My Soulmates are IDOLS Books 2+3 | 18+ [SoulBond Series]

174:cold night

"It's okay," Casper spoke out quickly trying to brush the judgement out of the air. A crappy attempt to try to save Oliver. It was funny that he tried since he was the one to spill the beans, Amber shook her head. God, Casper just didn't know how to read the mood of the room, did he? "Don't worry bro, no one will look down at you for it! It's totally okay if you can't hold it in—"

"IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK!" Oliver squawked defensively, flourishing his hands, clearly sensing the judgement. "SHE WAS BOUNCING ON MY DICK!" He spluttered out, pressing his hand to his reddening face. "EZRA! YOUR DRIVING FUCKING SUCKS!"

"Hey!" Ezra drawled, glancing back quickly for a second. "It's fucking amazing, okay? I managed to make you cum! Be grateful!"

MinJae was laughing his head off at this point, his guffaws transforming into pig like snorts through a hastily clasped palm over his lips. His laughter was infectious as hell because the rest of her men were starting to laugh at the incredulity of the situation. And Amber couldn't help the smile that quirked on her lips no matter how hard she tried not to grin. Damn it.

"FUCK YOU ALL!" Oliver screeched at them and the laughter only increased. "Am sorry." His voice was muffled against her shoulder as he buried his face in her clothes to hide his reddening cheeks. The apology was soft and weak, strangled with his shame and Amber's heart melted for him.

"No, no it's okay! Don't be embarrassed!" Amber soothed, she glared at her soulmates, a strange need to protect filling her heart. She took Oliver's hand, lacing her fingers with his and squeezing it tightly in support. "Joke's over boys, can we all stop laughing now. Please?" They listened to her, as they should, shutting up quickly. But MinJae turned back to give her a naughty smirk and one last wicked comeback.

"I can definitely last longer." He winked, sticking out his tongue naughtily.

"MinJae..." She warned and he grinned.

"What are you going to do, darling?" He teased in English, a beautiful smile that made her think of sunshine and rainbows. "Punish me? Test out my claims? Hmm? How about you come sit on my lap and then we can get Ezra to drive through that same route—OW" She squeezed his cheek, pinching the plump, squishy bulge with her fingers.

"Shush!" She chided, her voice firm with finality.

Enough was enough.

There was a limit to how far jokes could go, and she didn't want them hurting Oliver's feelings. Their laughter might have meant nothing to them, but it could have implanted a seed of doubt in her sunny soulmate's mind. And she would hate for him to feel anxious with her, worried that his performance was unsatisfactory.

She dropped her voice, whispering to him as she tilted her head to the side. "You okay?"

"I should say the same to you," Oliver answered bashfully, his voice husky and sweet, despite the pitch from his embarrassment. "I didn't mean to do it, I'm sorry for stepping over the line," he breathed, his voice trembling with his emotions. "You mean so much to me, I'm sorry for using you like this."

"Don't be, I found it flattering and I enjoyed your pleasure," she whispered back squeezing his hand and he squeezed back sweetly. "So, don't be embarrassed, okay? Trust me, I feel the Soul Yearning too, so I completely understand." And she truly did. With her soul clouded with her need for them, her nights had once been filled with wet dreams, dreams that made her question her sanity. It had disappeared with her broken soul bond, but she was sure it would return sooner or later at full strength.

"Okay," he murmured back pressing his face against her shoulder. "But you deserve to be respected and loved, and I will do it properly next time." His voice dropped into a low ragged whisper. "I promise." Amber's heart soared at the strength in his voice at those words, at the truth that sang from his lips. He wasn't just flirting with her, he was being honest and it made her pathetic heart thump weakly at his words.

Thankfully, her men dropped the topic when they approached the dormitory. The tension was palpable in the air as they mechanically exited the van with a speed that made Amber's head whirl. Her soulmates flanked her body, escorting her straight to the private elevators that would take them to their abode. They only relaxed when they entered the condominium, the weight in the air dissipating the moment the door closed and the beep of the lock chimed in the air.

"We were afraid that there might be fans or reporters," Oliver explained, answering the questions in her eyes. "There might have been a leakage of information from the hospital now that we've left. We'll get security to sweep the area to check later." Amber inhaled sharply at his words, her brows knotting together in confusion.

"What do they know?" She asked, watching as they slipped off their shoes to line them on the rack. She followed suit, peeling off her shoe with one hand. "About me that is."

"They know that Minnie has a hospitalised soulmate, and that's about it," Hikaru answered quickly. "We'll deal with it, so don't worry."

"All you have to worry about is getting better." Casper nodded, kneeling to quickly slip off her other shoe with large hands that spanned her ankle. He was awfully gentle about it, his hands steady as they worked over the lace. Amber's heart skipped a beat at the move, feeling oddly warm as he grinned at her, his dimples winking in the light.

She would have thanked him, but the moment Casper stood, Oliver immediately clipped the soul band over his wrist. She gaped as he quickly placed their hands together and darted off, spluttering excuses about taking a shower. They stared at him, watching him go, and for a moment there was no other sound except the desperate patter of Oliver's feet on the tile.

"I've not seen him that embarrassed in years!" Sieon observed and someone shoved him, a low thump that forced a soft groan from his lips. "What?" He said. "It's cute!" Amber let out a soft breathy huff, shaking her head. She had to agree that it was cute to see Oliver so adorably flustered, but she didn't like seeing his eyes fill with humiliation.

"Guys, I'll start on dinner, tell Oliver to come help me after his shower," Hikaru said quickly, rushing towards the kitchen. He snatched an apron from a hook, hastily tying it around his waist. "Ezra, MinJae and Sieon can I entrust you with the cleaning?"

Ezra nodded, dragging MinJae and Sieon away with him, luggage in tow. The two sulked, looking back at her with longing in their eyes, before turning to scurry after Ezra. Amber gave them all a funny look. Was it spring cleaning day? What was with the sudden need to clean and unpack? She pursed her lips together. On second thought, maybe this was just another one of their house rules. She did remember her parents sweeping their home whenever they had guest over, and they might be doing all that last-minute cleaning for her.

"Come on," Casper said, smiling kindly at her with foxy, cat-like eyes as he took her hand gently in large palms. Amber inhaled sharply, finally noticing that they were the only ones standing at the door at this point. "Do you want to see your new room?" She nodded following him quickly as he led her down the hall.

It was strange, coming back to the one place where she had felt so alone and so, so afraid. And to now call it her home? Her eyes darted to the spot where she had admitted her sins and a shiver curled up her spine at the distant memory. A strange chill settling in her bones as her cheeks paled. How had she fainted? She wondered to herself. Did she collapse on the ground, soul blood spilling out from her in a sudden gush of red and gold. Or had it been slow steady trickles from her chest? The wound above her heart pricked and burned at the thought and she rubbed it carefully, absentmindedly staring into space.

Casper seemed to notice, pulling her gently to him so that her gaze would focus on his own. She squeaked as he pulled her flush against his chest, holding her carefully in what she could only describe as a half hug. He was warm, her Casper, like summer incarnate or a roaring furnace. He burned with heat, his skin roaring like a fire that brushed away the cold in her veins and warmed her bones.

And their gold was a different sort of warmth, the kind that reminded her of a warm fire during a cold night.