Chapter 19Clay

Chapter 19

Clay

T hat gorgeous creature—who I will never not think of as Sweet Thang, even if I'll respect her wishes and not call her that out loud—is naked in our bed. When I get up, she's still sleeping peacefully, looking like an angel with that sweet face framed by her halo of blonde curls. Buck's already gone.

Goldie has kicked off the covers, all the covers, and I give my eyes two seconds to devour every heavenly inch of her exposed skin before I pull the sheet up to her chin, giving her some modesty. Though I am of the opinion that it's a damn shame for those tits not to be out twenty-four seven.

I head to the john and jerk off fast, thinking of the little whimpers she made as I played with her swollen clit. Of the way she moaned into my mouth while she came.

Fuck me. I have never in my life wanted to bury every inch of myself inside a woman more. And listening to her talk, tell us about herself…at first, I honestly thought I would doze off because I was exhausted, but the sound of her voice was so alluring, her every word fascinating…it kept me wide awake and made me want her even more.

I could listen to her talk all night, I realized.

But the way she talked about feeling adrift, feeling like she doesn't have a home…

Part of it made me sad, because home is everything to me.

But part of it sent excitement shooting through me like a damn cannonball because it sounded like she isn't in a hurry to get back to anything or anyone.

After I finish up and clean up in the bathroom, I round up my brothers, quietly as I can, and get them all to the dining room table without waking our slumbering Goldilocks.

Everyone's hungry—some days it seems like all we do is cook and eat.

I clear my throat. "Breakfast can wait. I'm calling a family meeting."

Luke looks disgruntled. He likes to be the one to call family meetings. He also likes his feedings to be on a regular schedule.

"About Goldie," I say, in as low of a voice as possible. "This is important."

Luke grins—something as rare as a total solar eclipse. "FINALLY, one of y'all come to your senses."

He comes over and claps me on the back. "You've always been the smartest out of all of us, Clayton. You agree with me that she's gotta go—"

I interrupt him, "I don't. Bucky and I were with her last night. In an intimate way."

Luke thwacks me on the back of the head. "I always said Ma must've dropped you on your big ol' head when you were a baby, Clayton," he grumbles, stomping back over to the cabinets, opening them and banging them closed. "Where's the damn Frosty Flakes?"

"We haven't had damn Frosty Flakes in years," Ash says. He's sitting at the table with his chin propped up on his hands, elbows on the table, looking thoughtful. "Are you trying to say y'all fucked?"

"Yeaaaaaaaaa-uh, our little Buckaroo finally getting some," Ranger crows. "Goldilocks made a man out of you, huh, buddy?"

"We didn't fuck," Buck says, but he's grinning like a man that got fucked. "We did…other things."

"We did other things with her too," Nash says, gesturing at Lynx and himself. "Down at the river. But we were rudely interrupted."

He shoots Luke a glare. Lynx wears one to match.

"Anyway," I forge on, nodding at Lynx and Nash. "I assume that means the two of you like her, yeah?"

Nash nods. "Hell yeah."

"I like her a lot," Lynx says.

"Bucky and I like her too."

I look at my brothers—except for Luke—one by one. "I assume we're all on the same page on this? We all like her?"

"You don't even know her!" Luke exclaims.

One by one, everyone—except for Luke—admits that they do like her, which doesn't surprise me a bit.

"Once again," Luke says. "You don't even know her."

"Well, we all want to get to know her," Brooks says.

"You all want to fuck her," Luke says.

None of us disagree. And yeah, I suppose we all do. But that's not all. Not by a long shot.

"Well, get to know her as much as you want to until her ankle's all healed up. Get to know her 'til your dicks fall off. I don't care. But as soon as she can walk without that limp, she's gone." He looks around at us. He does another sweep of our faces, none of which are wearing we agree with you expressions. "Are you serious?"

"We have needs, Luke," Rusty says.

"Well, any of you can march your needs down the mountain to the Nelson twins and they'll be happy to oblige in fulfilling them. Any time. Day or night."

The Nelson twins, Lucy and Lennon, are identical in every way and competitively insatiable. They refer to themselves as size queens, which, as they explained it to me, means they like big dicks. They have indeed made it clear that whatever we want, they'll provide.

"Not those kinds of needs, Luke," Rusty says. Then he adds, almost sheepishly, "Well, not only those kinds of needs. It's nice having a woman around for general purposes. She's fun and easy to talk to. But next time one of y'all are with her and need a partner since she seems to be fond of two at a time, I wouldn't be mad if you let me know."

"Every damn one of you is delusional. She has an agenda. And you're playing right into her hands."

Maybe if he had those hands on him, just once, he would understand why. My cock twitches at the memory of her silky grip. I have to grit my teeth not to moan.

"Oh my Lord," Ash says. "You are so damn paranoid, Luke. It's gonna drive you into an early grave."

Luke points at him. "She made you totally fuck up, predicting a blizzard and there wasn't a single snowflake."

Ash shook his head. "She does have an effect on me, that's for damn sure."

"On all of us," Brooks agrees.

"Which is why—" I take a deep breath and exhale, then put my proposal out there. "I think we should invite her to stay. As long as she wants. Make it clear to her we want her and we're okay with it if she wants us too."

"Sounds good to me." Rusty is downright beaming.

One by one, everyone agrees. Except, of course, Luke, who rolls his eyes. "Alright. Y'all do what you want to do. Stubborn asses. But you mark my words, that lady has an agenda. She might fuck you, but she's gonna fuck you over in the process."

"What could she possibly want from us, Luke?" Brooks asks, exasperated. "That collection of 1970s Playboys you keep under your bed in the attic?"

"Luke thinks she's a Sasquatch hunter," Buck says.

"Goldie? A hunter?" Ash asks, then guffaws with laughter. "Now I've heard everything."

"Even if she's not…she's up to no good. I can feel it in my bones. And even if she's not, even if I didn't want her out as soon as she's healed up, do you really think she's going to want to just move up here on the mountain and shack up with you knuckleheads? She's got a life wherever she's from. A job. A boyfriend, probably. She'll get whatever she came for and then she'll rush off on her merry way. Leaving me with the pieces of nine stupid broken hearts to sweep up, no doubt."

"She told us she's got no one. No real home. She's adrift and doesn't know what's next for her," I say. "So I don't think she's got anything to rush back to."

"She sounded a little bit lost," Buck agrees. "I think she might stay awhile. If we ask her."

"Fine. Let me know what she says. If the answer is yes, I'll be moving out into the big cave 'til she's gone for good," Luke says.

He turns on his heel and storms out.

"He's bluffing," I say to the others.

"He could do it. He's done it before," Lynx says.

Luke went to the big cave and didn't come out for six weeks after we lost Pa.

"Well," I begin, about to remind Lynx that—

Luke storms back in. "And another thing—"

At the same time, from the other direction, Goldie comes in, deliciously rumpled and wrapped in one of my flannel shirts. "What's going on?"

"These assholes are going to help you live out your Snow White and the Seven Sasquatches fairy tale. I'm going to be in the big cave. Someone come fetch me when ya get to the unhappily ever after. And two words—Susie May."

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Goldie asks. "Who's Susie May? What's the big cave?"

Buck lowers his eyes but then raises them again, meeting Goldie's questioning gaze. "Susie May is the only girl I've ever loved. Lynx loved her too. She loved us both. But then she forced us to choose which one of us got to be with her. We couldn't."

"And it about tore us all apart, but apparently they want to try it again with you," Luke says.

"Wait, what?" Goldie looks horrified. "I do not want to tear you all apart!"

"You won't," I assure her. "Because it's different with you. At least, I think it is? We all want to be with you. And we want you to be with all of us."

"Susie May thought it was weird, being with two of us, but you…" Lynx's voice trails off, uncertain.

"Not all of us want to be with you," Luke barks. "I'm going to pack."

Goldie's eyes are saucers, watching him storm off to the attic.

"He's bluffing," I assure her, waving a dismissive hand. "You want us too, right?"

I know she does. She said as much last night, in bed.

Her big eyes are filled with tears.

She shakes her head. "He doesn't seem like he's bluffing. I'm…this is not okay. He's packing ? I should be the one to leave. I'm going to leave. I'm leaving right now. You all tell him."

And we all watch, dumbstruck, as she hurries toward the front door in a wobbly run and races out.