Dashing devil omnibus 2.., p.83
Dashing Devil Omnibus 2: Books 4-6, page 83
Kayla scanned the table, counting the number of people that would rightfully be ahead of her and deciding that being top ten was good enough. “Thanks! Anything related to The Devoted gets major views, but a new Hero being trained by the Dashing Devil? It’ll be huge.”
“This fits under the category of classified information you can’t share without permission,” Boyd rumbled.
The last thing he wanted was someone taking a potshot at Laura before her training was even partially complete. If they reported that she was a prospective member of the team now, he would have to bar her from unaccompanied trips away from the base until he was confident she could look out for herself. Were they to announce anything, Laura would no longer be able to accompany Daisy on shopping trips back to Glorith.
The reporter rolled her eyes. It seemed Raev and Silvie had started rubbing off on her. And Boyd couldn’t tell if that was a good thing.
“I assumed as much.” Kayla pouted, and while her expressive features made her naturally good at it, she had nothing on Silvie.
“Daiz, dear, it will be okay. I promise.” Laura showed her other side as she turned to the concerned fairy with the warmth Boyd had come to expect from her.
The fairy woman scowled at her friend.
“It’ll be okay. It’s just training—for now. But I do fully intend to become a Hero. Just know that I didn’t make this decision lightly.” Laura frowned at Silvie and then Raev. “Yes, it’s going to be hard. But, it is something I need to do. I want to use my Powers to make a real difference. After seeing what you all have accomplished, I realized I can do a lot more as a member of your team than I ever could as a doctor.”
“But…” Daisy began to protest but couldn’t seem to think of an argument.
“The training will take a while.” Laura smiled warmly. “You don’t have to get used to the idea all at once.” She gently patted one of Daisy’s hands before pulling them away from her arm.
The nurse turned to Mindy. “Now, what’s this about a conversation that includes me?”
“We want to have regular conversations among Boyd’s lovers to air concerns or grievances, settle any conflicts, and just check in with each other,” Mindy elaborated. “I was hoping since I know you received some training on the topic, that you wouldn’t mind participating as a kind of mediator.”
‘At least until she joins as one of your lovers, kuh-he!’ Mindy added privately to Boyd with her signature giggle.
“Oh? Well then… yes. I would be happy to moderate such a discussion.” Laura nodded her agreement. “Will it be everyone?”
“Tinker will be sitting this one out,” Mindy replied with a nod to the smaller woman seated next to her. “She wants to sneak in a little mini date while the rest of us are distracted.”
“Drats,” Kayla complained. “I was hoping he would be unoccupied.”
“Oh?” Raev raised a fiery eyebrow, her ears sticking up and the tips of her tails flicking to match the amusement he sensed in her. “Decided to finally take a swing at getting fully in-bedded?” His vixen’s rather talented tongue managed to infuse an absurd amount of innuendo into the word.
“In another life, maybe.” Kayla laughed and shook her head at the redhead’s antics. “I’m afraid that in this one, I must remain in a strictly professional relationship with your hunk of a man. So, I suppose I’ll just spend tonight touching up my next piece.”
The reporter had been releasing what amounted to profiles on the Changed that had gone missing, including interviews she’d done with those who knew or had last seen them. News2 was showing them, but they had also been picked up by networks all over the world. Kayla was doing her part to keep the missing Changed in the minds of the populace while Boyd and his team acted behind the scenes.
“Um…” Hope azure eyes flittered over to him and he sensed unease build within her. “I had hoped to serve… I mean… I had hoped to spend some time with Boyd to ease his mind before he slept.”
Silvie let out one of her bell-like giggles and gently shoved the angel’s shoulder. “You’re insatiable, aren’t you honey-buns? These talks are important, though, and we haven’t had one since you got here—mostly because it’s almost impossible to peal you off our Darling. Tinker hasn’t had any alone time with him that wasn’t spent in her lab in a week!”
“I don’t know…” Raev chuckled on a rising, skeptical note. “It sounds like Tinker’s been getting plenty of quality time, given what we all know happens in those sessions.”
“Not that kind of quality time.” Silvie puffed out her cheeks at Raev before turning back to Hope. “Communication is vital, and I was certain you’d appreciate the chance to deepen your bond with your sisters.”
“Well, yes… of course I would…” Hope nodded with a pout, before glancing his way again. “It’s just that…”
Boyd realized he needed to start easing back on their shared clinginess. She needed to have this conversation, so he gave her a reassuring smile as she trailed off.
“Sometimes quality time with others will mean spending a little time apart. Go. Have a good talk, Hope. I could use a little time with Tinker.” He stood from the table.
Boyd had learned long ago that if he wanted Hope to do something, it was best to lead by example. Sure enough, Hope stood after he did, brushing the front of her dress flat along her resplendent hips as she stepped away from the table. His angel had taken to wearing either backless and cleavage-exposing white dresses with various accents and in different cuts, or the oversized shirts that Tinker had made for him around the base.
Neither ever came to her knees, and she very rarely wore underwear.
Everyone else began to rise as she stepped around the table and into his arms for a tight hug. Hope pressed the bounty that tonight’s thin and simple sundress barely protected from his roving gaze. It was almost enough to make him change his mind… almost.
But now that it had been brought up, he sensed how his little inventor really could use some quality time—and not that kind of quality time. Hope needed to have this conversation so their family could remain strong almost as much as Mindy needed to work through whatever had raised a barrier between her and the angel.
“I do want to get closer to my sisters,” Hope mumbled into his shoulder before leaning back slightly, licking her lips to wet them, and tugging him down for a brief kiss.
Now that the big demon was less than a foot taller than her, they fit together even more splendidly. But he still had to tilt his head as she rose on her bare toes to brush her full pink lips against his.
“Um…” Hope’s azure eyes slid from Boyd to Tinker. “Is it alright for me to ask if you think he will be returning to his bed tonight?”
It felt to Boyd like Hope was afraid asking the question would affect Tinker’s decision, but also that she wanted to prepare herself if they were going to be separated overnight. It might be their first night apart since her arrival, depending on how Tinker answered the question.
Chapter 29
Tinker hesitated for a moment before answering and Boyd sensed a brief conflict within her. It settled promptly and she gave a firm, determined nod as she came to a decision. “Yes, he will,” his little inventor stated firmly.
It was almost as if she needed to convince herself more than any of the others.
“And, so will I!”
Before anyone had a chance to respond, her cheeks flushed a middling level of pink—mild embarrassment, at least for her—and she quickly added, “Um… I mean… if that would be alright with everyone. I think it’s time I start joining the big bed to sleep with everyone, but only if the invitation is still open.”
“Of course, it is Sweetie!” Silvie bubbled over first and excitement flooded Boyd’s Bond with her. She had been looking forward to the whole family sleeping together for quite a while. “You’re more than welcome!”
Raev smirked, her playful streak that was ever so quick to rise to the surface evident across their Bond. She leaned on the back of her chair with her emerald eyes twinkling with mischief. “Well, well, well,” she purred, “look who’s finally joining the big leagues. Don’t worry, Tink, we don’t bite… much.”
She finished this statement with a wink that triggered a round of giggles that spread through the group. Tinker’s blush deepened, but a small smile tugged at her lips. It was a sign that matched what he sensed over their Bond. Raev’s words had been taken in the playful spirit they were intended.
Raev continued, her tone softening considerably, “But seriously, Tink, it’s about time. We’ve all been waiting for you to come around. The big bed’s been feeling a bit empty without our genius inventor.”
Hope nodded her agreement, her azure eyes shining warmly. “It will be nice having you there, sister. I understand you are not interested in sexual intimacy with us, but sleeping together is wonderful. Thinking of you alone while the rest of us are together has weighed on me. But I’m also greedy, and don’t want to lose Boyd to your bed. So, yes, please join us.”
“You know my thoughts on it,” Mindy smiled warmly, having discussed with Boyd how she was working on getting Tinker comfortable with the idea that there were non-sexual kinds of intimacy she could share with his other loves that she might find to her liking.
“Okay, great!” Tinker grinned, her cheeks a deep, pleased pink at all the positive attention. “I figured it would be okay, but I didn’t want to assume. So… um… I guess I’ll see everyone later, then? Well, everyone but Daisy, Laura, and Kayla…”
The petite woman pursed her lips. “That is… unless Boyd goes through a major personality shift in the next few hours and decides it’s time to grow his harem by three.”
She delivered this last bit with the wry sense of humor Boyd had witnessed a few times. He was glad that she was comfortable enough to share it with the entire group. She was opening up more and more every day.
A round of joyous laughter went through the group at the simple joke and Boyd chuckled along with them.
As the laughter subsided, Daisy—with her arms crossed and a defiant glint in her eyes—retorted, “As if I’d be swayed so easily. Even if Boyd tried his charms on me, I’d still be the one saying no. It’s not like I’m just waiting around for him to take interest in me or anything.”
“Please,” Tinker rolled her hazel eyes, “you wouldn’t last ten minutes if Boyd wanted you and decided to act on it.”
Another round of laughter went through the group, although this time Daisy narrowed her eyes at Tinker before glaring at Boyd until it died down enough for her to firmly state, “Even if you were to try to charm me, I’d still say no.”
With that, the plates, glasses, cutlery, and serving trays her feast had arrived on floated into the air over the table as she fluttered up into the air. Daisy evidently planned to have the last word, but Boyd’s new trainee wasn’t having that.
“You only say that because you haven’t felt his aura!” Laura laughed as Daisy turned to retreat. “If his personality shifted, as Tinker said, and he decided to use that? I promise you we’d all be puddles well within the ten minute mark.”
“Oh, lord.” Kayla sighed, placing the back of her hand against her forehead in a classic ‘woe is me’ pose. “And here I was thinking I might make it a full fifteen minutes if I put my heart into resisting.”
This triggered more laughter and for Daisy to decide she wasn’t going to get the last word—no matter how hard she tried considering her competition. She retreated.
“Oh, I must say I enjoy it here,” Kayla said as the final round of laughter died down. “There’s never a dull moment. Now, I’ll be off to my studio if anyone needs me…” She gave Boyd a wink. “Or goes through a personality shift. Good night!” She wiggled her fingers in a wave as she turned to follow the fleeing Fairy.
“Good night,” Boyd said, offering a nod as his lovers echoed their own wishes for a restful evening.
Turning to Laura, he caught her gaze. “You get a pass on the reading tonight because you’re helping with the conversation. But don’t get used to it. Training room, six o’clock sharp.”
“Yes, sir!” Laura’s salute, clearly borrowed from some cinematic depiction, was met with Boyd’s raised eyebrow.
“Heroes don’t salute,” he pointed out.
“Oh…” Laura blinked, dropping the salute with a chagrined smirk. “They don’t, do they. Why is that? I see the Non-Powered-Officers do it all the time.”
“Too many Powers are activated by hand movements,” Boyd replied, then shrugged.
Silvie floated over to gently pull Hope away from him. She had been standing with her hip pressed against his throughout the conversation, hesitant to move further away than that.
“Our non-Powered superiors often prefer we remain as still as possible in their presence,” he continued. “So, instead of saluting, we stand at attention and address them with respect.”
“Noted. See? I’m learning from you already.” Laura grinned. “You’re going to be a great trainer.”
“Training terrorist, you mean,” Silvie mumbled before floating up to give Boyd a peck on the lips. She then pulled him into a hug, pressing her chest to his. This put her lips next to his ear, and she whispered, “Remember, Darling, there are good kinds of upset, alright? Kinds that need to happen first before healing can happen. Be strong.”
Boyd nodded, then engaged in brief farewells with each of his loves that would be going to another room. They wandered off towards the hall with the single suites where each of his loves, Daisy, and Kayla maintained a personal space while chatting happily. Laura’s rooms were attached to her clinic.
He smiled down at Tinker, who returned it with a shy smile of her own. While Boyd’s recent height adjustment had not resulted in a change in his mass, his little genius’s growth spurt had. She’d shot up a full seven inches, growing into a shared kiss while riding him as he bent low to find her lips. When it happened, all of her proportions grew to match—resulting in her bust still appearing rather large on her still petite frame.
She was wearing a new, rather tight, pink romper that bared the entirety of her legs. This one had a zipper which was artfully left partially down to display a swath of pert cleavage. It even had some nice, braided detailing along the seam of the zipper for some extra style. She’d paired it with socks that rose to above her knees and had accessorized with the hot pink bracelets that had seen a few iterative improvements but were otherwise now a constant feature of his smallest love’s daily wardrobe.
While she’d initially been rather upset about having to replace her entire wardrobe after her growth spurt, his other loves had quickly convinced her that it was an opportunity to fully commit to her recent style change.
Tink’s cheeks flushed as warmth filled their Bond in response to his appraisal. He sensed there was something about the way his smile changed slightly when he regarded her like that which made her feel special. Boyd wasn’t sure what it was, but he hoped he would never stop doing it.
“Hello, my love,” Boyd rumbled after allowing himself to stare into her big hazel eyes for a moment as they just smiled like fools at each other.
Tinker gave a start, and her faint blush deepened two shades redder. “S-sorry, g-got lost in your eyes for a minute there. Um, what… ah… what were we doing?” she blurted out rapidly.
“I was just about to ask if you had anything in mind for how to spend some time together.” Boyd smiled warmly at his often-flustered little genius. He sensed that she wanted his company and attention, but not necessarily how she wanted to spend their one-on-one time together.
“Oh!” She nodded, giving him a chagrined smile.
Her hands came up to play with one of her braids, twisting and stroking it as she looked up at him through her long lashes. “Right… um… I was thinking we could maybe make some treats for when the others are done with their talk?”
Her rising tone made it a question, and she quickly added, “It sounded like it will get pretty emotional, and you’re going to be sensing all that, so I thought maybe doing something to cheer them up might help you get through it… even if it will be an indirect solution to cheer them up. Plus, the others can eat the freshly made treats when they are done. Win-win.”
“That’s a wonderful idea.” Boyd held his smile as he nodded.
He might have worried about spending their impromptu one-on-one time on a task his other loves would benefit from, but their Bond assuaged such concerns. Tinker genuinely enjoyed making things for those she cared about. Normally, of course, this took the form of customized gadgets. Apparently, baking treats qualified too.
“Great! Let’s use the little kitchen in your mini-suite,” Tink cheered as she turned and started for his private rooms.
She had some pep in her socked step that matched the excitement he sensed within her. Yet, somewhere deep down inside her, he sensed a little nugget of trepidation. He decided not to tug at it or look too closely just yet, though he would keep an eye on it.
Boyd caught up and took measured strides to walk beside her as she continued, “I was thinking you could make brownies because Silvie and Hope both melt over them… Hope almost literally. Then I was hoping you could help me make Snickerdoodles? Raev will like anything, but Mindy said Snickerdoodles were her favorite when I had the idea earlier but wasn’t sure what to make.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Boyd smiled as he unfurled a wing and draped it around her as they walked.
“Okay, good.” Tink leaned back into his wing, enjoying the feel of the suede-like lining. “I looked up some recipes earlier that seemed easy enough, but I don’t have much experience with baking… so I wasn’t sure which one to use. I couldn’t figure out why some called for butter, others for shortening, and then there were some recipes that called for both. Then each of them called for different amounts of sugar, or eggs, while others…”
