This sucked.
No, this was smart. This was responsible. This was protecting his heart, even if it was torturing his libido.
“Calder and I will take the bed closest to the door. It’s safest that way,” Lucien announced, dropping his overnight bag on the mattress in question.
“That’s fine with me.” Gio crossed to the other bed and dropped his bag on it. Before leaving this morning, they’d all stopped by his place to give him a chance to pack a bag for a few nights in Charleston.
“Are you sure?” Calder inquired.
Gio’s head popped up at the note of worry in Calder’s gentle voice. “Yeah. Of course.”
Lines dug into Calder’s handsome face as he frowned at Gio’s bed as if it had insulted his mother. Every instinct screamed to walk over and run his fingers over those lines, smoothing away the worry and tension. Instead, Gio shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans.
“It’s just that it’s sooooo far away,” Calder continued in this forlorn voice while waving at the two feet that separated their beds like it was the Grand fucking Canyon. “What if you need us and you’re way over there?”
The first tickle of laughter spasmed in this throat, and Gio clamped his teeth together. He would not break. “Need you?” he repeated.
“Like if you have a nightmare and need someone to hold you until you fall back asleep.”
“That’s a really good point,” Lucien agreed with a nod. He stepped up behind Calder and loosely wrapped his arms around his shoulders. “And what if you get cold at night? That bed looks like it would get cold with you sleeping there all alone.”
“And lonely,” Calder added in the most pathetic voice he’d ever heard. “So very lonely all the way over there.”
The laughter Gio had been fighting since the two of them started their clearly rehearsed routine finally broke forth. He shook his head as he laughed. “You two are fucking ridiculous! I’ve slept in a bed alone before and survived just fine.”
“Yes, but you’re in a strange place,” Lucien countered.
“I was born in Charleston. It’s not a strange place for me.”
“But you’ve not stayed in this hotel. That’s strange for you,” Calder was quick to point out. They had an answer for everything. It was flattering and very adorable. After their attempts to give him space and make him feel comfortable, it was reassuring to know that he was wanted even if his answer was unchanged.
“No,” he replied firmly. He looked Calder and then Lucien in the eyes, making sure they both understood that he was being completely serious, even if they were proving to be quite good at tearing apart his willpower.
“We understand. We were only teasing you a little. We’d never pressure you into anything.” The playfulness had disappeared from Lucien’s expression, and he met Gio’s gaze with an expression of concern.
“Thank you. I’m happy to help you guys with the pestilents. I…I just don’t want anyone to get hurt or there to be any misunderstanding.”
Calder slipped out of Lucien’s hold and slowly closed the distance between them. A wicked grin grew on his full lips and Gio’s throat suddenly went dry. He felt like he was being stalked and yet he couldn’t move a muscle. Why the hell had he thought Lucien was the dangerous one? His brain was shouting a warning, but it was growing softer with each heartbeat because all his blood was draining south into his cock.
“Calder—” he managed in a low, husky voice, but Calder lightly pressed fingertips to his lips. They followed the outline of his lips in the sweetest caress that left Gio dying to suck one of those digits into his mouth. Or something else.
“If you need anything during the night, anything at all, we’ll be right there for you. We promise,” the Water Weaver whispered.
To hell with during the night—he could really use someone on their knees sucking his cock right that second. He was pretty sure he was about to say something to that extent when there was a loud knock on the door that connected their room to Baer and Wiley’s.
Gio jumped, stumbling backward away from Calder a few steps before he managed to regain his balance. He might have yelped in surprise, but he was going to pretend that didn’t happen. He was also going to pretend that Lucien and Calder weren’t fighting to keep from laughing in his face.
“Hey! Wiley’s ready to try the spell. You guys decent?” Baer called through the door.
“Be there in a second,” Lucien replied, and his warm voice was like honey in Gio’s ears. Dear God, he was so fucking screwed.
“Gio?” Calder started, but Gio was already shaking his head.
He pointed at each of them. “Evil. Both of you. Fucking evil.”
Calder immediately looked contrite. “Did we push too hard?”
Gio’s first instinct was to kiss away that look of apologetic worry before pulling them both into his arms. He honestly couldn’t figure out which was more dangerous at this moment—their attempts at seduction or their genuine concern and respect for him.