“No need, baby doll.” Baby doll? My heart swells. Then he goes to the vanity and takes something from it. A second later, he’s standing before me with a devious smirk on his face. I’m about to ask him what he’s doing when he drops to his knees, lifts my towel with one hand, and grabs my foot with the other. I offer a feeble protest.
“Relax.” He presses a soft kiss on the inside of my ankle and places my foot on his shoulder. It’s only now that I see the familiar blue packet in his hand. He must have grabbed it when he left the room earlier. He tears the package open with his teeth, and my stomach flutters so violently that I feel lightheaded.
“Zeke! I can do that, please …”
He pulls the tampon from the wrapper, and my cheeks burn hotter. He looks up at me, eyes full of deviance and amusement. “I’ve already had my fingers, my tongue, and my cock inside your pussy, buttercup. Why are you all coy about me inserting a tampon?” With that, he pushes it inside me with one thick finger, and my eyes roll back in my head. That should not be hot!
When he’s done, he presses a tender kiss between my thighs and stands tall again.
“Um, thank you,” I whisper, my cheeks still burning with embarrassment.
He tilts his head, eyes boring into mine. “You’re so fucking cute when you blush,”
“And you’re very different when you …” I don’t finish the sentence because I’m not entirely sure what this new dynamic is between us.
Going over to his dresser, he wipes his hands and grabs a small jar from the top drawer. He comes back over and pulls the towel from my body, leaving me naked. Although the room is warm, I shiver. He unscrews the lid of the jar and scoops out a little of the contents with his pointer finger before rubbing it into the skin on my shoulder. I twist my head to see another bite mark.
“I broke the skin here,” he says by way of explanation.
“Oh.” I suck on my bottom lip as he rubs the ointment into my skin, his fingers moving carefully over the tender flesh while his dark eyes watch me intently. Xander was right about him; he does seem to enjoy taking care of people after he’s hurt them. But while he did hurt me, the kind of pain he delivers is like nothing else I’ve ever experienced, and I’m open to a whole lot more of it.
Chapter
Twenty-Four
LILY
Zeke pats his thigh when I walk into the den after I finish working on my article for the day. “Come here, baby doll.”
Baby doll? He said it earlier in the bathroom, and it had the exact same effect on me then. Why do those two words make my panties wet? Maybe it’s the way he says it, in that deep, commanding growl. Maybe it’s just because it’s Zeke.
Whatever it is, my legs shake as I make my way across the room. As soon as I’m within reach, he grabs my wrist and pulls me onto his lap, wrapping his huge arms around me and burying his face in my hair. He inhales deeply, and I bite my lip to stifle a giggle. I have no idea what happened to Zeke today, but whatever it was, I am so here for it.
When he lifts his head, I stare into his dark eyes, trying to read his thoughts. I fail miserably. “Thank you for making me a delicious lunch,” I whisper. “You didn’t have to do that.”
He shrugs. “It was just a sandwich. Nothing special.”
Just a sandwich, my ass. It was roasted chicken with a little skin still on it, bacon, avocado, and a smidge of homemade mayo on rye—my all-time favorite. “It was to me.”
He gives a subtle shake of his head and rubs his left temple.
My heart rate kicks up a notch. “Is something wrong?”
“No,” he says with a half snort, half laugh. “Nothing is wrong.”
I shift on his lap. “I-I don’t understand.”
He bands his arms tighter around me. “It’s …” He sucks on his top lip and stares up at the ceiling for what feels like eternity. “You’re too good to be true, Lily.”
I open my mouth to speak, but no words come out. I can’t work out whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing. Before I can find my voice to ask, he fills the silence for me.
“Nothing about this … about me … about the way the guys and I are together …” He rubs his temple again and takes a deep breath before continuing. “None of it seems to bother you. At all.”
It’s my turn to frown now. “Well, why would it? You were all open about what this would be. About your dynamic. I knew what I was getting into.”
“Yeah, but there’s a difference between people thinking they’re okay with what we are and actually being okay with it.”