The Brotherhood and Me

Chapter 17

Mr. Blackbourne returns to the room with a platter of sandwiches and more bottles of water to pass around. I snatch a sandwich from the plate before he can set them on the floor where we formed a bit of a circle.

"Miss Sorenson," Mr. Blackbourne scolds my impatience.

Axel and Dr. Greene snicker behind their own sandwiches.

"Mr. Blackbourne," I return in an attempt at copying his smooth baritone voice.

"You would think after the crazy semi orgy we just had you could call her Sang," Dr. Green snorts.

"And she could call you Owen. You know, it wouldn't kill you," Axel adds.

"I thought that was our thing," I interject in his defense. "I kind of like it."

"So you're going to be moaning Mr. Blackbourne in his ear?" Axel asks me.

"I can only hope," Mr. Blackbourne answers instead.

Axel and Dr. Green laugh again. I still don't understand.

After we finish our food, Axel announces it's time to clean up. I assume we'll take turns in the shower so I indicate with my hand that they can go ahead.

"Nope, Pookie. You're coming too," Dr. Green says, grabbing my hand and pulling me to my feet.

"I don't want to take all the hot water," I argue. "There's been a bit of shortage."

"No kidding," Axel retorts on a snort. "What about a bath?"

"I like baths," I tell them. "Do you think Gabriel can come wash my hair?"

"Bad idea," Dr. Green tells me.

"Why?" I ask.

"Same reason we shouldn't have North in here right now," Axel says.

"The guys are all barely hanging on right now," Dr. Green adds.

"Well, whose fault is that?" I ask, looking at Mr. Blackbourne.

He raises a perfect eyebrow in my direction. "Miss Sorenson, I assure you I have no idea what you're talking about."

This time I snort on a laugh. I shake my head and head toward the bath tub. I hear all three of them groan quietly as I bend to turn on the water. I roll my eyes, but don't comment. I'm actually kind of feeling sore. I don't want to start anything I can't finish this time.

"Dibs," I hear Dr. Green say quickly.

"Dibs my ass," Axel replies. "I'm coming too."

I quickly jerk my head around to watch the two walk into the shower together. I crawl into the bath without watching where I'm going so I don't miss a thing. My eyes stay riveted on the two as they soap each other up. They aren't doing anything particularly sexual, but I can't pull my eyes away from the scene. Dr. Green's perfect form is covered in soap and water. Axel uses his bare hand to help wipe the soap from his hipbone, almost touching him intimately.

"Your eyes don't lie," Mr. Blackbourne murmurs quietly to me from the ledge of the tub. "You really do like watching them together, don't you?"

"I do," I nod in agreement, still not looking away from Axel and Dr. Green in the shower.

"I still don't understand the appeal, but I won't stop them anymore," he tells me.

I finally turn to meet his eyes. "What do you mean?" I ask in surprise. "Don't you all enjoy each other?"

"For me, it's always just been scratching an itch," Mr. Blackbourne tells me. "I assumed it was the same for everyone else."

"They love each other," I argue. "I won't pretend to know everything, but I do know that much."