into her awareness, she found that he had set her down. They were both lying on the floor, clasped in each other’s arms. Eli lay still, more relaxed than she’d ever seen him before. Paisley bet he could be on his feet and fighting in the blink of an eye if he needed to, though.
For a few minutes, she simply enjoyed the afterglow. But then doubt crept into her mind. Just like sex with Jackson, sex with Eli had been wonderful and intimate, but left her feeling vulnerable and off-balance. She’d shared something with both men that had changed her, and she didn’t know where it would lead.
“Did you know we were going to have sex before we even came here?” she asked.
“No, of course not.”
“But the condom,” Paisley pointed out.
Eli chuckled. “I always have one on me. It’s a guy thing.”
“Jackson didn’t.”
“Did you and he…?” His tone was curious, non-judgmental.
“Yeah, we did. You said you wouldn’t mind.”
“I don’t. He won’t either. It’s a bear thing.”
To Paisley’s relief, he didn’t follow up with questions she didn’t want to answer, like “So are you agreeing that we’re soulmates forever now?” or “Does this mean you’re in love with us?”
Instead, he raised himself on his elbows and pressed his mouth to the nape of Paisley’s neck. His lips lingered on her skin, his kiss hot and lazy as a summer afternoon. He could keep his mouth there forever, as far as she was concerned.
Forever.
Paisley tried not to tense up at the idea. All else aside, Eli would notice. But her thoughts spun like a wheel. She had no doubt that Eli and Jackson loved her. And the way she felt when she and Jackson laughed at the same time… The way she’d felt when she’d thought Eli was dying…
Paisley scowled, unable to deny her feelings. She did love them. She did want to be with them. If either of them died, she’d break like glass.
And that was exactly why she didn’t want to promise forever. There was no such thing. People died . They got shot. They got stuck with poisoned needles. Their airbags exploded. How could she ever risk loving anyone again, when she already knew what it felt like to lose the person you loved?
She had to think of something else, before she started crying or confided in Eli or did some other awful, irrevocable thing.
Something else. Anything else.
The mission!
She caught Eli’s hand and checked his watch. “We need to get dressed. Jackson should be just about ready to turn off the lasers.”
Paisley got up, went to the earbud Eli had left on the dummy, and held it to her ear. Before she could address Jackson, she heard a yell come through the earbud, then the sounds of a scuffle. Paisley urgently beckoned to Eli. He came over and pressed his cheek close to hers so they could both listen.
“Jackson!” Paisley whispered. “What’s going on?”
His voice came through clearly— he was wearing his earbud— but he didn’t reply directly. “I’m Special Agent Brandon Williams, and this is an FBI sting. You let me go right now, and you won’t face charges for assaulting a federal agent in the course of his job.”
“Oh, fuck.” Eli’s muscles tightened against her body. “One of us must have tripped an alarm.”
Paisley’s heart lurched as she heard an unfamiliar male voice, oily and unpleasant and mocking. “If you’re a federal agent, where’s your badge?”
“I’m undercover,” said Jackson.
Paisley jumped at the hard crack that came over the mike.
Eli’s strong hand grabbed her shoulder. “Not a gunshot. They hit him with a gun.”
Paisley winced in sympathy, though she was relieved that at least Jackson hadn’t been shot.
“Jackson, stall them,” Eli said. “We’re on our way.”
Over her earbud, the man spoke again. “How many of you are there?”
“Just me.” Jackson sounded cool and offhand, but Paisley could only imagine what he must be feeling.
“Try again,” said the man. “Alarms are going off
For a few minutes, she simply enjoyed the afterglow. But then doubt crept into her mind. Just like sex with Jackson, sex with Eli had been wonderful and intimate, but left her feeling vulnerable and off-balance. She’d shared something with both men that had changed her, and she didn’t know where it would lead.
“Did you know we were going to have sex before we even came here?” she asked.
“No, of course not.”
“But the condom,” Paisley pointed out.
Eli chuckled. “I always have one on me. It’s a guy thing.”
“Jackson didn’t.”
“Did you and he…?” His tone was curious, non-judgmental.
“Yeah, we did. You said you wouldn’t mind.”
“I don’t. He won’t either. It’s a bear thing.”
To Paisley’s relief, he didn’t follow up with questions she didn’t want to answer, like “So are you agreeing that we’re soulmates forever now?” or “Does this mean you’re in love with us?”
Instead, he raised himself on his elbows and pressed his mouth to the nape of Paisley’s neck. His lips lingered on her skin, his kiss hot and lazy as a summer afternoon. He could keep his mouth there forever, as far as she was concerned.
Forever.
Paisley tried not to tense up at the idea. All else aside, Eli would notice. But her thoughts spun like a wheel. She had no doubt that Eli and Jackson loved her. And the way she felt when she and Jackson laughed at the same time… The way she’d felt when she’d thought Eli was dying…
Paisley scowled, unable to deny her feelings. She did love them. She did want to be with them. If either of them died, she’d break like glass.
And that was exactly why she didn’t want to promise forever. There was no such thing. People died . They got shot. They got stuck with poisoned needles. Their airbags exploded. How could she ever risk loving anyone again, when she already knew what it felt like to lose the person you loved?
She had to think of something else, before she started crying or confided in Eli or did some other awful, irrevocable thing.
Something else. Anything else.
The mission!
She caught Eli’s hand and checked his watch. “We need to get dressed. Jackson should be just about ready to turn off the lasers.”
Paisley got up, went to the earbud Eli had left on the dummy, and held it to her ear. Before she could address Jackson, she heard a yell come through the earbud, then the sounds of a scuffle. Paisley urgently beckoned to Eli. He came over and pressed his cheek close to hers so they could both listen.
“Jackson!” Paisley whispered. “What’s going on?”
His voice came through clearly— he was wearing his earbud— but he didn’t reply directly. “I’m Special Agent Brandon Williams, and this is an FBI sting. You let me go right now, and you won’t face charges for assaulting a federal agent in the course of his job.”
“Oh, fuck.” Eli’s muscles tightened against her body. “One of us must have tripped an alarm.”
Paisley’s heart lurched as she heard an unfamiliar male voice, oily and unpleasant and mocking. “If you’re a federal agent, where’s your badge?”
“I’m undercover,” said Jackson.
Paisley jumped at the hard crack that came over the mike.
Eli’s strong hand grabbed her shoulder. “Not a gunshot. They hit him with a gun.”
Paisley winced in sympathy, though she was relieved that at least Jackson hadn’t been shot.
“Jackson, stall them,” Eli said. “We’re on our way.”
Over her earbud, the man spoke again. “How many of you are there?”
“Just me.” Jackson sounded cool and offhand, but Paisley could only imagine what he must be feeling.
“Try again,” said the man. “Alarms are going off
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