When he threaded his fingers with hers and held their clasped hands between her breasts, she bit her lower lip. Their skin was almost the same shade.
She gasped when he rolled her slightly forward, nudged his leg between hers, and kissed her temple. “Sleep, princess.”
Sleep? Is he crazy?He was touching her everywhere. His thigh was rubbing against her private parts. The pressure was something she’d never experienced, and it made her heart beat faster.
She was still silently panting when Gatlin crawled up on her other side and dropped down on one hip. He stroked his fingers up and down her biceps. “Jesus, Ledge, you’re hogging her.”
Ledger chuckled.
Gatlin dropped lower so that his face was on the pillow next to hers, their gazes locked. He set his hand on her hip. “You smell good.”
“Mmm. So do you.” His hair was also damp. His short, groomed beard had a few drops of water on it. She wanted to touch it, but Ledger had a death grip on her hand.
They stared at each other for a long time, Gatlin stroking her hip. Just as her eyelids grew too heavy, the bed dipped again. “No way am I getting left out,” Nile whispered. He climbed up behind Gatlin, leaned over the man, and kissed her temple. “You guys need to let her sleep,” he announced before dropping down behind Gatlin so that she couldn’t see him anymore.
Layla probably should have felt smothered, but it was hard to deny any of these men. She liked having them close. She liked the idea of having all of them with her. The thought of bouncing from one bed to the next every night made her a bit nervous. If they were all in the room, then everyone would know who’d had more intimate time with her. At least a few of them were undoubtedly keeping a mental scorecard.
Nile turned off the light on the bedside table so that the only light in the room was streaming in from the dim lighting in the living room.
No one had ever held her as tightly or as close as Ledger was doing, but instead of making her feel claustrophobic, she felt calm. Protected. Cherished. After several deep breaths, she fell asleep.
It felt like minutes but had to have been hours before she blinked awake when a shadow fell over her, blocking the light.
Jay.
He was here. Already?
He smiled at her before climbing up the middle and hovering over her.
“How did you get here so fast?” she asked.
He leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips, reminding her what a good kisser he was and how soft and gentle he could be. “Maya returned a few hours after you guys left with three newcomers. She agreed to stay at the post with them. I tried to catch up with you all, but Stuart got to you before I arrived. I had to wait for the next ride.”
The rest of the men stirred at the sound of Jay’s explanation.
“Hey,” Gatlin said.
“Whose great idea was it for all of you to sleep in my room?” Jay asked.
“Mine.” Layla grinned as she wiggled her hand free of Ledger’s grip and reached up to cup Jay’s face. “It smelled like you.”
He gave her a lopsided grin. “It did, huh?”
She nodded.
He kissed her again, lingering this time. “I missed you.”
“Missed you too,” she said, and she meant it. She’d developed relationships with all of these men during their journey, but Jay had been the first one she’d met. Her first kiss. The first man to touch her. Hold her. Rock her. Smooth his hands through her hair.
The other three slowly rose and scooted off the bed.
“We’ll give you some time,” Nile said as they left the room.
Ledger closed the door behind them, leaving them in darkness.
Jay reached over to turn on the lamp, keeping it dim. He came to her side, lowering next to her, facing her. His hand smoothed up her body from her hip to her face. “I thought maybe I’d imagined you,” he murmured.
She shook her head. “Nope.” She reached for him, needing to touch him as much as he did her. She flattened her palm on his chest and eased it up to his face. “You showered.”