Chapter 48 - The Mother’s Room [https://cdn.midjourney.com/9675aed9-f42c-4416-b949-b380e746dc11/0_0.png]
A fingernail moon cut the black velvet of the star-speckled sky above the barn, sharp as a fillet knife. After eating their fill of salad, steak, and fluffy potatoes, the four of them went to look at the current state of the mother’s room. The lamplight did not make the situation any better, as Terry removed the tarps. The metal cage had been filled with junk and used for storage for at least two decades.
The space was small and built into the back of the barn. All six sides of the cube had solid bars and welded joints. She’d seen cages like it at the circus, holding big cats so they couldn’t eat the town’s small sticky children.
Jeremiah’s smile was gone. “Go back to the house, Kennedy, and have a nice bath. Relax. We need some time.”
In Terry’s hand, the key, heavy and old-fashioned, caught the glinting light filtering through the dust. A mother’s room was a cage meant to hold a dangerous animal. She shuddered. Like her. The lock turned smoothly, and the door opened. When Terry saw her face, he made a shooing gesture with his hands.
“I could help,” she argued.
David shook his head and gave a low whistle, sweeping away some of the spider webs across the bars. “No. It is our responsibility to make this livable for you. It may take a few days for it to be properly homey. Tonight…”
“Safe.” Jeremiah said, “Tonight we will aim for safe.”
She took a step backward. “That old house by the lake, with the big rock, has a mother’s room.”
All three men said, “No.”
“That place is haunted.” Jeremiah said, “Full of ghosts. You shouldn’t visit there.” Cold whispered across her skin. “Ever.”
Terry tapped the old-fashioned wrist watch he was wearing and held up two fingers.
She asked, “Two hours or twenty minutes?”
David laughed. “Look at this mess. Two hours if we are lucky. Entertain yourself. Just stay awake.”
*
From the bath, she heard them trudge up and down the stairs repeatedly. With her toes, she turned the hot water on again to add heat to the cooling tub. She planned to stay there until she was properly pruney. She’d found an ancient romance novel downstairs, a regency from the seventies. Ignoring the distracting sounds from the attached bedroom, she turned another page to see what mischief the dastardly Mr. Reed would get into.
*
Swathed in a fluffy towel, she stepped barefoot into the chaotic master bedroom. The bed was gone. A lone pillow lay next to the wall. Damp hair clinging to her shoulders and cheek, she pulled open Terry’s drawers one after another until she found his t-shirts. Using her fingers to choose the softest one, she pulled free a faded gray option with a frayed neckline. Comfy, bra and panties covered by the oversized shirt, she used the towel to dry her thick hair while she waited.
*
With her book tucked under her arm, Kennedy wandered toward the barn wearing Terry’s giant slippers to protect her feet. It was approaching midnight, and she’d been waiting almost three hours. As she cracked open the barn door, golden light spilled across her feet.
They’d brought two lamps to the barn and their light added warmth to the space. On the floor, there was a mattress inside the now-empty cage. The bedframe rested against the barn wall in pieces, next to a pile of boxes and assorted dusty items. David bent to sweep stray bits of cardboard into a dustpan.
There were plenty of pillows and heavy blankets on the mattress. They had covered the floor of the cage in a thick layer of hay and the smell of it overwhelmed any other scent. The steel bars had been wiped clean and now had a dull shine. For all intents and purposes, it was a pretty jail. Jeremiah and Terry worked together, trying to make the bed look inviting.
“It’s a cage.”
Her voice startled them, and three handsome faces turned toward where she stood, arms crossed in the open doorway. Kennedy didn’t know exactly what she had expected. She knew it would not be the Ritz. There was no bathroom. With a start, she realized that the bucket in the corner full of sawdust was probably the bathroom. She swallowed hard.
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David stepped forward, concern shadowing his face. “This is a good Mother’s room. You can tell it is made to keep you safe. We’ve been reinforcing it. The walls are strong, and it’s big enough for all of us to be in here if we want to, or if you need us. It’s as nice as the ones that we have at the high camp.”
Jeremiah set the lamp he was carrying on a hook and closed the barn door. “We haven’t blessed it yet, Kennedy. This looks like a cage because it’s not yours yet.”
Terry reached out his hand, and she took it. His gaze slid down her body, taking in his shirt and house shoes, and he arched a brow. She flicked her fingers against the fabric of the t-shirt. “I didn’t want to change back into dirty clothes.” Behind him, David began to unbutton his shirt as if that was the most natural thing to do next.
“Why is he undressing?” Kennedy looked up at Terry, and his lips quirked with amusement. He lifted her fingers and pressed a kiss against her knuckles, before he moved them to the buttons of his own shirt. Looking down at her, he signed yes and then he signed no. Patiently, he waited for her to decide what she wanted to do.
They had been laughing and talking all evening. Her body was scrubbed clean and silky with freshly applied lotion. The food and the company had been great. She looked from Terry to David to Jeremiah. A shiver of longing moved through her.
Jeremiah shoved his hands into his pockets. “The space will feel different once it’s been blessed. We won’t do anything you don’t want to do. Shared pleasure sanctifies the room.”
When she looked up into Terry’s handsome face and saw no sign of jealousy or hesitation, she unfastened the top button on his shirt.. With each button she freed, he took another step backward until they were within the Mother’s room. Jeremiah drew his shirt up and over his head as he crossed the threshold, body wide and powerful. David entered last, locking the gated door to the Mother’s room behind him, sealing them all in. He spoke the low guttural language as if he were saying a prayer. She was their woman, and she was brave enough to carry their child.
They did not rush toward her or hurry her. The lamp light was warm in the room, blurring the harsh lines of the bars. Jeremiah very gently rested one hand on her shoulder. When she looked toward him, his happiness shone from him like a beacon. Reaching out, she rested her palm over his beating heart, feeling the steady thrum of his life.
He was happy to be there. With a playful smile, Jeremiah slid her hand lower until she could feel his rigid erection trapped by his jeans. When David stepped close behind her and settled his hands tenderly on her hips, she leaned back into him. His body was solid and comforting. The men formed a protective wall around her. She wasn’t alone anymore. Their attention felt good, and there was a guilty pleasure in the abundance of it.
No jealousy or judgment shadowed their faces. They all needed each other. Terry smiled down at her, a protective mountain of a man. One of his large hands came up and cupped her covered breast, confident and possessive. His other palm claimed her cheek as he turned her face up toward him. Closing her eyes, she gave in to the desire in her body. Terry’s kiss was slow and full of need. Hungry. A shudder moved through her as the heat of his tongue brushed her mouth. Kennedy parted her lips to let him in.
Strong hands slid over her, exploring, touching. Her thighs, her hips, her belly, strong fingers traced the shapes of her. Animal heat pooled in her belly and her thighs ached. She trembled as rough fingertips found their way under her shirt and spread open across her ribs, claiming her breasts. Terry’s kisses held her focused as her heart thundered.
A wide hand eased between her thighs and cupped her sex. David’s voice was behind her, husky. “You’re so wet.” She groaned into Terry’s mouth as David’s long fingers pressed her panties against her, exploring and seeking. Pressing into David’s palm, she wanted so much more and her hips rocked with longing and abandon. The cool air of the room touched the curve of her breasts as they peeled her shirt from her body. Terry broke their kiss. His dark eyes dilated as he turned her face to the side. The heat of his mouth seared her skin as he trailed a line of hot kisses down the side of her neck.
Rough fingers slid under the lace of her bra, and then the wisp of fabric was gone. They were peeling her like a fruit they wanted to consume. Her nipples ached, caught in rough fingers. A riot of sensation coursed through her body as hot mouths brushed her skin. David was solid behind her. His arms kept her standing as his hand possessively cupped between her legs. His fingers slipped and slid under her panties along her wetness.
Terry and Jeremiah each claimed a breast, drawing her in. Hot mouths, warm suck. The hot pull of their mouths snaked a line of fire down the very center of her body. David, with slick fingers, stroked her clit in crazy-making circles. Kennedy arched and bucked like an animal. When her thighs began to shake, they held her in place. Her nails bit into strong shoulders as she twisted her body into the pleasure, moaning at the rapid coiling of need inside her.
Throwing her head back, she roared as an orgasm hit her like a train. Surrounded by their solid bodies, they kept her standing as wave after wave of pleasure moved through her. Kennedy’s body filled with stars. Electric lines lit up along her sides like Fourth of July sparklers.
As they eased her down onto the mattress, she lay there with one arm flung over her head, panting, catching her breath. Gentle fingers explored her every curve and crevice. Feeling boneless and molten, she couldn’t look at them. She felt too vulnerable. When they rolled her onto her belly, she moaned. Kennedy could hear them moving, removing their remaining clothes. Trembling with anticipation on the bed, she wanted them. Six broad hands came to rest on the back of her body, covering her with warmth. She whimpered into the covers when they began to touch her, their hands gliding, squeezing, and sliding. Shaping their touch to her body, they left no place unexplored. Her ankles, her arches, the curve of her waist. Strong hands parted her legs wider, and she felt the heaviness of a male body move between her legs.