Page 26 of Theirs to Treasure

“So, you hate other people’s baking so much, that you’ll put yourself through this level of pain just to get out of eating it, huh?” Chance asked as he waggled his eyebrows at her. Josie smiled at his teasing.

“I’m so sorry, Chance. I didn’t mean to ruin everything. I really did want to hear what you two wanted to say. I don’t understand how this could possibly work. Hell, I still don’t understand why either of you would be interested in me.”

Josie looked away from his intent, crystalline gaze, and took stock of the room she was in. It was lovely. One window had cut glass, and the late afternoon sun hit it in such a way that it cast rainbows throughout the room. Josie started to count the number of rainbows that fluttered along one of the walls.

“Josie, are you listening to me?” Chance asked.

“Here’s the ice pack, I think we need to start with that,” Sam said.

Chance picked her up, and Sam put the flattened pack of ice underneath her, then Chance gently settled her back down on the bed.

“How’s that?” Chance asked.

Josie wiggled just a bit, and realized that Sam must have crushed the ice so that there were no hard cubes sticking into her back. It made her eyes prick with tears that once again he had been so thoughtful.

“Sam, it’s hurting her.” Chance moved to pick her up again.

“Stop, I’m fine.” Josie held up her hand.

“You were starting to cry,” Chance argued.

“Sam crushed the ice. The pack doesn’t hurt when I’m lying on it.”

“Of course, he did, Zee.” She looked from Chance’s confused gaze to Sam’s embarrassed expression and smiled.

“You guys arth taking care of me,” she slurred. Both men chuckled. Sam eased onto the bed on the other side of her.

“Sounds like the shot has taken effect,” Sam said as he let his knuckles drift down the side of her cheek.

“Yeah, I’m feeling floaty. I don’t hurt more now.” Josie knew she was probably grinning like an idiot, but whether it was the drugs, or having these two men taking care of her lying in bed on either side of her, she didn’t care. “Can we talk our talk now?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Sam said. He trailed his fingers across her lips, and she kissed them. She loved the texture of his fingertips.

“I disagree, Sam, I think now is the perfect time to have our little talk. I want to hear what Zee’s objections are, when she’ll probably tell us the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” Josie felt Chance’s fingers trail down her arm to clasp her hand. She held on as tight as she could, but she had a feeling that with the drugs in her system, it wasn’t all that tight.

“Chance, you’re out of line. We’ll talk tomorrow,” Sam said in that deep, dark, dominant voice that spoke directly to Josie’s core every time he used it. She started to cross her legs because she was feeling tingly, but then she groaned. It was pain, but good pain this time.

“Stop moving, Josie. You’re hurting yourself,” Sam admonished.

“It’s sexy pain. Your voice gives my sex pain,” she frowned.

Chance let out a whoot of laughter. “I think your dom voice is arousing our girl.”

“Wassa don voice?” Josie asked. “Who’s Don? I don’t want any more men. Just you two.”

Sam chuckled. “Good to know.”

“So, what’s the plan, Stam? How does Fate Harbor work?”

“You’re too drugged up to talk about this,” Sam reiterated.

“I wanna do this talk now. I wanted to do this talk when I came over here, but I was scared, and Chance is right, I was probably going to prevabate, prebericate…” she trailed off.

“Prevaricate?” Chance supplied.

“Not be totally truthful,” Josie said. “Well, fuck it. I’m full of good drugs, and I’m just going to say it like it is. You guys are out of your goddamn minds. Lookit me. I’m the most boring woman in the world. I’ve had to work most of my life just to make sure social services dint take Sarah and Becca away from me. No dating for Josie, ’cause I had to live an exemply, emplery…”

“Exemplary?” Chance once again supplied with a smile.