Page 56 of Double or Nothing
“Hey, Leroy, how are you?” She replies, smiling and reaching up to squeeze his arm affectionately. “Have you been watching after these guys while I was gone?”
“Yeah, it’s a tough job, especially the way they’ve all been moping around here, worrying about you,” he replies. He looks at her intently, his eyes softening. “I’m glad you’re back. I picked up your favorite foods and stocked the refrigerator, so you won’t starve. Sometimes these assholes get too busy and forget to eat. You’re the same as me. You appreciate food. I’ll take care of you in that department.”
“Thank you,” she says.
Our meal continues, filled with teasing and work stories. Jade’s eyes shine with happiness, as if the weight of the past few weeks has lifted from her shoulders.
When we’re finished eating, Vulcan goes into the kitchen and comes back with a bottle of champagne and glasses. “We should share a toast to Jade for cracking the code on that damn penguin slot machine,” he says, handing the bottle to Seven. “Seven, I’ll let you do the honors, since you have more experience with champagne bottles than I do.”
Seven expertly opens the bottle and pops the cork, intentionally sending it flying across the room to draw a laugh from Jade. We lean closer, holding out our flutes for him to fill, then raise them.
“I’d like to propose a toast to our brilliant girl,” Seven says. “Not just for breaking the code, but for bringing all of us together to enjoy this moment. To Jade, our Queen.”
“To Jade,” we echo, lifting our glasses.
Her eyes fill with rare tears, and she blinks them away, her face flushing. “Thank you,” she says, her voice cracking with emotion. “Thank you for giving me a home, a family, and for making me feel wanted for the first time in my life.”
“We’re the ones who should thank you,” Seven tells her. “You created all this, the family, the home. This is your doing, not ours.” The conviction in his voice leaves no room for doubt, and we all nod in agreement.
Jade curls her legs under her and leans against Seven’s shoulder on the sofa, her body settling comfortably against him. Eventually, she yawns behind her hand, her eyes fluttering shut for a moment, and can’t hide her fatigue any longer.
“Okay, it’s time for you to take a hot bath and go to bed,” I say. “Stay here and I’ll go run it for you.”
“I hate to be a party pooper, but you might be right,” she agrees. “My batteries need to recharge. I’ll be good as new tomorrow and ready to rumble again. Though I’m so excited about finishing the coding, I’m not sure I’ll be able to sleep.”
“That’s what the hot bubble bath is for,” Vulcan tells her. “To calm you down enough to relax. Come on,” he says, reaching down and scooping her up in his arms. “You can carry the champagne with you, but one way or another, you’re getting into a bubble bath, and then you’re going to bed. Alone.” He glances around at me and Seven, his eyebrows raised. “Right, guys? Isn’t that what we agreed? Jade sleeps alone tonight to get some rest?”
“Yes, absolutely,” Seven and I both agree, nodding our heads.
I lead the way to the bathroom and begin running hot water in the big freestanding bathtub. When the tub is halfway filled, I add a generous amount of bubble bath liquid and soon there’s a thick layer of bubbly foam on the top, the scent of lavender filling the air.
“Wow, the bubble bath looks awesome,” she says, when Vulcan steps into the bathroom, carrying her effortlessly in his arms. She reaches down to trail her fingers in the bubbles. “You don’t need to keep fussing around me. I’m fully capable of giving myself a bath.”
“To tell the truth, we’re too scared to leave you alone in the tub,” Vulcan says. “You’ve been running on adrenaline for days. What if you pass out, slip under the water and drown?”
“She’s not intoxicated. She’s simply worn out,” Seven assures him. “She won’t drown in the bathtub, don’t worry. Usually, you’re the one we need to worry about and here you are freaking out over her being in a foot of soapy water.”
“Seriously guys, you’re talking about me like I’m a child,” Jade protests.
“You’re not a child, you’re our Queen,” Seven reminds her, following behind them. “What good is it to be a Queen if you don’t have royal servants taking care of you?”
Vulcan puts her down on her feet and Seven moves over to help her undress. His movements are tender and deliberate as he gently tugs her shirt over her head and then undoes the front clasp of her bra, releasing her heavy breasts.
“Are you sure this is something a Queen’s servants would do?” she teases. “Because I don’t remember reading about this in history books.”
“Obviously, you didn’t read the same books we did,” Seven replies, grinning at her. “And sometimes with history books, you need to read between the lines and fill in the blanks.”
“Something tells me you plan to be filling something besides blanks,” she counters, lifting her eyebrows at him.
“You’re wrong,” Seven says, his eyes locked with hers, his hands moving down to the button of her jeans with familiarity. “Not until you’re rested up. We can wait as long as we need to. Tonight is all about you, not us. Believe it or not, we’re not sex-starved maniacs. Allow us to show you how much you mean to us.” His voice is sincere, and his touch is gentle as he unbuttons her jeans, slides them down over her ass, and down to her ankles. She steps out of them, and with a flick of his wrist, he tosses them out of the way.
Kneeling on the cold bathroom tile in front of her, he hooks his fingers into her silky panties and slowly peels them off her the same way.
Vulcan tugs her back against him for support, his arms encircling her waist as he reaches around to cup her breasts in his hand, rubbing the now hard nipples with his thumb. Jade closes her eyes and moans softly as he rolls and tugs at the nipples while he kisses the side of her neck. His eyes meet mine over her head and he tilts his head, motioning for me.
I move over to her and gently pick her up in my arms. She loops her hands around my neck and holds on tight, trusting me completely as I step closer to the tub and gently lower her into the warm water. I’m stronger than the other two and wouldn’t trust them to place her in the deep tub. They might let her slip in the soapy water or even drop her.
“Oh, my goodness,” she says with a long sigh, not opening her eyes. “This feels sinfully delicious.”
