I loved them already.
The bed dipped when Greer sat down next to me, and he definitely weighed more than the dogs.
Someone was going commando under his sweats. I bet he’d just pulled them on. Greer struck me as a man who slept naked.
“Wanna talk about it?” He planted a hand on my head and kissed my temple. Then he dropped his hand to my back, and he rubbed it soothingly.
I shrugged a little. I was feeling better now. “I dreamed about the fire. I couldn’t breathe.”
It was best to leave Marcus out of it.
Greer hummed and rubbed my shoulder. Man, he was like a furnace. Maybe he didn’t need the beanie I was gonna give him.
Good thing I’d forgotten to bring it to the house yesterday.
“I heard you yell, sweetheart,” Greer murmured. “Was Marcus in the fire?”
Crap, crap, craaaap.
“Ugh.” I covered my face with my hands and shook my head. “I don’t wanna talk about him, Sir.”
“I don’t want him to fucking exist, but here we are.”
A weird, strangled little laugh escaped me, and I shot him a playful scowl. “You say such things!”
He smiled lazily. “Such, such things.”
I huffed. “Sloan has more tact than you.”
“Fuck tact,” he chuckled. “I’ve seen and heard enough. He’s no good for you. He manipulates you, micromanages you, and makes you feel bad. It’s fuckin’ abuse.”
That killed my humor, and I averted my gaze to my lap. Abuse was a strong word. No—no way. We had our problems, but I was difficult.
“If I’d been easier to live with, he wouldn’t have—”
“Not another word.” He squeezed the back of my neck, then gripped my chin and forced me to make eye contact. He was angry, but he had it contained, and I didn’t have to worry that it was directed at me. I already knew it wasn’t. “That’s the shit he makes you believe, and it makes me wanna smash his skull in. You hear me? I’ve known you for three years, Corey. You’re not difficult. He’s just an asshole.”
But I was difficult. Greer wouldn’t know, ’cause he only ever saw me at events and parties. He didn’t know how I was at home.
He sighed and hugged me to him. “I’mma do my best to reel in the bulldozer, but Christ, I wish you could forget about him.”
I closed my eyes and just stole the moment. I couldn’t forget anything, but I could focus on something else. Like Greer’s strong arms around me, the soft flesh covering his muscled body, exuding strength and protectiveness.
I took a deep breath—and instantly withdrew from him. Fuck. Oh no. Oh God. Yeah, no. I coughed and rubbed the back of my neck. He smelled like sleep, body wash, and sex.
Picturing him and Sloan fucking Archie on the other side of the wall wasn’t helpful.
“How’s your throat? Want me to get you some water?” he asked.
That wasn’t why I’d coughed, but let’s run with that.
“It only tickles a little. I’m fine.” I pinched my lips together and eyed Buddy and Beast in the doorway. “Can they stay, Sir?”
He glanced over at the dogs, then back at me with a little smirk. “Unless you wanna join us, yeah, sure.”
He was kidding. That was a joke.
“You’re funny.” I chuckled and scooted back to the center of the bed. “Imagine what Marcus would say.”
“Imagine me not giving a flying fuck about what he says.” Greer leaned toward me in a swift move, and he planted a quick kiss on my forehead before he eased away again and left the bed. “Come on, boys. Be good for Corey. We like him.”
I beamed as both Buddy and Beast hurtled toward me and jumped up on the bed.
Oh, this was exactly what I needed.
“You’re already the best doggies ever,” I gushed, getting a wet kiss from Buddy across my cheek. “Oomph.” That was too close to my balls! Paws off, Beast. Paws off. “Okay, lie down. We’re gonna cuddle and sleep.”
“I know when I’m forgotten,” Greer chuckled. “Sleep well, kiddo.”
I grinned over at him. “Goodnight, Sir.”
“Corey?”
Nooo, not yet.
I flopped onto my stomach and buried my face in my pillow.
This bed was so comfortable. And I wanted to know where Archie bought his boxer shorts because the ones I’d borrowed last night were made from snuggle material. He’d smirked a little and said he didn’t use them anymore, and I was figuring out why. These were clearly boxer shorts meant to sleep in, and I had a feeling Master Greer had banned clothes in bed.
“It’s time to wake up, little one.”
Sloan’s face filtered through in my mind with his kind eyes and music-teacher style, and I let out a long breath. It wasn’t safe for me to have a hot Daddy Dom around, especially not one so nice and helpful and reasonable and sexy. I didn’t trust my judgment for crap and felt how easy it would be to get sucked in.