Page 53 of Gorgeous

“I’m sorry. I was going to call, but it got too bad, and then …” I trail off, not wanting to relive the bathroom incident with her and Breck teaming up against me.

“What brought it on?” she asks, knowing to change the course of the conversation.

“I don’t know. It started in the middle of the night, and by morning, it was a full-on raging inferno.” It started after I carried Breck to bed and sat in her room all night watching her sleep. I tried to lie down around four but couldn’t and then the headache started and that was that.

“Huh. Well, take it easy today and drink lots of water.” She pauses and I know she’s about to fuss at me. “Don’t wait so long the next time to take something. You scared the shit out of me.” I grunt back a noncommittal response that she takes as my agreement. “You scared B, too.”

I groan into the phone, sitting up and placing my feet on the carpet. “Don’t start. I know, okay?”

Anniston masks a laugh before telling me, “Theo wants to talk to you. Hold on.”

I make a show of groaning into the phone in annoyance, but a grin already tugs at my face. I know he’s about to make fun of me, and honestly, I’m looking forward to it.

“Jameson,” he starts, coming on the line, not even bothering to ask how I’m feeling, “The demons need a release! Your head won’t almost explode if you get laid occasionally. Pussy is good for you. How many times must I tell you this?”

I laugh and regret it when the pressure in my head builds again. “Fuck you,” I tell him jokingly.

He hits right back, not missing a beat. “Fuck me? No, Jameson.Youneed to be fucked. Long and hard. Damn it. I have raised a failure.” He laughs at his own joke, and I shake my head, standing up and testing out my balance for the first time since it left me this morning.

“I hope Anniston makes you beg for a release tonight.”

He scoffs, offended. “Jameson, for the one billionth time, Ans is not my fucking commander. In fact, I amhercommander. Do not take me for an obedient little shit like you are.”

I hear, “Oh really?” in the background, and it sends a shock of pain through my chest. I hate to admit that I actually miss Theo, but I miss these two and their crazy a whole lot. Being here without them feels empty.

Theo whispers into the phone, “Now look what you’ve done. I’m going to have to use my expert skills to get us out of this mess.” I laugh at his usage of the wordus.Wedidn’t get into anything.

He did.

And I hope Anniston makes him pay for it.

“Be sweet, Von Bremen. Maybe she’ll go easy on you.” I laugh when I hear him growl his protest into the phone.

“Bye, Gorgeous!” Anniston yells so I can hear. “Take it easy today.”

I promise I will, and hang up when I hear Theo say, “Don’t look at me like that.”

I’m smiling for the second time in an hour, slipping on some boxers and cargo pants. I look around at my clean bathroom and take a guess that Breck cleaned it at some point while I was asleep. Brushing my teeth and swiping on some deodorant, I pull on a t-shirt and head down the stairs. The smell of peppers and something tangy reaches my stomach and almost tears me in two with a growl.

“Imagine my surprise when I peeked in your room this morning …” I stop three steps from the bottom, not looking back as Hayes clomps down the steps behind me.

“Thanks for checking on me,” I lie, trying to deflect.

Hayes laughs, bumping into my shoulder. “Did she lick up the center?”

“Shut the fuck up,” I tell him with authority. I do not need this kind of rumor flying around the house. From the shock on Breck’s face this morning, she honestly did not mean to fall asleep on my ass. The thought of the drool, slipping between my cheeks, tugs at my dick again. “Drop it. It was a rough morning.”

Hayes pushes past me with a chuckle before throwing back, “I wish all my mornings started out that rough.”

Sometimes I fucking hate him. I glower at Hayes when I step into the kitchen, his chin on Breck’s shoulder, begging for her to slip a bite of food in his mouth.

“Please, B. I’m starving!” Breck snickers and grabs something I can’t make out and pushes it between Hayes’ lips.

He moans.

My chair scrapes the floor and Hayes backs up with a laugh. “Yell for me when it’s ready, darlin.” He winks at me, licking the remnants of flavor off his lips.

I flip him off and look at the clock. It’s after one. I need to go by the barracks and check out the progress. The construction has been slow, and the forecast calls for rain tomorrow. I need to be sure the crew is getting as much done as possible.

---