am so sad. They are keeping me, for fuck’s sake.
A hand cups the back of my neck and the other rubs up and down my back as I take fistfuls of his shirt into my hands.
“Shhh, princess. It’s all going to be okay. We’ve got you now. You’re ours. Nothing will take you away from us. We aren’t going anywhere.” Darcy keeps murmuring words of comfort until I relax, my tension fading to a manageable level.
I’m theirs now.
I really fucking love the sound of that.
The hand at the base of my neck comes around to my chin, tilting my head to look up at him. Darcy presses kisses over my forehead, eyes, cheeks, my nose, and then on my lips. He keeps the kiss shallow, like a movie kiss, nothing but lips.
We break apart, and he stares straight into my soul with those dark blue eyes of his.
“How about, Tuesday night, you and I have our first date? I’ll come get you from your place, and we’ll go out to dinner and then see a movie? I know that’s simple for a first date, but it’s nice and low key. We can get to know each other. I can’t guarantee that none of the others won’t turn up and third wheel our date, so no getting cranky with me if that happens.” His eyes smile as he makes the offer and, fuck, the relief that sweeps through me makes my knees weak.
I have to swallow, twice, because holy fuck, this is really happening. “Yes, please, I would love that.”
I don’t bother to tell him I’ve only ever been to a movie theater once before, and that was when a group home took all the kids to see a cartoon about emotions.
Darcy gives me one final kiss, and then I turn to Xavier. He isn’t playing on his phone anymore; it sits face down on the table. He has angled himself, so he is facing me, knees man spreading, body reclined a little, one arm resting on the table.
I reach for my bracelet and rub the pendant.
D. H. D. X.
It’s basically a claim of ownership.
I love it.
Xavier holds out a hand for me, and I slip mine into his. I’m taller than him when I step between his thighs, so I wrap my arms around his shoulders, slide my fingers into his sandy-brown curls, and hug him to me.
His arms tighten around my lower back, and we stand there, with his head pillowed against my tits. I lower my face and press a kiss to the top of his head. When the hug ends, he holds my hips in his hands and looks up at me.
“There are bandages in your bag, with antiseptic cream. I want morning and night photos of all the cuts,” he orders, his voice even.
I instantly picture the cuts on either side of my pussy from when he had cut my panties off. “All of the cuts?” I manage to squeak out.
He smirks. “All of them.”
All I can manage is a nod. Sounds like I’ll be sending snatch snaps.
Xavier gives my hips a quick, painful squeeze before shifting in his seat and reaching into his back pocket. He pulls out a small black wallet, then pulls out a card that looks vaguely familiar.
“This will give you access to the building, elevator, and the door to this apartment. If you lose it, notify me immediately. You are free to come to the apartment whenever you like.” Xavier offers me the card, and I can’t help but gape at it.
“I can come here whenever I want?”
He raises my hand for me, then presses the card into my palm, his eye contact never faltering. “Yes. Whenever you want.”
He doesn’t give me any more after that. Just helps me to wrap my fingers around the key and presses a kiss to my knuckles.
Adjusting my hold on the key, I step away from him and turn back to Derek. He already has the duffel over one shoulder and is still holding on to the handle of my luggage. Hudson has my backpack in his hands, ready for it to be slipped onto my back.
As I am helped into the white bag’s shoulder straps, Derek explains everything that is going to happen for the next little while. “We’ve all agreed that we are going to let you have some time to yourself tonight. No texting, no calls. You, however, are free to reach out to us whenever you need to. And we expect you to contact us if you start to feel sad, worried, nervous, anxious, etcetera. No holding back. We can’t help if you hide it from us, and we really want to help, so please, let us.”
I scoop my hair over one shoulder as he talks and nod the entire time. Exhaustion is hitting me, but I get what he is saying. “I promise to call one of you if I start to feel droppy.”
Derek smiles down at me and cups my cheek. “Droppy. I like that term. Message or call us if you feel droppy.” He takes a breath, then indicates to the hallway that leads to the door. “Ready to go?”
I want to scream no, that I want to stay. I don’t want to leave this bubble. What if, after they give me all this space they are talking about, they realize I’m not worth it? I’m not worth their time, their effort, their money?
But then I touch my fingers to the pendant at my wrist, and I shut the thoughts down. They keep saying they want me and that they aren’t going anywhere. Now I just need to believe them.
I need to trust them.
Straightening, I try to smile for Derek, but I know it’s strained. “Yep.”
I’m one-thousand-percent not, but I follow him to the door. I do not look back. My heart, which has grown in size and now takes up the entire cavity of my chest, simply won’t be able to take whatever emotions they have on their faces. I’ll just end up making a fool of myself by running back to them and begging them to let me stay.
Derek holds open the door for me, and I quickly dash out into the corridor. We walk in silence all the way to the elevator, the only sound the occasional muffled noises from the other apartments and our feet shushing against the carpet.
I make it to the elevator first and hit the down button, and when Derek steps up behind me, I lean back into him. Heat from his body coats my shoulders, but he doesn’t let the bags go. We stand there, with me resting against him while we wait.
The elevator down is even less dramatic. I keep sneaking looks at him, but besides taking my hand in his, he remains stoic. As soon as the doors open, he steps out, once again keeping the doorway open. There is a new security guard at the desk, and Derek shoots a nod in his direction as we pass by on our way to the glass doors.
Derek swipes his card, just like how Darcy had on Friday night, and the doors glide open. As soon as he stops on the sidewalk with my luggage and duffel, a particularly devoted cab driver pulls up next to us.
“Are you doing okay?” Derek asks as the cab driver pops the trunk.
I nod, but I’m back to needing to cry.
He goes to the back of the car and quickly puts the bags in before returning to me and taking my hands. He places my palms on his chest and cuddles me to him. “Is this sad because you don’t want to leave us, or do we need to go back up to the apartment for some more aftercare?”
I force a swallow past the massive elephant-sized lump in throat. “Don’t want to leave sad.”
Derek kisses my forehead. “I’m glad you’re sad.”
I frown up at him. “Glad?”
He hums. “Yes. Because it means you are as deep into this as we are. If you weren’t sad, I’d be questioning if this was the right thing to be doing. But you want to be with us as much as we want to be with you. Just take tonight for yourself. Trust me when I say, you’ll wake up to your phone flooded with messages from all of us. You are stuck with us for the next six months.”
My heart soars and cracks at the same time.
Six months. Only six months.
And then I am on my own again. But only if I can’t convince them to extend the contract again.
Third time’s a charm, right?
