Hard 5 by Stephanie Brother

24

Cash is awake when I enter his room. His eyes find mine in the darkness, and instantly it's as though he's reached out and squeezed my heart.

Propped up against his headboard on soft pillows, he's holding a notebook and a pencil.

"You should be sleeping," I say softly, climbing onto the bed next to him. He discards the stationery on the nightstand and raises his arm for me to snuggle into him.

"I couldn't sleep. There's a lot going on right now, and it weighs on me."

"None of your brothers are worrying the way you are."

He shrugs, his fingers playing with my hair. "We all deal with life in different ways. So how was your time with my brothers?"

"Good." I don't think he wants a blow-by-blow recount of the details, so I keep them to myself.

"That's good. You must be getting tired."

"Not too tired," I say, smoothing my hand over his chest, grazing my palm over his cute tight nipple, making him shiver.

"That's good."

"Maybe, if I make you feel good, you'll be able to sleep." My hand finds its way beneath the covers to Cash's waiting cock. He's not totally hard, so I get to enjoy the sensation of stroking him until he's fully erect. He sighs gently, his wolf-gray eyes drifting closed.

"You have no idea how good that feels," he says, pulling me closer. He smells of lemon, the first drops of rain on a field of corn, and something else that puts bubbles into my brain. I could do this all night and not tire, feeling his hips raise just slightly into my palm. He needs this more than any of his brothers, and giving it to him is as much of a pleasure to me as it is to him.

"It feels good for me too," I whisper.

"You'd tell me if anything was too much for you, wouldn't you?" There's a tiny break in his voice that makes me snuggle against him even more.

"Of course."

"So, this…this thing between us all. It's what you want?"

When our eyes meet, I have to blink back tears because there, I can see the softness that only comes with love.

"It's what I want," I tell him, kissing his lips softly.

"You know that I'd give you the world," he says, rolling over me. "You know that you deserve everything I have and more."

"You've given me the world." I stroke his face, watching his tired eyes drift closed. "You've given me a home, yourself, your family, a life."

"Is it enough? Is it too much?"

"It's perfect," I say. "So perfect."

Cash slides inside me like there was never meant to be any space between us. He gathers me into his arms, holding me so closely that I can feel his heart beating against my skin. He makes love to me like I'm precious and vulnerable and need his tender care, and somewhere, without expecting it, I slip into the deepest, longest, sweetest orgasm I've ever had.

Afterwards, I stay wrapped in his arms, playing with his hair until I think he's fallen asleep. I almost drift off myself, but I can't rest until I've been to Scott. They each deserve to share me equally. It's not something that any of us can compromise.

"I love you," Cash whispers as I slide out of his arms—three words that are often said too easily, but not here. Here I feel their truth right through me, as sure as the wind that blows through fields of corn and the rain that brings change to the lifeless dirt.

"I love you too," I say, kissing his rounded labor-crafted shoulder. Cash may not have made love to me first, but he loves me first, and that's always going to be special.

In the hallway, I press my back against the wall and breathe slowly and evenly to calm my emotions. There will be a time when we can all come together, and the love will run right through all that we are.

Until then, I have another brother to see.