Twisted Deceit (Deceit #3)

Chapter 46

Later that week, and after another session with Dr. Shaw, I found myself wrapped in a pair of arms, the life being squeezed out of me.

“Can’t breathe,” I gritted out.

I couldn’t push away the small form, as my arms were pinned to my sides.

“Oops. Sorry.” The arms were gone as fast as they appeared, giving me space to turn around to come see Noah. “Hi!” He waved excitedly.

“Hi?”

I knew he’d be here, but I was kind of hoping that I’d sneak away before he showed up. Jasper didn’t exactly need my help painting. I couldn’t do a whole lot, my body tiring too quickly to do more than fetch him some water here and there.

I knew my lack of eating and sleeping was showing itself. But why did it have to do so now, when I was getting back to a good schedule, thanks to Jasper. He was making sure I ate at least two good meals, and snacks in between. Small steps, he said. We’d get to the point of having three meals in time.

“I missed you!” He hugged me again, and this time I was prepared for it. His hug wasn’t as tight, but lasted just as long. “I’m sooo happy to see you.”

Did he have to bounce while hugging me?

“Noah.”

I peeked over his head, seeing Asher standing there a few feet away, hands in his pockets.

My stomach dropped, as did my eyes.

That was why I wanted to run and hide. I didn’t want to face someone who had tried so hard to keep me together. Asher had tried so many times to reach out to me, as did Noah, and I ignored them so much. Noah, at least, didn’t seem to get hurt like that too badly. He’d bounce back, which, given his arms around me, was exactly what I thought.

“Hey.”

It took more effort to pull away from Noah. When I stepped back, Jasper’s arms wrapped around me from behind. Partly to keep me from running, partly to offer me safety.

“I brought pizza!” Beckett hollered as he entered the house, his voice loud.

“Yes!” Noah fist bumped the air.

“Go help Daddy.” Asher tilted his head towards the front of the house.

He waited until Noah was out of sight, and most likely out of ear shot, before stepping a bit closer. Asher lowered his voice. “If you ever pull shit like that again, I won’t be so nice. I’ll kick in your door and drag you to get help. And you,”he pinned his deadly stare at Jasper next, “If you hurt Koda again, I’ll ring you up by your balls.”

“Thanks so much for that mental image, boy ,” Jasper replied, not missing a beat. His tone made me shiver in a way that I wasn’t sure how to take. It wasn’t fear. It was the total opposite. “Next time, be sure to follow up on such a threat.”

“Oh, I will.” Asher brought his hands from his pockets, and pulled me into a hug that wasn’t nearly as tight as Noah’s, thankfully. “I’m glad to see you.”

“Sorry.” I hoped he knew I was sorry.

“I know, baby. Just…let us help next time. That’s what friends are for.”

I sniffed. “I’m working on that.”

Asher pulled back, taking a longer look at my face. I had no clue what he saw, but his look turned to Jasper, and some sort of understanding passed between them.

***

I wasn’t sure if I was thankful, or sad, that I wasn’t able to help paint. Splatters of gray were in everyone’s hair. Even mine, even though all I did was sit there and watch everyone else. I did fill the buckets, or pick up the dropped brushes here and there, but mostly, I sat along a wall, watching and trying to not think.

It’d have been smart for me to sneak off to take a nap, most likely in Jasper’s bed if it weren’t for the fact that it was currently covered in plastic wrap, protecting it from the paint that was now drying.

Although, having four people painting, they were moving quickly. The entire upstairs was already almost done, all in a pretty gray color. The bathroom was more of a grayish blue, which matched the newly installed tiles really well. And that was saying something from someone who didn’t know color schemes.

“Shoot,” Noah mumbled as the brush fell from his hand, again.

“How many times is that now,” Beckett asked, glancing his way.

“Uh…I lost count.”

“Hmmm.” Beckett turned back to rolling the paint roller back over the wall. “I think I counted ten so far.”

“No, that was fifteen.”

“Asher!”

“What?” He turned to look at Noah, then me. “We made a rule in the car on the way here. Every time Noah drops the paint brush, he gets a spanking on his behind.”

“You do too!”

“Only if I drop mine. I have yet to do so.” Asher even stuck out his tongue. “And it was your idea.”

“I remember another rule someone made,” Beckett uttered. “If we smart off, that boy gets five each time.”

Asher grimaced. Maybe he forgot that little tidbit.

“Yeah, right.”

“It’s okay. It’s all agreed on between them.” Jasper was quick to add in.

“I figured,” I spoke slowly. “Two years gave me time to…uh…read.” The internet was strange, but held so much information I never thought to exist.

“Oh?” Why did Jasper seem surprised about that? He almost dropped his brush, but caught it in time. “I know you read, but want to enlighten me?”

“I learned new recipes.” I knew that wasn’t what he was wanting to know, and I felt a tiny bit giddy to know I could keep secrets.

Sure, I had read. Some strange things, for sure. But there were a few authors that I read through every single book ever written. Sweet romances that made me want things I didn’t know were a possibility. Things that spoke to me in a way I hadn’t understood before.

Some of that was the reason why I started a blog. One that no one in this room knew about, and I hoped to keep it that way for now.

“Recipes, huh?” Jasper’s glance was full of humor.

“Did they contain dicks? Or boobs? That’s super important.” Noah so helpfully asked.

I spluttered out a cough, not expecting that.

“Food, Noah. Bread and pies.”

“Oh.” His shoulders dropped. But then, he perked up right away again. I already knew I didn’t want to know what he was thinking. “Do you like dicks or boobs? Still important info to know.”

“How many spankings does he get if he asks those kinds of questions?” I asked Beckett, trying to not freak out that I was asking him a question.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Jasper’s wide grin as he climbed down the ladder.

“That’s a good question. I’ll have to get back to you on that. Maybe corner time would be better.”

“No! Daddy!” Noah huffed, turning his pouty glare my way. “That is not fair. It was a real question. We can’t help him if we don’t know what person he leans towards.”

The only person I leaned towards was Jasper. But I wasn’t going to say that.

“Little dove,” Jasper knelt before me, paint covering his hands and specks on his face. Instantly, my humor simmered, replaced with something I couldn’t name.

Over the last few days, I’d given up trying to fight whatever pull Jasper had on me. Each time he called me his little dove. Every time he told me how proud he was of me.

I wasn’t sure what the feeling was, but it was constantly brought to the surface every time. All he had to do was look at me a certain way, and it was there.

Not only was it that feeling, but it also got another part of me woken up. A simple look, a simple touch, and poof, my dick was hard.

It was a good thing my clothes were always so baggy. If not, he’d know. It was bad enough my crush on him was back, ten times worse than it had before.

“Hi.”

“Hi,” he repeated, his eyes crinkling as he smiled. “I really like hearing your voice.”

I ducked my head, blushing at the compliment.

“So sweet,” Jasper swiped a knuckle down my check.

“They should kiss,” Noah whispered, which he got his name growled at by Beckett.

Instead of saying anything that went through my mind, like I agreed we should kiss, or saying no thanks, because friends don’t do that, I took a deep breath and went for what felt right.

If I crossed a line, then oh well.

Before I could overthink, and before Jasper could move, I leaned forward, pressing my lips softly against his cheek.

I pulled back, flushing all over for a whole new reason.

Jasper’s eyes were wide, surprised, before he masked it. I got another one of those grins, another swipe of a knuckle down the side of my face before he stood and went back to painting.

“Fuck!”

“Noah!”

“Oops.”

Noah, somehow, not only dropped his brush, but it landed in the paint tray, splashing paint all over the plastic and part of the white trim, which hadn’t been worked on yet.

“You’re done for the day, little one. Go sit with Koda. Do not touch the paint. Or the walls.”

“Yes, Daddy. How many spankings will that be?”

“You don’t even wanna know,” Beckett grumbled, keeping a close eye on Noah as he slowly shuffled my way.

“I’m in trouble now.”

Something told me he wasn’t in the slightest.

“Daddy won’t push me to my limits, but maybe tonight will be different. I wanna be pushed.”

Why would someone want that? It didn’t sound fun at all.

“I like to push my boundaries. And Daddy’s and Asher’s. It’s fun.”

“Sounds painful.” In many ways.

“Nope. Well, yeah. But that’s the point. Get spanked so hard I get all cried out, then there’s cuddles and love and touchies.”

I blinked, not exactly understanding those words. They hadn’t been used in the books I’d read. Well, cuddles had.

“I like cuddles.”

“What about touchies?” Noah actually whispered. He leaned into me, still keeping his voice low so no one else heard him. “Daddy touches me and makes me hard. Sometimes I’m already hard. Then he makes me feel really good.”

“I’ve…no?”

The few times when the need came, I’d handled it. It wasn’t often, even though that part of me was trying to demand more attention with Jasper being so touchy/feeling this week. But I hadn’t done anything to solve any issues. By the end of the day, I was just too tired and preferred to keep cuddles as they were.

“That is just not right,” Noah deadpanned. “Jasper, Koda doesn’t know how to use his hands. You should use yours on him. He has too much stress in a certain part of his body that needs to be released.”

“Noah Baker!” This time, Beckett turned around and handed his rolling pen to Asher, who took it and gave Noah a look that spoke more than words ever would. A look that was filled with surprise, but also you dished it, you gotta eat it, kind of thing. “March that white butt to the living room right now. Do not speak. Do not stomp. Walking only, no sound is coming out of you.”

“What about a fart?”

“I swear, Noah, do not test me.”

Noah’s eyes widened, maybe finally realizing how much trouble he just got himself into.

He stood slowly, then mouthed ‘help me’ to me.

“Uh….”

“Color, Noah?”

“Green,” he muttered, dropping his head and marching from the room. “Stupid green.”

“I’m going to go make sure Noah doesn’t keep running his mouth,” Asher sat down with his own brush. “I’m sure he’ll be fine, but I’m a worrier.”

Then, it was just me and Jasper and the smell of paint.