Watch Me (Private Listing #1)

“I’ve got you,” he whispers into my hair over and over.

I can’t stop the tears or control the sobs coming from deep inside. He holds me tight against him as if someone would come and snatch me away if he let go.

The sobs tear at my throat, but even the pain doesn’t make me stop. Helpless. Alone. Overpowered. It was my apartment. The place I’d called home for two years. I should have been safe there. I never imagined it would all go so wrong.

“Is she okay?” Cooper’s voice is rough with sleep.

“She will be.” Seth’s hand rubs down my back as he closes in from behind me. Both he and Noah wrap around me like a cocoon as my tears flow freely.

“I should have been there sooner.” Blake’s voice is harsh as he berates himself once again. But it’s not his fault.

“I’m the one who left her there.” Cooper’s tone is miserable. “I should have walked her to her door.”

They couldn’t have known any more than I could have. It was a trap set for me, and if I hadn’t gone home then, it would have sprung on me later. And who knows if someone would have saved me that time.

I inhale, breathing in the combined scent of these men, and something settles deep inside me. I’m warm and safe and protected.

Needing to touch and reassure the others, I reach my hand toward Blake’s voice, and he takes it, squeezing it gently. When he releases it, I reach out to Cooper. He takes my hand and kisses my knuckles.

When he releases it, I press gently on Noah’s and Seth’s chests to let them know they can give me space now. I hear water running. When I sit up, Blake sits at my feet and smooths a warm washcloth over my face.

“You’ve been through something unthinkable,” he says as he cups my cheek. “We know we aren’t to blame and they are, but it doesn’t stop our guilt or your pain.”

I crawl into his lap and wrap my arms around his shoulders. I wish I could take his guilt away. His arms close around me, and I breathe in the faint trace of his spicy cologne. His lips press against the top of my head.

When Cooper sits next to us, I open my eyes to meet his light blue ones. He has a glass of water and a couple of pills for me. I straighten in Blake’s lap and take the pills with a drink before climbing into Cooper’s lap.

I straddle his hips and rest my head on his shoulder as I hug him. He’s warm and solid beneath me. His hands rub my back.

“Not your fault,” I whisper in his ear.

He sighs. “I know, but I don’t like that this happened to you.”

It could have been worse. Much worse. The nightmare still creeps over me with hands to grip at my heart and tear it apart. Absorbing his warmth, I draw in Cooper’s clean scent and let it wash over me.

I kiss his neck and just rest in his arms. The world is still dark, so it’s probably the middle of the night. I should go back to sleep, but I’m afraid of what waits for me when I close my eyes.

I sit back on Cooper’s lap, and he brushes my hair away from my face.

“Want some ice cream?” He cocks his eyebrow.

I don’t remember ice cream from when I put away the groceries, but I shrug.

“Come on.” Cooper wraps his arms around me and stands. I clasp him with my arms and legs to prevent falling on the ground. Hands holding my ass, he carries me into the kitchen and sets me on the island with my legs dangling off the edge.

“I had my tonsils out as a kid.” He opens the freezer and pulls out a tub of chocolate ice cream. “Ice cream was the best thing ever for a sore throat, so I thought you’d like some.” He shrugs his bare shoulder, and I smile.

After he grabs a spoon, he repositions me to sit in front of a stool. He sits before me and sets the ice cream container between my legs. When I try to scoot away from the cold, he gives me a wicked grin. “Don’t worry. I’ll warm you back up.”

A shiver races down my spine. He opens the container and digs the spoon in to get a bite. He holds the spoon up to my lips. Holding his gaze, I part my lips to let him feed me. The ice cream melts on my tongue, and the soothing coolness of it runs down my sore throat.

“We all grew up together. Mostly.” Cooper takes a bite and gestures toward the bedroom. The others didn’t follow us out here, leaving us alone. “I’m technically the oldest. Blake and Seth were in the year below me. When Noah skipped a grade to theirs, the other kids didn’t like it. So, we protected him.”

He feeds me another bite and takes one for himself. “I always had a head for anything tech related, but I was a little out of sync with the guys. I graduated first and left for college alone. But these guys are my ride or dies. If they needed me, I would be there in a heartbeat. They followed me to college, and we rented a house together.”

He keeps feeding me ice cream until I finally hold up a hand and shake my head. My throat does feel a little better.

He takes a few more bites. “We spend a lot of time together and know each other’s rhythms and patterns. It’s actually rare that we all find the same woman attractive.”